‘I thought the Princess might have consoled you?’ Her teasing was made in the form of a question.
‘I think I will beat you for that!’ Adam scowled.
Relief flooded her heart. ‘You mean she didn’t console you?’
‘No, she damn well didn’t! I haven’t seen Maria since the evening you saw us together at the theatre. Now apologise—in a suitable manner,’ he growled.
‘Suitable?’ she teased, feeling so happy she was lightheaded.
‘Do it, woman!’
Her lips on his held nothing back, and she could feel the answering surge in his body as he crushed her to him.
‘Tonight, Natalie,’ he murmured against her mouth. ‘I can’t wait any longer than that.’
‘Come to dinner,’ she invited breathlessly, never doubting his answer, and never doubting her own either. All her doubts, all her arguments of Saturday ceased to matter. Adam was all that mattered, because she had found all the commitment she needed. She loved him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
NATALIE didn’t attempt to analyse it; she knew that would achieve nothing. She was ecstatically, irrevocably in love with Adam Thornton, and knowing that made a mockery of any need for commitment from him. She would accept what little he was prepared to give, for as long as he was prepared to give it.
When the three dozen white roses arrived at the office for her later that afternoon she didn’t need to read the card with them to know who they were from. She couldn’t help smiling once she had read the message in that bold black handwriting, putting through a call to Adam straight away.
‘I haven’t changed my mind,’ she told him the moment he came on the line. ‘So your sanity is perfectly intact.’
‘Good.’
‘Do you like steak?’ she enquired happily.
‘Anything will be fine.’
‘You can have me for dessert,’ she smiled at the thought.
‘Good.’
For the first time she became aware of his lack of response to her teasing. ‘Adam, do you have someone with you?’ she frowned.
‘Yes,’ he answered with some relief.
She laughed wickedly, lightheaded with happiness. ‘How interesting! I have this amazing black dress I’m going to wear this evening, it has no back, virtually no front, and a slit right up—’
‘Natalie!’ he warned in an agonised voice.
‘Too much for you, darling?’ she mocked.
‘At this particular time, yes.’ His voice was once again businesslike.
‘And later?’
‘I’m looking forward to it.’ There was a definite threat in his tone now.
‘So am I,’ she laughed before ringing off, and she was still smiling when Dee came into the room.
The other woman looked wistfully at the roses, each bloom a delicate bud just longing to bloom. Rather like Natalie herself! And Adam would be her sunlight.
‘Everything all right again now?’ Dee looked down at her.
Natalie blushed. ‘Yes.’
Her friend shook her head ruefully. ‘When you fall in love it’s supposed to be the end of all the uncertainties—it’s usually just the beginning,’ she grimaced. ‘After three years I still don’t know all Tom’s complexities. But it’s half the fun finding them out,’ she laughed.
Yes, it was. And it could take for ever to know a man like Adam. She didn’t have that long, but she would make the most of what she did have.
Adam arrived promptly at seven-thirty that evening, with yet more roses, dozens and dozens of them.
‘I’ve already run out of vases,’ she laughed happily, her eyes glowing.
‘Then put them in the bath,’ he dismissed the expensive blooms. ‘They were only in case you might have changed your mind since this afternoon. I didn’t think you’d throw out a man who bought you flowers.’
She moved into his arms. ‘I’m not usually that mercenary,’ she told him huskily. ‘It was just that—’
‘I was too damned arrogant on Saturday night,’ he finished firmly. ‘It hadn’t occurred to me that you’d take exception to the way I introduced you to Tracy and Jason.’
‘Is that because most of your women are proud of that fact?’ she teased.
‘Natalie!’
She gurgled with laughter. ‘I was being very silly the other evening, and—’
His gentle fingertips on her lips stopped further self-condemnation. ‘You were yourself, and I’m glad of it. I respect you more than any other woman I’ve ever known,’ he told her softly.
She blinked back the tears, knowing that with a cynical man like Adam respect was a rare emotion for him to feel. She felt honoured that he bestowed such feelings on her. ‘I’m glad,’ she smiled shakily.
