‘But even so—’ He looked up as one of the girls who helped out in the stables knocked on the door.
‘There’s a visitor for you, Mr Soper,’ she informed him a little breathlessly.
Giles looked irritated, although Sunday afternoon was usually one of his busiest times for visits from the owners of his horses.
‘I’ll make myself scarce,’ Elizabeth offered lightly, picking up her burgundy-coloured bag that exactly matched the shading of the burgundy and cream dress she wore.
‘That might not be necessary,’ Giles dismissed impatiently, obviously having decided their conversation about her proposed visit to her aunt and uncle was far from over. He turned back to the girl. ‘Who is it, Sheila?’
‘I hope you don’t mind, Soper.’ Quinn appeared behind the girl, his gaze sweeping disturbingly over Elizabeth before concentrating on the other man. ‘But you did say I could come over and have a look around some time.’
She should have guessed, should have recognised that dreamy look on Sheila’s face; it was the same look Mary had on her face whenever she had chanced to see Quinn Taylor!
And she didn’t for a moment believe he had come here just to look at horses!
Although he was certainly dressed for the part as he came further into the room. The riding-boots were obviously his own, but the jacket and jodpurs certainly looked very much like her grandfather’s. Considering the two men were of a similar build she wouldn’t be surprised. She also wouldn’t put it past her grandfather to have told Quinn where she had gone; he wasn’t going to give up until the last possible moment, the old devil, no matter what he had said to the contrary!
‘Of course, of course.’ Giles greeted the other man effusively, dismissing the stable-girl with a flick of his hand, giving her an irritated frown as she continued to stare at Quinn. The poor girl left with a self-conscious blush. Elizabeth didn’t doubt that by the time the two men emerged out into the stables the whole workforce would be looking out for Quinn Taylor!
‘It’s quite a set-up you seem to have here,’ Quinn murmured appreciatively.
Giles looked pleased by the compliment—as he was no doubt supposed to, Elizabeth thought bitchily. Quinn gave her a mocking look. She met his gaze unflinchingly.
‘If I had known you were coming, Mr Taylor, we could have driven over together,’ she drawled.
‘I had no idea where you were going when you disappeared straight after lunch,’ he returned tauntingly.
Her mouth tightened. She hadn’t exactly disappeared after lunch so much as made an escape, anxious to be away from the house. She hadn’t expected Quinn to follow her. He was really starting to be annoying, always appearing when she least expected him to, just—just always there! And he was doing it on purpose, really seemed to think there could be something between them. He finally saw her as a woman, and it was too late, six years too late.
‘Please, gentlemen, don’t let me keep you,’ she encouraged them lightly. ‘I’m sure the two of you are longing to look over Giles’s Arabians.’
‘Come with us,’ Quinn urged softly. ‘I promise I won’t even let a horse near you,’ he added teasingly.
She stiffened at the taunt. ‘No, thank you.’ Her voice was saccharin-sweet. ‘I’m hardly dressed for—walking around the stables.’ She looked down pointedly at her burgundy-coloured high-heeled sandals and silky dress. ‘I’ll just wait for you here, Giles,’ she gave him a warm smile, hoping Quinn would take the hint she had given that she didn’t expect him to return to the house with the other man. But even if he had picked up the implication, he would probably do the exact opposite just to be annoying!
The mocking look he gave her as he left with Giles told her he was more than capable of doing that.
She stood up to stare out of the window, absently watching the two men as they strolled together over to the stable complex that comprised Giles’s stud and training facility. Why was Quinn here? What could he hope to gain by making a nuisance of himself like this?
And he was starting to become very annoying, just his presence bothering her. But then he knew that; why else would he be doing this? She wouldn’t put it past him to follow her to Portugal too, on the pretext of seeing her aunt and uncle again, of course!
It was ironic really: once she would have given everything to have Quinn Taylor pursue her in this way, now she just wanted him to realise there was no point to it, that no matter what they felt for each other, be it desire on his side and love on hers, Fergus’s death, the reason behind it, would always stand between them. She had to talk to him again before she left tomorrow, had to make him understand.
