me.'
He shrugged. 'You didn't ask. Does it matter?' He studied her, frowning. 'And even if we'd been booked to fly on tonight, I think I'd have postponed. You look like hell.'
'Thank you,' she said between her teeth, and he laughed.
'That's more like it! Can you make it to the taxi or shall I carry you and come back for the bags?'
'No.' She gave him a muted glare, hardly bothering to pretend any more.
She sat gazing out of the taxi window into the darkness, eaten up by tension. She'd hoped for a long journey, but it was only a short one. They were stopping in front of a long, low building festooned with lights. A man with grizzled hair, wearing white jeans and a striped tee-shirt, was opening the car door and helping her out, welcoming her to some hotel whose name she didn't catch.
As she stepped into the air-conditioned foyer, she was aware of a wide expanse of tiled floor and greenery everywhere.
The receptionist was smiling widely. 'Welcome back, Mr Lincoln. Too bad you're not staying longer this time.' His grin encompassed Kate too. 'Good evening, madame.'
A pen was put into her hand and she signed a registration card. The receptionist handed Matt a key and a bellhop appeared from nowhere, hoisting up their cases. He was smiling too. Everyone was smiling except her, and she felt totally and utterly frozen, because she'd just grasped the significance of that single key.
She'd taken it for granted that they would be occupying separate rooms, at least for appearances' sake. She'd counted on it.
'No lift,' said Matt. 'But there's only one flight of stairs. Think you can manage it?'
She said faintly, 'No—I don't—I can't…'
His voice was soft, 'Yes, you can, darling,' but there was a note in it that made her shiver. Dazed, Kate looked at him, her eyes widening as they met his.
He wasn't smiling either. His blue eyes were like chips of steel, his mouth hard and set.
He said, 'Let's go up to our room, my sweet. I can't wait to be alone with you.'
And his hand closed like a vice on her arm, urging her up the stairs in front of him.
CHAPTER FOUR
It was a large room, and the biggest thing in it was the bed. It dominated everything else, and Kate had the feeling that wherever she stood, even if she turned her back, she would still catch sight of it from the corner of her eye.
There were other things to notice too. Flowers everywhere, for instance, and a basket of fruit, and champagne on ice.
She thought, it's like a bridal suite,' and had to quell the nervous laugh rising up in her throat, because there was nothing to laugh at. She'd got herself into this impossible situation, and now, somehow, she had to get out of it again.
She walked over to the windows which opened on to a balcony. The night air was warm and still. In the distance she could hear the faint sound of music—a drumbeat—and farther off what might have been the sound of the sea.
Behind her, she heard Matt tip the bellboy, and tell him they didn't want to be disturbed. She heard his cheerful 'Goodnight' and the closing of the door, and she waited, a strange aching trembling spreading through the pit of her stomach.
Matt said softly, 'Alone at last.'
Kate turned slowly and faced him, her arms folded defensively across her diaphragm. There were marks on her wrist where his fingers had gripped her, she noticed with a kind of astonishment.
He took off the beautifully cut lightweight jacket he had been wearing and tossed it on to the bed, then began to loosen his tie. The blue eyes held hers enigmatically.
He said, 'You're very quiet, darling. Tired after the flight? Then an early night's just what you need.'
Her lips parted helplessly, but she couldn't think of anything to say, although speech was essential and growing more so by the second.
Matt said, unbuttoning his shirt, 'I need a shower. Do you want to use the bathroom first?'
'No—yes—I mean…' Kate floundered to a halt.
The dark brows lifted interrogatively. 'Yes, what
He shrugged. 'You didn't ask. Does it matter?' He studied her, frowning. 'And even if we'd been booked to fly on tonight, I think I'd have postponed. You look like hell.'
'Thank you,' she said between her teeth, and he laughed.
'That's more like it! Can you make it to the taxi or shall I carry you and come back for the bags?'
'No.' She gave him a muted glare, hardly bothering to pretend any more.
She sat gazing out of the taxi window into the darkness, eaten up by tension. She'd hoped for a long journey, but it was only a short one. They were stopping in front of a long, low building festooned with lights. A man with grizzled hair, wearing white jeans and a striped tee-shirt, was opening the car door and helping her out, welcoming her to some hotel whose name she didn't catch.
As she stepped into the air-conditioned foyer, she was aware of a wide expanse of tiled floor and greenery everywhere.
The receptionist was smiling widely. 'Welcome back, Mr Lincoln. Too bad you're not staying longer this time.' His grin encompassed Kate too. 'Good evening, madame.'
A pen was put into her hand and she signed a registration card. The receptionist handed Matt a key and a bellhop appeared from nowhere, hoisting up their cases. He was smiling too. Everyone was smiling except her, and she felt totally and utterly frozen, because she'd just grasped the significance of that single key.
She'd taken it for granted that they would be occupying separate rooms, at least for appearances' sake. She'd counted on it.
'No lift,' said Matt. 'But there's only one flight of stairs. Think you can manage it?'
She said faintly, 'No—I don't—I can't…'
His voice was soft, 'Yes, you can, darling,' but there was a note in it that made her shiver. Dazed, Kate looked at him, her eyes widening as they met his.
He wasn't smiling either. His blue eyes were like chips of steel, his mouth hard and set.
He said, 'Let's go up to our room, my sweet. I can't wait to be alone with you.'
And his hand closed like a vice on her arm, urging her up the stairs in front of him.
CHAPTER FOUR
It was a large room, and the biggest thing in it was the bed. It dominated everything else, and Kate had the feeling that wherever she stood, even if she turned her back, she would still catch sight of it from the corner of her eye.
There were other things to notice too. Flowers everywhere, for instance, and a basket of fruit, and champagne on ice.
She thought, it's like a bridal suite,' and had to quell the nervous laugh rising up in her throat, because there was nothing to laugh at. She'd got herself into this impossible situation, and now, somehow, she had to get out of it again.
She walked over to the windows which opened on to a balcony. The night air was warm and still. In the distance she could hear the faint sound of music—a drumbeat—and farther off what might have been the sound of the sea.
Behind her, she heard Matt tip the bellboy, and tell him they didn't want to be disturbed. She heard his cheerful 'Goodnight' and the closing of the door, and she waited, a strange aching trembling spreading through the pit of her stomach.
Matt said softly, 'Alone at last.'
Kate turned slowly and faced him, her arms folded defensively across her diaphragm. There were marks on her wrist where his fingers had gripped her, she noticed with a kind of astonishment.
He took off the beautifully cut lightweight jacket he had been wearing and tossed it on to the bed, then began to loosen his tie. The blue eyes held hers enigmatically.
He said, 'You're very quiet, darling. Tired after the flight? Then an early night's just what you need.'
Her lips parted helplessly, but she couldn't think of anything to say, although speech was essential and growing more so by the second.
Matt said, unbuttoning his shirt, 'I need a shower. Do you want to use the bathroom first?'
'No—yes—I mean…' Kate floundered to a halt.
The dark brows lifted interrogatively. 'Yes, what
Similar Books
Return to Winter: Russia, China, and the New Cold War Against America
Douglas E. Schoen, Melik Kaylan
