Freedom to Love

by Carole Mortimer

  Katy blushed as Adam raised an eyebrow at the single bed in her room, keeping her expression enigmatic as she handed him her towelling robe. It would be a little short for him, but at least it would cover most of him—the most important part!

  ‘The bathroom is through there,’ she told him in a stilted voice.

  While he was gone she straightened the rumpled bed, putting her discarded clothes back in her suitcase. She knew Adam Wild’s sharp gaze hadn’t missed the lacy bras and panties on top of her open suitcase, and she shut the lid with a bang.

  She heard the bathroom door open behind her and knew he had taken his trousers off for her to clean. She held her breath and turned. The towelling robe managed to look masculine on him, barely reaching his thighs, and he had removed his shoes and socks too. Katy was glad about that, she might have laughed otherwise. There was something very funny about a man who had bare legs while still wearing his shoes and socks. At least, she thought there was.

  Adam appeared unperturbed by his state of undress, totally sure of himself, and with good reason. His legs were long and muscular, with a fine sheen of dark hair on his tanned skin. Katy was mesmerised by him, and it was with great effort that she raised her darkened grey eyes to meet his curious stare. Her cheeks flamed as he seemed to guess her thoughts, a taunting smile playing about his lips.

  ‘Give them to me,’ she said sharply, holding out her hand for the trousers.

  He held on to them. ‘It says on the hotel card that they provide a cleaning service—a speedy cleaning service,’ he added pointedly. ‘So if you don’t mind I won’t leave my only decent pair of trousers to your tender mercies. Going on past record you’ll probably rub a hole in them.’ He picked up the telephone next to the bed.

  Katy watched him do it. ‘What are you doing?’ she demanded to know.

  He gave her a scathing glance. ‘Calling for someone to collect my trousers,’ he explained patiently.

  ‘No!’ Katy sprang forward and cut the connection off. ‘You mustn’t,’ she said desperately. ‘What will people think?’

  Adam removed her hand from the telephone. ‘I couldn’t give a damn what people think. And I’ll thank you not to touch this telephone again. Someone had just answered when you slammed your hand down on it. My trousers need cleaning, the hotel provide the service, so I intend letting them do it.’

  ‘But you can’t!’ she insisted frantically. ‘I—I only have a single room. What on earth will the management think if I send down a pair of men’s trousers?’

  ‘That you have a man in your room,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘What the hell does it matter what they think?’ he added angrily.

  ‘It matters to me. Oh, please, Adam,’ she begged. ‘I’ll be careful with them—honestly I will.’

  He began dialling. ‘I’m sorry, Katy, but your careful isn’t good enough.’ He turned away to talk into the receiver.

  Katy spun away from him. They were obviously an expensive pair of trousers, and as they were one of only three pairs he had with him he obviously wanted to take care of them, but it was very humiliating for her. She might only be staying in this hotel for one night, but she still didn’t like people to think that she had been picked up by Adam Wild and had invited him back to her room. And that was how it was going to look, she knew that.

  ‘Why do you only have a single room?’

  She turned around at the sound of Adam talking to her, her eyes widening as she took in the fact that he was lying full length on her bed, his hands behind his head as he looked at her. The movement had hitohed the towelling robe even farther up his legs, revealing that he wore black close-fitting underpants.

  Katy had never been this close to a partially naked man before, and her heart skipped a few beats as she willed herself not to show how nervous she was. She knew by the amusement in his eyes that she hadn’t succeeded, and his next remark confirmed it.

  ‘I have more clothing on now than I would have on a beach,’ he taunted her blushes.

  ‘This isn’t a beach,’ she snapped. ‘It’s ten o’clock at night, in my hotel room.’

  He smiled. ‘Does that make a difference?’

  ‘Of course it does!’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Don’t be stupid!’ Her eyes flashed.

  ‘I think I get the picture,’ he mocked. ‘Because it’s night-time and this is a hotel room I’m supposed to turn into some sort of sex maniac. You’re the one that’s being stupid, Katy,’ he scorned. ‘I don’t have a specific time for making love. I get the urge in the morning, afternoon, and evening.’

  ‘And I’m sure you get plenty of opportunities to satisfy this urge,’ she said icily. ‘I just—’ she broke off as a knock sounded on the door. ‘That will be the porter. Oh, dear, what shall I do?’