Why couldn’t he see it was no use? Why did he keep tormenting them both this way?
CHAPTER NINE
ELIZABETH’S afternoon with Giles hadn’t been a success. As she had known he would, Quinn came back to the house with the other man, the two of them enjoying a drink while they discussed the merits of Giles’s horses. By the time she stood up to leave at four-thirty she was angry with both of them, with Quinn for monopolising most of their afternoon, and with Giles for letting him!
She had parted rather tersely from Giles outside, aware that Quinn could be—and probably was—watching them from the drawing-room window.
She had only managed to spend those few brief minutes alone with Giles before Quinn’s arrival, hardly long enough to have explained to him that she didn’t think it was a good idea to see each other once she returned from her visit to her aunt and uncle. And she had put off seeing him tonight.
‘Someone upset you, darling?’ her grandfather enquired innocently as she slammed the door behind her.
She glared across the entrance-hall at him. ‘You know damn well they have,’ she snapped. ‘When are you going to stop your wily old fox act and realise Quinn and I just aren’t suited!’
He arched wary brows. ‘He mentioned that Giles had invited him over some time, and so I—’
‘Encouraged him to go over today!’ she finished tightly.
‘No, darling,’ he rebuked gently. ‘I just gave him the directions to Giles’s house when he asked for them.’
Her anger towards him fled as quickly as it had come, and she launched herself into his arms with a tormented sob. ‘He keeps following me, Grandfather,’ she choked. ‘I can’t seem to make him understand that I can’t care for him.’
‘Can’t?’ he echoed softly. ‘Darling—’
‘Don’t want to,’ she amended firmly as she pulled out of his arms. ‘I’m not the type for a brief affair,’ she pointed out lightly, realising she must get a grip on herself. ‘And I’m certainly not interested in marriage with a man like Quinn Taylor,’ she dismissed mockingly.
Her grandfather smiled. ‘You must be the only woman who isn’t!’
Was that why Quinn was so determined to have her, because unlike most women she hadn’t fallen into his arms? Thinking back to just how many times she had been in his arms the last few days she couldn’t believe that was true!
‘Now you wouldn’t want me to go and live in Canada, would you?’ she teased her grandfather.
He frowned. ‘I wouldn’t like it, no… But if Quinn is the man you want I wouldn’t stand in your way.’ He shook his head.
‘He isn’t,’ she lightly dismissed. ‘So don’t even think about it. Now how about some afternoon tea?’ She put her arm companionably through his, the subject of Quinn dropped.
‘What happened to you two this afternoon?’ Marni enquired curiously as they all sat around the dinner table.
Quinn gave Elizabeth an amused glance as she almost choked on her beef at being grouped together with him as if they were a couple. ‘We drove over to take a look at Mr Soper’s stud-farm,’ he drawled.
Elizabeth gave him a censorious frown. ‘What your father means is that he drove over and met Giles and me there,’ she corrected tightly.
Marni gave a dismissive shrug, as if their method of getting there didn’t really interest her. ‘I wish I�
�d known, I would have loved to have gone too.’
‘Maybe next time, honey,’ her father consoled her. ‘Mr Soper has given us an invitation to go over any time we like,’ he explained at Marni’s excited expression.
He made it sound as if he intended their stay to be a prolonged one. And much as she was looking forward to staying with her aunt and uncle, and knew they were looking forward to having her, she couldn’t stay on with them indefinitely.
‘How much longer do you think you’ll be in England, Mr—Quinn?’ she amended stiffly at his narrow-eyed look.
The amusement suddenly left his expression, and he gave a shrug. ‘It depends,’ he finally answered.
She didn’t need to ask ‘on what’; she could see clearly from the look in his eyes that the way things were between them had a lot to do with when, and if, he left England.
‘Well, if you leave before my return from Portugal I hope you have a pleasant journey,’ she returned politely.
‘It sure is a pity that you have to go away tomorrow,’ Marni voiced her disappointment with the arrangement. ‘I thought you and I would be able to spend some more time together, maybe go out shopping again.’
