Shadowed Stranger

by Carole Mortimer

  ‘Sorry, son,’ her father said softly.

  ‘It’s okay,’ Rick grimaced.

  It felt strange to Robyn to hear her father call Rick ‘son’; there really couldn’t be much difference in their ages, her father only being in his mid-forties to Rick’s thirty-six.

  They finally reached Orchard House, although the journey seemed to have taken forever, even longer than the journey to the hospital. Rick got out of the car with an effort, and her father helped him inside the house.

  ‘I’ll be fine now,’ Rick assured them.

  She didn’t think he would be any such thing. He was grey now, his breath coming in painful rasps. ‘I’m staying,’ she said firmly. ‘You go on home, Dad, Mum will be worried. I’ll just help Rick to bed and then come home myself.’

  ‘I can help you here first,’ her father insisted.

  ‘I’d really rather be alone,’ Rick groaned. ‘I thank you both for your help, but I want to be on my own now.’ He turned on his heel and walked up the stairs.

  ‘Dad—’

  ‘I know, love,’ he squeezed her hand understandingly. ‘Your mother and I will expect you when we see you.’

  Robyn gave a tremulous smile. ‘Thank you, Dad,’ and she kissed him gratefully.

  By the time she got up the stairs Rick had managed to half struggle out of his jacket, although he looked as if every movement was now causing him pain. His expression was bleak, his eyes almost black as he looked up and saw her. ‘I thought I told you to leave,’ he growled.

  ‘You did.’ She slipped his jacket off his other arm, beginning to unbutton his shirt as he relaxed back on the bed with a sigh. ‘Aren’t you glad I don’t take any notice of you?’ she teased, hoping he didn’t notice the way her hands shook as she smoothed the shirt off his powerful shoulders, a thick white bandage around his chest to support his broken ribs.

  ‘This time I am.’ His eyes were closed in exhaustion. ‘Well, don’t stop now,’ he said sleepily. ‘I always sleep in the raw.’

  The next few minutes were the most embarrassing of Robyn’s young life. She had never seen a man naked before, let alone stripped one, although Rick’s closed eyes made it easier for her. The reason his eyes were closed soon became apparent; he was fast asleep.

  She pulled the bedclothes up over him, glad that he could at least rest. He looked younger in sleep, all mockery and derision erased. He looked more handsome too, if that were possible. Her breath caught in her throat as she stood looking down at him, wishing she had the right to share that bed with him, to enjoy the power of his magnificent body.

  He was beautiful to look at, wonderfully strong and powerfully muscled, his strength still there even though he was asleep. When he was awake he was dangerous. Hadn’t he already warned her of that!

  But right now she had to decide what to do about the night ahead. ‘We’ll expect you when we see you,’ her father had said, but she doubted he would expect that to be tomorrow morning. But she could hardly leave Rick on his own when he was ill, she doubted he would even be able to get out of bed, let alone anything else.

  There was a telephone down in the hall, so she called home, slightly relieved when her mother answered the telephone; she doubted if her father would be sympathetic to her decision to spend the night here. She was right; she could hear him protesting in the background as her mother told her that of course she couldn’t leave Mr Howarth alone, and that they would see her some time tomorrow. Robyn very wisely rang off before her father could come on the line and voice his objections personally.

  She had no choice but to spend the night in the bedroom with Rick, the absence of furniture in the rest of the house making this the only room in which she could be relatively comfortable; at least there was an armchair in here, even if it was lumpy and hard.

  Rick seemed to be in a deep sleep, probably due to the painkilling drugs they had given him at the hospital. They must have given him something to ease the pain; she couldn’t believe he would refuse even that much help.

  If only her own night could be spent as comfortably as his seemed to be; the chair was not only lumpy but also too small to sleep in. If she sat up straight her head fell to one side and woke her up, and if she slumped down in the chair enough to rest her head on the back, then she tended to slide completely out of the chair and on to the ground. She seriously contemplated sharing the bed with Rick—after all, broken ribs must make him incapable—but she didn’t think she could bear his derision in the morning.

  And so she sat up straight in the chair, unable to sleep, but the fact that the light was off preventing her doing anything else instead, like reading. Each minute seemed like an hour, and as Rick continued to sleep she began to think her presence here was unnecessary after all.

