Bundle of Brides

by Kay Thorpe

  She watched him as he spoke to the waiter, unable to conquer the inner turmoil. His mouth was so sensual; she could feel it on hers, nibbling, teasing; tongue flickering delicately between her lips, enticing her to respond in kind. She’d always hated French kissing, but with Ross it was so different, so utterly alluring. She ached to be with him again, nude in his arms, his hands exploring her body.

  She came down to earth to find him watching her curiously, the waiter departed. ‘I asked you if you’d decided what you’d like to eat yet,’ he said.

  Gina was grateful once more for the subdued lighting. ‘Sorry, I was miles away. I’ll have the melon and the salmon,’ she added, plumping for the first dishes that sprang to mind.

  She kept a firmer grip on herself during the meal, turning the conversation to the company. Ross answered all her questions readily enough.

  ‘Did you call your parents?’ he asked over coffee.

  ‘I didn’t have time,’ she said.

  ‘You had at least a couple of hours after I dropped you at the house,’ he pointed out. ‘Don’t you think it time you put them in the picture?’

  Gina made a helpless little gesture. ‘It’s going to be such a shock for them.’

  ‘It’s going to be that whatever time you call.’ He paused, adding when she failed to reply, ‘Do you want me to do it for you?’

  ‘That would be even worse! I’ll do it tomorrow.’

  ‘What are you going to tell them?’

  ‘No more than I have to. Like your mother, they’d be devastated to know what the plan really is. You do realise she’s taking it for granted the…arrangement will be permanent?’

  ‘I’d rather gained that impression, yes.’

  ‘Are you willing to tell her the truth?’

  ‘No,’ he admitted. ‘Not yet, at any rate. It’s helping her through a bad time. Best you let your parents assume the same for now.’

  He was so matter-of-fact about it all, Gina thought hollowly.

  ‘We should have had the quick civil ceremony you wanted,’ she said. ‘The whole thing is getting out of hand.’

  ‘Too late now,’ Ross observed. ‘You’ll just have to put up with it. Me too, unfortunately.’

  ‘Are there likely to be a lot of guests?’ she asked after a moment.

  ‘With my mother compiling the list, at least a couple of hundred.’

  ‘Some from the film world too?’

  ‘From all sources. Excluding Karin Trent, if that’s who you’ve got in mind,’ he added drily.

  It wasn’t Karin she was thinking of, but she let it pass. If it was true that Dione Richards had designs on Ross herself, it was unlikely that she’d be attending either. Not that the wedding would necessarily put a stop to their association. For all she knew, Ross had already told the woman he’d soon be free again.

  It was only a little after ten, but she had had enough. ‘I think I’m going to turn in,’ she said. ‘I didn’t get all that much sleep last night.’

  ‘Sure.’ Ross came to his feet along with her. ‘An early night will do us both good.’

  Her heart rate increased, dropping again as she met the dispassionate grey eyes. Whatever attraction she’d had for him, it was so obviously dead and gone.

  There were plenty of people still milling around the lobby. They took an interior lift rather than the glass one that climbed the outside of the building, losing people at each floor to arrive at their own as sole occupants.

  The suite Gina was occupying was first in line. She fished the keycard from her purse with unsteady hands, dropping it on the carpet. Ross picked it up and inserted it in the slot, pushing open one of the double doors to allow her access.

  ‘See you at breakfast,’ he said, and moved on. leaving her standing there feeling thoroughly depressed. It made better sense to keep things on a purely businesslike level, she knew, but the way Ross made her feel, the coming weeks were going to be hell to live through.

  Breakfast was delivered to the suite with speed and efficiency. Gina took it on trust that the regular guests would receive the same service. A hotel of this calibre couldn’t afford any less.

  Ross would be planning a tour of the place today, she assumed. She’d accompany him because it would be expected of her, and do her best to act the part she’d been allocated. She was, after all, a major stock-holder. Or would be, once the marriage licence was signed.

  She was finishing her coffee when Ross arrived at nine. He was wearing the same suit he’d worn last night, though with a different shirt and tie, and looked ready for business.