Elizabeth glanced sharply at Quinn, wondering if he had put his daughter up to this, knowing by his frowning look that he hadn’t, instantly feeling guilty for misjudging Marni.
She touched the young girl’s hand lightly. ‘Maybe next time your father is in England,’ she encouraged huskily. Marni’s liking for her was completely reciprocated.
The young girl grimaced. ‘I’ll probably be back in school by then.’
Elizabeth shifted her gaze uncomfortably from her grandfather’s censorious one as she guessed that the reason for it was the impetuosity of her decision to visit her aunt and uncle. He didn’t know, couldn’t understand— She didn’t like hurting Marni either, but to avoid the father she unfortunately had to avoid the daughter too.
‘Perhaps you won’t be,’ she dismissed lightly.
‘Maybe not.’ Marni sounded unconvinced.
‘Shall we go through for coffee?’ she prompted brightly, a sudden heaviness having fallen over them all.
‘Not for us.’ Quinn was suddenly standing at the back of her chair pulling it back for her, his hand firm on her arm as she automatically stood, holding her against his side. ‘Marni can pour for you,’ he told her grandfather. ‘It will be good practice for her.’ He grinned at his daughter. ‘She tells me she likes this sort of life and intends finding herself a lord or some other titled man so that she can continue to live the gracious life to which she is fast becoming accustomed!’
‘Dad!’ Marni protested with red-faced embarrassment. ‘Anyway,’ she added cheekily, ‘he doesn’t have to be titled; just have a house like this and pots of money to spend on it and me!’
‘I think I rather fit that bill,’ Elizabeth’s grandfather drawled. ‘I am sorry about the lack of an actual title, though. But perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement?’ he added teasingly, placing Marni’s hand firmly in the crook of his arm as they walked off in the direction of the drawing room, still talking about that ‘arrangement’.
Elizabeth stared after them dazedly. The conversation had too many serious undertones for her liking. Oh, not that she believed her grandfather was seriously offering for Marni, that would be ludicrous considering he was old enough to be her great-grandfather, but she wouldn’t put it past her grandfather to issue the younger girl a standing invitation to come and stay here whenever she wanted to!
‘Let them go,’ Quinn instructed softly as she would have called out to the other couple. ‘Marni’s having the time of her life,’ he smiled indulgently. ‘And your grandfather is enjoying himself.’
She could see that, he and Marni laughing softly together as he closed the drawing-room door.
‘Unless, of course, you’re jealous?’
She turned sharply to Quinn, anger darkening her eyes to the colour of shaded emeralds. ‘What do you—’
‘I guess you’re pretty used to having your grandfather all to yourself, eh?’ he looked at her consideringly.
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ The anger flushed her cheeks. ‘I just—I was concerned that—my grandfather likes you both, and—’
‘You don’t want us back here,’ he finished softly. ‘Don’t worry, Lise, if I leave here without you this time I’m going to wait for you to come to me.’
She gave a scornful laugh. ‘You’ll have a long time to wait then because I don’t intend—or want—to see you again!’
He nodded, unperturbed by her vehemence. ‘I can understand that.’
‘How clever of you!’
‘You don’t understand,’ he said ruefully. ‘Or maybe you just don’t want to yet.’ He sighed. ‘My wife cheated on me all the years of our marriage; the next woman that shares my life comes to me on my terms,’ he added grimly.
‘And what are your terms?’ she couldn’t resist asking, curious in spite of herself, having no intention of being the ‘next woman to share his life’!
His mouth twisted. ‘There’s only one really, and it’s going to be especially difficult for you.’
‘Yes?’ she prompted breathlessly.
Quinn shook his head. ‘Half the difficulty for you is going to be in realising what it is,’ he sighed.
‘I—what are you doing?’ she cried protestingly as he swung her up in his arms and began walking up the stairs.
He glanced down at her, his eyes bleak. ‘I can’t depend on your realising what it is I want of you, and so I’m claiming one night with you. A night that may have to last me the rest of my life,’ he added harshly.
