Promise Me Love (Harlequin Treasury 1990's)

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘Is that right? Maybe we should test it out, see if what we just enjoyed was a fluke?’ He reached for her, intent written all over his arrogant face, but Beth knocked his hands away.

  ‘No! Stop it, David. I don’t want to test anything out. I know how I feel.’ She laughed suddenly, struck by an unpalatable thought. ‘Was that what it was all in aid of, some sort of a test to see how I would respond?’

  His eyes glittered and he straightened so that he seemed to tower over her. ‘I kissed you because I wanted to, Beth. I wanted to feel your mouth under mine, sweet and responsive, and I’ll be damned if I’ll lie and say differently! You might be able to lie to yourself about your feelings, but I felt how you responded just now and you were with me...with me...all the way!’

  How could she deny it? How could she turn something magical and beautiful into a tissue of lies? She turned away, her head bowed so that she wouldn’t have to look at him. ‘I’ll wait in the car for you.’

  ‘All right. We’ll let it drop for now if that’s what you want. But some day soon you’re going to have to face up to how you feel.’

  She swung round, her hair flying about her face in a silken cloud of rich gold. ‘Maybe, but leave me to worry about that. You have your own ghosts to lay this weekend, David, so why not concentrate your energies on doing that?’

  He stared at her for a moment that seemed to stretch to infinity. ‘Maybe I’ve already laid my ghosts to rest, Beth.’

  What did he mean? Why should those few quiet words make hope flood through her body? She’d tried once before to build a future on dreams and she knew how dangerous and foolish it could be. Now all she wanted was to rebuild her life on rock-solid certainties.

  * * *

  The house was set at the end of a long gravelled driveway. Beth sat and studied it in silence as David turned the car in through the gates. They’d said little on the drive from town, keeping conversation to a minimum, and Beth could feel her head starting to throb from the tension. The sight of the forbidding red-brick house didn’t ease that tension one little bit.

  David stopped the engine then sat staring at the house, his expression guarded. What was he thinking about—what had happened in the factory, or the coming meeting with his brother? Whatever it was, Beth felt the sudden need to reassure him.

  ‘It will be fine, David; I know it will.’

  He looked almost blankly at her for a moment then turned to open the car door. ‘I’m sure it will. Shall we go in?’

  The cool rebuff hurt, but she refused to show it as she unfastened her seatbelt and followed him from the car. He took her arm and guided her up the steep steps, but before he could ring the bell the front door was flung open and Maggie appeared.

  ‘Hello! I was just starting to get worried. You’re later than I expected you to be.’

  Beth forced a warm smile, walking ahead of David into the hall. ‘Sorry. David had to wait for a delivery so we set off rather later than planned. I hope it hasn’t put you out at all?’

  ‘Of course not.’ She gave Beth a swift hug then looked past her, the smile fading slightly. ‘How are you, David? I’m so glad that you could come.’

  David came further into the hall and closed the door. ‘You have Beth to thank for that. She can be very persuasive when she sets her mind to it.’

  Maggie gave a tremulous little smile, her green eyes clouding when she heard the hard note in his deep voice. ‘Then Matthew and I are doubly grateful to her. I shall...’ She broke off abruptly, her whole body tensing as footsteps echoed along the hall. Beth looked past her, studying the man who had come into the hall. He was as tall as David, with the same wide shoulders and leanly muscled physique, but there the similarity ended. Matthew Kane was as dark as David was fair, his black hair gleaming in the muted light from the chandelier, his dark eyes unreadable in his set face. He looked dark and forbidding as he stood there and unconsciously Beth moved closer to David.

  He immediately sensed her unease, glancing quickly at her pale face before he slid an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. ‘Matthew. You’re looking fit.’

  Matthew nodded, his eyes skimming from his brother to Beth and back again. ‘So are you. I was sorry to hear about your recent loss. Maggie told me about the baby and you have my sympathies.’

  ‘Thank you.’ The reply was curt almost to the point of rudeness and Beth shivered convulsively, feeling the tension filling the hall. What had gone on in the past was still vividly alive and she’d been a fool to think that anything could change it easily.

