Bittersweet Love - Cathy Williams [35]
‘Very strait-laced,’ Kane commented. His eyes flicked across to the bathroom. ‘I can’t imagine why you’re bothering. Not when your lover is in the bathroom.’
‘What are you doing here?’ she repeated. ‘If you’ve come to fetch me to begin work, I’ll be down in about half an hour.’ She glanced across at the bathroom door. ‘As soon as Eric emerges.’
He moved across to the bed and sat on the edge of it. Natalie watched him in growing dismay.
‘And when is that likely to be?’ Kane asked softly.
Natalie shook her head. ‘I have no idea. He seems to like spending a long time in the bathroom.’
‘Without you? I’m surprised.’
Natalie’s heart gave a quick skip. Dismay was rapidly growing into panic.
‘And I’m surprised you’re not with Anna,’ she responded as tartly as she could.
‘Are you? Perhaps that’s because she’s beginning to bore me slightly.’
Natalie looked down, overcome by the swift stab of delight that single sentence brought her, and then hating herself for being so foolish.
‘I’m sorry,’ she lied.
He gave a short laugh. ‘Why? It’s hardly the end of the world. Women come and go.’
Natalie didn’t say anything. Did he think that she hadn’t noticed that a long time ago?
‘Only with you,’ she murmured. He reached forward, leaning above her, his hands on either side of her body, trapping her.
‘I prefer not to let my relationships with women pall. But you know that, don’t you? You know a lot about me, don’t you?’ His voice was soft and vaguely men-acing. ‘More than I apparently know about you. For instance, I have to admit I half expected to find bedlinen on the floor and only half the bed slept in.’
‘I’m so sorry to have disappointed you, in that case.’ Why deprive herself the chance of maintaining some control? Let him believe the worst; wasn’t it better than letting him glimpse the truth?
‘You haven’t disappointed me,’ he said tersely, ‘merely surprised me. But then you always have.’
That made her look at him. What did he mean by that?
‘So tell me,’ he carried on relentlessly, ‘are the two of you serious?’
When she shrugged, he stretched out one hand, curling his fingers in her hair so that she was forced to look at him. Panic was now making her breathing difficult and uneven.
‘Does he turn you on?’ He glanced quickly at the bathroom door, as if to reassure himself of something, then he said roughly, ‘Does he?’
‘That’s none of your business,’ she gasped.
‘You’re right, it isn’t.’ He half smiled at her, a charming, persuasive smile that should have made her fly out of the room and run as fast as her legs could take her, but which instead rooted her to the spot, mesmerised.
‘There’s always one way of finding out,’ he murmured, and Natalie had no need to ask what it was, be-cause it clicked the moment he leaned towards her, parting her lips with restless urgency. He sighed against her mouth and raised his hand to her head, cupping her neck. Natalie closed her eyes and gave in to the driving hunger that had been a part of her for so long. Her mouth moved feverishly against his, their tongues inter-mingling with electric intimacy. The sensations gripping her were quite different from anything she had ever experienced before.
How could she have ever entertained the idea of becoming involved with Eric? Or with anyone else for that matter? She would never be able to escape Kane’s clutches. Without realising it, he had made her a prisoner of her own love.
The force of his kiss had pushed her back against the pillow, dislodging the duvet cover to reveal the lacy femininity of her nightdress. With Eric, she had been quite unaware of its sensual allure. She might just as well have been wearing a pair of thick flannelette pyjamas.
With Kane, though, it was different. He looked at her hungrily, and she could feel his eyes burning her, making her want to squirm with agonising excitement. And he was as excited as she was. She could see it in his quick