'Are you married, is that it?' he guessed with a sinking feeling; he could never remember being this intrigued by a woman before. 'If you are, then I'm sorry if I—'
'I'm not married,' Gaye assured him. 'I—I have another commitment this evening.'
The feeling of elation that she wasn't married, after all—his worst fear!—was instantly followed by irritation so strong he had trouble containing it. She was seeing someone else! The thought of her being with another man, smiling at him, laughing with him, kissing him, perhaps doing even more than kissing him, suddenly filled Jonathan with such rage, he had to grip the steering wheel tightly to control it.
What the hell was wrong with him? He was thirty-seven years old, had known many beautiful women in his lifetime, and it had never bothered him before that there had been other men in their fives before him, or, indeed, after him. Yet the thought of some other man laying naked with Gaye made him so angry he could actually have hit something—or someone!
'Break it!' he snarled—and then felt surprised at his own vehemence. If Gilchrist had acted out of character earlier when he'd apologised to Gaye, then he was acting out of character too now; he was the charming one of the family—he left the arrogance to Jarrett!
Gaye gave him a startled look. 'I beg your pardon?'
'Never mind,' he muttered, shaking his head in self-disgust. 'What about tomorrow evening?'
'I—I'm sorry, but no.' She gave him a pained look.
'The evening after,' he persisted, anticipating her refusal before it was even made. 'Name the evening!' he ground out as she did exactly that.
'Mr Hunter—'
'For God's sake call me Jonathan,' he bit out impatiently. 'You make me sound like your dentist!' Trying to make a date with this woman was proving as difficult as extracting teeth!
She smiled at that, her eyes instantly deeper in colour, like twin emeralds now. 'My dentist is fifty and going bald,' she pointed out.
'So could I be by the time you accept a date with me!' Jonathan countered.
Gaye laughed—and it was the most magical sound Jonathan had ever heard, like delicately tinkling bells. When it stopped, he wanted nothing more but to hear it again. But as she sobered he knew he wasn't going to be that lucky. . .
'It isn't a policy of your employment or something like that, is it? Not dating the clients,' he explained at her frowning look.
Her mouth quirked ruefully. 'As our clients are all pregnant women, and the men their husbands or partners, it's an unlikely policy,' she returned dryly.
She had a point there! But the alternative was. . . 'So you just don't like me,' he said harshly.
It didn't happen very often, but it wouldn't be the first time he had been refused a date, either. For goodness' sake, he didn't feel attracted to every woman he met; in fact, he had become very choosy over the last few years. It was just that his attraction to this woman was so strong, he found it difficult to accept that it wasn't reciprocated. . .
She sighed. 'I didn't say that. . .'
Somehow this didn't cheer him up! 'But you won't go out with me?*
'Jonathan—' Gaye seemed to be choosing her words carefully '—I'm not married. I'm not engaged. I'm not involved with anyone. Nor do I dislike you.'
'Then—*
'But neither am I in the market for the sort of frivolous, meaningless affair I'm sure you have in mind,' she stated firmly. 'And, despite what you may think to the contrary, I do not mean that insultingly.*
'You don't?' Now he was the one having trouble holding back a smile; she certainly had him weighed up. Or, at least, she had until now. . . He couldn't imagine indulging in a meaningless, frivolous affair with her, either. He wasn't sure what he had in mind, but it wouldn't be meaningless!
Her smile returned. 'I don't.' She sobered. 'There simply isn't room in my life at the moment for frivolity.'
He frowned at the way she said that, sensing something, but unsure what it was. 'Have you never heard the saying "too much work and not enough play can make Gaye a very dull girl"?' he attempted to tease. 'What do you do in the evenings, every evening, that doesn't leave you time for a social life? Studying for more qualifications? An Open University course? What?'
The harder he probed, the more distant her expression seemed, and the tensing of her body was tangible. He knew he was stepping on ground she considered private, that he was invading it!
'Or maybe it's that you prefer not to eat out?' he continued lightly. 'We could always go to the cinema, or I could try to book tickets for a show—'
'No!' she cut in sharply. 'I've told you, there's no point in my going out with you. Anywhere. At any time,' she added bleakly.