He moved back, grinning to break the sudden mood of intensity. ‘Now where is that sexy black dress I’ve been torturing myself with all day?’
Humour curved her own lips. The midnight-blue dress she wore clung to her slender curves, but was certainly nowhere near as revealing as the black creation she had described to him over the telephone. ‘You wouldn’t really expect me to wear a dress like that, Adam?’ she smiled.
‘I was looking forward to it.’
‘But I don’t even possess a dress like that!’
‘I’ll buy you one,’ he promised indulgently. ‘For my eyes only.’
She still smiled, but a shadow had passed over her face. ‘I don’t want this to spoil the evening,’ she said slowly. ‘And I don’t want you to be angry.’ She smoothed the frown from his brow that had been gathering. ‘Flowers I like—although maybe not quite so many of them,’ she smiled. ‘But anything else… I don’t need it, Adam.’
‘I’m not trying to buy you. I’d like to buy you things.’
‘I know that,’ she nodded. ‘And I’m thrilled that you would like to. But—’
‘Don’t,’ he finished ruefully.
‘No,’ she confirmed.
‘You’re a difficult woman to please,’ he frowned.
‘Not difficult,’ she shook her head. ‘Just give of yourself, Adam. That’s all I want.’
Something like pain flickered across his hard features. ‘I don’t understand you.’
‘You will,’ she promised. ‘You will!’
The rest of the evening passed in a dream for Natalie. The meal was cooked to perfection, the wine Adam had brought with him was perfect too, and the softly romantic music coming from the stereo added to the mood.
They sat side by side on the sofa, Adam enjoying an after-dinner cheroot with his brandy, Natalie curled up at his side.
Suddenly he turned to her. ‘Why did you stop seeing Lester?’
She frowned her puzzlement at his interest. ‘Adam…?’
He turned to her completely, stubbing out the cheroot to clasp her shoulders with compelling hands. ‘I need to know, Natalie. I’m trying to know you.’
‘Don’t you already know me?’
‘Unfortunately, no. Why did you stop seeing him, Natalie?’
She shrugged. ‘Because he wanted me to be one of those women you’re trying so hard to stop Tracy being. No matter how much I—I loved a man,’ her voice lowered huskily, ‘I could never be a stay-at-home wife. I need my career. I love it.’
‘Did you love Lester?’
She met his gaze steadily, all her love for him shining in her eyes as she heard his breath catch in his throat. ‘No,’ she told him unnecessarily, knowing she had given herself away irrevocably.
‘Dear God, Natalie!’ He bent her back against the cushions, parting her lips, seeking the inner warmth of her mouth. ‘God, when I’m with you I forget whether it’s night or day. I forget everything but you!’ he groaned into her throat.
‘Darling,’ she caressed his nape. ‘I’ll help you with Tracy,’ she promised. ‘If you’ll let me.’
‘Tracy…?’ She knew by the dazed expression in his eyes that he had forgotten his own sister! ‘We’ll both help Tracy,’ he nodded grimly. ‘But r
ight now you’ve got to help me!’
‘Help you…?’
‘Make love to me, Natalie,’ he pleaded shakily, totally unlike the self-assured man who had arrived at her flat three hours ago, his black silk shirt unbuttoned down his chest, his cream jacket disgarded altogether, ‘Stop this burning ache I have to possess you!’
The next hour was a time of wonderment and discovery for Natalie, Adam’s lovemaking knew no boundaries as he aroused her to the same peak of desire he didn’t hide from her, arousing her so deeply and so thoroughly that when the time came for his body to join with hers she knew no pain, only pleasure.
But Adam’s body instantly gentled on hers, as if some inner knowledge had told him of her inexperience, building the sensations slowly so as not to frighten or alarm her, controlling her and himself until they reached the earth-shattering climax together, spiralling over the edge of the world, it seemed to Natalie.
A drugging tiredness invaded her body, a need for sleep like she had never known before. ‘I love you,’ she told him sleepily before snuggling into his throat to fall into a satiated and dreamless sleep.
