A Forbidden Temptation

by Anne Mather

  Tom Spencer looked at Grace, then at Jack, before returning his attention to his daughter again.

  ‘Your mother was worried about you. Are you aware of the time?’ he demanded tersely.

  Grace wasn’t, but she took a surreptitious glance at her watch and saw it was much later than she’d imagined.

  ‘It’s half past nine,’ she said shortly. ‘I didn’t know there was a curfew.’

  ‘Grace!’

  Her father clearly didn’t appreciate having to have this conversation in front of Jack.

  ‘It’s late enough for a young woman out alone. Particularly one who’s barely half dressed.’

  ‘I’ve been running, Dad.’

  ‘Have you?’ Tom Spencer’s eyes turned to Jack again. ‘Well, it looks as if Mr Connolly caught you. Or were you both going to pretend you weren’t here?’

  ‘I invited Grace to look over the boat, sure. I assumed she was old enough to make her own decisions.’

  Tom Spencer’s lips tightened. ‘Of course she is old enough,’ he said stiffly. ‘I just wonder if that was all you had in mind.’

  Jack was taken aback by the accusation. As far as he was aware, Grace’s parents knew next to nothing about him.

  ‘Dad,’ Grace began, between her teeth, but Jack didn’t need anyone to fight his battles.

  ‘I’m sorry if by inviting Grace on board I’ve upset your wife,’ he said neutrally. ‘Please give her my sincere apologies.’

  Tom Spencer straightened his shoulders. Despite being a fairly tall man, he was still several inches shorter than Jack.

  ‘I’ll do that, of course,’ he said, even though Jack was sure it pained him to say it. He paused. ‘I wonder, has your other female visitor left?’

  It was Jack’s turn to look confused now. ‘My other female visitor?’ he echoed. ‘I’m not sure I—’

  ‘The lady George Lewis picked up from the airport,’ Grace’s father said with some satisfaction. ‘I believe she told him she was staying with you for a few weeks.’

  Jack stifled an oath.

  Grace was looking completely stunned by this revelation, and Jack wanted to hit the other man for ruining what had been one of the best—no, the best—night of his life.

  ‘Yes. She’s gone,’ he said, not attempting to avoid the question.

  He tried to catch Grace’s eye, but she wouldn’t look at him, so he continued on regardless.

  ‘Debra Carrick—the young lady you mentioned—is my sister-in-law.’

  ‘Your sister-in-law?’

  Grace was looking at him now, but once again her father destroyed the moment.

  ‘You knew Mr Connolly had been married, Grace,’ he said, turning to her. ‘I’m sure Sean mentioned it to you.’

  Jack knew the use of her boyfriend’s name had been deliberate, but Tom Spencer wasn’t finished yet.

  ‘It’s good to know you have people who care about you, Mr Connolly. People who can share your grief at the tragic loss of your wife.’

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  JACK WAS IN a foul mood when he got back to his house.

  He couldn’t believe what had happened; couldn’t believe how strong a desire he’d had to shove his fist down Grace’s father’s throat.

  The man was a complete moron, he thought bitterly. He’d behaved as if Grace were Little Red Riding Hood and Jack were the Big Bad Wolf. Dammit, Spencer knew nothing about him, and that crack about Lisa had been below the belt.

  Of course, Grace had left with her father. She’d had little choice when he’d said he’d brought his car. Despite what Jack had said, she probably had her own suspicions about Debra. And who could blame her, with her father looking on as if he’d achieved a coup?

  Besides, she was still Sean’s girlfriend. Another fact her father had felt the need to emphasise.

  Which made the way Jack was feeling now somewhat less than princely. He’d never gone after another man’s woman in his life. He ought to be ashamed, not finding reasons to blame her father. He could imagine what Tom Spencer would say if he ever found out the truth.

  Yet, in spite of all the obstacles, there was something about Grace that made him act in a way he hardly recognised. He felt an inexplicable mixture of tenderness and lust towards her, feelings that defied any explanation he could give.

  And tonight, he’d been fairly sure she felt the same connection, a connection that her father had tried his best to destroy.

