* * *
‘What have you done to yourself?’
Robyn bristled at Brad’s greeting comment as she opened the cottage door to him. What she had ‘done’ was newly wash her hair, blow-drying it into a soft style about her face and shoulders, apply a light make-up, and put on a black ruffled blouse and fitted black trousers, the latter emphasising every curve of her body. She had been rather pleased at how coolly sophisticated she looked when she viewed her reflection in her bedroom mirror, and within seconds Brad had completely stripped her confidence from her.
She followed him through to the lounge as he strode confidently through the cottage, unmoved
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by the way he exuded a lambent sensuality in the close-fitting blue trousers and lighter blue shirt, the latter unbuttoned down his chest, its colour adding a warmth to assessing grey eyes that wasn’t normally there. At thirty-four Brad was still everything that was tall, dark and handsome, although there was a ruthlessness about him now, and the lines beside his nose and mouth weren’t from laughter, the grey hair among the thick darkness seeming more abundant than it had several months ago.
‘If you’ve come here to be insulting, Brad—’
‘I wasn’t being in the least insulting,’ he drawled, eyeing her speculatively. ‘You look good, really good, better than I’ve ever seen you. That wouldn’t have anything to do with the man who answered the telephone last week, would it?’ he mocked.
Robyn blushed in spite of herself, knowing how guilty that must make her look. ‘Nothing at all,’ she snapped.
‘You never did tell me who he was.’
‘Because it’s none of your business!’
‘I’ve never tried to keep from you the identity of the current woman in my life,’ he drawled.
‘I’ve never asked.’ She had never needed to, Brad seeming to find pleasure in relating his different relationships to her; she knew the most recent was a woman called Tina.
The smile he gave taunted as well as insulted. ‘I thought you might be interested in what you were missing—although it seems you’re no longer missing out on it. My dear cousin is spitting venom over the fact that you seem to be making a fool of yourself over one of Henry’s guests.’
’Your dear cousin happens to be as jealous as hell!’
Grey eyes narrowed at her uncharacteristic outburst. ‘Now you really do have me intrigued,’ Brad said slowly.
‘Why?’ she asked guardedly.
‘Normally only defence of the twins brings out this fierce streak in you, but it seems Sin Thornton can do the same thing,’ he speculated.
She had wondered if he actually knew the identity of his uncle’s guest, had deliberately not mentioned his name herself in the hope of avoiding bringing personalities into this senseless conversation. She should have known that Brad was just playing one of his games with her, that he had been aware Sin was the man staying next door all along.
‘I was defending myself, not him,’ she bit out abruptly.
‘I don’t believe you.’
The colour deepened in her cheeks. ‘I don’t give a damn whether you believe me or not, I don’t have to explain myself or my actions to you any more. You—’
‘Where are Kim and Andy?’ he interrupted calmly.
Robyn drew in a steadying breath, knowing Brad was satisfied now that he had managed to anger her; he and Caroline both had that malicious streak in them. ‘They’re upstairs getting ready for bed. It’s after eight, and—’
‘I told you not to pin me down to a time,’ he reminded hardly.
‘And I haven’t,’ she bit out. ‘I fed the twins at their usual time, I just thought it would be better if they were in their nightclothes when you arrived so that they wouldn’t be too late to bed. They’re excited enough about tomorrow as it is!’
‘Tomorrow? Oh you mean the trip to London,’ he dismissed uninterestedly.
‘They’ve never been there before,’ she snapped.
He shrugged. ‘It’s no big deal.’
‘They don’t know that. Brad, you will—’
‘Daddy!’ Two childishly excited voices cried out in unison before Kim and Andy launched themselves across the room and into their father’s waiting arms.
Robyn watched her children’s obvious adoration of their father with a melting heart, her probing as to why Brad had suddenly decided they should visit his home forgotten in the hour of excitement that followed his arrival. He may ignore the twins’ existence for months at a time, may make his visits and telephone calls as brief as possible, but she couldn’t dispute the fact that he did make the effort to see them. And feeling about children as she knew he did she had to silently thank him for that.
