Sensual Encounter

‘Well?’ she prompted as he made no effort to go.

Jared looked puzzled. ‘Well what?’

‘Shouldn’t you be going somewhere too?’ she said exasperatedly.

‘Oh, don’t mind me,’ he grinned blandly. ‘I’m not sleepy yet. I had a nap on the sofa while you were out—my body clock is still out, you see.’

She didn’t give a damn if he hadn’t slept for days, she just wanted to get some sleep herself! ‘I don’t think I’m getting through to you, Jared,’ she sighed tautly. ‘I want you to leave now—go,’ she spoke slowly, clearly, so that there should be no more misunderstandings. ‘I want to go to bed.’

‘Go?’ he repeated in a puzzled voice. ‘But where would I go at three o’clock in the morning?’

‘I really don’t give a damn where you go, I just want you to leave!’

He shook his head. ‘I can’t.’

‘Can’t?’

‘Nope,’ he confirmed lightly. ‘I don’t have any money, you see. The job in Canada didn’t turn out to be the success I thought it would be, I only just had enough money to get myself back to dear old England.’

‘I’ll lend you some money to—–’ He was shaking his head before Kate had even completed her suggestion! ‘No?’ she rasped tightly.

He continued to shake his head. ‘I never take money from a woman.’

‘But if I insist …’

‘I still couldn’t do it.’ He pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘Besides, what respectable hotel would appreciate my turning up for a room this time of the morning?’

‘London doesn’t stand on ceremony, you know that. It’s a city of transients.’

‘Maybe,’ he conceded. ‘But I’m really quite comfortable where I am.’

And she was far from being comfortable! Jared couldn’t possibly stay in her flat overnight. What if Richard should find out?

‘I’ll leave first thing in the morning, I promise,’ Jared seemed to be reading her thoughts. ‘You have a spare bedroom, just let me stay here tonight.’

She was beginning to feel too tired to argue any more, with the thought of her full day at the agency looming in front of her. ‘All right,’ she agreed tautly. ‘But you stay in the spare room, and you leave first thing in the morning,’ she warningly echoed his words.

‘Of course.’ He somehow contrived to look hurt. ‘Didn’t I just say I would?’

‘What you say and what you do are two different things,’ she bit out.

His eyes darkened, the laughter fading from them for a few minutes. ‘Not me, Katharine Mary,’ he told her softly. ‘I always mean what I say, and I always do it too.’

‘A man of his word, hmm?’ she sneered with bitterness.

The humour still didn’t return. ‘I’m sorry you’ve been hurt, my Katharine,’ his voice almost caressed. ‘And one day I’d like to hear about the man who did the hurting. Although I realise that right now,’ he taunted at the rebellion in her face, ‘you would rather tell me to go to hell for daring to intrude into your private pain.’

‘You realise right,’ she rasped harshly. ‘You’ll find clean linen in the cupboard in the spare-room,’ she added tiredly. ‘I trust you know how to make a bed?’

He grinned. ‘I already have.’

Kate gave a disbelieving frown, marching over to open the door to her spare bedroom. The bed was neatly made up, the top covers turned back invitingly. She turned to Jared with blazing eyes. ‘You were very confident!’

‘Not really,’ he shook his head. ‘I just know my Katharine Mary.’

‘You don’t know me. And I’m not your anything!’

He shrugged. ‘I think the answer to both those statements is, not yet.’

‘Not ever!’

He sighed. ‘Please yourself.’

‘I intend to!’

‘And I intend pleasing myself too,’ he looked at her in challenge. ‘And being with you pleases me more than anything else. You really shouldn’t have run out on me like you did.’

‘I didn’t run out on you,’ she denied. ‘It was time to leave the hotel, so I left.’

‘While I was making a telephone call!’

‘We had nothing more to say to one another, we’d already said goodbye.’

‘Strange,’ Jared drawled, ‘I don’t remember that. I remember asking you to go to North America with me.’

‘And I thought you would understand my answer,’ she scorned.

‘Maybe I did,’ he nodded. ‘But the Rourkes have never been known to give up.’

For a social drop-out that was a very strange statement! Jared seemed to read her thoughts once again, for his mouth twisted wryly.

‘Maybe I just need the right woman to help me settle down,’ he said lightly.

Kate’s head went back. ‘Well, don’t look at me!’

‘Was I?’ he teased.

‘You know you were,’ she dismissed abruptly. ‘But I’m going to marry Richard next month.’

‘Of course you are,’ Jared nodded.

‘Jared?’

He turned, his brows raised in innocent query. ‘Hm?’

Kate sighed, putting up a weary hand to her forehead, unconsciously using her left hand, the diamond there sparkling brightly, unknowingly provoking the man standing opposite her.

‘Don’t worry, me darlin’,’ once again he spoke with an Irish brogue, pulling her towards him, ‘I’m sure the best man will win.’