  Then some time after four Rick rolled over on to his side, his groan of pain bringing him awake. Robyn was instantly alert, moving to the bedside.

  Rick’s eyes registered his surprise as he blinked to clear his head, his lashes long and thick. ‘What time is it?’ he demanded gruffly, obviously deciding that it wasn’t so strange to see her in his bedroom after all.

  ‘About quarter past four,’ she answered softly.

  His eyes widened. ‘In the morning?’

  Robyn nodded confirmation. ‘How do you feel now?’

  ‘Bloody awful,’ he growled, struggling to sit up. ‘And don’t tell me I should have stayed in hospital,’ he said warningly.

  ‘I wasn’t going to,’ she told him indignantly. ‘Although I find it slightly strange that a grown man should be afraid—’

  ‘I’m not afraid, damn you!’ he cut in furiously. ‘I just don’t consider myself sick enough to take up space in a hospital bed.’

  ‘I know of a few people who disagree with you.’

  His expression darkened even more. ‘What the hell do they know? Are you going to help me up or just stand there and watch me struggle?’ he said nastily, pushing back the confining bedclothes.

  Robyn gulped; his body was a shadowy form in the darkness. But she could still recall undressing him, and the intimacy of the situation washed over her.

  ‘I don’t think you should make any unnecessary moves,’ she advised hastily, wishing she could dispel her awareness of this man, and knowing she would never be able to do that, not while she still had breath in her body.

  His mouth twisted mockingly. ‘I don’t think this move is unnecessary, Robyn,’ he taunted.

  ‘Oh!’ She blushed fiery red.

  Rick chuckled, then his humour turned to a wince. ‘Don’t make me laugh,’ he groaned. ‘God, now I know what’s meant by the saying, “It only hurts when I laugh"!Help me up, will you, Robyn.’ He held out a hand.

  ‘Of course.’ She squashed down her feelings of embarrassment and put her arm about his waist, trembling as she touched his warm vibrant flesh. ‘I’m sorry,’ she mumbled, biting her lip painfully.

  ‘I’m hardly in any condition to suddenly leap on you,’ he derided.

  Robyn looked up. ‘I wouldn’t mind if you did,’ she revealed huskily, past hiding her emotions where this man was concerned. She had almost lost him tonight, and she would rather be her usual truthful self anyway, it came more naturally to her.

  ‘Robyn—’

  ‘Rick, please—’

  ‘No!’ His voice was harsh. ‘You’re taking advantage of a sick man,’ he added scornfully.

  She swallowed hard. ‘I’m sorry. I—I’ll save it for when you’re well again.’

  ‘I wish you wouldn’t,’ he said cruelly, his face harsh.

  ‘Well, I’m going to,’ she insisted stubbornly.

  He shrugged. ‘You’ll only get hurt.’

  ‘So I’ll get hurt,’ Robyn choked.

  ‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you,’ he snapped. He stopped outside the bathroom door. ‘I think I can manage from here,’ he taunted. ‘I’ll give you a call when I’m ready to go back to bed.’

  Robyn went back into the bedroom to wait for him, knowing
that he meant his warning. She might love him, and she thought that he was now aware of it, even though it hadn’t verbally been admitted, but she couldn’t force him to love her in return. And he didn’t love her, he was making that clear to her.

  ‘Robyn …’

  She turned, tears glistening in her violet-blue eyes. ‘Yes?’ she quivered, fighting back those tears from actually cascading down her cheeks.

  For a moment Rick looked angry, whether with himself or her she couldn’t have said. Then he leant heavily against the doorframe. ‘Help me back,’ he requested huskily.

  ‘Of course!’ She was instantly contrite for her thoughtlessness, all embarrassment at his nakedness now gone, mainly because he was unembarrassed himself.

  He leant heavily against her as he made his way slowly over to the bed, having used up most of his strength getting from the bathroom to the bedroom door.

  ‘Thanks,’ he sighed his relief as he lowered himself gingerly down on to the bed. ‘You’re a good kid,’ he looked up at her gratefully.

  ‘Don’t!’ Her eyes darkened with pain.

  His mouth set in a firm line. ‘Don’t what?’

  ‘Don’t try and reduce me to the level of a child!’ she said tautly. ‘I may not be as old as you—’

  ‘You certainly aren’t!’

