He smiled slowly, a little crookedly, and Alex felt her knees turn to water. ‘Hello, Alex.’
‘Hi!’ Alex said huskily. ‘I… I was expecting Ben.’ She turned back into the flat to collect her shawl and bag and Justin stepped inside.
Paul glanced up at Justin with barely disguised antagonism, the fact that he was seated putting him at a decided disadvantage.
‘Denman.’ Justin nodded at the younger man, his eyes narrowed, slightly arrogant.
‘I’ll see you later, Paul.’ Alex had to physically prevent herself from running to the door in case Paul provoked a scene but he didn’t even glance in her direction.
‘Don’t wait up for her.’ Justin’s hand took Alex’s arm. ‘She may be late,’ he added loftily as he all but pushed Alex through the door, closing it decisively behind him.
‘I take it your young watchdog isn’t too thrilled about your night out,’ he remarked as they stepped into the elevator.
Alex glanced across at him, finding him standing close behind her, closer than she expected him to be and her heart beat rapidly in her throat. ‘Not that it’s any of your business but I don’t have to answer to Paul,’ she said quietly, not wanting to cross swords with him before the evening began.
‘He seems to think you do.’ His eyes moved over her with slow deliberation.
‘Well, I don’t,’ she snapped, feeling his eyes on her body as tangible as a touch.
‘Then perhaps you should correct his misapprehension.’ Justin motioned for her to precede him out of the lift.
‘Paul is under no misapprehension where I’m concerned,’ Alex said sharply. ‘I’m a free agent.’
Justin didn’t comment until they were both seated in his car and then he gave a harsh laugh. ‘You know, you’re a cool customer, Alex. If I didn’t know better I’d say your veins ran pure ice.’
‘I really don’t know what you mean.’ Alex sat stiffly in her seat. ‘Can’t we get going?’
Resting his arms on the steering wheel, Justin watched her with narrowed eyes. ‘I mean young Denman. That touching and torrid little scene on the beach the other day didn’t appear to be quite to your liking, and if you’re as uninterested in him as you claim to be why give him the come-on? And why share your bed and board with him? It’d be kinder to put him out of his misery.’
‘My bed and…’ Alex stared at him incredulously, her anger rising. ‘If it’s any of your business, which, as I said before, it damn well isn’t, I don’t happen to share my bed with Paul or anyone. I’m so terribly sorry to disappoint you.’ Justin’s expression barely altered and Alex sighed frustratedly. ‘And I seem to think we’ve been through all this before.’
‘We’ve been through it before all right but you accidentally,’ he emphasised the word, ‘forgot to mention that the whole group was sharing the flat.’ His eyes gleamed icily. ‘Ben told me.’
‘The flat has three bedrooms. Paul, Jeff and Danny share two rooms and I have the other,’ she said flatly, turning away from him.
‘Do you now?’ he said softly.
‘Why do I even bother?’ she asked herself aloud as she put her hand on the door catch. ‘If you want to misconstrue—’
His hand reached out and covered hers, preventing her from opening the door, his arm pinning her easily in her seat. ‘Cool it, Alex,’ he said softly. ‘You have to make allowances for old-fashioned jealousy.’ His breath fanned her cheek before she felt his lips on the line of her jaw.
She closed her eyes, wanting to abandon herself to the familiar ecstasy of his kisses, and knowing she mustn’t allow herself to do it. But there was no need for her to have to repel him. He sat back in his seat and switched on the ignition, driving away without making any further comment.
As they drove the short distance to the unit Justin made light conversation and Alex could almost convince herself that she had imagined those few moments before they left the car park.
They completed the short elevator ride up to Ben’s unit in silence, and Alex’s mouth felt dry with nervousness. Her total recollection of Justin’s mother was one of forceful disapproval. She had never been able to summon the courage to stand up to Grace de Wilde all those years ago. Even when she left Justin she had taken the coward’s way out, had disappeared before his mother could use any of her intimidating influence on her to stay. That was almost funny. Any influencing Mrs de Wilde would have done would have been to separate her from Justin, of that she was certain. She had probably been overjoyed to see the back of Alex.
