Read Online Fire Hawk by Geoffrey Archer - Free Book Online Page A

pretty well when . . . when I had to give you up,’ she concluded pointedly.
    Well
? She had no idea how
un
well he’d taken it.
    â€˜Ah, yes.’
    Was that it? Was this the other reason she’d come here, he wondered cynically? To make sure he knew that it was
she
who’d saved his life? That she’d repaid all debts to him?
    â€˜But above all, Sam,’ she added, noting the incredulity on his face, ‘I couldn’t let them kill you.’
    â€˜Thanks.’
    â€˜I mean,
could
I? You knew that. That’s the
real
reason you gave my phone number to your pigeon.’
    She was right of course. Their eyes locked. They had the measure of one another.
    â€˜There is one other thing I want to say,’ she declared softly, looking down. ‘Just for the record.’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜All those things I said to you when we broke up – I meant them. All of them.’
    Meant that despite deciding that from now on she had to be faithful to her husband, it was still Sam she really loved and always would.
    He stopped himself from asking her again. She’d explained why she’d chosen Martin instead of him, even if it defied logic.
    â€˜Thanks a million, love.’ He pulled open the bathroom door and stumbled back to the little bedroom with its rabbit wallpaper.
    Chrissie followed a few minutes later, wiping up his wet footprints on the woodblock floor with the towel she’d used to mop up in the bathroom.
    â€˜I expect you’ll need to be on your way,’ Sam mouthed when he heard her come in behind him. He was halfway through dressing.
    â€˜That’s all right. You said you were hungry. I’ll cook you something.’
    â€˜No need,’ he told her, still with his back towards her. ‘I’m sure you’ve got other things to do.’
    â€˜Sam . . .’ Her voice cracked as if he’d hurt her. ‘I’ve got time. I don’t need to be at the airport until midday. I’d rather be here with you.’
    He completed the zipping of his trousers and turned round to find her standing very close to him. Her lips were slightly apart, her eyes half-closed. He disengaged his brain and let his arms take the decision, pulling her towards him. He touched his lips to hers and felt her breath tremble. Then he kissed her greedily like he used to, feeling her body mould to his as if it were a second skin. Her hips responded to his. He knew his wants were matched by hers. Pure chemistry, like always. Then, to his surprise she pushed him back.
    â€˜God I’ve missed your kisses,’ she whispered, closing her eyes. ‘Missed them terribly. But . . .’ She shook her head as if wondering how she was going to win the fight going on inside her. ‘But I really have promised to begood.’ She turned away from him and moved towards the door. ‘And now I’m going to make you some breakfast.’ She glanced back with a mischievous smile. ‘At least then I’ll have satisfied
one
of your appetites.’
    The kitchen was little larger than a galley, fitted out with neat lime-washed cupboards and a shiny marble worktop. He sat at the small plastic-covered table while she checked out the options.
    â€˜There’s eggs and tomatoes,’ she told him, her head in the fridge. ‘Would an omelette suit?’
    â€˜Fine.’
    As she opened and closed cupboards looking for a frying pan, Sam tried to recall the last time she’d cooked him a meal. She found a glass bowl, broke three eggs into it and beat them with a fork. Then she cut up some tomatoes while the rings heated up on the cooker. The smell of the cooking fired up his appetite. She put on a pan of water and found coffee and a filter.
    It felt odd sitting here with her like this. Like being a proper couple, but not.
    â€˜Never seen you this domesticated before,’ he remarked.
    â€˜That’s because you were always so determined to use the