Fear Of Love

She grimaced. ‘The same.’

‘But I don’t see what it has to do with him.’

‘Neither did I, and I told him so. I think he’s got the message now.’

‘Mm, well as long as he has.’

‘He has,’ she said with certainty.

‘And he’s the reason you haven’t eaten?’

‘I could hardly sit down to lunch with him after the things I’d just said,’ she smiled at the memory. ‘I wasn’t very polite.’

‘You never are when you speak to him. I’ve only ever met him twice, at your sister’s house, and each time you argued with him.’

‘Only because he has such strong views on everything. He always thinks he’s right.’

Roger chuckled. ‘So do you.’

‘Maybe, but I’m certainly not going to agree with everything he says like Gail and Trevor do. It makes me sick the way they always do what he says. Just because he appears on the television it doesn’t make him anything special.’

‘His programmes are very interesting,’ Roger pointed out.

‘So they ought to be, the risks he takes. I’m surprised he hasn’t killed himself by now.’

‘Someone has to take those risks or we would never know what was going on in the world,’ he pointed out reasonably.

‘I know that, but does he have to enjoy it so much?’

‘A man should enjoy his work, he’s going to be doing it for years.’

‘Not that sort of job he isn’t. He’ll be too old for it soon. He’s thirty-four, you know.’

Roger chuckled. ‘That isn’t old. Will you think me old and past it when I get to that age?’

‘Oh, he isn’t past it, far from it. He had some woman staying with him this weekend, and he openly admitted to sleeping with her.’

‘Goodness, your conversation did get personal, didn’t it?’ grinned Roger.

‘Very. Oh, let’s forget about him, he only angers me.’

‘I’m all for that,’ he said throatily. ‘Kiss me some more.’

She did, her arms about his neck, her body pressed against him. They were so engrossed in each other they didn’t hear the approaching footsteps on the gravel pathway.

‘I hate to interrupt the two of you,’ drawled a familiar taunting voice, ‘but I have to take you home, Alexandra.’

She looked up at Dominic Tempest, her hair wild, her eyes slightly glazed and her mouth bare of lipstick. She moved hurriedly out of Roger’s arms, smoothing her hair down self-consciously.

She licked her lips. ‘What did you say? And what are you doing here anyway?’ she asked resentfully, some of her composure returning. Why should she feel embarassed? He hadn’t this morning.

‘I’ve come to take you home,’ he repeated. ‘Roger’s parents told me you were down here.’

Alexandra stood up, challenge in every line of her body. ‘What do you mean, you’ve come to take me home? Just who do you think you are? I don’t have—–’

‘Gail’s been taken to hospital, Alex,’ Dominic told her quietly.

Her face paled. ‘To hospital? But why? I don’t understand.’

‘It’s quite simple. She collapsed shortly after you walked out of there this morning,’ he told her calmly.

‘Oh, darling!’ Roger held her in his arms, kissing her forehead gently. ‘She’ll be all right, Alexandra, I’m sure of it.’

‘Oh yes, she’ll be all right,’ Dominic Tempest agreed coldly. ‘Now that she’s safely in hospital away from Alexandra’s childish displays of temper.’

CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_9ae3359b-dfec-547d-9b4b-5d878f97b9c8)

ROGER flushed furiously. ‘Now look here, you can’t go around saying things like that! Alexandra can’t be held responsible for—–’

‘I think Alex knows she can be held entirely responsible,’ the elder man interrupted. ‘She knew the delicacy of Gail’s condition, but she went ahead with her stupid personal grudge against me, walking out of the house swearing vengeance for some wrong she believes me to have done her.’

‘But you—–’

‘He’s right, Roger,’ Alexandra said dully. ‘I did walk out of the house with the intention of going to see him, and I did tell Gail. She’s eight months pregnant, I should have realised it would upset her.’

‘Yes, you should have,’ Dominic agreed abruptly. ‘Like I told you earlier, you’re utterly selfish. Now, if you’re ready, I’ll take you to the hospital. Gail will want to see you.’

‘Is she going to be all right?’ Her eyes pleaded for him to say yes.

‘With rest and being kept under observation they think she’s going to be fine, no thanks to you.’

‘That’s enough, Tempest,’ Roger said angrily. ‘Can’t you see how upset she is? There’s no need to keep saying things like that to her.’

‘There’s every need, damn you!’ Dominic snapped forcefully. ‘Alexandra has to be made to see how her thoughtlessness can hurt other people. We’re lucky the baby isn’t being born right now.’

Alexandra raised distressed eyes. ‘It isn’t, is it?’

‘No,’ he gave her an impatient look. ‘Are you ready to leave, because I’m going back to the hospital now whether you come or not. Trevor needs a little moral support at the moment.’ He turned sharply on his heel and began walking back towards the house.

‘Dominic!’ she cried out his name, beginning to run after him. ‘Wait for me!’

He didn’t look at her as she ran to keep up with him. ‘I don’t have the time.’

She clutched at his arm. ‘Please, Dominic,’ she pleaded. ‘Tell me how Gail is.’

At last he looked at her, his eyes cold. ‘I’ll tell you in the car if you really want to know, but I’ve wasted enough time on you for one day. I’ve been looking for you for over an hour now. Why the hell didn’t you stop when I waved you down?’

‘I—–’