  Well, Jack had to accept that nothing was going to come of it at present. However Grace felt, she couldn’t have mistaken Jack’s antipathy towards her father.

  He’d been a fool, he thought. He should have cooled it. Right now he felt that if he walked into the Bay Horse, Tom Spencer would have him thrown out.

  Of course, good old Sean might turn up this weekend, but Jack wasn’t holding his breath. He might even produce the contract he’d originally agreed to provide, but, after Grace’s comments, he doubted that was on the cards.

  It was a reason he could use to talk to Grace again, but was he really that desperate to regain her trust?

  He suspected he was. He suspected he was only kidding himself if he thought this might pass.

  Going into the kitchen, he switched on the light and found Lisa sitting on the breakfast bar.

  It gave him quite a start. And after tonight’s fiasco, he was in no mood to speak to her.

  ‘What’s wrong? Did someone rain on your parade?’ she said, without her usual air of confidence.

  ‘Apart from you, you mean?’ asked Jack sharply, and she pulled a face. ‘Oh, yeah, I got the low-down from your sister. No wonder you’ve never talked about the crash.’

  Lisa made a dismissive gesture. ‘I told you before, Debs is in love with you. She’d say anything if she thought it would make you notice her.’

  Jack had been running water into the coffee pot, but now he turned to regard her with narrowed eyes. ‘So it’s not true?’ he said. ‘You weren’t having an affair?’

  Lisa sighed. ‘I was in love with you, Jack, remember? We were good together, weren’t we? Why would I need anyone else?’

  Jack shook his head and turned off the tap. ‘You tell me,’ he said, switching the coffee pot on.

  But the truth was he didn’t care any more. And how depressing was that?

  ‘I was a good wife,’ Lisa protested. ‘Your house was always clean. You got your meals on time.’

  ‘Yeah, thanks to Mrs Reilly,’ said Jack drily. ‘I don’t recall you doing much about the house.’

  ‘I didn’t have to.’ Lisa was indignant. ‘But that doesn’t mean I was unfaithful.’ Lisa stretched out a hand to consider her nails. ‘And if that’s what you’re all twisted out of shape about—’

  ‘It’s not.’

  ‘Really?’ Lisa sounded almost disappointed. Then, staring at him, she said, ‘It’s that girl, isn’t it? The one who came here with Sean.’ Her laughter tinkled suddenly. ‘Oh, how ironic is that!’

  Jack scowled. ‘What do you mean?’

  But he was too late. Lisa had gone, fading into the darkness as if she’d never been there at all.

  He must be going out of his head, Jack thought wearily, aware of a disturbing sense of unease.

  But, as he carried his coffee out of the room, he thought he could still hear Lisa’s laughter echoing in the quiet house.

  * * *

  Grace worked in the pub on Saturday night.

  She hadn’t wanted to, but Rosie Phillips had apparently taken another trip to Newcastle. And Grace’s mother simply wasn’t up to serving behind the bar.

  She’d assured herself that if Jack came in, she’d treat him like any other customer. After all, she’d managed to do that before. And although she knew her father had only been tryin
g to cause trouble by bringing up Jack’s sister-in-law’s visit, all he’d really done was remind her that Jack still loved his late wife.

  But she needn’t have worried. The bar was busy, but Jack wasn’t amongst the customers.

  Consequently, by the time she went up to bed, she wasn’t feeling very happy.

  It was a week since she’d seen Jack; a week since she’d reluctantly accompanied her father off his boat. And while common sense told her she’d be wise to forget all about him, she wasn’t having a lot of luck.

  She couldn’t help thinking about what had happened, couldn’t help acknowledging that if her father hadn’t interrupted them they’d have ended up in Jack’s bed. In that beautiful cabin, she reflected ruefully. She ought to be grateful things hadn’t got that far.

  Only she wasn’t.

  In addition, there was an uncomfortable truce between her and her father. He hadn’t asked her why she’d been on Jack’s boat and she hadn’t volunteered her reasons for being there.

  In truth, she hardly knew what those reasons were any more. Why had she agreed to his invitation? She’d known the dangers, known how reckless she was being. But somehow when she was with Jack, she forgot everything else.

