‘You can’t move in with me,’ she got out at last. ‘It’s not my flat to begin with and, well, it’s just big enough for the four of us. So I can’t somehow see the boys being overjoyed about an extra person taking up residence.’
‘For sure there’s one of them won’t be overjoyed,’ remarked Ben drily.
‘We’ll sort it out later,’ said Justin, slipping his arm around her shoulder, tantalising her bare flesh. ‘Maybe we should take the bridal suite at the Sheraton and have a second honeymoon.’ He laughed, and Ben joined in, although his eyes watched Alex’s pink face rather sharply.
‘You don’t seem very ecstatic about the new arrangement,’ Ben remarked as Justin went across to the bar to mix himself another drink.
‘There is no new arrangement, Ben,’ she said, taking a shaky sip of her own drink. ‘Justin’s concocted the whole thing.’
‘Did he now?’ Ben paused, his drink halfway to his mouth.
‘He knew I wouldn’t be able to deny it, not in front of your father.’
Ben’s eyes turned to his brother. ‘Who’d have thought he’d be so ruthless? He must have it bad.’ He grinned, and patted Alex’s shoulder good-naturedly when he saw the angry set of her lips. ‘It’ll all work out, you’ll see, love.’
‘Oh, Ben, I wish…’ Alex shook her head, feeling tears of reaction fill her eyes. ‘Do you think your parents would mind if I went home now? I don’t think I can face much more tonight.’
‘Of course they won’t mind. I’ll tell Justin you’re ready to go.’ Ben went to walk across to the bar where Margot was talking to his brother.
‘No.’ Alex’s hand went to his arm. ‘No. I’d prefer it if you could take me, Ben. Would you? Please.’
‘Hell, Alex, as much as I’d love to, it wouldn’t be any use. Can you honestly see Justin letting me? No way, love. I’ll be left to escort the divine Margot back to her hotel, something she’ll dislike as much as I will. That woman reminds me quite vividly of a coiled snake!’
‘Then they make a lovely pair,’ Alex said tersely, setting her empty glass on the tray on the nearby sideboard. She quelled the feeling that she was being cheap and petty.
Ben frowned. ‘Hey, Alex, don’t let yourself get so bitter. Not over someone like Margot. Justin’s not interested in her. If he had been he would have done something about it years ago, so any implications Margot makes about Justin and herself are all in her mind.’
‘I don’t really care,’ shrugged Alex, her eyes on her hand as she absently rubbed her bare arm.
‘You know, if you’re going to be an actress you’ll have to do better than that,’ Ben chuckled.
‘Alex, my dear.’ Grace de Wilde’s voice broke in on them. ‘Come and sit over here.’ She patted the lounge chair beside her. ‘We haven’t had a chance to chat. Justin tells me your parents are now living in Canada.’
It was some time before Alex could again bring up the subject of calling it a night, and with an apologetic look Ben moved over to the bar so that there would be no disputes about who would be taking Alex home.
‘Perhaps you could drop me off after you’ve taken Alex home, darling?’ Margot smiled easily at Justin. ‘It would save poor Ben a trip down to Broadbeach and I believe you’ll be going that way with Alex.’
Poor Ben grimaced at Alex behind Margot’s back. ‘Sure, Margot. Are you ready to go?’ Justin felt in his pocket for his car keys.
‘Of course. Whenever you are.’ Margot bade Justin’s parents an effusive farewell, promising to call to see them again within the next few days.
‘It’s been great having you back, Alex.’ John de Wilde said sincerely as they moved to the door. ‘And we’ll be seeing you when we dine at your restaurant very soon.’
The silence in the elevator was as loud as a clanging bell to Alex’s ears. Justin stood impassively between the two of them, the sleeve of his bomber jacket feeling warm against her bare arm. When they reached the car Alex almost ran for the back seat, leaving Margot to slide into the front beside Justin. That this arrangement met with Margot’s approval was obvious by the flow of bright conversation she kept up, specifically with Justin, as they headed towards Surfers Paradise.
All the while Alex was aware of Justin’s light eyes watching her in the rear vision mirror and she determinedly forced herself to look away, staring unseeingly out into the semi-darkness. They passed the street turn to Alex’s flat and she stiffened in her seat, her eyes locking with his in the mirror. His eyes narrowed before he looked back to the road.
