Then what would he rather be doing? Gemini wondered with a frown, at once pushing that thought to the back of her mind. If it involved Jemima, then she wouldn’t believe him…!
Her marriage seemed to have turned into a no-win situation!
‘I’m wide awake now,’ Nick bit out tersely. ‘Feel like joining me for a cup of cocoa?’ he invited.
She wasn’t sure what she wanted any more. She knew that she loved Nick, but if he were involved with her sister again…! Much as it might grieve her to do it, if that turned out to be the case she knew she would have to be the one to end their marriage…
‘It’s only a cup of cocoa, Gemini,’ Nick drawled mockingly, ‘not a life-threatening decision!’
That depended on what they talked about while they drank their cocoa! But, Gemini realised, burying her head in the sand was not going to change anything.
‘Fine,’ she accepted abruptly, turning to get her robe, pulling it on over her pyjamas before following Nick out of the room and down the stairs. The ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway sounded very loud to her ears.
Nick didn’t put on the main kitchen lights as they entered the room, moving to click on the light over the Aga, casting a warm glow over the oak kitchen cupboards.
It was that strange time of night again, Gemini realised with dismay, when nothing seemed quite real. Least of all Nick and herself!
‘Would you like me to make it?’ she asked huskily.
‘Certainly not,’ he refused firmly. ‘I’m more than capable of making my own wife a cup of cocoa.’
His wife… Yes, that was what she was. But in name only…
Once again she wondered if things would be different between them if that were no longer the case. There seemed only one way to find that out!
But could she do it? she wondered as she sipped at the mug of cocoa Nick had made and placed in front of her. Could she actually change this situation by having Nick make love to her? Did she want to?
The answer to that was all too easy to find; until she heard from Nick’s own lips that it was Jemima he still cared for, Gemini knew she would do anything to try and salvage their marriage. Anything at all…
‘Hey, I didn’t mean it literally earlier, about not talking.’ Nick teasingly interrupted her thoughts, sitting opposite her at the kitchen table now.
God, he was so good-looking, Gemini groaned inwardly. The darkness of his hair was ruffled, the hard planes of his face softened by the muted lighting in the room, and the warmth of his body seemed to reach out and enfold her.
‘Gemini…?’ he questioned uncertainly, his gaze narrowed on her flushed face.
Flushed because she wanted Nick, wanted him so much she physically ached with it. And the way things stood between them now, she knew she had little to lose!
So what if she did make a fool of herself? She was twenty-nine years old, for goodness’ sake, not some gauche teenager. Even if she would never get over loving Nick, she would recover if he physically rejected her. And there was no reason why Nick should reject her; he’d found her attractive enough the other night. Besides, she was Nick’s wife, damn it, and if any woman was entitled to share his bed it was her!
She would not give Nick up without a fight!
‘Nick,’ she returned huskily, putting down her empty mug as she held his gaze.
Which wasn’t so easy to do with Nick looking at her so searchingly. But she forced herself not to let her gaze waver from his, at the same time doing nothing to hide the desire she felt for him.
Nick stood up slowly, coming round the table to pull her to her feet; Gemini stood several inches shorter than him without the benefit of shoes. Nick’s hand gently touched beneath her chin as he tilted her face up to his, continuing that searching gaze over her flushed face and feverish eyes.
‘Gemini, are you sure this is what you want?’ he finally murmured huskily, frowning. ‘I realise today has been a difficult time for you—
‘Nick, why don’t you stop talking and just kiss me?’ she groaned, pushing all thoughts of the disastrous day firmly behind her. She was the one here with Nick now, and it would be her that he made love to. She would make sure of that!
‘Are you going to regret this tomorrow?’ Still Nick hesitated.
‘Has no one ever told you, Nick? Tomorrow never comes!’ Gemini dismissed unflinchingly.
‘That won’t stop you hating me,’ he sighed.
She put her arms about him, pressing her body warmly against his. ‘I like and respect you too much, Nick, to ever hate you,’ she assured him huskily.
