“I guess I can’t blame them. We weren’t exactly sparkling company.”
“It looks like we’ll have to pretend to like each other,” he joked.
Jonathan gazed at her in silent appreciation. As the warm breeze dried Michelle’s long hair, her piquant face was framed with tousled curls. It gave her a seductive look, as though she’d just made love. After a quick glance at her curved body, he looked away.
“We can try, anyway,” she said carelessly.
Michelle’s air of unconcern was deceiving. She was as conscious of him as he was of her. It was difficult not to be. His brief white trunks concealed very little of his splendid body. Jonathan had the lean, muscled physique of a healthy male in his prime.
After stretching out on one of the beach towels he sighed happily. “This is nice. I haven’t been this relaxed in a long time.”
“Aren’t you afraid Mother is seducing your uncle?” Michelle asked mischievously.
“I doubt if she’d meet much resistance. Your mother is a very attractive woman.” He turned his head to look at Michelle. The sun had colored her cheeks a delicate pink and her long lashes were still star-pointed from her swim. “It runs in the family.”
“That’s not exactly an extravagant compliment, but it’s better than nothing.”
“You get angry when I’m more explicit. What can I do to please you?”
“You’re doing fine,” she assured him. “I’m enjoying this lull in the hostilities. Too bad it won’t last.”
“You never know. If you win our private contest, we might be relatives someday, as I pointed out.”
“That’s a frightening thought!”
“Not necessarily. Think about it. We wouldn’t need to argue anymore and I could give you advice on the men in your life. There must be a lot of them,” he remarked casually.
She shook her head. “I have poor judgment when it comes to choosing men.”
“What kind of men are you attracted to?”
“The wrong kind,” she said briefly. Michelle didn’t want to talk about Stuart, her latest disappointment. He’d been handsome like Jonathan, and they’d been unofficially engaged, until she found out he’d been cheating on her. “What sort of woman interests you? I suppose they’re all glamorous and sophisticated.”
“That isn’t a requirement. Intelligence and a sense of humor are more important to me.”
“I’ll bet! What does your current girlfriend look like?”
“There’s nobody special in my life right now.”
“I’m sure you have many women, but isn’t there one you date more often than the others?” Michelle persisted.
“I suppose so. You feel comfortable with certain people. They get to be sort of a habit.”
“What does your current ‘habit’ look like?” she asked ironically.
“Why do you want to know?”
“I just do. Humor me.” He was clearly reluctant to talk about her, which made Michelle even more curious. “What’s her name?”
“I guess that would be Ashleigh Grant. She’s blond, a little taller than you and more... voluptuous,” he said delicately.
Michelle got the picture. Ashleigh was a showgirl type with big breasts and long legs. Exactly the sort of woman he denied being attracted to.
“I can see why she’d become a habit,” Michelle remarked.
“I knew you’d jump to that conclusion. Ashleigh and I have been friends for years. She crews for me sometimes when we go sailing. We know all the same people, so naturally we spend a lot of time together.”
Michelle wondered cynically if Ashleigh viewed their relationship in the same light. Before she could pursue the subject, Lucky and Evelyn appeared at the brow of the hill.
“We’re back,” Evelyn called. “Did you have a nice swim?”
“The water was marvelous.” Michelle stood and brushed the sand off her bikini. “You should have joined us.”
“Would you like to stay longer? We can come back for you later this afternoon.”
“No, we’re ready to go.” Michelle didn’t have to consult Jonathan. She knew he felt the same way.
“Just give us a couple of minutes to get dressed.” He started to gather up the beach towels.
“We’ll wait for you in the car,” Lucky called.
“I’ll go in back of this rock to change and you can take that one,” Jonathan told Michelle, indicating a large boulder on the left. “And don’t dawdle. They might leave us here again.”
“I’ll be ready before you are.” She grabbed her dress and went behind the rock.
The strings that tied her bikini bra had become knotted. She needed two hands to untie them so she slung her dress over the top of the boulder. It took long minutes to loosen the knot because the salt water had made the strings stiff and she couldn’t see what she was doing.
Michelle was gritting her teeth in frustration by the time she finally got her bra untied. She threw it on the sand and reached for her dress, just as a puff of wind blew it off the rock in the direction of the water. Without thinking, she ran after it—and collided with Jonathan.
As his arms closed around her automatically, her breasts were pressed against his bare chest. The tips hardened instantly at the erotic contact and a flash of desire rocketed through her. She had an insane impulse to twine her arms around his neck and pull his head down for a deep, satisfying kiss.
Jonathan’s embrace tightened, almost as if he’d read her mind. His hands moved seductively over her body, stroking her hips and the rounded curves of her bottom, heightening her desire for him. When he lowered his head, she lifted her face in anticipation, vibrantly aware of every hard muscle in his taut frame.
“Sweet Michelle,” he murmured “You’re so exquisite.”
His velvety voice brought her to her senses. She pushed him away and ran behind the rock. “Get my dress and throw it to me,” she ordered.
While he was following instructions he called, “I didn’t know you weren’t dressed yet. You said you’d be ready first.”
“You might at least have asked before you barged in on me,” she answered stiffly.