Realising that she was to be dropped off first, Margot lapsed into a frowning silence and when Justin pulled up outside the entrance of the Broadbeach International she only mouthed a brief farewell in Alex’s direction as she waited for Justin to open her door before climbing from the car. Whatever she said to Justin was spoken low enough so as not to reach Alex and her hand fluttered to his arm before she moved inside.
Justin turned and opened the back door. ‘You may as well get into the front,’ he said, leaning over to look at her. When Alex didn’t move his jaw set tightly. ‘Come on, Alex. Humour me.’ His hand grasped her wrist and propelled her none firmly from the back of the car.
‘Take your hands off me, Justin!’ Alex flashed at him, trying without much success to free her arm. ‘I’m afraid I don’t go in for all this tough he-man stuff. It doesn’t impress me in the least. I’ve told you before.’
‘Impressing you was the last thing I had in mind,’ he replied just as curtly as he closed her door with a restrained slam.
The air in the confines of the car fairly crackled with tension as they headed back towards Surfers Paradise. Alex gazed blindly out of her window, her lips set in a firm line. Neither of them broke the heavy silence until Justin drew up in front of the block of flats where Alex was living.
‘Thank you for driving me home,’ Alex turned to him and said with barely concealed ill-grace. ‘And as to that other little scheme of yours, I’ll leave you to tell your parents the truth whichever way you care to tell them, as long as you do put them in the picture.’
Without a word Justin climbed out of the car and opened her door for her, preparing to follow her into the building.
‘I can find my own way.’ Alex’s eyes met his defiantly. ‘Goodbye, Justin.’
He smiled cynically. ‘So final, Alex?’ One dark eyebrow rose. ‘Do allow me to see you safely inside. Your angry young man would want me to do that, I’m sure,’ he added sarcastically, and his hand in the small of her back set her walking towards the floodlit doorway.
They rode the elevator in silence and it was with relief that Alex inserted her key in the lock and swung open the door of her flat. ‘Goodbye,’ she repeated rigidly, her hand on the door barring any entry into the flat beyond.
‘I’d appreciate a moment of your valuable time, Alex,’ Justin said evenly. ‘I think we need to talk. About us and about my father.’
Her whole body tensed as she firmly blocked the doorway. ‘As far as I’m concerned we’ve said all there is to say about it. Or, at least, I have.’
‘Well, I haven’t!’ He in turn stood his ground, his tall, muscular frame seeming to fill the hallway. ‘At least hear me out, Alex.’ He rested his hands on his hips. ‘Surely you’re adult enough to discuss it?’
‘Adult enough? Are you sure you’re adult enough to talk it over without pressuring me?’
‘No pressure, Alex.’ He turned his palms upwards. ‘Just simple discussion.’
A frown hovered on Alex’s brow. Even as she stood aside she had a sinking feeling that it was a mistake to let him past the doorway, but she pushed her doubts to the back of her mind. Besides, with Paul here what could he do? Reluctantly she moved inside and he followed her, his face impassive.
The flat was completely quiet, although the living-room light had been left burning. The doors to al
l bedrooms stood open making it obvious that they had the flat to themselves. Paul must have changed his mind about joining the others at the disco. Alex could feel the pulse at the base of her throat begin to flutter as her body tensed in self-protection, building its own fragile barrier against the knowledge that they were alone together.
She threw her shawl and bag on to the couch and rounded on him, her chin rising determinedly, giving her a shell of self-possession, disguising her tremulousness. ‘Let’s not make an issue of this. I simply feel you were rather underhanded and dishonest about the whole thing. You knew I wouldn’t go along with it, so why create such an impossible situation?’
Justin moved about the room and stood with his back to her as he gazed through the uncurtained window. His bomber jacket pulled across the broad width of his shoulders as he sighed rather heavily and his hand reached up to slowly rub the back of his neck.
‘I suppose I do owe you an apology, Alex,’ he said at last, as he turned back to face her, ‘but I’d like you to try to see the situation from my side.’
Alex stood waiting as he paused, as though he was carefully selecting the right words.