  Maggie obviously felt the same way because her smile was forced when she looked from one to the other. ‘Why don’t we all go inside and have a drink? You two must be dying for something after driving all this way.’

  David shook his head, his fingers gripping Beth’s shoulder in a silent warning not to disagree. ‘No, thanks. I think it would be better if we unpacked our things first. Beth must be tired so, if you don’t mind, I’m sure she would like some time to rest before dinner.’

  ‘Of course not. I should have thought about that before.’ She turned to Matthew, her face softening. ‘Darling, would you mind helping David with the cases? I’ll just take Beth up and show her where everything is.’

  Matthew looked back at his wife, the harshness leaving his face for a moment, and Beth felt her breath catch at the expression of love in his eyes. ‘No, of course not. You go on ahead and leave them to us.’

  Maggie reached up and kissed him swiftly on the cheek then turned back to Beth, her smile less strained now. ‘Ready, Beth? I’ve put you in one of the rooms which overlook the garden at the back. It’s rather a gloomy-looking room at night when there’s only electric light to brighten it, but in the morning if the sun is shining it’s rather charming.’

  Beth smiled back, doing her best to follow Maggie’s lead and ease the tension. ‘I’m sure it will be lovely, Maggie. Thank you.’

  She followed Maggie up the stairs and along the landing, pausing in the doorway to look round the room. As Maggie had said, it was rather a gloomy room with its heavy Victorian furniture and stiff burgundy-red drapes, but the high windows would let in a lot of light during the daytime.

  Maggie glanced round the room and grimaced. ‘It’s definitely not to my taste, but the whole house hasn’t been altered in years. It was Matthew’s grandparents’ house and when his father married he took it over and they lived here. Not that either Matthew or David were here that much. They were both packed off to school at a very early age, but it can’t have been a comfortable place to live. Nobody could call it homely!’

  Beth laughed, dropping her bag on to the bed before kicking off her shoes. ‘I take it that you aren’t intending to make your home here permanently, then?’

  ‘No way! We’re only staying until the tenants vacate our house in town. Quite apart from the fact that I find it utterly depressing, it’s too far out of the city. Matthew would never be able to travel into work each day and there is no way I am having him living in town on his own and coming back here just for weekends. That isn’t my idea of marriage, although Matthew’s parents lived like that.’

  ‘Is his father still practising law? David has mentioned his mother, but never said anything about his father.’ She asked the question almost idly, then flushed when she saw Maggie’s surprise. The trouble was that she knew so little about David’s background, but she would have to be more careful about admitting it or it would give rise to speculation.

  ‘His father died a couple of years ago and his mother now lives on the coast. You’ll meet her on Sunday at the christening. I take it that you haven’t met her yet?’

  Beth avoided Maggie’s eyes as she stood up and carried her vanity case over to the dressing-table and started to unpack her toiletries. ‘Not yet.’

  ‘Beth, maybe I shouldn’t ask this, but everything is all right between you and David, isn’t it?’

  ‘Of course. Why do you ask?’ She tried to inject amusement into her tone,
but Maggie seemed less than convinced.

  ‘There’s just something... I don’t know how to describe it, but you two don’t act like a married couple.’

  ‘Maybe we haven’t had enough practice at it as yet.’ David spoke from the doorway, making them both jump. He carried the rest of the cases into the room, glancing quickly from one to the other, and Beth felt a ridiculous rush of heat flow along her veins. Colour ran up her cheeks and she turned away, but not fast enough to hide it from Maggie’s discerning eyes.

  ‘That’s probably it, especially when you can still make Beth blush like that.’

  ‘That is one of her most endearing habits.’ His voice was soft and filled with something that made Beth’s heart leap. She looked round, feeling the heat of desire flowing along her limbs. Time seemed to stand still, locking them into a single precious moment, then Maggie spoke and the spell was broken.

  ‘I’ll leave you to get settled in. Dinner is at eight.’

  She left the room, but it was several minutes before Beth could get herself back under control to speak. ‘I’d better unpack.’ She glanced at the two cases standing beside the bed and frowned. ‘You’ve brought your case in here by mistake, David. Hadn’t you better take it to your room and start unpacking?’