And it was true. No matter what happened, she wouldn’t hate Nick. He had been completely honest with her from the beginning of their marriage, had never made any pretence of loving her, of marrying her for any other reason than that her sister and his brother had both let them down so badly; she was the one who had changed, not Nick.
‘Famous last words, Gemini?’ he said ruefully, but his arms moved about her waist, pulling her closer against him.
‘I don’t care—as long as they’re the last ones for some time!’ she returned dismissively, her face raised invitingly as his mouth at last lowered to hers.
It was as if the hours since Saturday night, since she had last been in Nicks arms, had never happened; that fiery passion was instantly rekindled, setting Gemini on fire, her body curving into the warm hardness of his.
He felt so good, his shoulders broad and muscled beneath her fingertips, his chest lightly covered with dark hair as she pushed aside his robe, the nakedness of his thighs strong and powerful.
‘Gemini—’
‘No talking,’ she reminded him, placing her fingers lightly over his lips.
He smiled down at her, gently kissing each fingertip before removing her hand, but keeping it held tightly in his. ‘I was only going to suggest we go upstairs to bed—unless you want me to make love to you on the kitchen table?’ he teased huskily.
She laughed softly. ‘Novel—but I doubt it would be very comfortable!’
Her hand remained clasped in his as they went slowly up the stairs together. Gemini was feeling slightly shy now, but determined, nevertheless, to see this through. Anything to make it harder for Nick to end their marriage!
By tacit agreement it was her bedroom they went to, the bedside lamp still on from when Gemini had switched it on earlier, after being woken by Nick’s raised voice down in the hallway.
‘Leave it,’ Nick encouraged softly as she would have reached out and switched off the lamp. ‘Unless you mind—?’ Being swept away on a tide of passion as they had been on Saturday night, and again a few minutes ago downstairs, was one thing, but— ‘No,’ she assured him huskily. ‘I don’t mind.’
Nick drew in a ragged breath, reaching out to untie her robe and slip it off her shoulders before letting it fall onto the carpeted floor at their feet, the blue silk top quickly following it.
‘You’re beautiful, Gemini,’ he murmured throatily, gently cupping each of her breasts before bending his head and kissing each fiery tip.
She groaned low in her throat, her legs feeling suddenly weak. Her back arched as Nick’s tongue moistly caressed each breast, seeming to savour the taste of her, and trembling pleasure coursed through the whole of her body.
Nick’s lips blazed a trail of fire down her ribcage to her navel, his tongue caressing the tiny cavern before his lips moved even lower. Gemini’s blue silk trousers fell fluidly to the floor as he released the single button from its fastening, leaving her completely naked before him.
Gemini gasped, her fingers becoming entangled in the dark thickness of his hair, her body arching in aching need as those caressing lips moved across her thighs.
Nick’s eyes were dark with passion as he looked up at her. ‘If you want me to stop—’
‘I don’t,’ she assured him breathlessly. ‘Please!’
‘God, Gemini..!’ His arms were about her thighs as he briefly held her to him before standing up. ‘
Now me,’ he invited huskily, standing back slightly so that she could reach the belt to his robe.
But even so Gemini’s fingers fumbled with the single fastening. She was trembling with desire, and yet at the same time wanting to savour Nick’s body as he had just drunk in all of her.
Totally naked, there was only one word to describe Nick, the same word he had used to describe her minutes ago: beautiful.
It seemed a strange word to associate with the hard, arrogant man who was her husband, but it was still the only word Gemini could think of to describe the lithe planes of his body, the dark hair on his chest, moving in a vee down to his muscular thighs, his legs, long and powerful. There was not an ounce of superfluous flesh on the whole of his body.
Gemini moved, kissing his chest as he had kissed her, rewarded by his sharply indrawn breath as he tried to stay motionless before her. Tried, because as her lips ad hands followed the same path over his body as his had over hers Nick was finding it more and more difficult to withstand those kisses and caresses.