He frowned darkly. "That sounds pretty final.'
'It is,' she confirmed shortly.
Jonathan didn't like puzzles, and this woman was definitely turning out to be one. She didn't dislike him, but she wouldn't even go out with him, let alone anything else. Perhaps it was the Hunter name itself that put her off. . .?
'You shouldn't believe everything you read, you know,' he told her.
She turned to give him a startled look, those deep green eyes wide. 'I beg your pardon?'
"The newspapers and gossip-mongers have had a field day with my two brothers and me over the last few years, and since Jarrett married Abbie a couple of years ago the pressure has been placed on Jordan and myself. If we so much as look at a woman the marriage speculation begins,' he explained. 'I just wanted to reassure you that I don't have anyone special in my life already.' The woman he should have been seeing this evening wasn't anyone serious, just someone he spent the occasional night with when they were both free. And went to bed with, he inwardly confessed. But it certainly wasn't serious, its very casualness suiting both parties.
Gaye gave a shrug. "That's nice to know.'
'But it still makes no difference to your answer,' Jonathan guessed frustratedly. He had never wanted any woman to go out with him as much as he wanted Gaye to. But he knew by her body language that she wasn't going to do so.
'Turn left,' she suddenly instructed at a junction. 'You can drop me off here,' she told him once he had turned the car.
'Here' was the corner of the street, and, although there were several houses close by, if he stopped the car now, they wouldn't actually be parked outside any of them; Gaye didn't even want him to know where she lived, Jonathan realised.
'I'll take you to your door,' he told her grimly. He had never felt so unwanted by a woman in his life. What was wrong with him, for goodness' sake? Because Gaye certainly found something about him unacceptable!
"There's no need—'
'There's every need, damn it,' he told her forcefully. T said I would drive you home—and that's exactly what I intend doing!'
He was angry, he suddenly realised. That was an emotion he very rarely felt. But at the moment he was intensely angry. And this woman, with her cool rebuff, was making him feel that way.
Was he really so arrogant that he couldn't take no for an answer?
It wasn't a question of arrogance, he knew; he just couldn't accept that he wouldn't see Gaye again. . .
'I'm sorry,' he said softly. 'I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. But I still don't have any intention,' he continued determinedly as she would have spoken, 'of just dropping you off in the middle of nowhere!' Or of not knowing exactly where she lived, he decided.
Her green eyes sparkled now as she looked across at him. Jonathan had a feeling anger was as much an alien emotion to Gaye as it was to him. But, he decided, any emotion was better than none!
'The second house on the left,' she bit out, looking away so that he could no longer see her expression.
Although he could guess!
The second house on the left was much further along the road than it sounded, the houses in this quiet suburb obviously exclusive, each set within its own grounds. The buildings themselves, although Victorian in style, were very large and grand. As Jonathan parked the car and looke
d down the long driveway, he knew Gaye couldn't possibly live in such a large house on her own. . .
'I—'
"Thank you for the lift home,' she told him politely, the door of the car open even as she spoke.
'Gaye. . .?' Jonathan moved just as quickly, out of the car, and was standing on the pavement beside her as she got out. 'I don't suppose there's any chance of being invited in for a cup of tea?' he said affably. 'After all, I was almost an expectant father today!'
Her mouth twisted wryly. 'How could I possibly forget?' She grimaced. 'I'll make doubly sure I have the right man in future. I don't want to go dragging some poor unsuspecting male into Theatre to witness the birth of a child!'
He chuckled. 'You should have seen your face when Jarrett walked in!'
'I can imagine.' She groaned her embarrassment. 'Hopefully everyone will have forgotten about it by the time I go back on duty!'
'You won't be at the clinic tomorrow?'
Gaye shook her head, her hair moving silkily about her shoulders. 'I have two days off now.'
Damn! He had thought, had depended on the fact that he would at least be able to see her at the clinic when he visited Abbie. And Gaye had very neatly avoided answering him about the cup of tea!