  ‘But I’m not a child either,’ she continued fiercely, her hands clenched at her sides. ‘I’m a woman, with a woman’s feelings and emotions, and I—I love you.’ She froze with the enormity of her admission.

  ‘Robyn—’

  ‘No, don’t feel sorry for me!’ She turned away from the sympathy in his face, the pity. ‘I’ll go now,’ she said jerkily. ‘It’s almost morning anyway. I—I have to get a couple of hours’ sleep before I go to work. Will you be all right if I leave now?’ She still couldn’t look at him, her back rigid with the effort it cost her not to break down and cry.

  ‘Yes, I’ll be fine. But—’

  ‘Good,’ she interrupted briskly, picking up her jacket. ‘I—Someone will be over later to see if you’re all right.’ But not her, not her! She couldn’t face him again, not after what she had just done. She ran to the door.

  ‘Robyn, for God’s sake!’ Rick was struggling to sit up. ‘Robyn, don’t go like this.’

  ‘I have to!’ The tears were falling unheeded now. ‘I love you, and I’m not ashamed of it, but surely you can see I can’t stay here now?’

  Only his laboured breathing broke the lengthy silence. ‘If you aren’t ashamed of loving me,’ he said softly, his eyes a mesmerising grey as he held out his hand to her, ‘then come here.’

  She licked her suddenly dry lips, her expression wary. ‘C-Come there?’

  ‘Yes,’ he confirmed tautly. ‘Come here so that I can touch you.’

  Robyn swallowed hard. ‘Do—do you want to?’

  ‘God, yes!’ he groaned achingly.

  She didn’t hesitate any longer, but dropped her jacket and running to him, remembering his cracked ribs at the last moment. Oh, Rick!’ She looked down at him with glowing eyes, longing to go to him, but afraid of hurting him.

  His hand was gentle on her wrist, pulling her down on to the bed beside him. ‘I can only keep saying no for so long. Just don’t expect this to be the experience of a lifetime, I’m more than a little incapacitated at the moment,’ he grimaced.

  She felt no fear, no reservation about giving herself completely to this man, and yet she was concerned for him. After all, it was only a few hours since he had been injured in the accident. ‘We can wait,’ she said huskily, giving him a shy smile, ‘until you’re better.’

  ‘You might be able to.’ His hand was fevered in her blonde hair, ‘but I can’t wait a second longer. I’ve denied myself you for too long now. I have to have you now, Robyn,’ he said fiercely, tugging her down into a lying position beneath him, his mouth possessively covering hers.

  Robyn kissed him back, holding nothing back from him, sighing her pleasure as he slowly unbuttoned her shirt, her bra no barrier to his questing fingers, her breasts swelling into his cupping hand.

  ‘God, you’re so desirable,’ he moaned, moving his mouth slowly down her body to claim one rose-tinted nipple between his arousing lips.

  She trembled against him, pleasure so nerve-shattering shooting through her body that for a moment she thought she was going to faint. Rick seemed to sense that he was going too fast for her, and returned his mouth to hers.

  ‘Gently,’ he groaned against her lips, his tongue coming out to run caressingly along her lower lip, his hand now still at her breast although he held her possessively. ‘Although God knows I don’t feel like being gentle!’ He kissed her again, his mouth drugging against hers, moving slowly against her, taking her along on a tide of sensual abandon.

  When his hand moved to the fastening of her skirt Robyn raised no objections, but helped him remove the last of her clothing, looking up at him shyly as he sat back to gaze at every naked inch of her.

  His jaw tightened, passion blazing darkly in his eyes. ‘Lord, but you’re lovely!’ he breathed raggedly. ‘Are you sure you want to go through with this?’

  ‘Don’t you?’

  ‘Hell, yes,’ he said dismissively. ‘But I don’t want there to be any regrets on your part.’

  She looked up at him unflinchingly. ‘I don’t regret, and I won’t regret, one moment of being with you,’ she told him with quiet certainty.

  He buried his face in her throat. ‘That was your last chance to escape, there won’t be another.’

  Their caresses were fevered now, their desire becoming unbearable, until only complete possession would satisfy both of them. Robyn’s nails dug pleasurably into Rick’s taut back, the hair on his chest abrasive to her tender breasts, causing a mad excitement to course through her veins.

