Mistress by Mistake

He chose to ignore that Katie’s initial response when he’d offered to step into the breach had been to advise him to get a baby of his own if he wanted to play father, or to buy a dog. ‘I don’t want you practising on mine, Drew,’ she’d said frankly.

He still wasn’t entirely sure why he’d opted to spend his well-earned holiday here rather than join his friends on the ski-slopes. When Katie had put forward the ridiculous proposition that he was bored he’d laughed, but the more he considered it, the more he was inclined to believe there might well be more than a grain of truth in that accusation.

Eve was unaware that she was chewing her lower lip as she met his taunting look with a belligerently stubborn one of her own. Her blushes were held in check by sheer will-power. ‘Not by me.’ I probably couldn’t taint a moral if I tried, she pondered gloomily—and at twenty-three that was quite an indictment.

Drew shrugged, giving the distinct impression that the minutiae of the incident were of no interest to him. ‘Let’s just say it’ll take more than reflexes to save me then.’ He shook the excess moisture off his hands with an expression of distaste. ‘When I agreed to keep an eye on Dan I wasn’t expecting any of this.’

‘Perhaps,’ she muttered, ‘if you spent more time listening to Daniel and less time talking about yourself, this might have been avoided.’

‘Meaning?’

‘I’m sure Daniel makes a very good audience,’ she remarked, her eyes opened to their widest and most guileless. ‘He is very young and easily impressed. We get to hear all about your exploits—second hand, of course, but it brightens up our dull existence no end to hear how the other half live.’

The obvious way to remove that smug, provocative little smile was to… Drew caught himself up short, shocked at the crude, politically incorrect and worryingly tempting solution that had instantly occurred to him. Perhaps a bit of the barbarian lurks in us all, he thought, putting the kiss idea firmly out of his head. He didn’t go around kissing strange women—well, not this strange anyway!

‘You’d know all about bringing up a teenager, I suppose?’ It must be at least five minutes since she was one herself.

‘If that’s meant to be some sort of criticism of Nick…’ Eve began hotly. ‘I just won’t have it!’ she declared passionately. ‘I’m not saying his idea was a good one,’ she conceded reluctantly, ‘but his heart’s in the right place. He wouldn’t have tried to hit you if you hadn’t insulted me. I may not be a perfect parent-figure, but I’m proud of Nick, and I won’t have some…some male blond bimbo criticise him!’

Drew swallowed the male bimbo crack; he was too astonished at the idea of this woman—hell, she wasn’t much more than a girl herself—bringing up a teenager.

‘Are you trying to say you’re your brother’s keeper—in the legal sense?’ he asked incredulously.

Eve had come across this response before. There had been a lot of people who had thought that she was ruining her life taking on the responsibilities of a young boy when she was barely eighteen herself. A lot of people who’d urged her to let Social Services take the burden. Opposition had made her all the more determined to keep their family unit intact.

‘Until he’s eighteen,’ she confirmed, her whole stance saying, clearer than words, Want to make something of it? ‘Which is next week, as it happens—the same day as Daniel.’

‘No wonder you’re weird,’ he breathed, half to himself. ‘I’ve only been responsible for Dan for weeks, not years, and I’m already feeling ready for the funny farm.’

An unscrupulous tart and now I’m weird—charming! ‘It’s nice to meet someone who doesn’t mince his words,’ she observed insincerely. ‘As it happens I’ve found it an extremely rewarding experience watching Nick mature into a warm, caring young man.’ Her lovely mouth curved into a faintly disdainful bow as she selectively deleted all the low points—and there had been quite a few during the last five years. ‘A wise man knows his limitations, and there’s nothing wrong at all with being self-centred. I’m sure you’re extremely wise to avoid responsibilities.’

Neck extended, he allowed his head to roll back in a relaxed, sleepy way. Eve began to think her provocative words had been too subtle for the pea brain to take in—until she saw the steely expression in his half-closed eyes as he looked down at her. Maybe not that subtle, she conceded, swallowing hard—maybe not subtle enough, a small, cowardly voice suggested.

‘Wisdom.’ He considered the word slowly as it rolled thoughtfully off his tongue.

It gave Eve time to give his mouth a detailed examination. Unlike her own, it was perfectly proportioned. She came to the conclusion that there was something quite cruel about the thin upper lip, and there was a disturbing sensuality to the full lower curve. An unexpected tingle of excitement bubbled through her veins and her heart-rate picked up tempo in response. Stimulating? Exchanging in-sults with this man? Next thing she knew she’d be playing on the railway track. There wasn’t much to choose between the two pursuits.

‘Is that the same sort of wisdom you displayed when you decided to play the sultry temptress? A snogging session on the sofa with a schoolboy?’ He awaited her reply with an expression of rapt interest. ‘I suppose it’s possible,’ he prompted, ‘that you like ’em young. Some women do. Or were you living out your naughty fantasies? Then again I might be barking up the wrong tree completely. Do your tastes run in an entirely opposite direction?’ He looked thoughtfully at her sensible shoes.

