Confrontation

by Sarah Holland

  'I can resist you, Mark Rider,' she murmured, and then bent her head, her mouth brushing his softly.

  His eyes opened.

  Caroline gasped, staring, her mouth against his, then tried to draw away.

  'No, you don't!' he said, arms tightening around her, pressing her close to him. 'That was a very enjoyable good morning kiss. I want another one.'

  'Well, you can't have one!' she said huskily, trying to wriggle away from him.

  'What did you mean by saying you could resist me?' he drawled softly, holding her easily.

  'What do you think I meant?' Her heart was skipping beats, her body lying helpless on top of his, and the throb of excitement was already stirring in her blood.

  'That you're having quite a struggle,' he mocked under his breath, grey eyes gleaming.

  Hot colour flooded her face. She was so intensely aware of him, his body against her and his strong face so close. His jaw was dark with stubble. His black hair sleep-tousled. He made her heart miss beats just to look at him.

  'You're beautiful first thing in the morning,' he said softly, a smile on his hard mouth as he studied her. 'Your skin's so soft, your hair so silky. I like finding you on my pillow. We must do it more often.'

  'How many times do I have to tell you?' she said huskily. 'I want love... marriage... Stephen...'

  'Stephen's last on the list, though,' he said. 'Don't you think that's the road to divorce?'

  'I'll never divorce,' she said softly. 'That's another reason I won't let you near me. Loyalty, remember? Loyalty, trust, reliability and affection.'

  'You could always buy a dog and call it Stephen,' he drawled in cruel mockery.

  'I'll pretend I didn't hear that,' she said tightly. 'If I did hear it, I might just have to slap your face.'

  'Don't slap my face.' Suddenly, he pushed her on to her back, arching above her, his powerful body deeply exciting as it slid against hers. 'Just kiss me, darling...' His warm mouth sought hers, a rough sigh in his throat as he kissed her slowly, sensually, his hands moving down over her body and making her respond instantly.

  'No!' Caroline said shakily, jerking her face from his. 'I don't want this!'

  'Yes, you do!' he said against her mouth. 'Oh, yes, Caroline, you --'

  'No, Mark, I don't!' she said fiercely. 'But you won't take no for an answer, will you? Your ego can't face the fact that I'm rejecting what you think is such a fantastic offer! To be used by a bastard like you, then dumped the minute you're bored with me!'

  'It's not like that!' he said impatiently.

  'Oh, yes, it is! But I won't get involved with you— on this or any other level, and the sooner you accept that the better!'

  'I have accepted it!' he bit out savagely. 'I just find myself stranded here with you. Why shouldn't I try to get you into bed? I always fancy sex first thing in the morning. But if you don't want to give it to me, that's fine with me. I shall get it from Venetia Blake just as soon as we get back to London!' He got off the bed, his face a dark mask of rage, then strode across the bedroom, slamming the door so hard that it rattled on its hinges.

  She lay in bed, her face white, green eyes flaring with jealousy. The thought of Mark making love to that black-haired witch was almost a physical blow. Why should I care? she thought fiercely. Let him do what he likes. I don't want him. I shall go back to my ordinary life, marry Stephen, settle down and have children.

  She heard the shower going in the bathroom and realised Mark would be some time. Hardly surprising. It wasn't much fun sleeping in one's clothes. She was dying for a shower, too.

  The kitchen was icy. Caroline switched all the gas jets on and busied herself making breakfast. She made a breakfast of assorted fruits; tinned raspberries, peaches and pineapple.

  'The bathroom is free,' Mark said disagreeably when he came into the kitchen, drying his wet black hair with a towel. 'I found some toothpaste and a toothbrush. There are clean towels in the bathroom cupboard.'

  'I'll go up and take a shower, then,' she said coolly, brows lifting. 'I made breakfast. I thought fruit would be pleasant.'

  'You do have initiative, then,' he said nastily. 'I might even remember why I hired you as my secretary.'

  'Not just a decision made below the waist, then?' she asked tightly.

  His eyes narrowed. 'I hired you for your professional skills.'

  'And now you're trying to teach me new professional skills,' she couldn't resist saying, her eyes flaring with sudden anger and hurt.

