It was just her luck that night that Jake should be travelling down in the lift she had summoned to take her down to the reception area. Instead of her getting into the lift Jake got out, taking in the two suitcases in her hands at a glance.
‘I was just coming to see you,’ he told her coldly.
Stacy had angrily pressed the button again for the lift to come back to her floor, steeling herself not to look at the devastating picture he made in the black evening suit and snowy white shirt, his dark hair brushed rakishly back from his handsome face.
‘Really?’ She quirked an eyebrow, impatiently tapping her fingers against the lift panel. ‘Well, here I am.’
‘Yes.’ He leant in front of her, in her line of vision. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’
‘Where does it look like?’ She looked pointedly at her suitcases.
‘I told you—’
‘I couldn’t give a damn what you told me!’ her eyes flashed angrily. ‘I’ve always done what I wanted to do, and nothing that has happened here has changed that.’ She stepped into the lift as it arrived back at her floor, not bothering to hold back her resentment as he got in beside he
r, arrogantly pressing the button for his own floor. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ she demanded. ‘Matthew and—’
‘Matthew can damn well wait for you,’ he cut in harshly. ‘You aren’t going anywhere until we’ve sorted this thing out.’
Stacy sighed. ‘There’s nothing to sort out. I’ve thought it all out, Jake, and what you need is a woman you can lock up for the duration of your interest in her. I can understand why you’re so suspicious, but I’ve always thought trust was essential in any relationship. You don’t know the meaning of the word.’ She trailed along behind him as he led the way to his suite, her suitcases in his hands. ‘Couldn’t you just let me go so that we can both forget we ever met? I’ve never had reason to question my friendship with any man, and I don’t intend to let you force me into it. I owe you no explanation.’
‘Finished?’ He handed her one of the two glasses of whisky he had poured out.
‘No.’ She took a huge gulp of the whisky, choking as the fiery liquid burnt her throat. ‘No, I haven’t finished.’ She wiped the tears away from her flushed cheeks. ‘Why can’t you just leave things as they are and let me go, find yourself someone else to amuse you?’
He gave a brief bitter smile. ‘You don’t amuse me, Stacy. You put me through hell, but you don’t amuse me.’
‘The hell is of your own making, because you choose to listen to what other people say about me rather than what you yourself know to be true. I really think we’ve said enough to each other the last few days. You aren’t good for me, Jake. You take away my pride and my self-respect.’
‘I—’
‘You want me,’ she finished dully, ‘I know that. It’s this want and desire that keeps bringing you back to me.’
‘It isn’t only want and desire.’
‘Whatever it is it isn’t enough.’
‘You prefer Day, I suppose,’ he bit out angrily.
‘You see?’ she said with a sigh. ‘You can’t rid yourself of the idea that every man I come into contact with has shared my bed.’
Jake took a step towards her. ‘Perhaps if you allowed me to share your bed I might be able to feel more sure of you.’
She shook her head sadly. ‘You wouldn’t, Jake. A physical relationship isn’t the answer to everything.’
He gave a wry smile. ‘But it helps,’ he said mockingly.
‘No.’
‘Stay here with me. Don’t leave.’
Stacy turned away from the raw hunger in his eyes, her love for this man making her feel weak. ‘Matthew is waiting for me downstairs.’ She was deliberately provocative, not telling him that Juliet was there too. ‘I can’t keep him waiting any longer.’
‘Day!’ Jake said scathingly, and pulled her roughly against the lean length of his body. ‘Why must you keep pushing the guy down my throat?’ His voice was seductively soft.
She arched her eyebrows at him. ‘Why do you think?’
‘I have no idea.’ He gently lowered his lips to claim hers, exploring her mouth with a thoroughness that left her breathless. ‘Can you deny that you enjoyed that?’