‘Don’t tell me you’re nervous, Alex?’ He half smiled teasingly. ‘And here you’d almost convinced me you were now the ever self-possessed sophisticate!’
Taking a steadying breath, Alex refused to answer him, not letting herself be drawn, and he chuckled softly as the elevator door slid open. Alex hung back uncertainly until Justin took her arm and led her into the hallway. Standing in front of the apartment door Justin held the key card in his hand, pausing before attempting to let them inside. ‘Alex, before we go in there’s something I’d like to say.’ He glanced at her thoughtfully. ‘My father’s a sick man, even more ill than he’s been told he is. Do you think we could bury the hatchet just for tonight?’
Alex looked steadily at him.
‘One shock, an upset, anything, could bring on another attack and, as you will imagine, I don’t want that. What do you say?’
She nodded. ‘I never intended to do or say anything to upset anyone, Justin. Unless I was provoked,’ she added quickly. ‘You know I wouldn’t knowingly hurt your father if I could help it.’ A fleeting expression touched his face, an expression Alex couldn’t fathom, and then he inserted the key in the door and the moment passed.
Soft music provided an unobtrusive background for the two men sitting chatting in the comfortable chairs in the living-room. Ben de Wilde was sipping a glass of white wine, but it was the older man who drew Alex’s attention.
To say she was shocked was an understatement. She could scarcely credit that someone could change so much in six years, that those years could age with such relentlessness a man who had been so vital.
Her memories of Justin’s father were of a tall man, as tall as Justin with Justin’s broad frame, his hair grey and his eyes twinkling blue. But as John de Wilde got slowly to his feet it took all of Alex’s self-control not to allow her shock to show. He had lost a good couple of stone and his hair was completely white, while the skin on his face seemed to stretch across his cheekbones. She darted a quick imploring glance at Justin, but he had left her and had moved across to the bar to get her a drink.
Then her father-in-law was stepping forward to greet her and his eyes were bright with the familiar laughter and her heart went out to him. His smile of welcome was as genuine as she knew it would be and she went into his open arms as though she had never been away.
‘Alex, my dear! It’s wonderful to see you again. We’ve missed you.’ He hugged her and then stood back, his eyes moving over her face. ‘Here, let me look at you. Still as beautiful as ever. More so, I think, don’t you, Justin?’ He turned to his elder son.
Justin had returned with their drinks and handed one to Alex. ‘Most definitely, Dad,’ he smiled, a challenging flicker lurking in the depths of his eyes as they met Alex’s. ‘I only hope she thinks I’ve worn as well,’ he added.
John de Wilde looked enquiringly back at his daughter-in-law. ‘What do you say, Alex?’
Alex pretended to weigh Justin up. ‘Mm. Fairly well. He’s still not as handsome as you are, though,’ she grinned back at his father, and he laughed delightedly.
‘Minx!’ He sobered. ‘It is good to have you back, Alex,’ he said seriously. ‘Justin’s news was worth any number of the pills the powers that be insist on pumping into me.’
‘Justin’s news?’ Alex frowned.
‘Yes, darling.’ Justin’s arm
came around her waist, his fingers exerting a warning pressure. ‘I realise you wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while but I couldn’t manage to keep it a secret from the family, especially knowing Dad would be tickled pink to learn we’d decided to get back together again.’
Chapter 11
‘Nothing in the world could have made me happier, Alex.’ Her father-in-law kissed her cheek as Alex stood immobile with shock. ‘It means so much to Justin’s mother and myself to see you both happy.’
Alex glanced from her father-in-law to Ben, who was looking carefully into his wine glass, before she turned slowly back to Justin. Her eyes changed from shock to cold restrained anger. Justin’s lips touched her temple and he smiled down at her with studied tenderness, his fingers warning her again.
‘Well, Alex, my dear. It’s so nice to see you again. Quite a pleasant surprise.’ Justin’s mother had joined them from the balcony, and she wasn’t alone.