‘No more, Gemini!’ he groaned. ‘Not unless you want me to totally lose control!’ He reached down and pulled her effortlessly to her feet, his face contorted almost painfully at the effort it had taken to stop those caressing hands and lips.
He threw back the bedclothes before gently laying her down, quickly joining her, his mouth once more claiming hers.
It was like drowning, being washed away on a tide of weightlessness, no thought possible, only feeling. Feeling such as Gemini had never known before. Nick taking her again and again to the brink of total mindlessness.
No part of her remained untouched or unkissed by him; every curve and hollow, explored and captured, became his for the taking.
And Nick’s body became as familiar to her as her own, every muscle, every smooth contour lovingly touched as she kissed him in return.
She was so roused now that the low sounds in her throat had turned from ones of pleasure to pleading; she wanted him inside her, to know his full possession.
‘Not yet,’ he groaned, his head against her breasts. ‘I never want this to end!’
She didn’t want it to end, either, wanted it to be their beginning…!
‘Please, Nick,’ she sighed achingly, her legs moistly entwined with his, reaching down to cup his face with her hands, looking down intently into his passion-flushed face. ‘Say it, Nick,’ she encouraged longingly. ‘Say my name!’ Her voice broke emotionally.
‘Gemini…?’ he repeated dazedly. ‘Gemini, Gemini, Gemini!’ He groaned shakily.
She gave a breathless laugh. ‘Make love to me, Nick. Please!’
With one last slightly puzzled look he shifted slightly, and they were finally one…
So closely entwined were they now that Gemini wasn’t sure where she ended and Nick began, and as he began to move slowly inside her she didn’t particularly care!
He had filled her with burning pleasure before, but now she was consumed, totally lost, falling over that precipice time and time again before she felt Nick totally lose control himself, his body arching slightly before he surrendered to his own pleasure, taking her with him to a plateau of sensation she hadn’t known existed.
Only the sound of their ragged breathing filled the air now, and Nick reached down to pull the bedclothes up over their rapidly cooling bodies, resting her head on his shoulder as his arms gathered her close against him.
Gemini knew she should say something, anything, but as deep, satisfied tiredness washed over her she knew it would have to wait, that she couldn’t have spoken now even if she’d tried.
But she was with the man she loved, held protectively against the warmth of his body. And he was going to stay exactly where he was, had no intention of returning to his own bedroom after their lovemaking, as she had once dreaded he might. For the moment it was enough…
Gemini had no idea what time it was when she woke the next morning, but she could see the sun shining brightly behind her bedroom curtains so it had to be somewhere around breakfast time. Not that she had any appetite. Not for food, anyway…!
She smiled to herself, remembering all that had happened the night before, that smile fading as she turned over and discovered she was alone in her big double bed, that there was no Nick lying beside her.
But he had been there—hadn’t he…? It hadn’t all been a dream, as it had so many other nights—had it?
No, it hadn’t been a dream, she realised as she moved, her body aching from the unaccustomed lovemaking, a pleasurable ache. She remembered that Nick had woken her again some time during the night. Their second lovemaking, now that they were familiar with each other, had been even more enjoyable than their first.
But where was Nick now?
She sat up on the side of the bed, her cheeks feeling hot as she looked down at her own nakedness, seeing the marks of Nick’s passion against her creamy breasts, the slight redness that indicated he had been in need of a shave.
But she was glad of those marks, knew they were confirmation that everything about last night was real, and not a dream after all.
She was humming softly to herself as, once again dressed in the blue silk pyjamas, she sat in front of the mirror to brush the tangles from her dark hair. A smile once again curved her lips as she remembered the way Nick had buried his face and hands in that silky darkness, and that smile remained on her face as a knock sounded on the bedroom door.
She turned on the bedroom stool. ‘Come in,’ she invited huskily.
‘Breakfast, Mrs Drummond.’ Mrs James bustled into the room with a laden tray. ‘Mr Drummond thought you might like breakfast in bed after your disturbed night,’ she explained as she turned to put the tray down on the bedside table.