  Mark was silent for a long time, the bones in his face seeming to push out from beneath his tanned skin. Black rage darkened his steel-grey eyes. He looked as though he wanted to hit her.

  'I'll go and take my shower.' Caroline tried to move past him.

  He blocked her path. 'Apologise!' he said thickly.

  She looked up into his dark face. 'What?'

  'I said apologise, you little bitch!' he bit out under his breath, and his hand gripped her arm tightly. 'What are you—deaf?'

  She tried to wrench her arm free. 'Why should I apologise for telling you the truth?'

  'It isn't the truth!' he said between his teeth. 'It was a genuine offer, and it wasn't lightly made.'

  She laughed. '"Sincere, genuine guy seeks paid whore"? Oh, I can just see it in the personal columns.'

  'I never at any time --'

  'Yes, you did!'

  He breathed harshly, eyes glittering. 'It seemed the best solution to an attraction that was going nowhere but getting stronger. What the hell was I supposed to do? Just stand back and let it carry on forever?'

  'Hardly forever!' she said scathingly. 'I've just got engaged—remember?' She lifted her left hand, the diamond flashing in the light. 'I'll be getting married soon and --'

  'Married!' His fingers bit into her wrist. 'The hell you will! You're not in love with that guy! You don't even fancy him!' The grey eyes flared violently. 'And before you remind me of last night, let me tell you I don't believe a word of what you said!'

  'Oh, no?' she blustered, face flushing furiously.

  'No!' His upper lip curled back in a sneer. 'When I saw you dance with him at the Ritz, I knew you were making a mistake. You might just as well have been dancing with your oldest teddy bear as with a man!'

  Her mouth tightened. 'People keep teddy bears forever.'

  'Children,' he said flatly, eyes hard. 'Not adult women.'

  Caroline glared at him for a moment, then tried to wrench her. arm out of his grip. He refused to let go.

  'Got to you then, did I?' he drawled, eyes narrowed.

  'Not at all,' she said icily, and tried to move past him.

  'You can't keep ending these conversations, Caroline!' he said thickly. 'You've been doing it in the office for months. This attraction hasn't stopped. It's just got stronger. Why won't you at least sit down and talk about it?'

  'Because,' she said unsteadily, 'I want to go upstairs and take a shower.'

  'Not go upstairs and hide?' he said angrily.

  She wrenched her arm free. 'Why should I need to hide? Nothing you've said has been true. I still love Stephen, still intend to marry him, and nothing you can say or do will change my mind.' Before he could stop her, she escaped, and ran upstairs.

  It was unbearably cold. The water was even colder. Caroline stood under the stinging icy shower with her teeth chattering and goose-bumps mottling her usually soft, silken skin. Washing her hair was agony, but she did it, groaning at the cold, and was very glad to wrap herself in a fluffy bath-towel later and rub her icy scalp warm again with a hand-towel.

  Putting the same clothes back on wasn't as bad as she'd expected it to be. At least her skin and hair were clean.

  Mark was out in the front garden when she got downstairs.

  'Hang on!' she called in sudden hoarse alarm, quickly going to the doorway and looking out at the sunlit snowbound land. 'You're not going, are you?'

  He looked back, grey eyes scanning her white, frightened face. 'I'm just off to check o
n the Bentley,' he said slowly, frowning. 'What did you think I was doing? Leaving you stranded here?'

  She flushed hotly, panic subsiding. 'I—I wasn't sure.'

  'I must admit I'm tempted,' he said between his teeth. 'You're hardly my ideal woman to get snowbound with.'

  'Well, you're hardly my ideal man!' she said, prickling angrily.

  He smiled unpleasantly. 'And what would Daly do if he was here with you? Sit you on a pink cushion and peel grapes for you?'

  'At least he wouldn't keep trying to peel my clothes off!' she snapped, then went scarlet, jerking her face away, furious with herself.

  A nasty gleam entered Mark's eyes. 'I thought you found him unbearably attractive?' he drawled mockingly. 'I thought he was the --'

  'I thought you were going to check on the Bentley?' she cut in acidly.