Some time towards morning she awoke to find herself held in Adam’s arms, the strength of his embrace telling her he had no intention of releasing her, although the even rise and fall of his chest showed him to be asleep. With a sigh of contentment Natalie went back to sleep in his arms.
The next time she woke it was morning, and the bright sunshine of a warm autumn day was streaming in at the window. And she was alone in the bed, only the warmth of the sheets next to her telling her that Adam had only recently got out of the bed.
As she sat up with the intention of searching for him he came into the room, wearing only his black trousers, the tanned hardness of his chest bearing the mark of her nails as she had experienced the aching pleasure of fulfilment. She blushed at such tangible evidence of her abandonment, and her gaze shifted to his face, seeing by the clean strength of his jaw and the dampness of his hair that he had already showered and shaved.
‘Your bath awaits, my lady,’ he teased softly, his expression somewhat wary to her sensitive gaze.
‘My bath?’ she frowned.
‘Mm.’ He threw back the sheet that had been their only covering during the night, and scooped her up into his arms to look down at her concernedly. ‘Was I gentle enough with you?’ he asked huskily as he carried her through to the adjoining bathroom.
Now she knew the reason for his wariness, his concern. Adam knew she had been a virgin last night. ‘I’m not ashamed, Adam.’ She looked up at him fearlessly.
His expression darkened. ‘You have no need to be!’
She looked away. ‘And you have no need to feel—responsible,’ she told him softly. ‘About anything.’
Adam smiled as he placed her in the warmth of the water he had prepared for her, kneeling down to pick up the perfumed soap and began washing her body. ‘Oh, but I am responsible,’ he mused. ‘I have a deep—and intense responsibility to your body,’ his hands moved soapily over the softness of her breasts, causing the nipples to harden invitingly. ‘And I intend to continue being—responsible, for it.’ He looked at her, suddenly serious. ‘Do you mind?’
She smiled shyly. He didn’t regret making love to her, didn’t mind that she had been a virgin! ‘I don’t mind at all,’ she glowed.
‘Thank God for that! Are all the aches out of your body now?’
‘Yes. But—’
‘I need you again.’ He swept her back up into his arms, unconcerned with her wetness.
If anything it was even better than the night before. Natalie knew better how to please him today, feeling no inhibitions as she knew she gave him pleasure in return for all the passion he showered on her.
It was after ten by the time they went down to Adam’s Porsche, and neither of them seemed to give a thought to the fact that they should both have been in their offices over an hour ago.
‘I’ll pick you up at five-thirty,’ Adam told her after she had refused to have lunch with him, claiming she couldn’t possibly take a lunch-break when she was in so late. ‘And then we can—Hell, I forgot about Tracy’s invitation,’ he scowled. ‘She wants us to go to dinner tonight, and I accepted. And I forgot to tell you last night.’
Natalie hid her disappointment well; she did not want to share him with anyone at the moment, she wanted him all to herself. But she had promised to help him with Tracy, and she would do just that. ‘Your memory is going, darling,’ she teased him, seeing desire flare in his eyes as she lightly caressed his cheek.
He bent forward and kissed her fiercely on the mouth. ‘What did you say?’ he murmured raggedly a few minutes later.
‘You see?’ she laughed throatily. ‘Poor Adam!’
‘Poor Adam, indeed,’ he pretended anger with her. ‘You could ruin me in a week!’
‘As long as that!’ she teased.
‘I’m already ruined,’ he groaned, his face buried in her hair. ‘I don’t want to do anything but spend the day in bed with you.’
She felt the same way, but they both had businesses to run, other responsibilities. ‘We can be together later tonight,’ she told him throatily.
‘And every other night. They’re all mine, Natalie,’ he warned her. ‘You’re all mine.’
Until someone else came along who attracted him more! But she had accepted that, she couldn’t start wishing for what could never be now. The fact that last night she had told him she loved him wasn’t mentioned by either of them, Natalie because she wished she hadn’t burdened Adam with her feelings, and Adam, she felt sure, because he would rather not know about such emotions as love. Wanting and desiring were the emotions he understood, and he wanted no complications to that. And she couldn’t blame him for that, she had known from the first what sort of man he was. It was too late now to decide it wasn’t enough!