  ‘This is my room. Naturally Maggie assumed that we would be sharing a bedroom. Most married couples do.’

  ‘Share? Oh, but...’ She tailed off, her heart thundering as she realised what he’d said was right. Obviously Maggie would expect them to share a bedroom. Why hadn’t she thought about it before?

  ‘We’re both adults, Beth. I’m sure we can manage for a couple of nights. After all, you were the one who wanted to come.’

  That was so unfair that she rounded on him. ‘You agreed! You said that it was time to end this stupid quarrel with your brother. Don’t try making it out to be my fault.’

  ‘I wasn’t. I was merely pointing out that if the idea of sharing a bed with me is so abhorrent then you should have thought about it sooner.’ His eyes were like ice as he skimmed a contemptuous look over her. ‘Don’t worry, Beth. You will be quite safe. I shall manage to curb any lustful thoughts I may have!’

  He strode out of the room, leaving Beth shaking with a strange mixture of emotions. Anger, fear and a strange sense of hurt at that parting shot. Did he have to make it seem that the last thing he would ever feel for her was desire? He’d seemed ready enough to admit that he could want her back in the factory, but had that been, as she’d accused him, some sort of a test?

  She walked back to the bed and opened her case, forcing herself to concentrate as she stowed the contents neatly away, but it was impossible to cut David out of her thoughts, just as it was impossible to work out exactly what it was he wanted from her.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  BETH’S eyelids felt heavy, weighted down by sleep. She rolled over on to her side, burrowing her face deeper into the pillow to blot out the light that was waking her up, but it didn’t work. She blinked sleepily, rubbing her eyes to clear her vision, then felt every sense flare to life when she saw the figure standing in a patch of sunlight streaming through the window.

  Naked apart from a towel wound around his narrow hips, the man’s body gleamed hard and golden in the pale morning light, droplets of water sparkling against the smooth perfection of muscle and sinew. He looked like some beautifully carved statue as he stood there, but then he suddenly turned and Beth felt her breath catch when she recognised David.

  ‘So you’re awake at last. I was wondering if you were going to sleep the clock round.’ He came across to the bed and looked down at her, his grey eyes warm, his mouth curved into a tender little smile, and Beth felt a slow ripple of heat curl along her veins. She looked away, running the tip of her tongue over her dry lips, totally disorientated. She remembered unpacking her clothes, remembered taking off the navy dress and hanging it away before lying down on the bed to rest for a few minutes, but after that she remembered nothing apart from some hazy, disturbing dreams. Had she really been asleep since then?

  The mattress dipped as David sat down on the side of the bed and Beth swung round to face him, feeling her heart leap treacherously at his nearness. Just for a moment she met his eyes, then looked away, unaware of the faint hunger that had shown on her face. He reached out to smooth a golden curl from her cheek, his fingers cool as they brushed against her warm skin.

  ‘You must have been very tired, Beth. You were fast asleep when Maggie came to tell you it was time for dinner. You never even stirred when I came to bed.’

  There was a silky-smooth note to his voice which made her blood flow faster. She glanced at the rumpled pillow next to hers, imagining what it had been like to have his head resting there beside hers. Memory surfaced, suddenly, vividly, and she gasped. She’d thought it was just a dream, but had it been real? Had she slept in David’s arms last night, warm and secure, her body curled tightly against his?

  ‘Starting to remember now, are you, Beth?’ The answer was there in his voice, glimmering in his eyes, and she flushed. He laughed deeply, tracing a long finger down her cheek and across her mouth. ‘For someone who was so reluctant to share a bed you seemed to adapt to the idea very quickly.’

  ‘David, I...’ She couldn’t think what to say. She could only stare at him, her eyes huge.

  ‘You...what? Want to tell me what a heel I am for taking advantage of you?’ He shook his head so that a drop of water from his wet hair fell on to her shoulder. Beth jumped and looked down, suddenly conscious of the fact that the covers had slipped to her waist, leaving the upper part of her body bare apart from the lacy black slip which she’d worn under her dress yesterday.