Her senses numb, Alex’s eyes moved from her mother-in-law to the immaculately dressed woman beside her. There was a definite similarity between the two women. Both were tall, almost statuesque, poised, sophisticated, but while Justin’s mother’s smile seemed genuine enough, it was obvious that Margot Donald was not overly pleased to see Alex. Not that her smile of welcome wasn’t sitting nicely on her face, but her eyes were cold as they slowly moved over Alex’s figure.
No, Margot was not pleased to have Alex back on the scene. And who could blame her? Alex mused, almost objectively. Margot most probably believed she had Justin in her clutches at last, only to have Alex turn up again like a bad penny. Well, Margot could set her mind at rest. She could have him and she was welcome to him. Alex could almost feel sorry for her.
Grace de Wilde crossed to kiss Alex coolly on the cheek. ‘You look very nice, dear. So much more, well, grown up.’
The familiar feeling of inferiority rose inside Alex and she drew herself up to her full height. ‘Six years makes a difference to everyone,’ she said evenly.
Justin’s mother looked sharply at her daughter-in-law. ‘Yes. Quite.’ She turned slightly. ‘You remember Margot, don’t you, Alex?’
‘Yes, of course.’ Alex nodded. How could she forget? ‘How are you, Margot?’
‘Fine. Thank you.’
‘Margot was holidaying up north and kindly cut short her vacation when she learned we were staying here at the Gold Coast for a few weeks. Margot’s schedule is so tight it was lucky she could spare the time to come down here.’
‘I couldn’t let the opportunity to see you both again pass by.’ Margot squeezed Mrs de Wilde’s arm and the older woman patted her hand.
‘Your notices have all been good, Margot.’ Ben spoke for the first time. ‘I suppose you’ll be off overseas again soon.’
‘Perhaps.’ Margot turned her eyes to Justin, soft intimacy in their depths. ‘I’ve been trying for months to talk Justin into doing a tour of the States with me, but he’s been quite reticent about it.’
An unexpected surge of jealousy took Alex totally by surprise and perversely she leaned closer to Justin’s hard body, knowing that Margot’s sharp eyes hadn’t missed her slight movement.
‘Justin must take a lot of credit for my notices,’ the other woman went on. ‘Without a sympathetic and encouraging conductor, well…’ Her hands fluttered expressively. ‘And Justin gives me both sympathy and encouragement,’ she said softly, her tone adding a hidden meaning to the words.
‘You flatter me, Margot,’ Justin replied easily, ‘and underestimate your own talents. Your tours to Europe without me drew just as enthusiastic reviews.’
Margot pouted prettily.
‘I believe you’ve been doing rather well for yourself, too, Alex?’ John de Wilde put in.
‘Moderately well.’ Alex smiled at him. ‘We may not be setting the world on fire, but at least we have a consistent income.’
‘Moderately well, hell!’ broke in Ben. ‘You’re just fantastic, love.’ He kissed the tips of his fingers to her and Alex noticed his mother frown at her younger son’s language. ‘Wait till you see my latest movie, Dad. Alex will be on her way to stardom, sure as I’m standing here.’
‘Ben!’ Alex blushed. ‘Luckily we all know you’re given to exaggeration.’
‘Unkind, Alex!’ He smiled across at her. ‘And there’s no need to be modest. I mean it,’ Ben assured her seriously. ‘You have the face of an angel, the most photogenic face I’ve seen in ages. Of course, the studio will be on your back about shedding half a stone or so.’
Justin pulled her back against him. ‘No way, brother. I like her the way she is. Pity Alex isn’t interested in becoming a movie star,’ he added firmly. ‘She’ll be far too busy starring as my wife.’
‘Good idea, son.’ His father’s eyes twinkled.
‘There’s a lot to be said for chaining women to the kitchen table,’ Justin teased, and at Alex’s outraged expression his father laughed loudly.
‘Something tells me you don’t fancy that,’ the older man patted her shoulder.
‘Don’t fancy it? Why, it’s barbaric!’ Alex spluttered.
‘Not to mention a wicked waste,’ added Ben.
