‘No,’ she groaned. ‘You know where. Oh, please, Alex!’
‘Do you love me, Lauren?’ His lips were back on her breasts, a fire spreading through her whole body.
‘I don’t know,’ she moaned dazedly. ‘I—Oh God!’ she shuddered with emotion, her body feeling aflame with wanting.
‘Do you?’ he persisted, moulding his thighs to hers to move against her in sensuous rhythm.
‘I—’ Another sound besides their heated murmurings was penetrating her dazed senses. It was the sound of someone whistling! And it was coming from the kitchen. She broke away from Alex’s embrace, her breathing laboured as she fought for control. ‘There’s someone else here,’ she clutched the robe to her, tying the belt with shaking fingers.
Alex made no move to button his shirt. ‘You didn’t answer my question,’ he said huskily.
Lauri looked away. ‘No, I—I didn’t. And I’m not going to. Please,’ she looked nervously towards the door that led to the kitchen, ‘do up your shirt.’
‘Not until you answer me.’
‘You have no right to ask such a question,’ she moved towards him and began buttoning his shirt herself. ‘It has to be Steve out there,’ she snapped her agitation. ‘And you don’t seem to care.’ She glared at him.
He shrugged. ‘I don’t. I’m just interested in your answer.’
‘Help me do this,’ she pleaded, ‘before Steve comes in. If he sees you like this he’ll—he’ll think—’
His arms went about her. ‘Let him think,’ he murmured against her throat. ‘I couldn’t give a damn.’
‘Well, I could!’ She jerked away just as the door opened and her uncle came into the room.
Steve came to an abrupt halt as soon as he saw them. And Lauri wasn’t surprised at the shocked expression on his face as he took in Alex’s unbuttoned shirt and ruffled hair, and her only clothing a towelling robe.
‘What’s going on here?’ he demanded.
Alex’s mouth twisted with wry humour. ‘Don’t be a fool, Prescott, it’s obvious what’s been “going on”.’
‘Lauri?’ Steve’s razor sharp gaze came to rest on her.
‘Don’t listen to him,’ she denied heatedly. ‘Alex was—We were—I—’
‘Don’t say any more,’ her uncle ordered. ‘I don’t want a move by move account of it.’ He looked contemptuously at Alex. ‘Just what game do you think you’re playing with my niece? I wouldn’t have thought she was experienced enough for you,’ he added insultingly.
Alex buttoned his shirt with slow provocation. ‘She learns fast,’ he drawled.
‘Why, you—’
Lauri’s hand on Steve’s arm stopped him from actually resorting to physical violence. ‘Leave it,’ she told him dully, her face suddenly very pale.
She could offer him no explanation for the way this situation looked without actually revealing what she had done to Alex’s chest. Maybe letting him think what he did was better than him knowing the truth. As for Alex, she realised he had probably been annoyed by Steve’s aggressive behaviour but he didn’t have to make the situation worse than it was. She learnt fast, indeed!
‘Leave it?’ Steve repeated furiously. ‘It’s one thing to take a girl to bed,’ he coloured at his own words, ‘but quite another to go around boasting about it.’
Lauri gasped. ‘Steve!’
‘I wasn’t boasting,’ Alex told the other man calmly, tucking his shirt back into the low waistband of his trousers. ‘And your niece and I have not been to bed together,’ he shrugged back into his jacket, straightening his cuff. ‘But then neither have we spent an innocent evening together.’
Steve looked at them scathingly. ‘I can see that.’
‘You don’t see anything of the kind. Now,’ Alex’s voice lowered menacingly, ‘I’m only going to say this once, and then I don’t want to speak of it again. Lauren and I are both old enough to make those sort of decisions for ourselves. I want to sleep with her, yes, but when it happens—’
‘If it happens,’ Steve corrected him fiercely.
‘When it happens,’ Alex repeated, ‘it will be on her terms. And I think we both know that Lauren’s terms will include a wedding ring.’