  David’s eyes followed hers, his hand sliding down to the bare curve of her shoulder as it wiped the drop away, then stayed to stroke back and forth across the soft white skin. ‘You were quite safe with me last night, Beth. All I did was hold you in my arms, nothing else.’

  ‘I...’ His touch was making her dizzy, that slow, deliberate caress sending flames licking along her veins. ‘I know that. What else would I imagine? You made your feelings very plain last night.’

  His hand stilled, resting warmly on the point of her shoulder. ‘What do you mean?’

  She laughed shortly, more bitterness than amusement in the sound. ‘I mean that you made it perfectly plain that I would be unlikely to drive you wild with lust!’

  ‘Did I? I can’t imagine how you got that idea. I think your mind must have been playing tricks.’ His hand moved again, skimming over her skin to slide under the thin strap of her slip and draw it down.

  Beth gasped, reaching wildly to stop him, but he gently yet firmly moved her hand aside and drew the lace away from the ripe fullness of her breast. Beth closed her eyes, hating him for teasing her this way, then felt desire spiral through her when she felt his tongue stroke moistly across her nipple.

  ‘No! David, don’t. You mustn’t. It’s wrong!’ Her hands went to his head, her fingers burrowing into the damp silkiness of his hair to push him away, but then his mouth opened over her breast to draw the nipple further between his lips and she stilled.

  Time after time he stroked the rigid nipple with his tongue and Beth moaned softly, arching towards him. When he moved away she whimpered and tried to hold his face to her, but he murmured soothingly, his hands sure and gentle as he slid the lace from her other breast. Beth felt the first light sweep of his tongue against her flesh and twisted helplessly, her hands clenching as he drew the taut bud between his teeth and grazed it gently.

  Her hands slid from his head down the strong column of his neck to his shoulders, feeling the hardness of the muscles under the warm satin skin. He raised his head from her breast and captured her mouth then in a swift, possessive kiss which stole her breath and every last vestige of resistance.

  Beth kissed him back, her hands clinging, stroking up and down the powerful line of his back while she felt the shudder which rippled through him with a surge of
triumph. When he pushed the covers aside she made no attempt to stop him at first until she felt his fingers caressing the very heart of her femininity.

  Her eyes flew open, wide, frightened, her whole body stiffening, but he stared back at her, his grey eyes calm and level. ‘I want you, Beth.’

  ‘No. You mustn’t! It’s wrong, David. Wrong! There’s no point pretending otherwise.’ Her eyes closed on a wave of sadness then shot open again when she felt his lips cover hers again in a kiss of such tenderness that it made her ache, made the throbbing need intensify.

  ‘Pretending, Beth? Do I look as if I’m pretending?’ He caught her hand, holding her eyes as he slid it down his chest and pressed it against the aroused hardness of his body through the folds of the damp towel. ‘Does it feel as if I’m pretending?’

  Her face coloured hectically and he laughed deeply, his eyes gleaming with amusement. ‘I see you get the picture. So do you still think that it’s wrong when you know how much I want you?’

  ‘David, I...’

  ‘What? Tell me, love.’ He slid down beside her on the bed, curving her into his arms to press her so close that she could feel the hardness of him against her soft flesh.

  ‘This is wrong,’ she whispered brokenly, repeating the words in a helpless attempt to convince herself as much as him.

  He smiled, his lips brushing her cheek, making the skin tingle with awareness. ‘We’re married. How can it be wrong?’ His hand glided down her back, his fingers caressing the ridges of her spine before curling intimately around the curve of her bottom, and she shuddered helplessly.

  ‘David, please!’

  ‘Please...what? Hold you closer, kiss you again, show you how much I really want you? It will be my pleasure, sweet.’ He drew her even closer, so close that her bare breasts were crushed against the hard, warm wall of his broad chest. Beth could feel the double beat of their hearts tapping out their rhythm and suddenly she was lost. What did it matter why he held her like this, why he kissed her, why he should claim to want her? Nothing had ever felt as right or as wonderful as being held in David’s arms like this and having him love her.