  He met her furious eyes and laughed under his breath, looking very formidable and sexy in the black cashmere coat, every inch the dangerous seducer of women. 'Yes, I am. Why not come with me?'

  'In high heels?' she asked scornfully.

  'I found some boots in the cupboard under the stairs. There are several pairs. Try one on and get back to me.'

  Caroline drew a level breath, then moved away from the icy cold doorway. At least he hadn't tried to pursue that particular line of enquiry further. The last thing she wanted him to know was that Stephen had never made any attempt to make love to her.

  She found a pair of boots that almost fitted, and trudged out to him.

  'Tres elegante,' he drawled, studying her slim legs below her coat thrust into thick black over-sized Wellington boots.

  'Oh, shut up,' she snapped irritably, and trudged past him, her feet sinking deeply into the crisp white snow. 'This must be at least six inches deep!'

  'And about to thaw,' he remarked, gesturing to the sun struggling through wintry white clouds. They trudged down to the road. 'That snowdrift is the Bentley,' he said wryly. 'I'll clear the snow off it, try to start it. If nothing else, I'll be able to figure out what's wrong with it.'

  'It crashed into a brick wall,' Caroline said, 'that's what's wrong with it.'

  He smiled sardonically, eyes gleaming. 'Temper, temper!'

  'I'm not in a temper,' she said, lifting her gold-brown head. 'Just irritated to be stranded here with you.'

  He laughed softly. 'I really am getting to you, aren't I? What happened to the cool, controlled Miss Shaw I knew last week? The one who never got into personal conversations, refused all my invitations, slid out of the office night after night with a secret, seductive little smile on her face?'

  Tensing, she said flatly, 'There's nothing different about me here!'

  'Oh, yes, there, is,' he said, considering her thoughtfully. 'That's why we're permanently arguing. Because you don't like being trapped in such close proximity with me any more than I like it.'

  'Rubbish!' she said huskily, trying to move away.

  His hand caught her arm, eyes narrowed on her intently. 'You ran out of the kitchen earlier, when I started this conversation.'

  'I did not run!'

  'Yes, you did,' he said under his breath. 'Just as you've been running from me at the office. Well, we're stuck here together now, and there's nowhere left to run. That's what's bothering you most, isn't it? It's not just the sexual temptation we're both having to fight, it's --'

  'I thought we were going to see the Bentley!' she snapped, heart thudding too fast.

  'You really hate me being this close, don't you?' he said, eyes narrowed. 'I'm too close. And you can't keep up that front any more, can you? Cool, controlled little Miss Shaw is disintegrating right in front of my eyes. And who's taking her place?' He stared, his face very close. 'A very passionate, emotional, tempestuous woman.'

  'Let go of me!' she said furiously, trying to pull herself free.

  'A woman who wants me as much as I want her,' he said deeply. 'So why won't you let me take you? It's not just sex that you're afraid of. Is it? There's more. You're afraid to be yourself with me and --'

  'Shut up!' she said unsteadily, and wrenched herself free.

  It went wrong. She fell over with the force of her movement, giving a cry of sheer agony as her right foot remained stuck in the snow while her body fell at a very awkward angle.

  Mark caught her before she hit the ground, his strong hands shooting out to grab her waist.

  'Oh, God!' she moaned in agony and clutched his shoulders with nerveless fingers. 'My ankle...'

  'Is it broken... ?' he demanded, holding her.

  'I don't know!' she groaned. 'I didn't feel the bone snap, but it's agony... Mark... I can't stand on it!'

  'You obstinate little fool! If you hadn't been so intent on running away again --' His mouth bit back the words, eyes flaring furious silver Then he swore under his breath, scooped her up into his powerful arms and trudged back to the house with her while she clung to his neck, wincing at the needles of pain shooting continually through her right ankle.

  Swinging her into the living-room, he deposited her on the couch. The fire was crackling away. He must have lit it while she was taking her icy shower.

  'Where does it hurt?' he demanded harshly, pulling off her boots.

  'My right ankle...' she mumbled, lifting her right leg fractionally off the couch.

  He touched her ankle with long fingers.

  'Ow!' Caroline flinched from the pain.

  'I have to feel for a break,' he said deeply, grimacing, and was more gentle as he pressed the bone.

