The weekend after his departure there was an influx of tourists, filling the gap left by the delegates. In a matter of weeks it would be the monsoon season, when all but the most intrepid visitors would depart. Once this happened she would return to Bangkok, but wherever she was, memories of Kane, and his cruel impugning of her character, would haunt her waking hours and give nightmares to her sleeping ones.
She did not see Lala until she went to collect her pink dress the following Wednesday, and with careful casualness asked about Tassy.
'I haven't seen her,' the dressmaker replied. 'Her maid called in to collect the brocade dress and said Miss Bonlam was going to Tokyo.'
'To Tokyo?' Sharon was incredulous.
'For a vacation,' Lala explained. 'Miss Bonlam has some friends there I believe.'
And one friend in particular, Sharon thought grimly, and no longer had a shadow of a doubt that Tassy and Pete had been in league together. She wondered if Kane knew where Tassy had gone, yet even as the thought came to mind, she realised it was impossible, for he was thousands of miles away. Even if he kept in touch with Tassy, she was unlikely to have told him she was off to see the man who had won the contract away from him!
For the hundredth time Sharon puzzled over the Thai girl's behaviour. Had the Japanese company paid her to steal for them, or was infatuation for Pete the reason? Remembering his easy charm and how she herself had fallen for it, she was inclined to think the latter. Yet how cleverly the two of them had played their cards; pretending they were casual acquaintances, with Pete maintaining he was still interested in herself, while Tassy had strung Kane along.
Sharon sighed, accepting the fact that when the dust settled, she would be the only one left to nurse a lasting hurt. Kane would win other contracts and the loss of this one would be forgotten; Tassy's affair with Pete would either blossom—in which case they deserved each other—or would peter out when passion died, and they went their own selfish ways. It was a depressing admission, and by the time she returned to the hotel she was ready to howl with rage and despair.
Instead, she changed into one of her hew cottons and went for a stroll along the beach.
The sand was still warm and she took off her sandals and dangled them from her hand as she allowed the sea to lap against her toes, then stopped to watch the lacy foam made by the waves as they broke on the shore.
As always happened in the tropics, dusk fell swiftly, and by the time she returned to the road, the azure sky was tinged with red and the coral islands fast fading into the gloom. She had walked further than she had intended and was a good mile from the hotel.
Several taxis plied for hire, and one driver followed her, refusing to give up. Knowing that to smile would encourage him, Sharon shook her head angrily and quickened her pace. It reminded her she had met Kane in similar circumstances, when he had rescued her on the busy streets of Bangkok. How cockily assured she had been on the surface, and how glad of his commanding presence to rescue her.
But Kane was a world away, and always would be, and she had only herself to rely on. Furiously she rounded on the taxi driver, her expression making it clear she had reached the end of her tether, and he gave her a cheeky grin and accelerated away.
In the hotel again, she noticed a pile of papers lying on the Reception Desk. They were copies of the Avonmore's own news sheet, which gave details of activities at the Bangkok and Pattaya hotels, and listed all prominent visitors, both present and those to come.
Idly she took one to her room, poured herself a fruit juice and settled down to read until dinner time. She flicked through the pages, interested in seeing the different activities laid on by the city hotel. At Pattaya, guests were left far more to their own devices, and she had a sneaking suspicion many would prefer to have their days organised, finding it boring to lie too long in the sun. She would have a word with Bud Cameron and see if they could lay on some outings. There were day trips to the Coral Islands, of course, but an evening barbecue there would be exciting and romantic.
She turned to the centre page stopping abruptly as she found herself staring at Kane.
So he was back in Bangkok! Had been there three days, according to the newsletter. To know he was in the country and had not bothered contacting her, confirmed everything she had thought earlier this evening, and in an agony of bitterness she flung herself on the bed and cried as though her heart would break.
The ringing of the telephone brought her upright, and stemming her tears, she lifted the receiver. It was Johnny, unusually agitated.
'Sorry to bother you, Miss Kingston, but one of the guests is making a fuss about his suite and wants to move to the penthouse floor. We have nothing vacant there for two days, and if you could placate him… It's 507.'