  Grace shed her clothes, feeling utterly depressed. As she stepped into the shower she wondered when her life was likely to return to normal. She seemed to spend her days lurching from one disaster to another.

  The water was hot, but Grace ran it as cool as she could bear it. Her whole body felt hot, and, when she soaped her breasts, she felt how aroused she was.

  Sean had never made her feel like this, she conceded, soaping the rest of her body. She sighed. How pathetic she was, needing another man in her life.

  She slept fitfully, only falling into a deep slumber towards morning. In consequence, it was after eleven o’clock when she opened her eyes.

  Something had awakened her, she thought, pushing herself up on her elbows. Then she blinked when the door across the room opened, and her mother’s face appeared.

  It was unusual to see her mother up so early. Susan Spencer had lost so much weight during her illness that she was only a shadow of her former self.

  ‘Ah, you’re awake at last,’ she said, pleased to see her daughter was sitting up. She came into the room and closed the door. ‘You’ve got a visitor. Sean’s here.’

  ‘Sean?’

  For a moment, Grace had hoped it was Jack.

  And how pathetic was that?

  Besides, Susan Spencer had never met Jack. And she had no doubt picked up on the fact that her husband wasn’t enthusiastic about Grace seeing another man.

  Now, however, Grace didn’t let any of this show in her face. Since her mum had been ill, there was no question of upsetting her.

  ‘Yes,’ said her mother now, bending to pick up the underwear her daughter had discarded the night before. She viewed the scraps of cotton and lace with some bemusement. ‘I don’t know how you wear these things, Grace. They can’t be very warm.’

  ‘They’re not supposed to be,’ said Grace drily, flopping back against her pillows.

  The realisation that Sean was downstairs, probably chatting with her father, filled her with misgivings. What was he doing here? Had he expected her to get in touch with him after she’d presumably spoken to Jack? Was that why he’d decided to make the journey himself? Or was he hoping to persuade her that his relationship with Natalie West wasn’t serious?

  ‘Anyway, it’s time you were up,’ her mother went on, tucking the dirty clothes into the basket in the bathroom. ‘It’s not like you to spend so long in bed.’

  ‘I didn’t sleep well.’ Grace raised an arm to cover her eyes. ‘When did Sean get here?’

  ‘About fifteen minutes ago,’ replied her mother. She still looked a little frail and Grace felt guilty at her making the effort to tidy her room. ‘I’ll tell him you’re coming, shall I? I know he’s impatient to see you.’

  ‘But I’m not impatient to see him,’ muttered Grace barely audibly, but this time her mother heard her.

  She paused. ‘Why not?’

  Grace groaned. ‘It’s a long story, Mum.’ She was loath to upset her. ‘He’s not the man you and Dad think he is.’

  Mrs Spencer frowned. ‘Well, I must admit I wasn’t very keen when he persuaded your father to invest in his business.’ She hesitated. ‘But you know what your father’s like. And I know he’s hoping that the business is a success. We could all do with some extra cash, couldn’t we?’

  Grace groaned. ‘Oh, Mum...’

  ‘You won’t be long, will you?’ Her mother moved towards the door, evidently not wanting to hear any more. ‘I believe Sean’s driven up from London this morning and he’s planning on driving back this evening. He looks tired, Grace. Perhaps he’s come to give us all some good news. We could certainly do with it, couldn’t we?’

  ‘Why?’ Grace gazed at her mother anxiously. ‘You’re not—you’re not—’

  ‘Ill again? No.’ To Grace’s relief, her mother shook her head. ‘But I know your father’s worried about the pub’s finances. He could do with not having to pay that mortgage every month.’

  ‘Oh, Mum...’

  Grace shook her head. Of course her father was worried. And it was all her fault. Somehow she had to get Sean to spend some of the money Jack had given him to help her father out.

  ‘I’ll have a shower,’ she said now as her mother opened the door. ‘I won’t be long.’

  Her mum’s smile deepened. ‘Oh, good. I’ll tell him.’

  You can tell him I resent him coming here, preying on my parents, thought Grace bitterly.

