Darkness into Light

by Carole Mortimer

  Danny laughed delightedly. ‘That’s cheating,’ she chided indulgently.

  ‘The answer, I discover, is a little too ageing.’ His tone was one of disgust.

  ‘You aren’t old.’ She touched the hardness of his cheek, pleased when he didn’t flinch from her as he had that first night by the pool. ‘You’re mature.’

  ‘And do you like mature men?’

  ‘I like you,’ she told him candidly, reaching up to kiss him lightly on the lips. ‘Thank you for a nice evening, I hope tomorrow will be as enjoyable for you.’

  ‘Is this the part of the evening where I get to kiss you good night?’ he drawled derisively.

  Her eyes glowed mischievously. ‘This is the part,’ she encouraged softly.

  His lips possessed hers gently, moving searchingly against her, one hand cupping her cheek as he made no effort to pull her in to his arms.

  Danny drew in a shaky breath as he drew back. ‘Would it disturb you if I were to use the lawn-mower tonight?’ she asked huskily.

  ‘You need to think?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘About us?

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then go ahead,’ he invited with satisfaction. ‘I’m happy that you need to think about it.’

  ‘You have me half in love with you already,’ Danny admitted seriously.

  ‘You know that isn’t what I want.’ Pierce scowled.

  ‘Why should it bother you if it gets me in your bed?’ She smoothed the frown from his brow. ‘Don’t let it worry you, Pierce, I probably just have a case of indigestion!’

  He shook his head, smiling. ‘You certainly know how to flatter a man! Indigestion, indeed,’ he muttered indignantly.

  She knew very well it wasn’t indigestion, but she could see that he didn’t welcome her honesty about this, that he really did prefer not to have emotions involved in a relationship with him. And so far he seemed to have met women who were agreeable to the brief relationship he wanted. So far? She knew she wasn’t half in love with him at all, that somewhere during the evening she had fallen wholly in love with this complex, strangely vulnerable, man.

  * * *

  Dinner was a success, mainly because she had raided her freezer of several of the goodies she had bought the last time she had gone in to town. The prawn cocktail was already prepared, Danny only had to put together a salad to go with the quiche and baked potatoes, and warm through an apple pie to go with the ice cream.

  Pierce wasn’t formally dressed this evening, he arrived in faded denims and a loose cotton shirt the same blue-grey colour of his eyes. She was glad about that, because she had organised their meal on her garden-set on the patio outside the lounge, sure they would have looked ridiculous sitting in the gaily covered plastic chairs in formal evening wear!

  ‘It looks a lot more comfortable and relaxed in films.’ Danny swished away another fly.

  Pierce laughed softly. ‘I’ve enjoyed myself. You really will have to tell me the name of your chef,’ he added mockingly, having eaten all the food put in front of him.

  ‘I’ll pass on your compliments,’ she told him in an exaggeratedly haughty voice.

  ‘Do that,’ he taunted.

  ‘I wonder if the shop could have“By appointment to Henry Sutherland” printed on the boxes,’ she mused. ‘Think what it could do for sales.’

  ‘I think that only happens with royalty.’ He pulled a face.

  ‘Well, you’re pretty famous yourself. Come to think of it,’ she frowned, ‘I really don’t know how I had the nerve to serve that food up to you.’ She grimaced.

  ‘I told you, I enjoyed it.’

  He did look very relaxed, the coldness gone from his eyes, an indulgent smile playing about his firm lips. ‘Now what can I offer you in the way of after-dinner entertainment?’ She stood up to clear away, closing the kitchen door on the small amount of washing-up they had made.

  ‘Isn’t that rather a leading question in the circumstances?’ he drawled.

  ‘That depends.’ She met his gaze across the room.

  Pierce was suddenly very still. ‘On what?’

  ‘On where you want it to lead to.’

  ‘Come here, Danielle,’ he invited gruffly.

  She didn’t hesitate, going straight into his arms, denim against denim, cotton against cotton. ‘Pierce, I…’

  ‘We don’t need to talk,’ he silenced her.

  She was aware of the throbbing of his thighs before his mouth gently claimed hers, his desire let loose as she surrendered to him, her passion more than a match for his.

