Sally Wentworth - Set the Stars on Fire

by Sally Wentworth

  Lewis's face grew grim. `Then we're going to need a stretcher.' He moved towards the phone, but Lori caught hold of his arm.

  `First you've got to see the manager. He got in a fight with some Greeks and new they're waiting outside in the corridor and at the entrances of the hotel. But you can…

  She broke off abruptly as Lewis caught hold of her wrist, gripping it hard. `You say he got into a fight?' `Yes, with a crowd of young Greeks. He…'

  `You little tramp! ' Lewis's voice was suddenly savage. `What the hell have you done to him? I should have known that a slut like you wouldn't be happy with just one boy-friend, that you'd enjoy playing one man off against another.'

  Lori stared at him open-mouthed, unable to take in that he was blaming her. Before she could speak, he said tersely, `Wait here,' and disappeared into the connecting bedroom.

  He was back in two minutes, dressed in jeans and casual beach shoes and carrying a lightweight sweater.

  `Here, hold these.' He tossed her a small first-aid pack and a pocket flashlight while he pulled the sweater over his head. His chest was broad and muscular and in the casual clothes he looked tough and capable. Despite her indignation that he had immediately jumped to the wrong conclusions, Lori was glad that she had come to him, and she knew that he was more than competent to deal with this or any other sticky situation.

  'Come on.' Lewis took the things from her and stuffed them in his pocket as they left his room.

  The elevator was still at this floor and Lori glanced round quickly as they got into it, but the two men had moved to the other end of the corridor. Nervously she pointed them out to Lewis. 'Those men-I'm sure they're waiting here in case Dean tries to get to his room., Are you going to see the manager? Tell him to get rid of them?'

  'I want to see how badly Dean's hurt first,' he answered shortly.

  Lori looked at him uncertainly, wanting to tell him that he was mistaken, that Dean had got into a fight over someone else, but his face looked so cold and forbidding that she knew that this just wasn't the time to start making hurried explanations. The elevator came to a standstill and the doors sighed open.

  'There are two more Greeks waiting by the garden entrance. Do you see them?'

  Lewis gave a quick glance towards the doors and his jaw tightened. 'I see them,' he answered grimly, and then, to her complete surprise, he laughed aloud and put his arm round her waist, drawing her close to him. Lori looked at him in a bemused way and he laughed again and bent his head down to hers. 'Act, can't you?' he hissed in her ear. 'We're going for a moonlight stroll in the gardens. You should know how to play this scene-you've probably done it with a dozen different men since you've been here.'

  Lori's back stiffened with rage, but she remembered the need for haste and let him walk her out of the doors and down. the steps to the path, the waiting Greeks giving them no more than a passing glance. Lewis continued to hold her until they turned a bend in the path and then Lori immediately pulled away and glared at him balefully.

  `If I were a man I'd knock you down for saying that!' His mouth twisted wryly. `If you were a man I'd have no cause to say it. Now, where's Dean?'

  `Back here.'

  Lori led the way though the bushes and they found Dean still slumped against the tree, but he had regained consciousness and gave a grin of relief when he saw them.

  `Boy, am I glad to see you two! I was beginning to think I'd have to try and make it on my own.'

  Lewis knelt down beside him and gave Lori the flashlight to hold while he began to remove the pad of towel so that he could see the wound. Lori noticed that he was very gentle, causing Dean as little hurt as possible, but even so he gave a smothered groan as Lewis laid bare the wound.

  `I guess I really messed things up this time, didn't I?' he gasped.

  `You certainly seemed to have turned the locals against you,' Lewis agreed grimly as he opened the first aid pack and took out a dressing. `What was it a knife?'

  `Yeah, they really fight dirty around here.' Dean's voice faltered as he asked, `Is it-is it very deep?'

  `Deep enough,' Lewis replied steadily. `But I expect we'll be able to patch you up so that you'll be able to finish the film. That's if you don't let yourself get in valved in another fight, of course,' he added grimly, his deft fingers fixing the dressing in place. 'But perhaps you've at least learned that it's hardly worth getting yourself punctured full of holes for the sake of a girl, especially a promiscuous little tramp like her!' The torch wavered at that and Lori would dearly liked to have hit him with it, but if the insult was intended to provoke some remark, it failed; she kept her mouth tight shut. She had a whole lot she wanted to say to Mr Almighty Brent, but now was neither the time nor the place.