  But this time she spoke beneath her breath.

  By the time Grace went downstairs, it was after twelve.

  Apart from having a shower, she’d washed her hair as well, and it had taken a little time to blow-dry.

  Then she’d dressed in pleated shorts and a candy-pink halter, high-heeled wedged sandals completing her outfit.

  Sean was outside, sitting at a table in the beer garden, enjoying a pint of lager. He was on his own but had apparently struck up a conversation with a couple of girls sitting at a table nearby.

  From her position in the doorway, Grace could see there was a lot of giggling going on, and she guessed Sean was exercising his doubtful charms.

  Then he saw her and got immediately to his feet.

  ‘Hey, beautiful,’ he said, and Grace wanted to die of embarrassment when this caused more giggling from the other table.

  She went reluctantly towards him, but when he would have touched her, she kept firmly out of his reach.

  Undaunted, Sean grinned. ‘You look stunning,’ he said, as if she cared what he thought about her.

  ‘Why are you here?’ Grace countered shortly. ‘Have you come to pay your debts?’

  Sean grimaced. ‘Don’t be like that.’ He glanced behind him. ‘At least sit down with me. Have a drink.’

  Because she didn’t want to cause a scene in front of the other girls—and her parents—Grace subsided onto the bench beside the table.

  ‘I don’t want a drink,’ she said flatly and then had to wait with grim impatience while Sean summoned the youth who helped out at weekends and ordered himself another beer.

  ‘What’s going on?’ she continued, after she’d regained his attention. ‘Do I take it you’ve been in touch with Jack?’

  ‘Hell, no.’ Sean scowled. ‘And what do you mean by hanging up on me the other night? I don’t like it when people hang up on me and then turn their damn phones off.’

  ‘Well, tough.’ Grace wasn’t worried about offending him. ‘What’s happening about the website, or am I not supposed to ask?’

  Sean hunched his shoulders. ‘I’m getting there,’ he muttered. ‘I’m getting there.�
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  ‘Doing what, precisely?’

  Sean glared at her. ‘Hey, I don’t have to answer to you.’

  ‘Don’t you?’ Grace arched her brows. ‘Don’t you think my parents deserve an explanation? And you do have to answer to Jack. From what you’ve said, he sounds pretty peeved.’

  Sean’s eyes narrowed. ‘Did you go to see him?’

  Grace hesitated. ‘I’ve seen him,’ she admitted reluctantly. ‘I met him when I was out running the other evening. He was working on his boat and he saw me when I ran along the pier.’

  ‘Clever.’ Sean regarded her expectantly. ‘So I guess you saw his boat, too? What’s it like? Some big expensive motor yacht, I’ll bet.’

  ‘It’s not that big.’ Grace was equally reluctant to discuss the boat with him. ‘It’s not a motor yacht, either. It has sails.’

  Sean pulled a face. ‘Typical. Jack would go for something that needed a bit of skill to handle it. Lisa always used to say he never took the easy way out.’

  ‘You knew Lisa?’ Grace was intrigued in spite of herself. ‘You never said.’

  ‘Well, of course I knew her.’ Sean’s second beer arrived and he took a generous swig before continuing, ‘Lisa was a good kid. She—well, she and I had some laughs together.’

  Grace didn’t know why, but Sean’s words troubled her. There’d been a note of arrogance in his voice when he’d spoken of Jack’s late wife. Almost as if he knew something that Jack didn’t.

  ‘Anyway,’ he went on, ‘what happened when you saw Jack? What did he say?’

  ‘What did you expect him to say?’ Grace was impatient.

  ‘You told him what I was worried about?’

  ‘I’m not a child, Sean. But I got the impression he didn’t want to talk about it to me.’

  Sean groaned. ‘So you didn’t try a little...womanly persuasion?’

  ‘No!’

  But Grace’s colour deepened at the duplicity of her reply.

  However, Sean put an entirely different interpretation on her embarrassment. ‘I should have known better,’ he muttered. ‘You always were a cold fish. I bet even a guy like Jack, with all his advantages, would have his work cut out trying to get you into bed.’