by Anne Mather
She stubbed out her cigarette and glanced at her watch.
It was slowly passing, this terrible night of gloom. She stood up, stretched, and thrust the packet of cigarettes into her handbag. Then when the faint fingers of light were flooding the city with that magical dawn glow, she opened the door of her room—and came face to face with Alexander Stavros.
She stepped back, horrified, hardly able to believe her eyes.
‘Hello, Dallas,’ he said, straightening up from his position against the wall opposite her door. He flexed his muscles tiredly, as though he had been standing there for some considerable time, and she bit her lips hard and said: ‘Why are you here? I ... I thought you were returning to Lexandros yesterday.’
‘So I did,’ he remarked evenly. ‘But I came back last night.’
‘Why?’
‘Isn’t that obvious?’ he asked wearily. ‘Oh, come on, let’s not stand at your door arguing. The other guests are still asleep. Go back into your room. I want to talk to you. ’ Dallas was too bemused to protest, and she stepped backwards into the room jerkily, and then standing her case on the floor, she walked to the wide windows and released the blinds, flooding the room with a golden, early morning glow.
Alexander Stavros shut the door, and leaned back against it. He was still wearing the same light blue suit he had been wearing the previous day, and there was a growth of beard on his face since he had not shaved that morning.
Dallas stood, her fingers linked tightly together, and he sighed heavily as he looked at her.
‘Why do you do these things to me?’ he murmured, shaking his head. ‘It’s as well that I can read your mind. If I hadn’t rung the airport last night and discovered what I had suspected might occur to you, you’d be hurrying off to take a plane, hundreds of miles away from me.’
Dallas turned away. ‘It shouldn’t matter to you what I do. Jane is your responsibility, not me. And she’s perfectly capable of staying on the island, alone, until she decides she wants to come home.’
‘And where is home?’ he asked softly. ‘I always thought that home was where the heart is.’
Dallas bent her head. ‘Mr. Stavros, this conversation is getting us nowhere. Please let me go. I’ll ... I’ll miss my plane.’
He shrugged. ‘You will, anyway. I cancelled your booking last
night. ’
She swung round to face him. ‘You did what!’
‘I cancelled your booking. You won’t be needing it.’
Dallas stared at him. ‘Oh! Oh! Why can’t you let me go? Jane doesn’t need me!’
‘No, he agreed quietly. ‘But I do.’
Dallas turned cold, and then hot, and then trembled a little. ‘Now ... now you’re ... you’re making fun of me,’ she said shakily.
‘I can assure you,’ he said, with some irony, ‘it is not funny! For me, at least.’
She could not look at him. ‘Please ... ’ she began, shaking her head, while her mind and emotions churned uncontrollably.
‘No, you please—me,’ he murmured, and straightening, he at last crossed the room towards her.
He lifted her chin with his fingers, looking down searchingly into her face. ‘I love you, Dallas,’ he said, in a low tone, that turned her knees to water. ‘And I’ve never said that to any woman before.’
She still could not take it in, ‘Alexander!’ she protested, turning her face away, and with increasing awareness of the nearness of her slender body, he slid his arms round her back, pressing her close against him.
‘Oh, but I do,’ he murmured, caressing the side of her neck with his lips. ‘And I am holding myself in check at this moment because after the night I have spent, waiting for you to really go through with leaving me, I ought to make love to you so violently that you just wouldn’t have the strength to do that to me again. ’ He buried his face in her hair, and she could feel him trembling. ‘You’ve got to marry me, Dallas. I can’t live without you now.’
‘Oh, Alexander! ’ she breathed, two glistening tears sliding unheeded down her cheeks, as she turned her mouth to his.
At last he put her away from him, holding her at arm’s length, his fingers hard upon her shoulders.
‘I’ve wanted you for a long time,’ he murmured. ‘But every time I touched you I despised myself for taking advantage of your helpless situation. But I can’t wait any longer. I need you more than my self-respect.’
She stared at him tremulously. ‘You know I love you,’ she said helplessly. ‘But what about Helen?’
‘Helen?’ He frowned Then he lifted his shoulders slightly. ‘I never wanted Helen, not even when I was engaged to her. If I had loved her I wouldn’t have waited ten years to tell her so.’ He smiled gently. ‘I gather you’ve heard the story of my marriage.’
She nodded. ‘Paula told me.’
‘I’m glad. You’ll know I mean what I say when I tell you I love you. ’
Dallas couldn’t believe it. It was too marvellous to be true. ‘What ... what about your mother?’ she asked quietly. ‘She wanted you to marry Helen. ’
He shrugged. ‘My mother and I have had a talk. I think we understand one another now. She’s not such an ogre.’ He smiled. ‘Besides, as long as I am happy, she will be content.’ He chuckled. ‘Does that sound smug? It wasn’t meant to.’
‘Oh, Alex,’ she whispered achingly. There was nothing more to say. ‘I’m so glad you came.’
There was a sharp tap at the door. Alexander released her reluctantly, and went to open the door. The bellboy who stood there stared at him in amazement. ‘Mr. Stavros! ’ he exclaimed.
Alexander smiled at his confusion. ‘What is it you want?’
‘ I... the cab, for Miss Collins, is waiting . . . .’
‘Cancel it,’ said Alexander easily. ‘She won’t be needing it now. Do you keep coffee in this hotel?’
The bellboy looked indignant. ‘Of every kind,’ he said.
‘Then bring us some,’ Alexander nodded, then closed the door and leaned back against it, just looking at Dallas. Then he smiled, and said: ‘Where would you like to go for our honeymoon?’
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