  ‘Oh God!’ Rick gasped suddenly, and moved away from her, his body hunched over, his face white.

  Robyn scrambled on to her knees, desire forgotten in her concern for the man she loved. ‘What’s the matter?’ she demanded anxiously. ‘What happened?’

  ‘It’s my ribs.’ He swore under his breath. ‘I think we’re going to have to wait after all, little one,’ he added ruefully.

  ‘How stupid I am!’ she instantly blamed herself. ‘Lie back, Rick—that’s right,’ she helped him into a prone position. ‘We’ll forget about—this, for now,’ colour flooded her cheeks at the warmth that was still in his eyes as he gazed up at her. ‘You should be resting, not—not—’

  ‘Trying to seduce young girls,’ he finished dryly.

  Robyn zipped up her skirt and pulled on her shirt, feeling more relaxed now that she was dressed. ‘It was hardly seduction,’ she pointed out.

  ‘No,’ his mouth twisted, ‘it didn’t get that far.’ His expression darkened. ‘Luckily for you I collapsed before that happened.’

  ‘It wasn’t lucky at all,’ she told him firmly. ‘At least, not as far as I’m concerned.’

  Rick closed his eyes, his face grey. ‘I think you’d better go now. We can talk tomorrow—today, when you get back from work.’

  Her eyes showed her disappointment with this arrangement. ‘But I want to spend the day with you.’

  ‘And I want to sleep,’ he said wearily.

  She bit her lip. ‘You don’t want me around, right?’

  ‘How clever of you to guess!’ His eyes flickered open at her gasp. ‘Leave it for now, Robyn. I’m in pain at the moment and you happen to be the only person here I can take it out on.’ He grimaced. ‘Frustration doesn’t help.’

  ‘No …’ She blushed. ‘All right, I—I’ll come back tonight.’ She moved to the door.

  ‘Hey, Robyn!’ His soft caressing voice reached out to her.

  ‘Yes!’ She turned almost eagerly.

  He held out his hand to her. ‘Don’t would-be seducers merit a goodbye kiss?’ he teased.

  ‘Oh yes,’ she smiled tremulously, her eyes glowing as she ran to him, going down on her knees bes
ide the bed. She bent and kissed him softly on the lips. ‘I love you, Rick,’ she told him huskily.

  His breath caught in his throat. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you before,’ he smoothed the hair at her temple. ‘Your honesty and complete lack of guile disarm me in a way I find unnerving.’

  He made it sound as if this rarely, if ever, happened to him—and that he didn’t like the feeling. ‘Poor Rick,’ she laughed softly.

  A look of irritation crossed his face, to be slowly replaced by a rueful smile. ‘I can see I’ll have to watch you, you’re the type that likes to twist a man up in knots.’

  ‘Not you, Rick,’ she chuckled. ‘Never you.’

  ‘Let’s hope not,’ he growled. ‘Off you go, Robyn, before I change my mind and decide to try and seduce you again. And don’t say you wouldn’t mind,’ he cut in before she could speak. ‘I would. I don’t think your initiation into lovemaking should be with someone who’s in agony before he begins.’

  ‘I never said it would be my initiation,’ she told him indignantly, trying desperately to remember what she had told him.

  ‘You didn’t need to. For someone who said sex bored them you respond in a most unbored manner.’

  Robyn blushed. ‘I can’t help it—’

  ‘No need to be ashamed of a perfectly normal response,’ he said gently. ‘I wasn’t exactly “bored” myself, now was I?’

  ‘No,’ she grinned, knowing he had been as aroused as she had.

  ‘Right. Now please go. I really do need to sleep.’

  ‘Tonight—’

  ‘Let’s wait and see what tonight brings.’ He kissed her hard on the lips, turning away in conclusion of the encounter.

  Robyn felt as if she floated home on a cloud, not going to bed but making herself some breakfast and a pot of coffee, and she was still sitting in the kitchen when her mother came downstairs.

  ‘What time did you get home?’ she wanted to know.

  ‘A couple of hours ago.’

  ‘Did Mr Howarth manage to get any sleep?’

  ‘A few hours.’ Robyn blushed, getting up and moving to the door in case her mother should see her embarrassment and guess the reason for it. After last night, none of her family could be in any doubt about her feelings towards Rick, or the commitment to him those feelings gave her.