He gave a frustrated sigh, lightly grasping the tops of her arms. 'You're an infuriating woman, Gaye Royal.'
She gave a rueful quirk of her lips. 'So I've been told—Jonathan Hunter.' She released herself, taming and walking down the gravel driveway to the large, imposing house, without so much as glancing back at him to see if he still watched her.
Somehow Jonathan sensed a reluctance there, felt that this was the last place she wanted to be. Who waited for her behind that huge oak front door?
And who else had told her she was an infuriating woman. . .? It sounded like something a lover might say. Yet she had told him she didn't have one. . .
There was so much about Gaye Royal that he either didn't know or didn't understand.
But, whether she liked it or not, he intended finding out!
CHAPTER THREE
Jonathan Hunter made Gaye nervous.
Her two days off duty had been more fraught than they usually were, mainly because she had lived in dread of the doorbell ringing, and opening the door to find him standing on the doorstep. He hadn't seemed to her like a man who would accept no for an answer, especially where a woman was concerned. She doubted he had had to very often!
But the doorbell had remained silent. As had the telephone. No one came to the house any more; the telephone calls had ceased long ago. The fickleness of humanity. But, for all his lazy charm, she hadn't received the impression that Jonathan Hunter was a fickle man. . .
Which made his silence over the last two days doubly nerve-racking! He had been so persistent in trying to get her to go out with him that the silence that had followed her refusal seemed alive with tension.
However, the doorbell hadn't rung, and she hadn't opened the door to find Jonathan Hunter standing there, and by the time she left the house for work this morning she was feeling strangely irritable. It didn't help that the first patient she had to attend to was Abbie Hunter. Or that her arrogant husband was with her.
The other woman was beautiful. Not only that, but she was warm and friendly too. She was also so obviously happy in her marriage. Frankly, Jarrett's aloof manner made Gaye feel as nervous as his brother did, but for different reasons. The golden eyes, which all of the Hunter brothers had, seemed to look at her and see beyond her own cool veneer to the vulnerable woman beneath.
Jarrett Hunter stood up at Gaye's entrance. 'I'll leave you two ladies to chat,' he announced smoothly before bending to kiss his wife and baby son goodbye. 'I'll be back this afternoon,' he told his wife huskily. 'See you later, Gaye,' he said before leaving.
Gaye stared after him; he had known her name! And she could think of only one source. . .
Abbie laughed softly as she watched her. 'They're very close, these Hunter men. But also very loyal,' she added gently.
Gaye swallowed hard, forcing a bright smile to her lips as she held up the bouquet of flowers she was delivering. 'Roses,' she announced lightly. Although, looking at the room already filled with flowers, it was difficult to know where they were going to go!
Abbie took the flowers, although she made no move to read the card attached to them, still looking up at Gaye. 'Did you enjoy your days off?' she enquired. 'Did you do anything exciting?' she added mischievously.
Gaye thought of those two days off, of the usual routine, the strain of always having to be cheerful. 'No,' she answered flatly.
The other woman raised dark brows. 'No—you didn't enjoy your days off, or no—you didn't do anything exciting?'
No—to both questions! Life had taken a strange turn two years ago, and despite all her efforts she had no idea how to turn it back again. One thing she was certain of: becoming involved with the Hunter family would only make things more complicated!
'I didn't do anything exciting,' she answered tone-lessly.
'Oh.' Abbie looked perplexed. 'Jonathan seemed to think you had a very busy two days ahead of you.'
Jonathan Hunter hadn't thought any such thing. He had been told precisely why she wouldn't go out with him—and it had nothing to do with being too busy!
'Jonathan was mistaken,' Gaye said with a ghost of a smile curving her lips, almost—although not quite—sure this beautiful woman knew exactly what had happened between herself and Jonathan.
'He should be in later today,' Abbie said casually.
Gaye kept her expression deliberately bland, at the same time making a mental note to make sure she was busily ensconced in a store cupboard or something when he arrived. "That will be nice for you,' she answered noncommittally.