‘It’s only been a couple of weeks since I saw my parents and I could see the difference in Dad in that short time. His condition seemed to have deteriorated markedly. When I mentioned that I’d seen you, it really brightened him up. I think you can imagine how bad he felt about our separation.’
He prowled around the room again. ‘I can’t even recall consciously considering the whys and the wherefores or how you’d react.’ He turned to face her again. ‘It was totally spontaneous, not premeditated, believe me. What I actually said was that we were thinking over a reconciliation and I guess Dad took it as done. He was so pleased I hadn’t the heart to set him straight.’
‘What do you intend doing about it?’ Alex asked quietly after a moment.
Justin shrugged. ‘It’s up to you.’
‘That’s hardly fair, is it?’ Alex’s temper flared. ‘You’re the one who started it, fabricated the tale, and now you want me to put it right.’
‘You’re the only one who can put it right,’ he replied ambiguously, his eyes looking intently into hers.
She felt the heat of her rising colour and frowned in irritation. ‘Must we go into all that again? You know how I feel about it.’
‘I know how you say you feel about it,’ he said with maddening calmness, ‘but I also know that you’re not being honest with yourself.’
Alex exclaimed angrily and turned away from him, folding her arms about herself. ‘Don’t start that again!’
‘You aren’t being honest, Alex, and you know it.’ His voice barely held any expression.
‘Oh, I know it all right,’ she retorted. ‘Of course it couldn’t possibly be you who’s deluding yourself, could it?’
He gave a harsh laugh. ‘No. I’m under no illusions about you, Alex. Unfortunately you still have the power to tear me to shreds.’ Alex’s eyes flew involuntarily to his face as she turned slightly back to him and he smiled crookedly. ‘And, you know, I’m beginning to suspect that you get some kind of sadistic kick out of doing it to me.’
Alex’s nerves stretched as she tensed to immobility.
‘Well, Alex, do you?’ His voice was lower, rasping huskily in his throat. ‘Have you developed sadistic tendencies over the years?’
‘Don’t be silly,’ she got out breathily, turning away again. ‘You’re just trying to twist the conversation.’
‘Oh? And to what specifically am I trying to twist the conversation?’ Although his voice was quieter she could feel that he had moved closer to her.
Powerless to move, she felt her heart thud loudly inside her as her breath caught in her chest. When his hands settled inevitably on her folded arms she stood without making any effort to repel him.
He pulled her gently back against his hard body, his breath fanning her hair, tantalising her senses. ‘Oh, Alex! Alex! What are you doing to me? To us?’ he moaned, his lips finding the curve of her throat, savouring its satin smoothness.
That same familiar fire raced through Alex’s body and she made no attempt to escape his caressing hands, the arousing hardness of his body, the sweet stimulation of his lips. She began to tremble and with a catch of his breath Justin turned her around and claimed her lips in desperate abandon, reaching deep within her and finding an immediate matching response.
‘Alex, if you’re not going to go through with this to the end you’d better stop me now or I won’t answer for the consequences,’ he murmured as he raised his head to look down at her, his lips curving sensually, his hands moving caressingly over the smoothness of her bare brown shoulders, down to the swell of her hips to draw her impossibly closer to the solidness of his thighs.
His lips returned to touch her eyelids, her nose, to tingle against her swollen mouth, his teeth nibbling her lower lip. ‘Well, Alex?’ he breathed urgently.
‘We shouldn’t,’ Alex got out hoarsely. ‘I… It… It wouldn’t be right. I never meant this to happen again,’ she stammered almost incoherently.
‘Do you want me to stop kissing you like this?’ he asked softly, his lips tormenting hers. ‘Do you want me to stop caressing you like this?’ His hands moved over her, intimately sensual.
Her senses had passed control and weakly Alex shook her head, her hands trying to unbutton his shirt, her body needing the closeness, the culmination of their lovemaking.
‘Say it, Alex,’ Justin whispered against her lips. ‘God, tell me you want me like I’m wanting you.’
‘Justin.’ His name came out with a sob.
The door of the flat swung open and Jeff was the first to step into the room. When he saw Alex in Justin’s arms he stopped dead, causing Danny to run into his suddenly stationary back.