'Can't I see him tomorrow?' Sharon asked, touching her tear-swollen face, and knowing what a sight she must look. 'I'm off duty, and I didn't plan on coming down tonight.'
'I realise that,' Johnny said swiftly. 'But he's in a terrible temper. If you could just see him and explain that we hope to move him tomorrow…'
'All right,' she sighed. 'I'll go see what I can do. But I'm in no mood to placate anyone tonight.'
'You'll still manage to do so.' There was a smile in Johnny's voice. 'You could charm a piranha, Miss Kingston.'
'I'll tell him that,' she said dryly. 'I'll be on my way in five minutes.'
It was nearly fifteen before she was. Her eyes had required several applications of iced water to bring them back to normal. Well, not quite normal, for the lids remained puffy and she had been forced to apply lavish eyeshadow and mascara. Deciding that though she felt like death, there was no reason to look it, she deliberately put on her new pink silk. It was too expensive to leave hanging in the wardrobe, and she was suddenly determined that from now on she would not allow thoughts of Kane determine her actions.
Suite 507 was at the back of the hotel, and did not have a view of the sea, and she was not surprised the guest was complaining. She rang the buzzer, and hardly had her hand dropped to her side when the door was flung violently open and she found herself staring at a tall, lean man, black hair gleaming, bright eyes watchful.
Kane Morgan!
Sharon thought she was going to faint. The blood seemed to seep from her head and she swayed and clutched at the wall. Firm hands came out to steady her, then drew her forward, close against him.
'Sorry I gave you such a shock,' he said huskily, his breath stirring her hair. 'But I made the clerk at Reception swear he wouldn't give my identity away. I wanted to surprise you.'
'You've certainly done that.' Amazingly she was able to keep her voice steady as she pushed him away and stepped out of his hold. 'I was told you were unhappy with your suite and ——-'
'Not any more,' he interposed. 'Not now you're here. Come inside, Sharon. We have to talk.'
'More accusations?' she asked sarcastically.
'Only against myself. I've been a blind fool and…' He put out his hand to touch her, but seeing the look on her face, did not do so. 'Just give me five minutes of your time,' he pleaded.
She hesitated, then stepped through the door. At once she saw a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket, and two glasses.
'A celebration,' he murmured, seeing her glance at the table.
'To celebrate what?'
'My getting the contract,'
Too astounded to speak, she sank down on the nearest chair.
'Pete Wilburg's firm have withdrawn,' Kane went on. 'A lot of things have happened since I last saw you.' He seemed about to say more, then unexpectedly went over to stand by the window.
His dark head was framed by the partially drawn wine-red curtains, and Sharon was reminded of a Spanish grandee in a portrait by Goya. A tired grandee though, if the deep lines either side of his mouth were anything to go by. She clenched her hands and stifled the urge to hold them out to him.
'I read in the Avonmore Newsletter you were back in Bangkok,' she said instead.
'I'
ve been there a few days but I deliberately didn't call you.' He seemed unabashed to admit it.
'I didn't expect you to,' she said.
'I hope you don't mean that?'
She remained silent and he took a step towards her, then stopped. 'No, I daren't come close. I've things to say first, and until I have…' His shoulders straightened, and he looked like a man preparing for battle. 'I didn't ignore what you told me at the airport, Sharon, though you obviously thought I did. But I was so staggered by what you'd said, I couldn't take it in.'
'You mean you couldn't believe me!'
'Well… It was a very far-fetched story,' he said in self-defence.
'You mean it wasn't far-fetched to think me a thief?' she accused, her anger against him rising again.
'No—yes! Oh for heaven's sake, Sharon, try to see it from my point of view. What you said at the airport bowled me over, but by the time I touched down in London, I was thinking clearly again. I began to have a few ideas of my own, and I immediately started making enquiries about Pete's activities when he'd been living in England. I wanted to ascertain who he'd seen, who his friends were.'
'Me, of course,' Sharon said. 'His accomplice in crime!'
Kane half-smiled. 'You know I don't think that any more, so stop being perverse and feminine!'