The other woman burst out laughing, a sound of pure enjoyment. 'I'm sorry, Gaye,' she chuckled as she sobered a little. 'It was just that you reminded me of someone else just now. Me,' she supplied at Gaye's questioning look. 'Two years ago, when I was beating an equally hasty retreat from Jarrett's bombardment. And look what happened to me!' She grinned happily, obviously completely content with what had 'happened' to her.
Gaye shook her head. 'The situation is hardly the same,' she dismissed, knowing a little about Abbie's life before she married Jarrett Hunter. She had been a successful model, and then the wife, and widow, of wealthy Daniel Sutherland; apart from the fact that Gaye's parents had been quite well-off, the two of them had very little in common.
What about the Hunter men? crept in a small, betraying voice.
No, not even them, she told herself decidedly. She wanted her life left exactly as it had always been, well out of the limelight, away from the public eye.
'It could be,' Abbie told her softly.
'I don't think so.' Abbie would be discharged in the next day or so, and then Gaye wouldn't have to make a point of making herself scarce when Jonathan Hunter was around. . . 'I have to get on,' she replied briskly. 'Please ring if there's anything else you want. I'm sure—
'Next to Jarrett, Jonathan is my favourite man,' Abbie told her huskily.
Gaye turned to her. 'I'm sure he's very nice,' she answered guardedly.
The other woman slowly got up from her chair placed near the window. 'He's more than just nice, Gaye. He—'
'Talking about me again, Abbie?' The youngest Hunter brother bounced into the room, golden eyes alight as he placed a kiss on Abbie's cheek before turning to grin at Gaye. 'Is she telling you how she jilted me in order to marry my big brother?' he said devilishly. 'She promised to be the mother of my children, and then—'
'I promised to be godmother to your children,' his sister-in-law corrected him dryly. 'When you have any, that is! And stop telling Gaye such nonsense, Jordan, or she'll think the whole family is mad!' She shook her head reprovingly.
Not mad, exactly, but they were certainly a family few could ignore. Even if one tried very hard!
'Take my advice and stay well away from
Jordan, Gaye,' Abbie told her with an affectionate grin at the man she spoke of. 'He's the breaker of hearts in this family.'
'So it was Jonathan's virtues you were extolling,' Jordan realised mock-disgustedly. 'Gaye, I could tell you a few things about my brother Jonathan that would—'
'Did I hear my name being mentioned in vain?' Jonathan drawled as he strolled into the room, smiling a greeting at Abbie before turning the full force of his gaze onto Gaye.
She could feel the hot colour enter her cheeks as she stared back at him, tall and handsome in the tailored suit and pale blue shirt. When Abbie had said Jonathan would be in later, she hadn't realised the other woman meant almost immediately! But by the too innocent expression on Abbie's face as Gaye glanced at her Gaye realised she had known only too well that Jonathan's arrival was imminent. Was that the reason she had kept Gaye talking. . .?
This family wasn't just unforgettable; they were also dangerous. All of them!
'I shouldn't listen to anything Jordan has to say, on any subject, if I were you, Gaye,' Jonathan told her merrily. 'It's inevitably suspect.'
'That's all the thanks I get for delaying Gaye's departure until you had parked the car,' Jordan muttered, his irritated tone belied by the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
A family conspiracy! Gaye had thought she might have been being fanciful where Abbie Hunter was concemed, but as the other woman gave her an apologetic smile she knew her first suspicion had been correct. This family certainly wasn't mad!
Just what had Jonathan told them about her for them all to be behaving this way. . .?
'Remind me to thank you for that later, Jordan,' Jonathan rasped, giving his brother a narrow-eyed look of warning before turning back to Gaye. 'Have you had a good two days off?' His tone softened as he spoke to her.
'Busy,' she bit out abruptly, challengingly; after all, wasn't that what he had told his relatives?
She felt sure that, under normal circumstances, Jonathan's family wouldn't even have been aware of her existence; she would just have been a woman he'd asked to go out with him and had turned him down. She was sure his family didn't usually get to hear about his rejections! Or, perhaps, it had never happened before. . .?
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