Her cheeks went bright red as she caught the drift of his crude insinuations. ‘I was not…not…’

‘Snogging?’ he prompted her helpfully.

‘It’s not men I don’t like. Just you!’ The nostrils of her masterful little nose flared and she looked at him with loathing. ’As for kissing… I didn’t… I wouldn’t!’ she spluttered furiously.

‘I thought it was Dan who wouldn’t.’ The breath escaped from between her clenched teeth in a noisy gasp. His smile was a gentle pat on the head. ‘Probably afraid of being eaten alive. That was some outfit.’ And some body that had filled it out, he added mentally—though you’d never suspect it right now. Talk about camouflage! ‘Don’t take the rejection too much to heart. Your average adolescent would have leapt at the chance—and leapt at you too,’ he added thoughtfully.

‘Meaning a proper man would have had more sense?’

‘Sensitive nerve?’ he suggested with a maliciously sympathetic smile. ‘Sorry.’

‘You know where you can stick your apology!’ she hissed.

‘I can imagine,’ he responded hurriedly. ‘But don’t get anatomical, I beg you; I have a very delicate stomach.’

Delicate! she silently raged. Do me a favour—he’s about as sensitive as a brick!

‘Poor Dan has been going through hell at school,’ she told him passionately. She was too angry to notice the spasm of self-recrimination that tautened her opponent’s handsome features momentarily. ‘Kids can be incredibly cruel.’

Did she think he needed telling? he wondered. The fact the kid hadn’t told him bit deep—he hadn’t noticed any of the clues, and, in hindsight, those clues had been glaringly obvious. He’d been a miserable failure as a guardian.

‘Can’t you remember what it was like to be singled out as different?’ Eve’s dark eyes swept disparagingly over him, from the tip of his blond head to his expensively shod feet, and she realised she was looking at the boy everyone else had wanted to be, not a loner isolated by quirks of nature. ‘No, I don’t suppose you can. I was only trying to help.’

‘Save me from fool women with good intentions!’ She’d obviously approve of him more if he could produce evidence of childhood trauma. ‘Alas, I can’t wheel out a dys-functional family, even though I can see the fact my parents are kind, loving, well-balanced…and, yes, well-off individuals ruins my credibility in your eyes.’

‘They must be wondering where they went wrong with you.’

‘You really can’t stop with the cheap wisecracks, can you? Dear God, I wouldn’t give you custody of my cat, let alone a child! Didn’t it occur to you to tell me before you embarked on your crazy scheme?’

‘It wasn’t my…’ she began. She closed her mouth. She wasn’t about to lay the blame at her brother’s door. After all, she had been a co-conspirator and the allegedly responsible adult; she should have known better. It was having this awful man point out the fact—very unpleasantly—she couldn’t stand.

‘Dan made us swear not to. He didn’t want his fantastic Uncle Drew to think he was a wimp. Tell me, what does it feel like to be a role model?’

A dull red ran up under Drew’s perfect tan. Her smile of triumph faded and a soundless squeak escaped her lips as she realised with horror she was wondering how far that golden colour extended. She hadn’t seen any demarcation lines earlier.

‘So you decided you were better qualified to deal with this problem than, say, his parents, or guardian, or head-teacher? Isn’t there anyone who can put the brake on your wild ideas? What did your partner think of the scheme? Or didn’t you tell him? I take it he is a he?’

Eve knew in that second she’d die rather than admit her unattached state. Up until this point she hadn’t attached a stigma to her single state, but under the mocking glare of those hateful, knowing eyes things looked very different.

‘Very much so. Theo is very supportive of anything I do.’ It sounded so smooth she was quite impressed herself.

Please forgive me, Theo, she thought, hoping she didn’t look as guilty as she felt. He wouldn’t mind her using his name in a good cause, she told herself. Question was, would he think scoring points off Drew Cummings a good cause?

‘Meaning you walk all over him in your hobnailed boots.’ He lifted a supercilious eyebrow as he gazed at the footwear. ‘Poor guy.’

‘He doesn’t need your sympathy!’ She ground her even white teeth silently.

‘No, he needs therapy.’ He looked pointedly at her clenched fists and shook his head. ‘A family trait, I see. There was some point was there, to you barging in here, Miss Gordon?’

Good question, Eve. What are you doing here? Other than coming second in this battle of words, that is.

‘I did not barge in; I was invited.’ Pity Nick hadn’t landed him a punch, she thought wistfully.

‘I won’t make that mistake twice,’ he assured her.

‘I was hoping you’d display some remorse for causing Nick’s injuries and for treating me so appallingly. We all know your hands and feet are lethal weapons. You didn’t need to beat up on a teenager to prove it.’

‘Past tense, I see…you’ve decided my character’s as black as your hair, I suppose?’