He had been speaking in riddles for most of the last five minutes, and she couldn’t pretend to understand what it was he thought he wanted of her, but she understood his intent now only too well, struggling in his arms to be put down.
‘Don’t, Lise.’ The raw hunger of his tone stilled her, and she stared up at him dazedly. ‘One night, that’s all I’m asking,’ he repeated raspingly.
Her gaze was locked with his, her struggles ceased. Not this man, she couldn’t make love with this man. Out of all the men she could have chosen to fall in love with why did it have to be him! She couldn’t give him this night, daren’t give him this night. And yet how could she say no to one night with him, a night that would have to last her all her life, when she loved him so much?
‘You know,’ he knelt beside her as he laid her down on her bed in the darkened bedroom, ‘you could do with losing a few pounds.’ He gave an exaggerated sigh of relief at being able to release his burden.
Temper darkened her eyes. ‘You—’
‘That’s it,’ he grinned as he pinioned her hands by the sides of her head as he laid the full length of his body on hers, making her fully aware of the hardness of his chest and thighs. ‘Fight, Lise. Bite and scratch, give me all the passion you have!’
She shook her head agitatedly from side to side. ‘I don’t want—’
‘Yes, you do, Lise,’ he encouraged harshly. ‘You want me so much you’re burning with it!’
She did, and she was! Her whole body was aflame with wanting him, and she pressed her hips against him as she felt the throb of his arousal.
One night… Could she forgive herself for taking this one night? She would have to live with that question later, right now her body was reacting instinctively to the caress of Quinn’s mouth!’
The warmth of his breath was a caress against her skin as his lips probed the hollows of her throat, nibbling on the lobe of the ear, only slowly releasing her hands as he felt her surrender to his mastery.
Her hands slid caressingly about his neck, clasping his shoulders as his mouth claimed her, fused together as their tongues fought a duel where they both emerged the victor.
She caressed his back, loving the hard muscled strength of him, gasping as he deftly unfastened her scarlet gown to caress the hardened nub of her breast with the moist heat of his tongue.
Her back arched in sudden need, her head thrown back as the sensual pleasure washed over her.
‘So silken. So soft,’ Quinn groaned as his hands moved gently over her nakedness, touching the slender dip of her waist, the curve of her hip. ‘So soft here.’ His hand gently cupped the throbbing mound beneath curling golden hair.
She breathed raggedly, meeting his open-mouthed kiss, moving against him in a sensual agony.
It was happening too fast, was completely out of control. She needed him, oh God, how she needed him!
She gasped as his mouth once again latched on to her nipple, caressing the puckered peak with his lips, his tongue, his teeth. The last sent an erotic charge through her body, trembling as the double assault on her senses made her tremble convulsively against him.
She sobbed out a broken moan as the ache between her thighs threatened to burn her, to send them both up in flames.
‘Easy,’ Quinn quietened her, soothing the wild tumult of her body with his gently soothing caresses. ‘You’ll be all right, Lise, I won’t hurt you. I only want to love you,’ he groaned, stripping his shirt from his body, his chest darkly virile in the shadowed room, slowly easing himself back on top of her, the dark hair on his chest a sensual caress in itself.
‘Now, Quinn,’ she urged raggedly. ‘Please love me now. I—I hurt so much,’ she admitted brokenly.
His eyes darkened, his lips gentle against first one breast and then the other. ‘Soon,’ he murmured against her lips. ‘Soon, my love.’
Every time he touched her now it seemed she convulsed with an aching fire, turning her passion on him as she began to caress him in the way he had her, discovering that a man’s nipples could be as sensitive as a woman’s, Quinn offering no resistance as she pushed him back on the bed, following him down, her hair falling silkily on to his chest as she kissed and suckled against him the way his lips had taught her.
His hand tightly gripped the back of her head as his breathing came in hoarse gasps, her lips following the pattern of the hair on his chest, giving him gentle kisses and nips with her teeth as she followed the dark vee of hair to his navel. She paused there, wondering if he would allow her to go lower, longing to caress him as intimately there too as he had her.
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