  ‘The GM is taking us on a tour of the place,’ he said. ‘I’d as soon do it without him, but the suggestion might not go down very well.’

  ‘You’re the big boss,’ Gina returned with deliberated flippancy. ‘Your word is surely his command!’

  ‘Not if we want to keep him.’ The emphasis on the ‘we’ was slight. ‘Conroy was persuaded to put off retirement for a couple of years to take the job on. I’m told he can be touchy.’

  He took in the table bearing the remnants of her breakfast. ‘I see you had Room Service too. How did you find it?’

  ‘Excellent. Not that I’d have expected anything less.’ She briskened her voice to add, ‘You don’t really need me on the tour. I’d probably just get in the way. I thought I might take a look at the shopping arcade down on mezzanine. From the glimpse I got of it last night, it’s certainly worth visiting.’

  ‘You can shop any time,’ he said decisively. ‘Conroy would take it as a personal insult.’

  Mr Conroy could go run up a shutter! she thought, but refrained from voicing the sentiment. ‘That definitely wouldn’t do,’ she said instead, keeping the sarcasm lowkey. ‘Still, I don’t suppose it’s going to take all day?’

  ‘I’d doubt it.’ Ross studied her, a glimmer of what could have been derision deep down in the grey eyes. ‘I have to go out myself later this afternoon. You’ll have plenty of time to look round the arcade then.’

  ‘Business?’ she asked before she could stop herself, and saw the glimmer become a definite gleam.

  ‘Of a kind. I’ll be back in good time for dinner.’

  Which you’ll be eating alone, she felt like telling him. That he would be seeing some woman, she didn’t doubt. Like a sailor, he probably had one stashed in every port!

  The tour took her mind off her personal problems for a while. For the first time, she began to realise just how much went into the running of a large hotel. Ross found no major fault in any department, much to James Conroy’s gratification.

  They had lunch in his private quarters, along with the assistant general manager. Tall and fair-haired, Neil Baxter was in his mid-thirties. Young for his position, Gina gathered, though obviously more than capable. She found him perhaps a bit too much on the serious side, but pleasant enough.

  Ross left the hotel at three, still without saying where he was going. Not that she had any right to know, Gina conceded hollowly. They were both of them free agents.

  Try as she might to stop it, her imagination went into overdrive over the next hour. If it was a woman he was seeing, they would almost certainly be in bed by now. She could visualise the scene: the clothing scattered across the floor; the writhing naked bodies. She’d no right to the jealousy sweeping her, but it was all-consuming.

  Holding several top-class shops, the arcade provided some slight distraction. The prices in the boutique still appeared pretty exorbitant to her, though it seemed churlish not to buy anything, with the assistants so eager to see her suited. She settled for a skirt and long-sleeved top in her favourite cream, leaving them to be delivered to her suite.

  Neil Baxter was passing as she emerged from the shop. ‘We serve English tea in the Empress lounge,’ he said, on realising she was on her own. ‘I often take advantage myself. Perhaps you’d join me?’

  Glad of any company at present, Gina was only too ready to take him up on the invitation.

  The lounge was alr
eady well occupied. Tea was served to individual tables on silver trays in finest china, with a tempting selection of sandwiches and cakes. Judging from the snippets of conversation filtering across, it wasn’t just English clientele who availed themselves of the service.

  ‘We get all nationalities,’ Neil confirmed. ‘Even those who’d never normally drink the stuff. It’s the ambience they like. There’s something very civilised about afternoon tea.’

  He accepted the cup Gina had poured for him, making an appreciative face as he took a sip. ‘Excellent!’

  ‘Just like back home,’ Gina concurred.

  There was a pause. When Neil spoke again it was a little tentatively. ‘Is it true that you and Mr Harlow are just business partners?’

  She should tell him it was none of his business, Gina knew, but she was sick of the pretence. ‘True enough,’ she said. ‘A marriage of convenience, it’s called.’