‘Alone at last,’ he mocked once the children were in bed.
Robyn served the steak, salad, and baked potatoes she had prepared for their meal, refusing to rise to his taunt. ‘What time will you be leaving in the morning?’ she prompted.
He shrugged. ‘About ten, I suppose. Don’t worry, Robyn, your babies will be perfectly safe with me,’ he taunted at her worried expression.
‘They’re your babies too!’ she flashed, the delicious food suddenly losing its appeal.
‘Oh I’ve never disputed that, I know I satisfied you enough in bed when we first married for you not to have taken a lover after only two months.’ He sat back in his chair, sipping his wine, unmoved by the outrage in her face. ‘Is Sin satisfying you now?’
The question took her offguard, and she almost choked on her food.
‘It’s quite convenient for you him having the adjoining cottage,’ Brad’s brows rose challengingly.
‘He needed the privacy for his work!’
‘But does his bed there ever get used?’ Brad drawled mockingly.
‘Don’t attribute everyone with your own morals,’ she snapped furiously.
‘You mean he doesn’t sleep here?’
‘Of course not! Even supposing I were interested in that sort of relationship with him, which I’m not,’ she added a little too vehemently, ‘you don’t seriously think I would risk the twins finding me in bed with him here, do you?’
‘No, I suppose not,’ he conceded thoughtfully. ‘But he is round here a lot, isn’t he?’
Once again her blushes gave her away. ‘The twins like him.’
‘And they’re in bed by seven-thirty.’
‘I like him too,’ she stated challengingly. ‘He’s very stimulating company.’
‘I heard that,’ Brad derided.
Robyn stiffened at the amusement in his voice. ‘What did you hear?’
‘When Sin was still reporting it was reputed that he more than earned that shortened version of his name with the ladies. Love them and leave them doesn’t begin to describe it,’ Brad taunted dryly.
‘And now?’
He shrugged. ‘Who knows? But I doubt he’s changed that much.’
She doubted it too, knew from his own behaviour with her that Sin wanted to make love to her, that he may even be making love to Caroline tonight; she had heard him go out shortly before Brad arrived, and Caroline had gloatingly informed her earlier today that Sin was going up to the main house for dinner tonight. She hadn’t seen him herself since last night, had no idea if they were still friends. She had a feeling it would be better for everyone if they weren’t!
‘You know,’ Brad said slowly, ‘you look better than just good, there’s something about you now that wasn’t there when I was married to you. I don’t suppose, since you say you don’t sleep with Thornton, that you would consider letting me share your bed tonight?’
‘No!’ she told him in a bewildered voice. What was wrong with everyone all of a sudden? Four years she and Brad had been separated, and not once during that time had he shown the slightest attraction to her, let alone wanting to go to bed with her. She would have been stunned with surprise if she had known it was her own awakening sensuality that made everyone else’s actions seem so out of character to her, t
hat they were just reacting to her.
‘I thought not,’ Brad didn’t press the subject of staying with her, standing up to leave. ‘I’d better be going, I should spend some time with Henry before I leave. How is the book going, do you know?’
‘Why should I?’
‘Don’t be so aggressive, Robyn, it isn’t attractive in a woman.’ He tapped her cheek playfully, his smile becoming cruel as she flinched away from him. ‘Henry mentioned you were helping Thornton with his research,’ he answered her question in a hard voice.
She nodded abruptly. ‘As far as I know it’s going well.’
She was silent as she walked to the door with him, still shaken by his proposition, unaware of the changes in herself, of the needs of her body, of the slumbering passion in the depths of her eyes. But the man at her side was aware of it all, and he knew it wasn’t for him, that whether she knew it or not it was Sin Thornton she wanted.