  Adam shrugged. ‘Well, I should open the door. Unless you would like me to?’ He half rose from the bed.

  ‘No! You stay where you are.’

  ‘Gladly,’ he drawled, dropping back on to the pillows.

  Katy grabbed the trousers and made for the door. Her face was scarlet as she met the speculative look in the young boy’s eyes.

  She only opened the door far enough to hand the trousers out to him. ‘I—Will it take long?’ she asked nervously.

  ‘About an hour, ma’am,’ he said in a slow Canadian drawl.

  An hour of Adam Wild lying half naked in her bedroom! ‘No sooner than that?’ she almost begged.

  ‘Afraid not. You see—’

  ‘Hurry up, darling,’ Adam Wild called from inside the room, ‘This bed is very lonely without you.’

  The boy’s speculation grew—and so did Katy’s anger. ‘Thank you,’ she gave the boy a bright smile before turning furiously back into the room. ‘How dare you!’ she exploded. ‘Why on earth did you do such a thing?’

  He lay back, a lazy smile on his lips. ‘He was bound to think that, I just didn’t want him to be disappointed.’

  Katy marched over to stand next to the bed, her expression one of indignation. ‘You had no right—Oh!’ she gasped as one of his hands snaked out and pulled her down beside him on the bed. ‘Let me go!’ She struggled against him.

  ‘Don’t be silly,’ he murmured against her throat. ‘You went to all this trouble, don’t let’s waste the opportunity now that we’re here.’

  ‘What trouble?’ Katy fought against him, squirming as his lips probed the sensitive area beneath her earlobe. ‘Stop that. Stop it!’

  ‘Not on your life. I’ve had a lot of things tried on me, but no woman has ever gone to the lengths of tipping her drink down me to get my trousers off. You only had to ask, Katy, I would gladly have taken them off—for you.’

  Anger burned deep within her. ‘I didn’t want your trousers off! And I certainly don’t want you in my room. Now take your hands off me!’

  ‘Just relax,’ his breath was warm against her cheek, his mouth coming to the edge of her lips. ‘Relax, Katy,’ he groaned as her struggles began to ebb. ‘Why fight what we both want?’

  ‘But I don’t. I don’t!’

  ‘Liar!’

  She was a liar, she was even lying to herself. This man was an expert when it came to woman’s sensuality, knowing exactly what areas of a woman’s body to probe and caress. Katy had no defences against such expertise, trembling uncontrollably as his mouth finally claimed hers.

  He was in no hurry to do more than kiss her, obviously thinking they had all night to progress. But his mouth on hers was enough to quell all the fight in her, taking her lips again and again as she lay beneath him. Katy hadn’t known there were so many ways of kissing, with gentleness, with passion, and finally with thrusting savagery, his lips probing hers to deepen the caress. She had never known such intimacy, feeling as if he really did possess her in that moment, quivering helplessly against the hard arousal of his body.

  ‘Aren’t you going to touch me?’ he whispered huskily.

  ‘I—I’ve never—’

  ‘Don’t play the i
nnocent with me, Katy Harris.’ His voice hardened. ‘That routine bores me. No girl, of eighteen or otherwise, is innocent nowadays. Women are born offering themselves.’

  Katy gasped, ‘That’s a cynical attitude!’

  ‘Learnt the hard way, little girl. Are you going to take this dress off or do you expect me to make love to you when you’re fully clothed?’ He pulled at the zip fastener at the back of her dress.

  ‘No!’ She stilled his movements, pulling away from him. ‘I don’t know what you think I am, Mr Wild, but I can assure you I don’t hop into bed with a man I only met today.’

  ‘Do I come back tomorrow?’ He watched with narrowed eyes as she stood up to straighten her dress.

  ‘I won’t be here tomorrow,’ she snapped.

  ‘Neither will I—Thank God! You’re a tease, do you know that? You’ve been giving me the green light ever since you got on the plane, and now I’ve decided to take you up on that offer you’re playing hard to get.’

  ‘Hard to get! Why, you—! You must be the most conceited man I’ve ever met! I’ve done nothing to encourage you, I even ripped up that card you gave me with your telephone number on.’