  She regretted it the moment the words left her lips, but it was too late for retraction. Not that it mattered a deal, she defended. The only one with any illusions about the marriage was too far away for the grapevine to reach. Anyway, even Elinor would have to know some time.

  ‘So I can ask you out to dinner without crossing any demarcation lines,’ Neil confirmed.

  Caught on the hop, Gina sought refuge in humour. ‘You Canadians certainly don’t waste any time!’

  ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained,’ he returned.

  In no way blind to the fact that her position was probably the main draw, her first inclination was to refuse. On the other hand, she thought, why not take advantage of the opportunity to show Ross she wasn’t stuck fast for companionship either? Why should she be expected to hang around until he deigned to put in an appearance?

  ‘Nice idea,’ she said before she could change her mind. ‘But not here.’

  ‘Of course.’ Neil sounded agreeable to anything. ‘I know just the place. What time would you like to eat?’

  ‘Let’s make it early,’ she suggested. ‘Seven?’

  ‘Fine by me. I’ll have a cab waiting at ten before. It’s only a short drive away.’

  She was doing this for all the wrong reasons, Gina thought ruefully, but she couldn’t back out now. Anyway, it was doubtful if Neil had anything but his own business interests in mind.

  There was no sound from the adjoining suite when she finally went up at six—even with her ear pressed against the communicating door. She thought of pushing a note under the door, abandoning the idea on the grounds that she owed Ross no explanation. For all she knew, he’d be out all night.

  Being so much further north, it was a great deal cooler here than in LA. She donned the skirt and top already delivered, topping them with a short beige jacket she’d brought with her and sliding her feet into high-heeled leather sandals. She’d already acquired a touch of Los Angeles gloss, she acknowledged, studying her smooth, shining hair and flawless make-up in the mirror. All down to Elinor’s efforts.

  Neil was waiting for her in the lobby at a quarter to the hour. He viewed her with open appreciation as she crossed the wide expanse to join him, seemingly oblivious to the glances drawn their way from the duty staff. Gina had the distinct feeling that she was something of a trophy.

  As he’d said, the restaurant he’d chosen was only a short distance away. It was small, intimate and very up-market, and its menus bore no prices. She agreed without much interest when he suggested they share the Châteaubriand, not really in the mood for eating at all.

  Stilted at first, conversation eased a little over the course of the meal. Gina avoided any personal probing into her own background by encouraging him to talk about himself, which he wasn’t all that loath to do.

  ‘A couple of years, and I’ll be ready to take over from James when he finally retires,’ he said, after filling her in on his progress since leaving university. ‘Not that I invited you out in the hope of advancing my career,’ he added hastily.

  ‘It hadn’t occurred to me,’ Gina assured him, lying through her teeth. ‘I’m sure you’ll make a fine GM.’

  They were on to the coffee stage when the call came through. Neil pulled a wry face as he slipped the mobile back into his pocket. ‘Afraid I’m needed. Some kind of problem with one of the convention groups.’

  ‘Duty comes first,’ she said, grateful for a reason to end the evening.

  It was still only a little after nine when they reached the hotel. Neil went immediately to deal with whatever had blown up, leaving Gina to make her way to her suite. If Ross had returned, he would probably be at dinner in one or other of the restaurants. If he hadn’t yet come back, it was likely that he’d be spending the night out.

  Not that she could care less what he did from now on, she told herself unconvincingly.

  The maid who had turned down her bed last night had left lamps lit throughout the suite. Gina came to an abrupt stop on seeing Ross lounging in a chair.

  ‘The wanderer returns!’ he observed.

  Gina recovered her voice, and something of her wits. ‘How did you get in here?’

  ‘I had the communicating doors opened up.’ He viewed her from head to foot and back again, gaze coming to rest on her face with an expression she found disquieting. ‘I said I’d be back for dinner.’

  ‘Did you? I must have forgotten.’ She kept her tone inconsequential. ‘Afraid I already ate. Neil Baxter invited me out.’

  ‘So I understand.’

  ‘He was called back in to take care of some problem,’ she added. ‘I’d have thought someone else could have handled it.’

