‘You’re right, of course, Matthew.’
‘And don’t think you can get by me by acting all contrite! It’s time you realised just how dangerous your impetuous behaviour can be.’
‘I think she knows that already,’ Juliet put in dryly.
‘About damn time too,’ he snapped. ‘Perhaps it’s as well it happened, at least it’s brought you down to earth a bit.’
‘Matthew!’ Juliet said reproachfully. ‘Leave the poor girl alone!’
‘Poor girl!’ he scoffed. ‘That’s the last thing she is. Spending the night in Jake Weston’s suite!’
Stacy gave him a sideways glance. ‘I believe you spent the best part of the night in our room alone with Juliet,’ she said tongue-in-cheek.
Matthew flushed. ‘That was different! I—’
‘She has a point,’ Juliet put in mischievously.
‘You know damn well it was perfectly innocent,’ he snapped.
‘And how do you know Stacy’s night with Mr Weston wasn’t equally innocent?’
‘Well— Because it can’t have been,’ he said crossly. ‘He isn’t the sort of man to simply—well, he wouldn’t just leave Stacy to—’
Juliet laughed. ‘For goodness’ sake say it, Matthew. You believe Stacy and Mr Weston to have shared the same bed—and not just to sleep in.’
‘That’s right,’ he muttered.
‘And how does she know we didn’t do exactly the same thing?’
‘Because you know we didn’t.’
‘I know you say you didn’t,’ Stacy joined in Juliet’s teasing. ‘But I only have your word for that—as you only have mine.’
Matthew looked at the two of them as they struggled to hold back their amusement. ‘All right, all right,’ he sighed. ‘I admit I could be wrong.’
‘You are wrong,’ Juliet insisted.
‘All right,’ he conceded with a further sigh, ‘I’m wrong. But you have to agree with me about Stacy’s impetuosity.’
‘She’s a big girl, Matthew, and even if she had spent the night in bed with Jake Weston it’s none of your business.’
‘But—’
‘Is it, Matthew?’ Juliet persisted.
‘No!’ He stood up. ‘I’m going for a swim.’
Juliet quirked an eyebrow. ‘To cool off?’
Stacy chuckled at the furious look Matthew directed at them both before diving into the cool water. ‘You shouldn’t tease him like that,’ she scolded her room-mate.
‘Then he shouldn’t be so bossy and disapproving,’ Juliet replied unconcernedly.
‘Thanks for helping me over that anyway, I appreciate it.’
‘That’s okay,’ her friend dismissed. ‘He really mauled you abo
ut, didn’t he?’ She indicated the livid bruises on Stacy’s arms.