  Dean managed a weak choking sound of a laugh. 'I really fell for it, didn't I? She looked so sweet and innocent.'

  'Oh, yes,' Lewis agreed caustically, glancing up at Lori, his eyes narrowed, adding deliberately, 'To look at her you'd think she was completely untouched, unawakened-until you realise there's only a bed-hopping wanton behind that perfect face.'

  What Lori would have said or done at that she never knew, because they heard footsteps coming along the path from the direction of the hotel and Lewis stood up and said swiftly, 'Put out the light!' and they waited in silence until the footsteps had gone safely past. 'What are you going to do?' Lori asked him softly. 'Shall I get a taxi to take him to hospital in Rhodes?' Lewis shook his head. 'No, he's lost a lot of blood and I'm afraid a ride in one of those tin-can taxis might open up the wound again,' he answered, pitching his voice too low for Dean to hear. 'But the knife must have gone in deep and he could need a transfusion.' 'But you said…' Lori broke off, realising that he had only been trying to reassure Dean. She looked at him helplessly. `What are we going to do?'

  Lewis made up his mind and said briskly, `We're going to take him into the hotel.'

  `But the men?'

  `We'll distract them.' He pointed. `That kaftan thing you're wearing-it's got a hood, hasn't it?’

  'Why yes, but…'

  `Good. Take it off.'

  She goggled at him. `But I can't! I…'

  `You've got something on underneath, haven't your' `Of course, but I…

  `Then take it off, woman. Or do you want me to take it off for you?'

  Lori glared at him. `That will not be necessary.' She unzipped the robe and stepped out of it, shivering as the cold night air struck her still damp costume.

  `Help me get him up.'

  Between them they hoisted Dean to his feet, although Lewis had to hold him to stop him from falling again.

  `Sorry,' Dean mumbled. `Everything went round for a minute.'

  `Not to worry, old son. We'll soon have you tucked up in bed,' Lewis reassured him, then turned to Lori and said in a completely different tone, `Don't just stand there; put the kaftan on him.'

  Grimly Lori obeyed him, marvelling that his manner could change so completely; he was always so pleasant to Dean and so nasty to her. His eyes met hers and he frowned impatiently so that she hastily lifted the kaftan over Dean's shoulders and helped him put his arms into it.

  `Good. Pull the hood down over his head so that no one can see his hair.' He gave Dean a grin of encouragement. `Okay, let's go.' He stooped and picked Dean up in his arms without apparent effort, although Dean was big himself and must have weighed over a hundred and fifty pounds. He carried him through the trees towards the hotel, only stopping when they got near enough to see the two youths still standing in the light from the doorway.

  'All right, here's where you start making up for what you've done,' Lewis said to Lori softly. 'Go and draw them away long enough for me to get him into the elevator. And I shall want your room key. Where is it?'

  'In the pocket of the kaftan,' Lori replied automatically, adding worriedly, 'But how can I draw them away? What if they won't move?'

  'Oh, they'll move all right, especially when they see you dressed in that,' he added, his eyes running derisiv
ely over her slim figure. 'You know how to lure a man, none better. Now get on with it.'

  Lori gave him one last fulminating look and stepped out into the sight of the two youths.

  She strolled slowly towards them, trying to give herself time to work out a scheme to draw them away; it was all very well for Lewis to say that she would know what to do, but she was in a sweat of fear as she got near to them and still hadn't thought of anything. They straightened as she approached, their dark eyes running over her in insolent appraisal. Reluctantly Lori began to mount the steps to the terrace. What was she supposed to do, for heaven's sake-invite them to take her into the bushes? Did Lewis really expect that of her? Presumably he did, when he regarded her as just a tramp, she realised resentfully. Hate ran through her like a wave and must have sent some adrenalin to her brain, because suddenly she knew what to do. As she reached the terrace she turned sharply away from the doors, deliberately ignoring the youths and walking quickly away as if she was going round to the main entrance of the hotel. They looked after her disappointedly, and Lori could imagine with some satisfaction what Lewis's reaction would be as he watched her; he would think that she had chickened out and left him to cope alone. And serve him right if she did, she thought viciously. But there was Dean to think of. With a sigh Lori walked near to the edge of the steps that ran all along the terrace, pretended to catch her foot, and gave a sharp cry of fear that wasn't all pretense as she tumbled down the stone steps.