Margot’s laughter tinkled, as brittle as a glass dinner bell, jarring Alex’s already frayed nerves. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve become a male chauvinist after all this time, darling?’ she asked Justin. ‘If you’re not careful you’ll frighten Alex off again, won’t he, dear? No modern young lady needs to be reminded of the pre-suffragette era.’
‘I can see this developing into a long and tedious argument,’ said Grace de Wilde, glancing at her wristwatch. ‘I suggest we all sit down to dinner.’
The meal was not nearly as strained as Alex imagined it would be. Justin’s parents sat at each end of the table while Alex was seated between Ben and his father on one side with Justin and Margot on the other side. Ben was his usual garrulous self, keeping the conversation flowing easily, even when Margot persistently tried to seclude Justin in their own private conversation.
Justin’s mother saw that the topics of conversation were general, and no further mention was made of Alex’s and Justin’s reconciliation. But it was there at the very front of Alex’s mind as she sat making a pretence of eating her meal, and she seethed with anger.
How could Justin have had the nerve to do it? How could he have used his father as an innocent accomplice in his sneaky little scheme? She wouldn’t have believed he could stoop so low, act so underhandedly. If his father discovered the truth he would be both hurt and disappointed. But that was the point of it all, wasn’t it? she asked herself wrathfully. Justin knew her too well, knew she wouldn’t be able to deliberately upset his father when he was so obviously ill.
She cast a quick glance towards him and his eyes met hers innocently, without so much as a flinch, and Alex’s lips thinned. He was a cool, single-minded devil. How she’d love to denounce him here and now, but of course she could never do it. As she watched him Margot’s fingers settled on his arm, demanding his attention, eyes appealing, red lips moistly sensual, and Alex looked away in disgust.
‘Grace and I will have to come along to hear you sing, Alex.’ John de Wilde distracted her. ‘I shall have Justin book us a table for dinner one evening.’
‘John, I don’t think you should—’ began his wife.
‘Oh, nonsense, my dear.’ He smiled at his wife. ‘You fuss too much. I have to eat, so what’s the difference between eating here and eating at a restaurant? Which would be the best night, Alex?’
‘Oh, any night,’ Alex looked embarrassedly at her mother-in-law, not knowing which side to take.
‘Well, I’ll leave it up to you and Justin,’ he said firmly.
Eventually they left the table and moved into the living-room to sit in the large comfortable chairs. Alex tried to appear relaxed, but she was waiting for the moment to tackle
Justin, for the moment he was apart from everyone else.
Anger bubbled within her and she could scarcely contain herself until she could have it out with him. With Margot monopolising him she was beginning to think she’d have to wait forever, but she looked up to see him moving across the room while his mother was speaking to Margot.
Alex strolled after him to stand beside him as he gazed through the plate glass windows at the blanket of darkness bisected by the line of lights of the main highway and the moving headlights of the cars. Her anger, which she had been tightly curbing, threatened to burst from her and she had to prevent a tirade of angry words from spilling from her lips.
‘How could you?’ she bit out through clenched teeth.
‘How could I what?’ he asked casually, guilelessly.
‘Don’t pretend you don’t know, Justin. You know very well what I’m talking about.’ Her eyes raked him. ‘How could you do that to your father? How do you think he’ll react when you tell him the truth?’
‘Does he need to be told?’
Alex drew a deep breath.
‘Leave it, Alex. We’ll talk about it later,’ he said curtly, turning as Ben joined them.
‘What are you two lovebirds cooking up over here?’
‘None of your business, mate,’ Justin smiled at his brother. ‘We were admiring the view.’
‘Mmm. A likely story! Look, I was thinking,’ Ben said seriously, ‘supposing I swap rooms with you, Justin? I can take the smaller bedroom and you can have my double bedroom, so Alex can move in here.’
Alex couldn’t hide the look of horror on her face and Ben frowned enquiringly from one to the other.
‘We haven’t discussed it yet, Ben,’ Justin’s own face held no expression. ‘I may move into Alex’s flat. But thanks all the same,’ he added easily as Alex turned shocked eyes on him.
Play Our Song Again (Lynsey Stevens Romance Book 13) Page 13