‘What the heck…’ Danny began, before he too noticed that the room was not empty.
Justin groaned softly and when Alex went to push him away from her he held her tightly to him.
‘Seems like we’ve picked the worst possible time to make our entrance.’ Danny laughed a little selfconsciously. ‘Should we go out and come in a bit later?’
‘What’s going on?’ Paul’s voice came from the hallway. ‘What are you two cluttering up the doorway for?’ He pushed Danny forward and the slight frown on his face deepened to a scowl as, face reddening, he caught sight of Alex still standing close to Justin.
She struggled to stand away from him, but he continued to hold her firmly. ‘Let me go, Justin,’ she appealed softly.
‘Not on your life,’ he said easily.
‘Justin, please!’
‘Seems to me like the lady wants you to take your hands off her, de Wilde,’ Paul growled, moving past the other two boys to stand facing Justin.
Justin’s eyes pierced the younger man and his jaw momentarily tensed. Then he smiled with arrogant condescension. ‘The lady knows not what she says. I think she’s really quite happy where she is.’
‘Justin, you’re embarrassing me!’ Alex wished the floor would open up and swallow her. She was drawn in two. Although Justin was right, that she did want to stay held close in his arms, she knew Paul’s feelings were being hurt and she had no wish to do that to him, knowing how easily angered he was of late.
Justin looked down at her, his eyes unfathomable, and he reluctantly released her.
‘Well, I’m for bed,’ Jeff remarked, over jovial with his own embarrassment.
‘Me, too.’ Danny took his cue. ‘Night, all.’
As the two young men left the room Justin looked pointedly at Paul, who seemed to plant himself more firmly on the floor, obviously intending to out-wait Justin.
‘Would you like some coffee?’ she asked nervously of them both.
‘Not for me,’ said Paul.
‘No coffee, thanks.’ Justin
put a sensual emphasis on the word coffee and Alex flushed at his implication.
‘I guess you’d better call it a night, then, de Wilde,’ Paul said ill-manneredly. ‘Alex has to work tomorrow.’
‘Well, Alex?’ Justin turned to her. ‘Shall we call it a night?’ His eyes met hers levelly, the demand in them throwing her into confusion.
‘I… Yes, I suppose so.’ Alex moved jerkily towards the door. ‘Thank your parents for me, for the dinner. I… I enjoyed it. And thanks for seeing me home.’
He looked at her with a mixture of angry exasperation and irritated annoyance, but she could see the fire of his passion still lying close to the surface and knew with a tingle of anticipation how easily she could send it raging to consume them both. How very much she wanted to do just that.
‘Goodnight, Mr de Wilde.’ Paul’s voice cut rudely between them, breaking the bond that had begun to stretch across the room joining them together.
Alex saw the whiteness of anger in Justin’s face and she took a step forward at the same time as he did. Justin’s hand was reaching out to clasp Paul’s shirt when Alex thrust herself between them. ‘Justin, don’t!’ she cried. ‘Don’t hit him!’
‘Hit him?’ he sneered. ‘Alex, I’ve had this.’ His eyes turned coldly on her. ‘We’ll stay here or you’re coming with me. Make up your mind.’
‘I can’t,’ she whispered.
‘Alex, what’s this all about?’ Paul barked. ‘You don’t have to take anything from him. What’s he got over you anyway? I’ll call Jeff and Danny and we’ll throw him out.’
Justin gave a short laugh and Alex put a restraining hand on his arm, feeling his tensed muscles beneath the sleeve of his jacket. ‘There’s no need for that, Paul. Justin was just going.’ Her eyes begged him not to make the situation any worse.
After a tension-filled few seconds Justin shook off her hand and strode to the door, stopping when he reached it and turning slowly back to face them. His lip curled cynically. ‘What makes me think you’re half worth all this trouble, Alex?’ he asked flatly before his eyes moved to Paul. ‘Although you don’t know it, mate, I’m doing you a favour taking her off your hands.’ He smiled humourlessly. ‘I think the time has come for you to put your friends in the picture, Alex, before I do. And believe me, if you leave it to me, I’ll do it none too gently.’
Play Our Song Again (Lynsey Stevens Romance Book 13) Page 14