  ‘Depends on the nature of the problem. It’s his job to be available when needed—especially with Conroy out of town for the night. You realise he has an eye to the main chance, of course?’

  Green eyes sparked. ‘Meaning, he asked me out with a view to feathering his own nest? He’s in no need of any backing from me. He’s already in line for the GM’s job when James Conroy decides he’s had enough.’

  ‘It isn’t a foregone conclusion, by any means. He’ll be well aware of that. A word from the top at the right time could swing it for him.’

  It was what she had thought herself, but she wasn’t about to admit it. Ross hadn’t moved from the chair, his whole attitude a spur to the anger building inside her.

  ‘If you’ve finished, I’d like some privacy,’ she said. ‘You’ve no right to be here in my suite to start with!’

  ‘I’ll go when I’m good and ready,’ he rejoined. ‘One or two points we need to get straight. When I said we’d each live our own lives, I meant with some discretion. Swanning around with a member of staff can hardly be called that! The whole place was buzzing when I got back.’

  ‘So what?’ she demanded. ‘Everyone knows the marriage is just a means to an end.’

  ‘I don’t give a damn what everyone knows!’ Ross wasn’t lounging any more, a dangerous spark in his eyes. ‘Just take note.’

  ‘Your precious pride suffering?’ she asked scathingly. ‘Means so much to a man, doesn’t it? At least I didn’t spend the whole afternoon…’

  Ross hoisted a sardonic eyebrow as she broke off, biting her lip. ‘Where exactly do you think I’ve been all afternoon?’

  ‘Ten to one, with a woman,’ she said, not about to back down again. ‘Two nights’ deprivation takes some making up for.’

  Anger turned suddenly to amusement. ‘Spoken with feeling! And there I was thinking I was being the true gallant giving you chance to catch up on your sleep last night.’

  The wind taken completely out of her sails, Gina sought some pungent response. ‘Don’t flatter yourself!’ was the best she could come up with, serving only to increase the amusement.

  ‘Why try denying something that’s so patently obvious? You were as ready as I was the other night, before the champagne caught up with you. As ready as you are now, in fact.’

  ‘Of all the arrogant…’ She caught herself up, realising how hackneyed she sounded, fury mounting as she m
et the grey eyes. ‘I’ve no intention of providing you with entertainment of any kind from here-on-in!’

  ‘Oh, I think you could be persuaded.’

  Gina stood her ground as he came slowly, almost lazily to his feet, heart hammering against her ribcage, stomach muscles tensed. ‘I’m telling you no!’ she fired at him.

  She may as well have held her tongue for all the notice he took. She struggled slightly as he slid his arms about her, but her heart wasn’t in it. No part of her was in it.

  His mouth was passionate. She found herself answering in the same vein, lips moving beneath his, parting to allow him access to the inner softness, her body moulding to his shape with abandonment.

  She made no protest when he lifted her in his arms and bore her across to the bedroom, wanting him too desperately to care what she might reveal. There were lamps lit in here too, the beds already turned back by the maid. Ross laid her down on the nearest, stripping off his shirt before coming down alongside her to kiss her with mounting urgency.

  She sought the buckle of his belt, easing the leather through the slot and sliding the zip to find him, while he removed her brief undergarment. They joined together in a frenzy, fired by the same surging, irresistible need.

  It was some time before either of them could summon the energy to move after the tumultuous climax. Gina floated on a sea of satisfaction, mind blanked of everything outside of this moment.

  ‘That went a whole lot faster than intended,’ Ross murmured. He raised his head to look at her, scanning her face feature by feature, his smile slow. ‘You’re a hell of a woman, Gina Saxton!’

  She was a hell of an idiot, letting this happen again, she thought wryly as reality intruded. She made a supreme effort to adopt the same easy, semi-teasing attitude, sliding a finger end across the firm lips.

  ‘Must be the Harlow in me!’

  Laughter sparkled his eyes. ‘One thing you’re certainly not is boring!’

  ‘I do my best.’ She stiffened in sudden realisation. ‘You didn’t use anything!’