  She felt a stunning pain in her left elbow as it hit hard against a step and then she was lying in a heap on the ground, the hard stones pressing into her bare skin. Behind her she heard running footsteps and one of the Greek youths stooped over her, taking her arm to help her up. But she had to get both of them away from the door. She let him assist her, but when she tried to stand fell down again with a pitiful moan.

  'My ankle! Oh, I think it's broken!'

  Whether he understood or not, the young man got the message. He tried to lift her, but like most Greeks he was short and slim, and Lori deliberately made herself as heavy as possible, slumping against him and pushing him off balance. Would the other man come? He just had to! She groaned again and pretended to faint. There was a swift interchange between the two men and then the other ran over to help. Between them they picked her up and began to carry her towards the main entrance. Lori gave a silent prayer of thanks.

  When they were safely round the corner and out of sight of the garden entrance, she, let as much time as she thought Lewis would need elapse and then let herself begin to come to. They stood her up and fussed over her, which included patting her all over to see if she was hurt anywhere else; their hands seemed to be everywhere, but they were very polite and solicitous and Lori marvelled at a temperament that could change from young thug to helpful Samaritan within minutes. She assured them that she felt much better, that her ankle had only been twisted and that she could manage, but they insisted on helping her along almost up to the main entrance before they saw the other youths and remembered they were supposed to be standing sentry, then they melted away and left her to go on alone. Lori hurried on, anxious to get to her room and make sure that Lewis and Dean had reached it safely. A taxi pulled up and some tourists got out, the women giving her disparaging looks as they saw how she was dressed -or undressed, more like. Oh, dear, she'd forgotten that she'd have to walk right through the hotel wearing just her bikini, a thing she wouldn't even do after coming back from the beach in daytime. But there was nothing else for it. Squaring her shoulders, she walked quickly through the main doors, ignoring the tourists, the youths who called after her in admiration, and the startled look of the receptionist at the desk, and made quickly for the elevators. She suffered several minutes of acute embarrassment while she waited, and of course someone tried to pick her up, a fat, florid-faced man who tried several languages and pushed himself up against her quite unnecessarily when the elevator came. The other people in the elevator got out on the lower floors, but he stayed on, trying to paw her, and Lori had to get really nasty and stamp on his foot with her high-heeled sandal before she managed to get away from him at the seventh floor. He shouted something obscene after her and there were tears of anger and resentment in her eyes as she reached her room and - knocked on the door.

  It was opened a fraction as Lewis looked out and then he opened it wide and let her in. If he noticed her heightened colour he ignored it, merely letting her pass him and go into the room. Dean was lying on one of the beds, his face a ghastly colour in the electric light.

  `How is he?' she asked anxiously.

  `He passed out again. I've sent for a doctor, he should be here very shortly.' Ignoring her, he crossed to the phone and told the operator to get him the manager. Lori heard him telling the poor man in no uncertain terms to get himself out of bed and get rid of the gang of, youths hanging round the hotel.

  Going to the wardrobe, Lori took out some clothes and went into the bathroom to change. It was a relief to take off the wet bikini, but as she towelled herself dry the material caught on her elbow and made her wince in pain. Twisting round to look in the mirror she saw that it was badly grazed and oozing with blood.

  She put on her pants and bra and a clean pair of jeans, then poured some antiseptic on to a pad of cotton wool and tried to clean up the graze.

  But as she did so there was a sharp knock on the door and Lewis called out, `Open up; Dean' wants a drink of water.'

  Obediently she unlocked the door and moved aside as he went to the sink. He saw the antiseptic bottle and said, `What's the matter?'

  Shortly she answered, `It's nothing,' and moved her elbow out of his sight.