“I didn’t! You came charging out. I was coming over to put your tote bag on top of the rock. I thought you might need it.” Jonathan had retrieved her dress. He tossed it over the boulder along with her tote bag.
“Go up to the car and tell them I’ll be along in a minute.” Her voice was muffled as she hurriedly pulled the sundress over her head.
“I’ll wait for you. I still have to put on my shoes and T-shirt. Jonathan had been wearing only his jeans when they collided.
“I don’t want you to wait for me!”
“Aren’t you being a little foolish? I realize you’re embarrassed, but I can’t imagine why. You have a beautiful body.”
“I’m not in the habit of parading around half naked in front of virtual strangers. Forgive me if I’m not as sophisticated as you,” she said witheringly.
He sighed. “Okay, I’ll meet you up top.”
Michelle knew she was overreacting. With anyone else it would have been a mildly embarrassing incident. What really disturbed her was her reaction to Jonathan. She lost all of her inhibitions in his arms. No other man had ever aroused her this powerfully. It was baffling because she disapproved of everything about him.
After hurriedly pulling on a pair of panties from her tote bag, she grabbed her sandals and ran across the beach. When Michelle reached the car, her mother looked at her critically. “Jonathan said you were combing your hair. Is that the best you could do?”
“I think she looks charming,” Lucky said. “I like that natural look. It’s very refreshing.”
Evelyn surveyed her daughter critically. “It does make her look rather young and innocent.”
Michelle was acutely aware of Jonathan’s struggle to contain his amusement. She’d displayed neither innocence nor inexperience in his arms a few minutes ago.
“There’s nothing I can do abo
ut my hair right now, so can we just drop the subject?” Her voice was sharper than she intended. Modifying it, she asked, “Where did you two go all this time? You were gone for quite a while.”
“Did it seem like that to you? I thought the time just flew by,” Jonathan flicked a laughing glance at Michelle, which she failed to return.
“We had coffee in a little restaurant overlooking the water,” Lucky said, in answer to Michelle’s question. “We had intended to drive to one of the seaside towns around here and go window-shopping.”
“But we got so engrossed in conversation that we never got any farther than the café,” Evelyn finished for him.
“We always find so much to talk about,” Lucky marveled.
Jonathan’s laughter had vanished. “Where are we going now?” he asked abruptly.
“Wherever the three of you would like,” Lucky answered cheerfully. “I’m just the chauffeur.”
“Perhaps you’d prefer to let Jonathan drive,” Evelyn suggested.
“That’s an idea. Then you and I could make out in the back seat.” Lucky grinned.
“Aren’t you a little old for that?” Jonathan asked evenly.
“I’ll leave that up to Evie,” he replied.
“Age is a state of mind,” she said dismissively. “I think of Lucky as a vital, interesting man. His age doesn’t matter.”
“We both have a lot of living left to do.” He reached over and squeezed her hand.
Michelle’s heart sank. She was losing ground rapidly. Her mother was completely taken in by Lucky. “I wish you’d decide who’s going to drive,” she said, to change the subject. “I want to go shopping.”
“As long as Jonathan frowns on my having any fun, I’ll drive,” Lucky said.
Michelle and Jonathan were very quiet in the back seat, ignoring the beautiful scenery that unwound on both sides of the road. Jonathan seemed to be brooding over the situation, as she was, but Michelle knew his opposition was as phony as everything else about him. It was all part of the act.
Her mother and Lucky carried on an animated conversation in the front seat, oblivious to any disapproval. When they parked on a street lined with small shops she said, “I want to take Michelle into Chez Doreen. They’re supposed to have darling things. You two might want to look for a men’s store.”
“I don’t need anything,” Lucky said. “Do you?” he asked his nephew.
“No, I’m just along to see that you don’t do anything foolish.” Jonathan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “My uncle has a tendency to want everything he sees,” he told the two women.
“What’s wrong with that?” Lucky asked. “That old saying might be trite, but it’s also true. You can’t take it with you.”
“Come along, then,” Evelyn said. “You can help Michelle pick out some suitable outfits.”
“I don’t intend to buy things I have no use for, Mother. I already told you that.” Michelle protested all the way into the shop.
“I know you did, dear, but it won’t hurt to browse. Oh, look, isn’t this stunning? And your favorite color, too.”
A lavender piqué suit was artfully draped on a mannequin. Under the short jacket was a lavender-and-white striped T-shirt.
“You could wear it with the T-shirt for casual affairs, and dress it up with a silk blouse for more important occasions,” Evelyn said. “It’s really quite practical.”
“Not for New York in the winter,” Michelle said.
“Honestly, Michelle! You sound as if you never take a summer vacation,” Evelyn exclaimed impatiently.
“I won’t be able to afford one after my stay here.”
“All right, I’ll pay for it. You need to have something to wear while you’re here.”
When Michelle refused the offer, Lucky said to her, “I have a solution. Your mother wants you to have some pretty things, so why don’t I make you a little loan. You can take your time paying me back.”
“Now see what you’ve done,” Evelyn scolded her.