  'It hurts!' she whispered, biting her lip.

  'I can see it hurts,' he drawled. 'But there's very little I can do about that. You'll just have to be brave.'

  She obeyed, wincing, her fingers gripping the edge of the cushions. She was tempted to pick up a small cushion and bite into it to stop herself crying out with pain.

  'It's just a sprain,' Mark said eventually. 'A nasty one, though. I can see the bruise coming up already.'

  'Oh, no!' she groaned, eyes closing. 'That's all I need! How am I going to walk to the village with you when the snow melts?'

  'You're not,' he said grimly.

  She stared, appalled. 'You—you can't leave me here alone! What if someone broke in.. .I'd never get away...'

  'I won't leave you,' he said with an impatient sigh. He straightened, raking a strong hand through his dark hair and looking down at her with those penetrating eyes. 'I'll just have to stay here either until we're rescued, or I fix the car.'

  Her panic subsided and she mumbled gratefully, 'Thank you, Mark.'

  'Don't mention it,' he drawled. 'And I mean that!' He laughed harshly, then moved towards the door. 'I'll get a basin of warm water for you to put it in. With any luck, that will ease the pain and stop the swelling.'

  The door closed behind him. Caroline considered his actions for a long moment in silence, as surprised as she was touched. Then she remembered he would be coming back at any minute, and she gingerly stripped her tights off, groaning in agony as she pulled the right foot off.

  He returned a few minutes later with a large red basin of warm water from the kettle and a bathtowel, which he spread on the floor before putting the red basin on it.

  'Thanks,' Caroline muttered, sliding her foot into the deliciously warm water and groaning as her ankle throbbed painfully. 'Oh, God...!'

  Mark watched her with a frown. 'It's beginning to swell.'

  'How very attractive I shall look,' she grimaced.

  'Oh, I don't know,' he drawled softly. 'You'll be helpless for the rest of the time we're here. After what I've been through this weekend, I find the thought of Caroline Shaw totally defenceless rather exciting.'

  Her mouth dried. She stared down at him. 'You wouldn't...'

  'I might,' he drawled, mockery in his smile.

  Her pulses leapt and she said lightly, 'I may not be able to run away from you, but I can certainly hobble!'

  He laughed and their eyes held for a brief moment. Caroline's heart stopped beating.


  Mark's smile slowly faded. He got to his feet, looking down at her broodingly, hands thrust in black trouser pockets. 'I'm going to go and clear the Bentley, take a look at the engine. Will you be all right here?'

  She was surprised to find her voice husky. 'I'll be fine.'

  He nodded, face hard. 'If you need anything, just shout.'

  Caroline said on impulse, 'Thanks. You're being rather kind—for Mark Rider.'

  'Anyone would do as much.'

  'You're not just anyone,' she said huskily, and there was a peculiar, heart-stopping silence.

  Mark was looking at her oddly, and she flushed under that stare, lowering her lashes and feeling deeply self-conscious.

  Face burning, she said impatiently, 'I thought you were going to look at the Bentley!'

  'I am,' he said slowly, frowning at her, then turned on his heel and strode out.

  Caroline gave a sigh of relief as she heard the front door slam after him. At least he hadn't questioned her closely on that remark. She didn't even know the answer to it herself. What had she meant, she wondered, by saying Mark Rider wasn't just anyone?

  Surely she hadn't meant that she saw him as different from any other man she had ever known? Her heart thudded disturbingly fast. That was exactly what she had meant. He was different. Totally different.

  He was darkly exciting, powerful, strong, arrogant, egotistical and he had made every hair on the back of her neck stand on end from the minute she'd first set eyes on him. Of course he was different!

  He really isn't just anyone, she thought with a shock...

  CHAPTER NINE

  Caroline spent the following hour flicking unseeingly through magazines. The weekend had turned into an unexpected nightmare in this cottage, and now that she'd sprained her ankle it was even more of a nightmare.

  She didn't like all those things Mark had said to her just before she'd hurt herself. He was getting too close to the truth. She didn't want him to know her. Certainly, she didn't want him to know quite how deep her emotions ran. He would take advantage of it, use her passionate nature against her when trouble cropped up between them.