  `Let me see,' he commanded, and put down the glass, to catch her arm and pull her round towards him. `How did you do that? In the fight?'

  'I wasn't in any fight. I did it when I pretended to fall down the steps.'

  'I thought it was a rather drastic way of distracting them.'

  'It was all I could think of,' she said defensively. He raised his eyebrows in transparent disbelief, then took the wad of cotton wool from her and began to clean up the sore.

  'I can manage, thanks.' She tried to jerk her elbow away, but he wouldn't let her, holding it in a firm grip.

  A sudden wave of impotent anger filled her and she felt an overwhelming urge to lash out at him, if not physically at least verbally. She said coldly, 'You came to get Dean a drink. You mustn't keep him waiting.' He glanced towards her. 'A couple of minutes won't hurt him.'

  Slowly, nastily, keeping her eyes fixed on his, she said clearly, 'That's very big of you. Wasting your time on a woman when you know you'd rather be with a man, especially one as handsome as Dean.'

  The grip on her arm tightened convulsively so that she gave a sharp gasp. His dark eyes fastened on hers and she grew cold with fear.

  'And just what was that remark supposed to mean?' he demanded harshly, his eyes dark as winter storm clouds.

  Lori knew that she should draw back, take the opportunity he had given her and say it was nothing, but some fatal compulsion drove her on, and even while she stared into his eyes and said, 'You know exactly what it meant,' she knew that she had gone too far. His mouth tightened and a look of such murderous fury came into his eyes that Lori thought he was going to hit her and she instinctively moved away, but he suddenly jerked her hard against him. 'You little bitch!' he said savagely. `So that's what you think, eh? Well, I'll just have to convince you that you're wrong, won't I?’

  Too late, Lori realised what he was going to do —- tried to pull away, but he seized a handful of her hair, twisting his fingers in it, not caring that he hurt her, and then, very slowly, he pulled her head back and kissed her. Lori kept her mouth closed, trying desperately to break free, but her struggles were useless against his strength; he only tightened his hold and hurt her more, the pressure of his mouth forcing hers to open. The masculine demand for submission was so strong that for a moment she almost weakened. Lewis must have felt it, for
his free hand slipped down- to her hips to press her body close against his own while his lips became even more importuning. The hardness of his body sent a surge of sexuality running through her like a fire and at last she opened her mouth beneath his bruising kips.

  He made a small sound of satisfaction as his hand moved up to unhook her bra, but it was enough to bring her 'crashing back to her senses and she gave a gasp of revulsion as she pulled free of him, her arm quickly going up to hold her bra in place.

  For a long moment her green eyes stared into his grey ones, then, her breathing still unsteady, she said shakily, `All right, you made your point. Now get out of here.'

  His eyebrows rose and his mouth twisted in mocking derision, but then he turned to pick up the glass of water and left her alone.

  'Angrily Lori bolted the door behind him and with trembling hands put a plaster over the graze on her elbow and finished dressing. Her lips still felt bruised and her eyes were wide and vulnerable when she looked in the mirror. From outside she heard a knock on the door and then a murmur of voices. Quickly she went into the bedroom and saw a doctor leaning over Dean and starting to examine him while Lewis stood nearby. When he saw her he came over to her and took a key from his pocket.

  'You can spend the rest of the night in my suite. Here's the key.' His voice was quite impersonal, as if that nasty little scene in the bathroom had never taken place.

  Lori hesitated. 'What about Dean?'

  'I'll stay with him. Go with him to a hospital if the doctor thinks it necessary.'

  Her eyes were troubled as she looked up at him. 'I'd like to stay too. I can take it in turns to watch with you.. Please, I feel responsible for him and I'd like to…

  'You are responsible,' Lewis interrupted brusquely. He continued to glare at her for a minute, then shrugged, 'All right, you might as well take some of the responsibility for your handiwork. Go and wait on the balcony until the doctor has finished.' Lori looked up at him resentfully, a tart reminder that this was her room already on her lips, but she had already had one lesson by defying him tonight and she knew she was quite unable to take another. Slowly she lowered her glance and obediently went to wait in the cool darkness of the balcony.