'You——- '
'Shut up and let me finish,' he cut across her. 'If you don't, I'll…'
With a visible effort he controlled himself, and looking at him, Sharon knew he was at the end of his tether. To go on being antagonistic towards him was childish, though if he thought she was going to fall into his arms like a ripe plum, he had another think coming.
'I'm listening,' she said quietly.
'Thank God for that!' He raked his fingers through his hair, and a dark lock fell forward. 'As I was saying—or trying to say, my enquiries about Wilburg yielded some very interesting information.' He paused. 'When he lived in London, he was seeing Tassy there!'
'Tassy!'
'Yes. It seems she came to England every three months for a week or ten days, and they were inseparable.'
Sharon thought back, remembering the many occasions Pete had not contacted her, pleading business commitments. So even then, he had been two-timing her! It was a salutary thought.
'The moment I realised they knew each other so well,' Kane was still speaking, 'everything fell into place. I knew then that I'd made a dreadful mistake about you. You were right about everything, Sharon. Tassy stole your key and photographed my plans. I have no proof, so it's only conjecture, but I'm a hundred per cent positive that's what happened.'
'But without proof, what could you do? I mean, how did you manage to get the contract away from him?'
'I called Bonlam from London and told him I was returning to Thailand to see him. When I did, I told him everything that you'd told me, and while he was still protesting that it was impossible, I gave him a dossier on his daughter's meetings with Pete in London and New York.'
'They met in New York as well?' Sharon was startled.
'Oh yes. It's where they first met, as it so happens. I knew she'd done her business studies there, so I contacted a top detective agency to dig up everything they could about her. It cost a fortune, but it was worth a hundred times what I paid! They found old roommates of hers who knew all about her affair with Pete. One of them even had snaps of them taken in Sun Valley on a skiing weekend! My man flew to the hotel and got a copy of the Register showing they'd stayed there as Mr and Mrs Wilburg. That clinched it for Bonlam. And for good measure I said you and Lala would testify that the master key was found in Tassy's pocket, and you'd also seen her coming out of my room at 2 a.m. the night before the meeting.'
'Lala would never have testified to anything,' Sharon said, still not able to absorb all she had heard.
'I knew that,' Kane said. 'But Bonlam didn't: All he knew was that he was up a gum tree and in a very sticky position! He was scared to tell the Prime Minister what Tassy had done, so he called her in Tokyo—her being there, by the way, reinforced everything I'd said—and he insisted she make Pete's company give up the contract. If they didn't, he told her I'd create a scandal that would force him to resign and might even lead to criminal charges against her.'
'You wouldn't——- '
'Of course not. But Bonlam didn't know that. As far as he was concerned, I was ready to bring down the Government!'
'I can't take it all in.' Sharon drew a steadying breath. 'Are you saying she and Pete just caved in without putting up a fight? There must be more to it than that.'
'Why? They were scared that I meant to carry out my threats. And if Bonlam and Tassy were disgraced, the Thai government would have to do the honourable thing and re-open all the negotiations, which would mean the entire project being set back for another year. But if Wilburg simply pulled out, then my tender would then be the next best, as it was genuinely the lowest.'
'So all's well that ends well,' Sharon murmured.
'Businesswise, yes,' Kane said. 'But in personal terms, I'm not thinking of an end. Only a beginning. Our beginning.'
Sharon turned her head away, unwilling for him to see the pain in her eyes. His lack of trust still hurt deeply and she could not forget it as easily as he imagined. Besides, they had no future together, for she had no intention of being his girlfriend.
'I know you cared for Pete at one time,' he went on quietly. 'But how did you feel when you saw him again here?'
'I've already answered that question. Why should I repeat it?'
'Because I want confirmation. I can't live without you, Sharon, and I have to be sure you no longer give a damn about anyone else! When I flew back here last time and found you in his arms, I was so furious I could have strangled you.'
'Well I've no intention of dropping into your arms,' she retorted. 'So go find someone else to play with.'
