Raul's Revenge

'No answer, Penny? It is unlike you to be stuck for words.' His mocking voice infuriated her and, strug­gling into briefs and a bra, she let the towel fall to the floor before turning to face him.

He was standing leaning against the dressing table, still wearing only a towel and looking impossibly smug.

'What's to say? The past is past. Now, where did you say my clothes were?'

'At my instruction, Ava transferred all the clothes you left in the guest room and the dressing room to the an­tique wardrobe over there.' She saw him flick a long hand in the direction of the huge mahogany cupboard.

Penny did not like the sound of that. Where exactly was she supposed to sleep? She bit her lip but made no comment; instead, moving to the wardrobe, she flung back the door and eyed the row of dresses, trousers and sweaters she had left behind two years ago.

Grabbing the first garment—a pale blue shift dress-she pulled it quickly over her bead, doing her best to ignore Raul's brooding presence. Smoothing the sleek blue fabric over her slender hips, she glanced across at his lounging figure. But he wasn't finished with her yet.

'But the past is not past for you and me, Penny.' Raul gave her a feral grin. 'We have a very lively son, and maybe more in the future.'

She did not need reminding again of how careless they had been. 'For me the past is over, and, as for the present, if I get pregnant then you and Nick will have to have a blood test.' Swallow that one, buster, she thought mutinously. So far Raul had had everything his own way. It was time he had something to sweat over for a change. But to her amazement he burst out laughing.

'I'm glad you find it funny,' she said flatly. 'But the joke might be on you in nine months' time.'

'Nice try, Penny. An hour ago I might have believed you. But young James is a very intelligent little boy.'

'Even you wouldn't stoop so low as to question a young boy little more than a baby.'

Straightening to his full height, Raul stalked across the room and stopped a pace away from her. 'I did not have to. I looked in on him before joining you in the shower. He was quite talkative. Apparently he sleeps with you, and Uncle Nick sleeps with Amy.'

She felt a fool; the colour surged in her face and she could not look at Raul. Instead she deliberately changed the subject.

'I need a drink or something—the after-effect of whatever poison you gave me, no doubt. I feel sick to the stomach.' And she did, but only she knew that it was with shame—shame that she had given in to Raul's lovemaking, shame because her own innate honesty forced her to admit that she had enjoyed it.

His hand came out and gripped her wrist as she would have walked past him. A current of feeling ran through them, linking them in an electric tension. 'Not so fast, Penny.'

'Let go of me,' she said, raising her eyes to his.

Raul smiled unpleasantly. 'No.'

For a long moment her eyes skimmed the hard fea­tures of the man she had once loved, the man whose child she had borne, and she wondered how she could have allowed herself to be so easily deceived a second time. 'Let me go.'

Something ugly moved in the golden-flecked eyes, but no hint of emotion disturbed the harsh angles of his handsome face. His fingers tightened painfully on hers. 'Never,' he said softly, silkily. 'And let me make one thing quite clear—I checked with a doctor and the two pills I gave you were quite harmless, simple sleeping pills. Yours in fact.'

'Mine?' she exclaimed in astonishment.

'Yes; the ones your doctor left for you when James was stolen. I took them from your bathroom cabinet'

The audacity and cunning of the man left Penny speechless. It was almost funny! But one glance at Raul's set face told her that now was not the time to laugh, as he continued, his voice hard and heavy with derision, 'So don't try and blame a supposed drug for what hap­pened in the shower. You wanted me. However much you say you hate me, however you try and defy me, both you and I know the chemistry between us is still as powerful as the night we met.'

Her lashes fluttered down; she could not hold his gaze without giving away the truth. He was right.

'Because of that, and because of James, I am pre­pared to give you a choice. You can live here with me, take up where we left off more than two years ago, or go back to England on your own. But a platonic re­lationship between you and me is not an option.'

Penny looked up and saw the merciless glitter in his dark eyes. 'That is no choice at all,' she said in a hor­rified whisper.

'It is the only choice you are going to get,' he said, with a chilling lack of emotion that made her blood run cold.

She stared up at him, the full enormity of what he had suggested slowly sinking into her emotionally bat­tered brain. 'But...'

His dark head swooped and his mouth bruised her love-swollen lips. After a moment he lifted his head and she saw in his cold, implacable smile something sinister. She shivered, yet it was Raul who was almost naked.

'Think about it—' he dropped her hand '—while I dress for dinner.'

'But-'