Michelle sighed, knowing neither of them would let the matter drop. “That’s very nice of you,” she told Lucky. “But it won’t be necessary. I can afford to buy my own clothes. Every now and then I just have a tendency to get frugal.”
Jonathan had been watching the entire exchange with a sardonic look on his face. Did he think she would have accepted a loan from Lucky if he hadn’t been there? Undoubtedly. He always thought the worst of her.
Michelle was so annoyed that she didn’t object when her mother kept urging her to try on various other outfits. By the time they left the shop, Michelle had bought much more than she intended. This trip would end up costing her a fortune, but it couldn’t be helped. Lucky’s designs on her mother had to be thwarted at any price.
When they returned to the hotel, Jonathan left them to take a swim in the pool.
“Why don’t you join him?” Lucky asked Michelle casually.
“I swam enough today,” she answered. “I’m going to take my packages to my room and then read for an hour or so. Unless you want me for something.” She looked at her mother inquiringly.
“No, that’s what a vacation is for, dear, doing whatever you feel like. I think Lucky and I will take a little stroll along the beach.”
“Oh... that sounds like fun.” Michelle managed a bright smile. “Wait till I dump these packages off and I’ll join you.” Before her mother could object, she hurried off.
Lucky looked at Evelyn with a wry expression. “It’s pretty obvious that your daughter thinks I’m a threat.”
“You know how overly protective children can be,” she answered dismissively.
“I suppose it’s understandable. You haven’t been widowed for very long. She feels that by showing an interest in me, you’re being disloyal to her father’s memory.”
That might have been part of the problem, but Evelyn knew it wasn’t the major one. She could hardly tell Lucky the truth, however. That her daughter thought he was a con man.
“You could be right about Michelle. She was very close to her father.”
“I hope that means she doesn’t have anything against me, personally.”
“How could she when she doesn’t even know you?” Evelyn couldn’t conceal her indignation. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” she said, modifying her tone. “Michelle will get over whatever is bothering her.”
“I certainly hope so, because I plan to see a great deal of you,” Lucky said warmly.
After trying to work off his pent-up emotions by swimming rapid laps in the hotel pool, Jonathan went to his room and put in a long-distance call to his private detective friend. That only added to his frustration because he reached the man’s answering machine again.
He went to take a shower, telling himself to face the facts instead of looking for a way around them. Michelle was a bewitching woman with the face of an angel and a body that promised unlimited pleasure. But she was also a con artist, adept at fooling people—especially men. The attraction she occasionally exhibited toward him was undoubtedly feigned. The men who believed her must have gotten badly burned.
Michelle could tell by Jonathan’s face that he was in a bad mood when he joined them for cocktails before dinner. So, what else was new, she asked herself derisively? It promised to be another difficult evening.
She would have excused herself after dinner if it hadn’t meant leaving her mother alone with the Richfields. That was a risk she couldn’t afford to take, even for one night. Evelyn was already much too vulnerable to Lucky. When Michelle had joined them for a walk along the beach that afternoon, neither could hide the fact that her presence wasn’t exactly welcome.
As they were finishing their coffee, Michelle remarked, “It’s been a very eventful day. I guess we’re all looking forward to turning in early.”
Lucky looked at her with concealed amusement. “You young people today don’t have our stamina. The evening has barely begun. Evie and I planned to take in a movie and then go to one of those clu
bs in town that have dancing until all hours.” His eyes gleamed with mischief at the look of dismay she couldn’t hide.
Jonathan wasn’t any happier at the prospect than Michelle. “Don’t you think we should save something to do tomorrow night?” he asked.
“You two don’t have to come with us,” Lucky replied blandly.
“No, it’s okay. Now that I think about it, it sounds like fun.”
Evelyn and Lucky exchanged a look of shared amusement before she took pity on the young couple. “Actually, it has been a busy day. I believe I’d rather stay in tonight and go to that lecture they’re giving on tropical islands. You and Jonathan are welcome to join us,” she told her daughter.
“Thanks, but I think I’ll just hang out in the lounge for a while,” Michelle said. It was safe to leave them alone, since Lucky could scarcely get amorous at a lecture.
“Whatever you prefer. You know where we’ll be if you want to check on us,” Evelyn added dryly.
“Why would I want to do that?” Michelle tried to sound puzzled.
“It would be foolish, I agree. I’m a mature adult in possession of all my faculties.” After giving her a level look, Evelyn turned to Lucky. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Another fun evening at Shorehaven,” Jonathan commented, after the older couple left. “What would you like to do for excitement?”
“There isn’t anything here that excites me,” she answered coolly.
His eyes narrowed in annoyance for a moment. Then he smiled seductively and sauntered toward her. “I’ll have to see what I can do to change that.”
Michelle stood her ground until he was close enough to set her nerves jangling. Who knew what he would do? The dining room was deserted except for a busboy clearing the last few tables, but that wouldn’t deter Jonathan. He was looking sensuously at her.
“Don’t bother. I’m going to the bar.” She left the room quickly, without asking him to join her.
It didn’t prevent him from following her, but two women at one of the tables in the bar stopped him, waving eagerly.
Lucky In Love (Harlequin Special Edition) Page 6