  ‘No bra,’ he murmured as he pushed her blouse off her shoulders to reveal her bared breasts. ‘I like that,’

  She cradled his head to her as he suckled on her nipple. ‘I did it for you,’ she gasped.

  He looked up at her. ‘You planned this?’

  ‘I want it.’

  ‘Danielle…’

  ‘Please, Pierce, let’s enjoy each other,’ she urged.

  ‘But…’

  ‘Are you usually this difficult to seduce?’ she lightly teased.

  ‘I need to know.’

  ‘You said you only needed me to want you,’ she cut in firmly. ‘And I do.’ She didn’t want to answer questions about her feelings for him, knew Pierce was stubborn enough to refuse them both once she had confessed to loving him.

  He only hesitated for several more seconds before his mouth claimed hers once again and there was no more talk, only soft murmurs of encouragement and appreciation, leaving their clothes in a scattered heap on the lounge floor as they went upstairs to Danny’s bedroom.

  ‘Can I leave on the bedside lamp?’ Pierce gazed down hungrily at the cream and honey-gold hues of her nakedness. ‘I want to watch you as I make love to you.’

  ‘I want to watch you, too,’ she told him huskily, boldly admiring the hard plains of his body.

  He nodded his satisfaction. ‘I’m glad you aren’t a shy young virgin; I’m too old to cope with that feminine coyness!

  She certainly wasn’t coy, or shy, but she was…

  ‘God, Danielle, I want to feel you shudder and tremble about me,’ Pierce’s eyes were dark pools of desire. ‘I can’t wait any longer!’

  ‘Pierce, I need to talk to you—’

  ‘As I said, not now,’ he mocked, pinning her arms within the circle of his. ‘There, you have to be silent now!’

  She appreciated his teasing about her talking with her hands, but she really did have to…

  God, what was he doing to her now! Every inch of her torso knew the touch of his lips as he sat down on the bed to pull her in between his legs, the tugging motion on her breasts causing a warmth between her thighs, one of his hands cupping her there.

  Their movements were slow and unhurried as each learnt the secrets of the other’s body, Danny guided by instinct as she caused him to shudder for possession, her legs around his back as she guided him into her. Her teeth bit into the firm flesh of his shoulder as the sharp pain preceded his complete filling of her, she felt him tense and stop, attempt to draw back. Her legs closed more firmly about him as she clung to him.

  ‘Danielle, you’re—’

  ‘I know what I was, Pierce.’ Fiery brown eyes looked up at him. ‘I also know I’m not going to let you cheat us both of what we want.’ She began to move beneath him, feeling him harden to his former tautness. ‘Your body won’t let you deny us,’ she realised triumphantly as he began to move above her.

  Pierce’s mouth was on hers as the trembling began deep inside her, as an aching pleasure unlike anything else she had ever known spread from her thighs to every particle of her body, as she shuddered about him in climactic fulfilment, feeling the hard tension of his body before he gave in to his own need in wave after wave of consuming pleasure.

  She ached, she was a little sore, but she had never felt more wonderfully alive in her life!

  ‘Oh, Pierce.’ Her hands convulsed on his back as the aftershock possessed her. ‘Pierce!’ She
laughed her feelings of complete freedom. ‘It was wonderful! Beautiful! I’ve never—Pierce?’ she suddenly sensed his wariness. ‘Pierce wasn’t it good for you?’ She couldn’t believe he hadn’t shared in that unbelievable sensation.

  ‘It was much more than good.’ He lay beside her, tenderly smoothing the hair at her brow. ‘We’ve just shared something special, something I’ve never known before with any other woman.’

  She frowned as he still looked troubled. ‘You aren’t angry because I was a virgin…?

  ‘No! Not angry, exactly,’ he amended shakily. ‘At least, not with you.’

  ‘Who then?’ She frowned. He certainly wasn’t making much sense!

  ‘Myself,’ he grated.

  ‘But I wanted you—’

  ‘I’m not angry because I took your virginity; that’s your prerogative to give to whichever man you choose,’ he rasped harshly. ‘I’m angry with myself because I take a primitive pleasure in knowing I was your first lover. I’ve always told myself physical faithfulness isn’t important. But I’m sure that if you took another lover now I’d want to kill him!’