'No!' In two strides he was beside her, hauling her up from the chair. 'It's you or no one. I've never felt like this about any woman. When I left you that first time in Bangkok, I was positive I'd get over you. You were a beautiful girl and I wanted you, but when you said no, I told myself I'd soon find someone else. But I didn't—couldn't—even though I tried. After you, no woman meant anything to me. All I could think of was your sweetness, your humour, your warmth.'
'And also that I'd refused to be another scalp in your collection,' she taunted, reluctant to believe he meant anything beyond that. 'I'm sure you found solace with Tassy.'
'Not after I met you.' Kane's hands dropped away from her and once again he stepped back. His body was rigid and there was undeniable tension in the set of his mouth. 'I haven't touched a woman since the first night I went out with you. To begin with I couldn't figure out why—thought I was getting old! But as soon as I was back in England I knew the real reason. I'd fallen in love with you.' He paused, as if waiting for her to speak, and when she didn't, he frowned. 'Do you find it so hard to believe me, Sharon? I know I've played around, but so have most unattached men. But once you came into my life, every other woman faded away. It took me a while to work out why, and to accept it, but once I did, I knew I'd settle for nothing less than having you on a permanent basis.'
'Permanent?' Sharon echoed.
'Yes. I want to marry you and look after you. Spend the rest of my life making you happy!'
Sharon swallowed hard. Kane wanted to marry her. It was a word she had never expected to hear him say, and it was as hard for her to take in as the earlier part of his story.
'I realise that the way I acted towards you—the things I said—must have hurt you pretty badly,' he went on jerkily, 'and my only excuse is that I was so jealous I couldn't think straight.'
'You're not thinking straight now,' she said sweetly, still reluctant to fall into his arms. 'You accuse me of playing fast and loose when it suits me, and then to top it all you believe I stole your plans and gave them to a rival! If I was that sort of girl, you really would deserve me! But since I'm not, you'd better st
art looking for someone who is!'
'It's you or no one.'
'I'm sure you'll change your mind. You're not cut out to be a monk!'
'You can say that again!' His eyes glittered and he moved closer to her. 'Hate me as much as you like, Sharon, I deserve it. But I'm still going to lay siege to you.' His arms came out to engulf her. 'Starting now!'
He lowered his head swiftly and covered her mouth with his. Stubbornly she kept her lips shut, but he refused to be put off, and his mouth continued to move upon hers. Yet he did not try to force it open, relying instead on the play of his hands on her body.
And how skilful they were! Ranging across her back and down her spine to press her close to his thighs, where she could feel the surge and thrust of his need for her; caressing the smooth skin of her shoulders and then skilfully unzipping the pink silk bodice to cup her full, firm breasts.
She struggled to free herself as his fingers touched her nipples, but his grip tightened and he pushed her down on to the settee and covered her with his body. He was murmuring in his throat, words of love and passion she had thought never to hear from him.
'My dearest… my heart… mother of my children… only you… only you.'
Then he was stroking her again, sending sharp spasms of desire through her body, which she could not control. But why should she? This was Kane, the man she loved and wanted above all others. He had paid the price for doubting her—she had seen it in the new lines on his face—and to make him go on paying would cost her dear, too. Twining her arms around his neck, she parted her lips. For an instant he did not seem sure she was surrendering, then with a deep- throated murmur, his tongue penetrated the moist sweetness of her mouth.
Passion rose between them with an intensity that brooked no shyness, no simulation. Clothes were discarded and skin lay upon skin as they clung to one another with unashamed abandon. Many times Sharon had imagined this moment of surrender, but never had she envisaged it as tempestuous as this, as frenzied, sensual, heart-stopping.
Kane was passionate and demanding, yet tender too, aware of her innocence and, initially, careful not to shock. But soon he sensed that her love for him was all-encompassing, and that whatever he did, she wanted and revelled in, intent only on absorbing him into her, having him explore and touch every swell and curve and hidden cleft, rousing her to such mindless ecstasy that when his malehood thrust deep into her body, she was moist and ready for him, thighs parted to receive him as he exploded within her, flooding her with life-giving sperm and making her wholly and completely his.
Roberta Leigh - No Time For Marriage Page 15