Disturbed night…! How apt. And this time it had been ‘disturbed’ for exactly the reason Hugh had supposed yesterday!
But Gemini was glad of the housekeeper’s preoccupation with the tray at that moment, giving her a few minutes to cover up her disappointment that it hadn’t been Nick at the door. Although he no longer had any reason to bother knocking…
‘That was kind of him,’ she murmured a little shyly. ‘Where is Nick this morning?’ she enquired casually as she stood up to pour herself a cup of coffee.
The housekeeper looked surprised at the question. ‘Gone to his office, as usual, I presume,’ she dismissed.
‘Oh.’ Gemini had to bite back her feelings of disappointment. Part of her had hoped that Nick might take today off to be with her… Silly, really. Just because her whole world felt different, that didn’t mean that Nick’s felt the same way! It could just mean that he felt as shy about last night as she did. Not that he ever gave the impression of being shy about anything, but making love to his wife, not once but twice, was not a normal occurrence!
‘He did feed Jessica before he left, so she’s quite happy,’ the housekeeper informed her lightly. ‘I’ll bring her up to you in a few minutes, if you’d like? Once you’ve had time to enjoy your breakfast, of course,’ she added ruefully.
‘That would be lovely,’ Gemini accepted distractedly, still disappointed that Nick had gone to work as usual. It would have been nice to wake up in bed with him this morning, to perhaps make love once again…!
But perhaps she was expecting too much too soon. Nick must feel as disorientated himself this morning as she did, unsure quite where they went next. They were bound to feel a little awkward with each other after last night, so perhaps he was right to put a little distance between them for a few hours, give them both chance to sit back and reflect.
Although Gemini knew if she sat and thought about last night too much she wouldn’t want to do anything else today, would instead succumb to sensual lethargy. God, she felt good this morning, happily content, determined that nothing was going to disturb her air of well-being.
And for the next few minutes nothing did. The coffee was hot and strong, as she liked it, and the croissants were warm, tasting delicious with honey on them. She even sa
ng to herself as she took her shower before dressing in a figure-hugging dress that same colour blue as her eyes.
A glance at the bedside clock showed her it was a little after nine o’clock, which meant she really should have been on her way to the salon by now, but as last night had effectively been her wedding night she felt she was entitled to be a little dreamy and preoccupied this morning.
Even Jessica, when Mrs James brought her upstairs half an hour later, seemed attuned to her mood, wide awake and gurgling happily in her baby-carrier. Gemini couldn’t resist picking her up and cuddling her, and was rewarded with what looked like an actual smile.
Maybe after last night—
‘She really is the loveliest baby, isn’t she?’ Mrs James lingered in the bedroom, obviously loath to leave her young charge.
‘Beautiful,’ Gemini agreed unhesitatingly. ‘No doubt she’ll break a few hearts when she’s older!’ She laughed softly before burying her face briefly in the baby’s wonderfully soft talc-smelling neck.
‘No doubt,’ the housekeeper agreed indulgently. ‘That lovely dark hair and green eyes like a cat are sure to be a lethal combination!’ she added ruefully.
‘Her eyes are blue,’ Gemini corrected absently as she held up an ornament from her dressing-table for the baby to look at.
Mrs James laughed softly. ‘All newborn babies’ eyes are blue,’ she dismissed with a shake of her head. ‘But that often changes after a few weeks, and Jessica’s eyes are already starting to turn green.’
Green…?
Jessica’s eyes were going to be green…?
Gemini looked down at the baby, frowning. The last time she had really looked at Jessica’s eyes they’d been a clear sky-blue, but she could see now that there was a darker rim to that lightness, a rim of smudgy emerald-green…
She swallowed hard, placing the baby carefully back in her seat. Gemini knew only one other person with emerald-green eyes…
And that person was Nick!
CHAPTER EIGHT
Bestseller Collection 2010 Page 27
