Standing under the soothing spray, she was tantalisingly aware of the lingering trace of Jake’s cologne, the vital male scent of him still pervading the air from his recent occupancy of the bathroom. She was forced to admit it was far too big a risk being in the same room as the man. She shivered and, turning off the water, stepped out. It was only fifteen minutes ago that she had been putty in his hands. His lethal male charm still had the power to make her quake, and she couldn’t afford to give in, not now. Not when she was so close to her goal.
Picking up a large, soft towel, she briskly dried herself, and walking into the bedroom opened a drawer and pulled out a flimsy cream lace bra and matching briefs. She slipped them on, and, crossing to the fitted wardrobes, extracted a pair of cream silk, softly pleated culottes with a matching sleeveless silk blouse. In seconds she was dressed, and, straightening the gold-trimmed collar that complemented the gold leather belt she cinched tightly around her small waist, she silently vowed that there was no way Jake was sharing her bed—not now, not ever, even if she ended up sleeping in the laundry cupboard! She hated him with a depth of feeling she had not believed herself capable of.
Briskly she brushed her hair and casually twisted it into a loose chignon on top of her head. The addition of a moisturiser to her face, a touch of dark mascara to her long lashes and the use of a soft pink lip-gloss to her full lips completed her toilet.
Finally she slipped her feet into high-heeled gold sandals, and, efficiently transferring a few basics from her bag on the bed to a small gold shoulder-bag, she straightened her shoulders and, taking a deep breath, re-entered the sitting-room.
The sofa was empty. She looked around; Jake was standing at the darkened window, his body in profile as he stared out into the night, seemingly unaware of her presence. For a moment she allowed her eyes to linger on him; was it tension she sensed in his huge frame? No, it couldn’t be... His hard, chiselled features were curiously still, almost brooding. He turned, and his eyes locked with hers. His expression was impossible to define, and for some unknown reason Lexi felt menaced by the fraught quality of the silence between them, but she could not tear her gaze away.
Jake broke the contact; his dark eyes lowered, conducting a slow, sweeping survey of her feminine form before returning to her face, and she sensed a hint of disapproval, but why she had no idea. It was a designer outfit she had bought in the winter sale at an exclusive boutique on the isle of Capri.
‘Very elegant, and expensive, no doubt.’ Jake commented distastefully, his face hard with something like disgust as he moved towards her. ‘But I told you to leave your hair loose.’ And before she could object his strong hands had deftly unpinned her hair so it fell in a red cloud around her shoulders.
‘Your days of telling me what to do are long gone,’ she snapped, bitterly resentful, her hatred burning brighter as she remembered the months and years it had taken her simply to stop dreaming about the swine. She bit down hard on her lip. She would not let him taunt her into losing her temper; instead she deliberately swept her long hair back off her face. ‘Don’t you realise I have my position as manager to think of?’ she informed him caustically.
‘Not for much longer,’ he declared arrogantly.
Lexi knew she should demand an explanation for his remark but he was standing within inches of her, and she could almost feel the warmth of his body; the sheer animal magnetism of the man had the power to stir her senses as no one else she had ever known. Shocked and greatly disturbed, she made no comment. Instead she headed for the door; retreat was the only option she was capable of pursuing.
The dining-room of the hotel was luxurious and intimate, and, as Lexi walked across the room with Jake at her side, his large hand firmly clasping her elbow, to the casual observer they looked like the perfect loving couple. The man tall and strikingly attractive and the woman small and exquisite, her eyes sparkling and her face flushed with pleasure. Only a very close observer would see that it was rage that put fire in her eyes and colour in her face.
By the time they were finally seated at Lexi’s usual table she was so furious she wanted to hit Jake. As she had spoken to various guests, Jake had delighted in introducing himself as her husband, completely ignoring her acute embarrassment.
‘What the hell do you think you’re playing at?’ she hissed as she carefully folded her napkin on her lap. Her eyes flashed angrily across to her companion. ‘I suppose you think that was a huge joke t
elling Miss Davenport you’re my husband. Only last week she met my boyfriend; what on earth is she going to think? And she’s one of our best customers.’
Jake’s mouth curved derisively. ‘Hardly my fault, Lexi, my dear; you should have had more sense than to acquire a boyfriend when you still have a husband.’
She flung up her head, fury leaping in her eyes. ‘I don’t have a husband, I haven’t...’
‘Had me in years. I know, but tonight I intend to correct that,’ he drawled smoothly, his glance sweeping down to the deep V of her shirt, and lingering on her exposed creamy cleavage with lascivious intent.
‘That was not what I meant and you know it, you...you...pervert,’ she shot back, the colour in her face almost matching her hair.
His dark features hardened immeasurably ‘I will not tolerate opposition, Lexi. I have let you run free far too long, but not any more.’ His eyes held hers with unwavering scrutiny. ‘Fight me and I will fight back, and I can assure you I always win.’
Her eyes warred angrily with his. This was one fight Lexi had to win, to keep her self-respect, her pride. Her life. How would she have answered? She never knew, as the waiter appeared at the table.
‘Would madam and sir like to order now?’ The pointed use of madam only fuelled Lexi’s anger.
‘A pasta Genovese, followed by steak, medium, for me, and shall I order for you, Lexi darling? I know your taste so well.’ Jake’s question was a silken-voiced taunt that made her see red.
‘I’m not hungry,’ she snapped at the poor waiter. ‘No starter, and anything. Veal Marsala, whatever.’
Jake sat back in his chair, his dark eyes resting on her flushed face. ‘Is that any way for the manager to treat staff? The man was only doing his job.’
‘I never lose my temper with staff.’ Lexi managed to keep her voice low. ‘It’s only you, and your presence here, that makes me lose my temper.’
‘Funny, when we first met you never argued with me. In the beginning I used to wonder when the famous red-headed temper would show itself, until I married you and discovered you saved all your fire and passion for making love.’
Suddenly, kaleidoscopic images of herself and Jake in bed together filled her mind with erotic clarity. She briefly closed her eyes to dispel the images, and when she opened them again, Jake was slowly assessing every one of her features, from her red face to the small hand that lay on the table, the fingers clenched in outrage, and, when he returned his gaze to hers, she had to fight to keep herself from trembling. Luckily the wine waiter intervened and the next few moments Jake spent choosing the wine, a rather good Barola, while Lexi fought to regain some self-control, which unfortunately deserted her immediately Jake opened his mouth again.
‘Your present lover—Dante, isn’t it?’ He smiled but the smile never reached his eyes, as the intensity of his gaze nailed her to the spot. ‘It seems he does not take after his namesake. Dante’s Inferno. It is obvious he lights no fire in you, Lexi; if he did, you wouldn’t have the passion to cross swords with me, or melt in my arms as you did earlier in the bedroom.’
‘Will you shut up...? People will hear...’ Lexi cast a frantic glance at the tables around them. Thank God no one seemed to have overheard. ‘This is a very exclusive hotel, and I am responsible for it.’ She took refuge in her professional role, mainly because she had a nasty feeling there might have been some truth in Jake’s jeering remark and she did not want to examine her own emotions too closely.
Jake slanted her a sardonic glance. ‘But of course you’re quite right. I would hate the hotel to lose any custom because the manager went crazy in the dining-room. Terrible for business, especially now.’