  ‘Only so that I stayed interested. I bet you didn’t rip up the second one?’

  ‘Well… no. But—’

  ‘I thought not. I’ve had every trick in the book tried on me, the “I’m not interested” routine is the most frequent.’

  ‘And if a girl really isn’t interested?’ Katy demanded.

  ‘That doesn’t happen very often,’ he said dryly.

  ‘Well, it’s happened this time,’ she said with dislike. ‘If and when I choose to sleep with a man I hope he doesn’t have your conceit. How awful to make love to someone because you feel it’s expected of you!’

  Adam stiffened, his eyes hardening to blue slits. ‘Is that why you think I did it?’

  ‘Of course,’ she scorned, moving to the other side of the room to look out over the lit-up Calgary. ‘The irresistible Adam Wild has to keep up his reputation.’

  ‘Reputation?’

  ‘Oh yes. The newspapers are always reporting on your prowess. I’ve lost count of the amount of women you’ve been seen escorting.’

  He lounged comfortably on Katy’s bed. ‘If it’s offered…’

  ‘You take it,’ she said disgustedly. ‘Only this time it wasn’t offered. And it never will be, not to you! God, you think you’re so magnificent, don’t you! Well, this is one time where you didn’t strike lucky. You’re the sort of man who most turns me off!’

  ‘That wasn’t the impression you gave a moment ago,’ he drawled insultingly.

  ‘How typical of you to bring up a thing like that!’

  He smiled. ‘You have to take what you can in today’s world.’

  ‘Well, I’m not for the taking! God, I wish your trousers would come back so that you can get out of here!’

  ‘You can’t wish it any more than I do,’ he scowled.

  ‘Then stop looking so damned comfortable. Why can’t you sit in one of the chairs instead of lounging about on my bed?’

  ‘Because I am comfortable.’ A knock sounded on the door. ‘My trousers, I hope.’

  It wasn’t. Gemma stood outside the door. Katy kept the door half closed, her heart in her mouth. If Gemma should find Adam Wild in her bedroom…! She would never hear the end of it!

  ‘Is there anything wrong?’ she asked Gemma with a calm she was far from feeling.

  ‘No, I just came to make sure you’re all right. You aren’t still sulking, are you?’

  ‘I don’t sulk,’ Katy said stiffly. ‘If you choose to sleep with Gerald then that’s your business.’

  ‘But you don’t like it,’ Gemma sighed.

  ‘It isn’t up to me to either like or dislike it, it’s your decision.’

  ‘You’re such a prude.’ She eyed Katy suspiciously. ‘I thought you were going to have an early night?’

  Katy blushed. ‘I am. I’m just going to take a shower before going to bed. I—’ Oh no! Behind Gemma she could see the porter stepping out of the lift with Adam Wild’s newly cleaned trousers. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

  ‘Here we are, ma’am,’ the young boy grinned at her. ‘I got them back just as soon as I could.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said through stiff lips, handing him a tip from her purse.

  ‘Thank you, ma’am.’

  Gemma frowned, looking from Katy to the trousers and then back again. ‘But what—Who—’

  ‘Mine, I believe,’ drawled that deeply mocking voice.

  Katy spun round to see Adam Wild standing beside her, the robe making the situation appear more intimate than it was. She almost groaned as Gemma’s eyes widened with shock.

  Adam took the trousers out of her hand. ‘Good evening, Miss Harris,’ he greeted Gemma. ‘I hope you’ll excuse me while I get dressed?’

  ‘Katy!’ Gemma sounded scandalised, watching as Adam walked into the bathroom. She turned blazing eyes on Katy. ‘And you dared to disapprove of me! My God,’ she gave a bitter laugh, ‘you’re even worse than me. You only met the man today, and already you’ve been to bed with him. Well, in future don’t you dare to preach to me,’ she ended fiercely. ‘Goodnight!’

  Katy watched her sister leave, turning angrily to tackle Adam Wild.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ‘YOU did that on purpose!’ she attacked him as soon as he came out into the main room.

  He was looking his calm, assured self, handing her the towelling robe. ‘Of course I did. Your sister was right about you, you are a prude.’

  ‘I am not!’