‘Robyn, I—’ Brad broke off what he had been going to say as the sound of a powerful car approaching the cottages could be heard coming down the road, mocking satisfaction gleaming in cold grey eyes as he pulled Robyn into his arms, his mouth capturing hers.
Robyn was too stunned by the unexpected action to offer more than a token protest, her mouth numb beneath Brad’s as he continued to kiss her as the powerful headlights of the Porsche outlined them in the darkness and the car was turned into the neighbouring driveway, Sin behind the wheel.
CHAPTER SIX
As she pulled furiously out of Brad’s arms she heard the powerful engine die away, immediately followed by the slamming of the car door. She turned back to Brad with blazing eyes. ‘You did that deliberately!’
‘Yes.’
’Why?’
His expression was calmly thoughtful. ‘To see how you would react,’ he told her.
‘I’ve already said no,’ she snapped, wiping the touch of his mouth from her lips with trembling fingertips.
‘Oh, not your reaction to that, Robyn,’ he mocked hardly, his eyes taking on a dangerous glitter as he watched her action. ‘I wanted to see how you would feel about Thornton seeing you kissing me.’
The colour came and went in her face in rapid succession, leaving her deathly pale. ‘I wasn’t kissing you!’
Brad shrugged. ‘He couldn’t tell who was kissing who from that distance.’
She felt sick at this cruel manipulation, although it was something she should have expected from Brad; at the end of their marriage he had taken fiendish delight in forcing her physically to his will when he knew the sexual act held no pleasure for her so soon after the twins were born. She had pleaded with him to be patient, had explained that many women felt the same way after giving birth, that with patience and gentleness she would once again be an active participant in their sex-life. Brad hadn’t given her either, didn’t have time for such things, and had demanded what he called his ‘conjugal rights’. His abuse of her then made it impossible for her to feel anything but loathing for any physical contact between them now. And she despised him utterly for treating her that way in front of a man whose respect she valued.
‘Your face tells me a lot,’ Brad taunted.
‘Does it tell you how much I dislike you?’ she spat the words at him.
His mouth twisted. ‘I already knew that. I’m well aware of the fact that you only keep up appearances between us for the sake of the children.’
‘And what’s your excuse?’
‘I don’t have one,’ he shook his head. ‘I’ve always liked you, Robyn—I should just never have married you,’ he added dryly.
‘Then why did you?’
He shrugged. ‘I wanted you. And maybe—just for a time—I thought it would be nice to have someone to come home to.’ His mouth hardened. ‘I never thought you would be stupid enough to get pregnant straight away!’
She didn’t even flinch at the accusation, had heard it too many times in the past to be affected by it; as if the twins’ conception had somehow been achieved without his enthusiastic help!
‘I’m sure you aren’t naive enough to make the same mistake with Thornton,’ he added nastily.
‘I told you, we aren’t sleeping together!’
His smile mocked her. ‘I didn’t for one moment think you would be “sleeping”.’
She gave a weary sigh. ‘We aren’t doing anything else either.’
‘Then why did you look so upset at the thought of him seeing us together just now?’
It was useless to deny that she had been upset, but she could no more answer Brad than she could answer herself. It was no good telling herself she simply hadn’t liked being made to look a liar, it wasn’t that that made her feel so ashamed.
‘We’re divorced—’
‘We could have made a mistake.’
‘We didn’t.’
‘No,’ Brad acknowledged softly. ‘You’ve matured, Robyn, but living with you would still drive me insane. The thought of going through that “domestic bliss” for a second time fills me with the shudders!’
‘Don’t worry,’ her mouth twisted. ‘I doubt you’ll ever have to suffer it again.’
‘You never know,’ he shrugged. ‘Stranger things have been known to happen.’
‘Not this time,’ she scorned.
Brad looked at her with admiring eyes. ‘You know, if it wouldn’t cause too many complications I really would have liked an affair with you.’
‘Then aren’t I lucky those complications exist!’