‘Natalie?’ he frowned at her silence.
She gave him a bright smile, determined to enjoy what time they did have together. ‘I’m all yours,’ she agreed.
He seemed to accept that. ‘Do you mind about dinner tonight?’
‘No,’ she lied.
‘I do!’ he muttered.
‘Adam!’ She felt warmed by the honest way he expressed his desire for her.
He touched the glossy darkness of her hair. ‘Five-thirty?’
‘Yes,’ and she kissed him.
Adam deepened the kiss, a fine sheen of perspiration covering his brow as he fought back the impulse to make love to her. ‘I’ll come home with you.’
‘Yes.’ She didn’t miss his meaning at all. ‘Adam,’ she teased, ‘are you sure you should go to work dressed like that?’ She looked pointedly at the evening clothes he was still wearing.
‘I don’t intend to,’ he smiled at her. ‘I’m going to my apartment first. Although this problem will be solved as soon as you move in with me.’
Natalie swallowed hard. ‘Move—in—with—you?’ she repeated slowly.
Adam frowned. ‘Don’t you want to?’
‘Well, I—I hadn’t thought about it,’ she replied honestly.
‘Then do so. And fast,’ he warned. ‘I don’t intend letting you go, Natalie.’
Her glow of happiness was with her all day, and if Dee was able to guess the reason for it she said nothing. But Adam telephoned her three times during the day, and more roses arrived from him late afternoon.
Natalie was waiting outside the building for him at twenty past five, eager to see him again, to be with him. They held hands all the way back to her flat, and the tension between them was almost too much to bear, their conversation was non-existent.
‘God!’ Adam shuddered into her scented throat half an hour later, their clothes scattered in a pattern as they had progressed from the door to her bedroom, the trail of clothes easy to follow. ‘I’ve never felt like this before,’ he groaned. ‘I can’t stop thinking about you, seeing you—! It’s madness of a kind, a delicious madness.’
&nbs
p; Natalie felt the same way; she knew she belonged body and soul to this man, that this latest time in his arms had surpassed all that had gone before—and she hadn’t believed that to be possible. ‘Then we’re both mad,’ she held him to her, ‘because I can’t stop thinking about you either.’
They slept in each other’s arms for some time. Adam was at last the first to stir. ‘I hate to ruin a beautiful evening,’ he murmured huskily, ‘but Tracy’s expecting us at eight, and it’s seven-thirty now.’
‘It is?’ Natalie shot up into a sitting position, having lost all selfconsciousness of her nakedness in front of Adam long ago, as he had with her, and got out of the bed to go into the bathroom.
She hurriedly showered and dressed herself, knowing she looked good in the green silky knee-length dress as Adam’s eyes darkened appreciatively. As it was, they were fifteen minutes late arriving at the Dillman house, an ultra-modern bungalow in the suburbs of London, Adam having to once again stop at his apartment first and change into the appropriate clothing.
But he had warned her, ‘I don’t intend doing that for much longer!’
The Dillmans lived in a quiet cul-de-sac. Their detached bungalow was right at the end, shielded from the road by several large trees. The Mercedes she knew to be Jason Dillman’s was parked in the driveway, and a brown estate car parked in front of this.
‘Tracy usually takes her dog with her everywhere,’ Adam explained.
A housekeeper met them at the door, and if she was curious about Natalie accompanying Adam then she didn’t show it as she took them into the lounge. Tracy came forward to greet them, looking very graceful and elegant in a white linen suit, her smile welcoming.
‘Jason will join us in a moment, he’s just on the telephone,’ she explained with a smile.
‘You have a charming home,’ Natalie told her sincerely, instantly liking the warm comfort of the green and cream lounge.
‘Thank you,’ Tracy accepted shyly.
They were all sitting down having a drink when Jason joined them, casually dressed in a brown shirt and trousers. Natalie could feel Adam’s tension immediately the other man came into the room, sitting as close to him as she was, and she knew that if it weren’t for love of his sister Adam would like to take Jason Dillman apart limb from limb.
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