That Devil Love

Standing on tiptoe to touch her lips to his, she said, ‘Goodnight, and thank you, darling.’

He looked as startled and delighted as a man who had come into riches beyond his wildest dreams.

When she got back into the car, Zan’s face was as black as thunder. ‘Fasten your seatbelt,’ he ordered brusquely, and drove on, his mouth a thin, angry line.

Suddenly doubting the wisdom of her action, Annis leaned back against the head-rest and closed her eyes.

A finger flicking her cheek aroused her and she sat up, half stupefied, to find they were outside Fairfield Court.

‘Where’s your key?’ Zan asked curtly.

Remembering his furious face when she’d kissed Stephen, she cravenly found herself wishing she hadn’t deliberately provoked him.

‘There’s really no need for you to get out.’

Ignoring her uneasy protest, he made a swift search through her bag and located her key. ‘Wait here.’

She followed him a moment later, shivering as soon as the wind whipped round her.

He turned on the fire and drew the curtains before helping her out of her silver fun-fur. Then, looming tall and dark and overpowering in the small room, he said coldly, ‘I should put you over my knee for that little piece of bravado.’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she muttered.

‘You know perfectly well what I mean. I’m aware you only did it to annoy me, but you shouldn’t have raised the poor devil’s hopes like that, when it’s obvious that you don’t care a jot for him.’

‘Well, that’s where you’re wrong! I do care.’

‘Only in as far as it affects your brother.’

Seeing her freeze, he asked silkily, ‘Did you think I wasn’t aware how Leighton has been propping him up? Covering for him? It’s common knowledge. I’ve known for weeks.’

Annis gazed at him with horrified eyes.

He smiled mirthlessly, and she found herself abstractedly noting the excellence of his mouth and teeth.

‘I also know, despite the fact that he’s a married man with a family, how you still tend to worry about him, mother him…’

‘But how could you know?’ she protested. ‘Until last night you’d never set eyes on me.’

He shook his head. ‘I saw you about three weeks ago. You came to Leighton’s office when he was working late one evening. Then you walked out together and got into his car. I made some enquiries, found out who you were…’

Her heart missed a beat, then went racing on as she realised he’d spoken too casually to mean what she’d thought he meant.

‘I hoped very much that he would bring you to the party. If he hadn’t, I would have had to think up some other way of meeting you.’

Her head throbbing, her legs feeling as if they might buckle under her, Annis dropped into the nearest chair.

Studying the mauve shadows like bruises beneath her eyes, the translucent skin stretched tight over delicate bones, the faint dew of perspiration on her upper lip, Zan remarked, ‘You look terrible.’ Towering over her, he put a cool hand on her burning forehead. ‘I think you’re coming down with flu.’

She jerked away and muttered, ‘Don’t touch me.’ Then, at the end of her tether, ‘I wish you’d go. Leave me alone. Stay away from me permanently.’

His lips took on a wry slant. ‘I can’t stay away from you any more than I can stop breathing.’

Tilting her chin, he looked deep into her cloudy eyes. ‘I intend to break down those defences, melt the ice you’ve surrounded yourself with, make you want me as much as I want you.’

There was a dark, brooding passion in his face, a relentless purpose that made her shiver.

‘You’re wasting your time,’ she told him raggedly. ‘There’s no way I’ll ever feel like that about you.’

Apparently unperturbed, he said, ‘You already feel more strongly about me than you do about Leighton.’

She jumped to her feet. ‘That’s quite true. I’m fond of Stephen. You I hate. Now will you get out? I never want to see you again.’

‘That might be difficult as you’re working for me.’

‘I’m not. Not any longer. If you really need help, on Monday I’ll send you a competent secretary, but that’s…’

The phone shrilled through her words.

Reaching out, Zan picked it up and answered with a brisk, ‘Yes?’

After a moment he handed her the receiver.

She gave him a furious look and, taking a deep, calming breath said, ‘Hello?’

‘Thank God you’re back…’ Richard sounded distraught. ‘I’ve been trying to get you for over an hour. I’m at the General Hospital…’ He made a sound halfway between a sob and a groan.

‘What’s the matter?’ Annis demanded in sudden fear. ‘Is something wrong?’

‘Linda tripped and fell downstairs. She has a broken arm and there may be internal injuries… The shock caused her to go into labour, but they said it might be hours yet…’

Annis could have wept for her brown-haired, blue-eyed sister-in-law, pretty as a picture and not twenty-one until next month.

‘Mrs Duffy is with the twins, but her husband works nights and she needs to get back to her own family.’

‘I’ll go straight over,’ Annis said through stiff lips. ‘Try not to worry too much. Everything will be all right, I know it will.’

Shaking from head to foot, she depressed the receiver rest, then released it again to call the taxi-rank.

Before she’d put in the first digit, Zan, who’d been standing close enough to hear both sides of the conversation, took the receiver from her hand and replaced it.

‘What are you doing?’ she cried. ‘I need a taxi to get to Notting Hill.’

‘I’ll take you.’

‘I don’t want you to take me,’ she cried fiercely. ‘I don’t need you or your help.’

‘Don’t be a fool, Annis,’ he said shortly. ‘You’re about out on your feet.’