  She touched his cheek lovingly. ‘I’ve waited twenty-one years for you, I don’t think I’ll be in a desperate hurry to find someone else,’ she teased lightly. ‘I’ve entrusted myself to you.’

  ‘I know that,’ he bit out. ‘Which makes this all the harder to tell you.’

  Danny gave him a puzzled frown; what could possibly be so important after what they had just shared? ‘What is it, Pierce?’

  He sighed. ‘After I left you last night I decided to telephone Nigel in New York, see if he knew anything about your sister. He has Cheryl with him in New York.’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  SHE moistened suddenly dry lips. ‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier? You had plenty of opportunity during dinner.’

  He drew in a ragged breath. ‘I told myself it was none of my business. It just became so,’ he added grimly.

  ‘Not because we made love together—’

  ‘It was more than that and you know it,’ Pierce rasped.

  ‘How could I? she said dully.

  ‘If I tell you that most times after I’ve had sex with a woman I feel completely alone. I know little real satisfaction, I often can’t even remember the name of the woman I’m with—I usually don’t even care! I feel self-disgust…’

  ‘Stop!’ she pleaded shakily.

  ‘A few minutes ago we made love,’ he told her harshly. ‘And when it was over I wanted to hold you, protect you, and then make love to you again. I still feel that way. And that makes your sister my business too!’ he explained forcefully.

  ‘How long have they been in New York together?’ she asked quietly.

  ‘Four days.’

  ‘How could Cheryl have been so stupid? What if Gary finds out?’ she groaned.

  ‘Nigel tells me they’re in love,’ Pierce said drily. ‘So I very much doubt if your sister cares if her fiancé finds out.’

  ‘Mum and Dad will be furious if they hear about it!’

  ‘Are you going to tell them?’

  Danny glared at him. ‘My sister may be stupid, but I’m not going to add to her problems!’

  ‘Sorry.’ He looked suitably repentant.

  ‘When are they coming home?’

  ‘The end of the week.’

  She shook her head. ‘They have to come back now; I have to try and talk some sense into Cheryl,’ she added intently.

  ‘Danielle, what if they really are in love with each other?’

  ‘Cheryl owes it to Gary to tell him the truth,’ she bit out tautly. ‘She owes him that!’

  ‘Yes,’ Pierce agreed heavily. ‘I’ll have Nigel brought back immediately.’

  She looked at him with a frown. ‘Brought back?’

  His mouth twisted. ‘Well, I doubt if he actually wants to return just yet,’ he mocked drily. ‘I wouldn’t, if it were you with me.’

  ‘Then we’ll just have to wait until they want to come home,’ she decided. ‘I couldn’t put Cheryl through the humiliation of being escorted back!’

  ‘The two of you are very close, aren’t you?’

  ‘Not close enough, obviously,’ she said disgustedly.

  ‘Don’t feel too bad about it, Danielle,’ Pierce soothed gently. ‘I doubt you’ve told her about me either, have you?’

  She blushed at the truth of that. ‘There wasn’t really anything to tell until tonight!’

  ‘All the more shocking,’ he softly mocked.

  She gave him an impatient look. ‘Can I help it if you’re so incredibly sexy?’

  He relaxed a little as some of the tension left her. ‘Maybe Nigel has inherited some of my devastating charm!’

  ‘Aren’t you a little young to be his uncle? Nigel has to be in his late twenties at least.’

  ‘Thirty,’ Pierce confirmed. ‘My sister Chloe is ten years older than me, and she married very young. She was only nineteen when Nigel was born. I used to think he was my brother when I came home for the school holiday.’ He grimaced.

  ‘There’s just you and your sister?’ She really didn’t know that much about his personal life.

  ‘Yes,’ he answered abruptly. ‘Chloe is married to Clive Patrick, the inventor.’

  She had heard of the other man, knew that he was almost as wealthy as Pierce himself, had invented several kitchen appliances that were in worldwide use. ‘He’s very clever.’ She frowned.

  ‘So is Nigel. But he chooses to channel his intelligence into the world of finance. He’ll make a fitting heir for me one day.’

  ‘But you’re still young…’

  ‘And I’ll never marry again.’ He moved so that he was looking down at her. ‘No matter how often we’re together like this I’ll never marry you, Danielle.’