  ‘Yes, you are.’ He finished tucking his shirt into the low waistband of his trousers, the movement straining the pale blue shirt across his taut muscular stomach and wide powerful shoulders. ‘So that’s why you have a single room. At least your sister isn’t ashamed to let people know she’s sleeping with her boy-friend.’

  ’You don’t happen to be my boy-friend. I doubt you’ve ever been any woman’s boy-friend.’

  ‘How right you are! I’ve never met a woman yet who could be entertaining out of bed as well as in it.’

  Her eyes blazed, green sparks visible among the grey. ‘I suppose that’s where you think we belong, between the sheets.’

  ‘Or on them,’ Adam taunted. ‘I’m not that fussy where it happens. A change of locality can make it more interesting.’

  ‘I’m sure you’ve tried it at every locality and in every position imaginable,’ Katy said insultingly.

  He shrugged. ‘You could be right. Have a nice holiday,’ came his parting taunt.

  Nice holiday! How could she, when her own sister thought her little more than a tramp, capable of going to bed with a man just because he was rich and famous?

  She knew by the open mockery on Gerald’s face the next day that Gemma had told him all about finding Adam Wild in her room. By the time they had picked up the camper and were setting out for Banff Katy had had enough of his knowing looks.

  ‘Why don’t you just come out with it?’ she snapped angrily. ‘Just say it and get it over with!’

  He gave her a look of exaggerated innocence. ‘Why, what do you mean, Katy?’

  ‘It’s disgusting!’ Gemma suddenly burst out, giving her a scathing look. ‘At least Gerald and I are engaged!’

  ‘And I suppose that excuses your behaviour?’

  ‘It explains it.’ Gemma refused to be angered. ‘Just because Adam Wild expressed an interest in you, you didn’t have to go to bed with him! No wonder you hung about the airport with him long after Gerald and I had passed through!’

  ‘After you’d left me, you mean.’

  ‘Huh! And you do realise that the offer to photograph you no longer stands, not now he’s seen all of you?’

  ‘He hasn’t!’ But it was true, once he had seen all of her body he would know that she wasn’t photographable, not with her scars.

  ‘He’s had what he wants from you.’
Gemma spoke dismissively.

  Gerald’s gaze ran over Katy speculatively. ‘You really are a dark horse. I would never have believed it of you if Gemma hadn’t seen you with her own eyes.’

  ‘I’ve already explained to Gemma what she saw!’ Katy almost exploded with the frustration of this situation.

  ‘A likely story.’ Again Gemma dismissed what even Katy realised was a feeble story—even if it was true. ‘You could have warned me he was in your room. I could have died of embarrassment when he appeared at the doorway wearing your towelling robe.’

  Katy sighed. ‘I’ve told you—’

  ‘Save your breath,’ her sister said crossly. ‘And I don’t want a repeat of this behaviour while we’re here. I don’t intend getting you out of every tricky situation you stupidly get yourself into. After all, you are my kid sister, Katy, and Mum and Dad would blow their top if they found out about last night.’

  ‘Do you intend telling them?’

  ‘Not if you don’t tell them about Gerald and me.’

  Katy gasped, ‘That’s blackmail!’

  Gemma smiled. ‘Fair’s fair.’

  ‘I didn’t intend telling Mum and Dad about you. But you can tell them what you please about me, it wouldn’t be true anyway.’ Katy held her head proudly erect.

  ‘So you say,’ Gerald grinned. ‘That man’s reputation is well known. I shouldn’t think there’s one model he’s photographed who hasn’t got into bed with him afterwards. And that amounts to hundreds.’

  Katy could believe it, in fact Adam Wild had more or less admitted it. She went back to sitting in the dinette part of the camper, Gerald in the driving seat and Gemma in the sext next to him. Not that Katy minded, being free to admire what was turning out to be beautiful scenery.

  The flatness of Calgary had now given way to first what looked like small hills and then towering mountains. Pine trees reached almost to the edge of the road, going far up into the mountains, stopping at what Adam Wild had told her was the timberline. Wisps of downy clouds nestled on the top of the mountains, looking like soft white candyfloss.

  Katy was enthralled. This was the Canada she had come to see, the highway through the Canadian Rockies, one of the most scenic routes in the country. And then came the snow on the mountain peaks, snow that remained on the mountains all year round because the temperature was so cold up there it wasn’t able to melt.