He was still chuckling as he strode over to his car, pausing after opening the door. ‘Thanks for tonight, Robyn,’ he called slightly louder than was necessary, glancing pointedly over at the blazing lights in every room in the adjoining cottage as he did so. ‘I enjoyed our time together—as usual,’ he added huskily, his mocking humour increasing at her furiously angry expression.
The innuendo behind his words couldn’t be mistaken for anything else, and after watching him depart Robyn closed the door behind her with suppressed anger.
But why should it matter so much what Sinclair Thornton thought of her? Why did she have this overwhelming urge to run over to the neighbouring cottage and explain exactly what he had seen and heard?
It was a desire she resisted as confusion swept over her. Since last night, since Sin had threatened her so subtly she had tried not to think about him or her own feelings towards him. If she had any feelings towards him. Oh, he had the power to induce in her a desire long lain dormant, gave her pleasure where at the end Brad hadn’t cared whether she had pleasure or not, had in fact seemed to enjoy punishing her for being his wife. Maybe it was just Sin’s gentleness with her that made her want to defend what he had just seen, because it certainly wasn’t love. She wasn’t stupid enough to mistake desire and liking for love a second time!
And she couldn’t just go over to Sin’s cottage at this time of night to tell him her husband’s kiss and subsequent derisive comment had meant nothing to her. That would be assuming that Sin felt more for her than a fleeting attraction, and no matter how kind he was to her, or how good he was to the children, she daren’t assume anything where he was concerned.
She was only halfway up the stairs on her way to bed when she heard the sound of the powerful engine of the Porsche leap back into life once again, running the rest of the way to the top of the stairs to look out of the window there, just in time to see the car backing out of the driveway, the dark interior making it impossible for her to see Sin’s face as he accelerated the car away with a screech of tyres.
She had no idea where he could be going this time of night, but she didn’t think she was assuming anything by guessing the reason for his going; Brad’s behaviour had had the desired effect. And after she had told Sin she wasn’t interested in her ex-husband! The thought of what Sin must now think of her made her feel sick, making her realise once again how much she had come to value his respect. And no matter how deeply she might respond to him, her surrender the previous evening total, she
knew that until a few moments ago she had had Sin’s respect.
By the time she had washed and changed into her nightgown, tried to interest herself in a book that in her agitation made no sense to her, she still hadn’t heard the Porsche return. Where could Sin have gone? The first thought that came to her mind was Caroline, but she quickly dismissed that; Sin could hardly spend the night with the younger woman under her father’s roof!
But he still hadn’t returned to the cottage when she finally drifted off to sleep shortly after two, and when she awoke with a start just before six the first thing she did was get out of bed and go to the window; the neighbouring driveway was empty. Sin hadn’t returned to the cottage all night!
After her almost sleepless night the last thing she felt in the mood for was Kim and Andy’s exuberance over their visit to London, their excitement barely containable. By the time Brad arrived to collect them her head was pounding and she had managed to snap at both the children at least twice, an unusual occurrence at any time, let alone when they were going away from her for the first time in their young lives.
‘I’ll take care of them,’ Brad assured her mockingly as she kept glancing over to where the twins were already ensconced in the back of Brad’s car, the two of them talking on the pathway.
‘Kim has a slight cold so keep an eye on her, and Andy—’
‘You’ve already told me about them a dozen times,’ he interrupted wearily.
‘I know, but Kim likes to put a brave face on things when she feels ill, and—’
‘Robyn!’ Brad’s impatience was barely contained. ‘It’s only overnight, I doubt she’ll deteriorate to an asthmatic attack.’
She was aware that she was panicking over what was merely a snuffly nose, but now that the time had come for Kim and Andy to leave she just wanted to snatch them back into the house and tell Brad he couldn’t have them, not even for thirty-six hours. Which was completely selfish of her when the children couldn’t wait to be on their way.
‘I’m sure you’ll realise if she gets any worse,’ she conceded quietly.
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