  She had known that, realised that if he were going to marry again that he would have done so by now; Sally had been dead sixteen years. ‘I wasn’t hinting, Pierce,’ she chided. ‘I was just pointing out that you won’t need an heir for a long time yet.’

  He sighed. ‘I was being conceited thinking what I did.’

  ‘No,’ she smiled. ‘You very correctly guessed that I love you…’

  ‘Danielle…’

  ‘I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m a very straight-speaking person,’ she derided. ‘I’m not going to pretend to be blase about this relationship, it just isn’t in me. I’ll take what you can give, when you can give it. I’ll make no ties on you, ever.’

  ‘That’s a very one-sided arrangement.’ Pierce frowned darkly.

  She shrugged. ‘At least you don’t have to pay me to like you,’ she reminded him of the claim he had once made about the many women in his life. ‘Don’t you realise how much you belittle yourself by indulging in such businesslike relationships? You’re worthy of deeper feelings than that, Pierce!’

  ‘Am I?’ he said bitterly.

  ‘Yes,’ she insisted with certainty. ‘If you were as selfish as you pretend to be my initiation tonight would have been painful and completely lacking in tenderness, and we both know it wasn’t that.’

  He shook his head, touching her slightly swollen lips. ‘Even Sally wasn’t a virgin when I met her.’

  ‘I’ve lived a very sheltered life.’ Danny attempted to tease.

  Pierce gave her a look that told her he knew very well of the invitations she must have received from men in the past, invitations she had felt no temptation to accept. ‘Then I suppose I’d better give you another lesson in pleasing your man.’ He pretended irritation with the idea, his eyes dark with desire.

  ‘Oh thank you.’ Danny feigned wide-eyed gratitude. ‘You’re so good to me.’

  ‘You’re so good for me,’ Pierce muttered almost disbelievingly. ‘No woman has ever made me so aware of the sense of the ridiculous, or made me laugh, the way you do.’

  ‘Not at this precise moment, I hope,’ she mocked.

  ‘The only thing I find ridiculous about this moment is the amount
of time we’ve wasted talking about the arrangement when we could be doing something about it!’

  ‘Oh, I’m not sure my poor battered body is up to another lesson just yet.’

  ‘God, I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking. I’ve never had to deal with—’

  ‘I was joking, Pierce,’ she laughed at his worried expression. ‘I was beginning to think you were too mature. Maybe a younger man…’

  ‘I think you must have been behind the word provocative,’ he growled, pinning her to the bed beneath him. ‘I’ll just have to prove I’m not too old for you!’

  He did that several times during the night, seeming insatiable, carrying her back to bed even after they had taken a bath together. It was almost noon by the time Danny, fully dressed now, pulled back the bedroom curtains to let in the sunlight. She frowned as she saw the man standing at her garden gate.

  ‘Don Bridgeman is hovering downstairs,’ she frowned, turning back to Pierce as he finished buttoning his shirt. ‘Do you think he’s nervous about coming in?’ she teased.

  Pierce joined her at the window, eyes narrowed as he looked out at the other man. ‘He doesn’t want to come in,’ he dismissed, turning away.

  She glanced back at Don. ‘Then what’s he doing out there?’

  ‘What does any Head of Security usually do?’ He shrugged.

  She frowned. ‘Guarding you…?’

  ‘Yes, Danielle.’

  ‘Has he been standing out there all night?’ she gasped disbelievingly.

  Pierce shook his head. ‘Benson is on night duty, remember. About tonight—’

  ‘Are you telling me Dave Benson stood outside my cottage all night?’ Colour burned in her cheeks. ‘That he was waiting there while we—when we—Tell me he didn’t, Pierce!’ She groaned her dismay.

  He became suddenly still. ‘I’m not prepared to lie to you,’ he said quietly.

  ‘You mean he was there!’ She flinched. ‘How am I supposed to face any of them again?’

  ‘Are you ashamed?’

  ‘No!’

  ‘Then you’re giving a very good impression of it,’ he rasped grimly, his eyes narrowed.

  ‘I’m not ashamed,’ she insisted firmly. ‘It’s just that those men have become friends of mine the last months. They may be used to standing guard while you spend the night with your latest woman, but it’s never been me before! Don’t you want any private life, Pierce?’