Kate Hardy - Hotbed of Scandal

Mariel climbed out, her dark hair tied back with a yellow ribbon. It looked as if she’d chosen the car to accessorise another neat little sundress, and it occurred to him that not many months ago maybe she would have.

He admired the shape of her bottom as she leaned over the back seat, then straightened with a box from the Chocolate Choices shop in her hands. Couldn’t argue with that either.

She looked as delicate and deliciously cool as a slice of lemon meringue pie. Heat stirred deep in his loins and a primal growl rose up his throat.

Until the passenger door opened and his father climbed out.

The gut-punch knocked him back a step. Good God, what the hell was she doing? His body tensed as he watched Mariel walk with his father towards the door where Dane stood, hand frozen on the door catch. A ball of something thick and hard crawled up his throat. Straightening, he slid the door open before she reached it.

‘Dane,’ Mariel said before he could get a word out. Nerves flitted across her eyes. ‘I’ve brought your dad to town. I know how much you both like chess and…thought you could get reacquainted over a game.’

His gaze swung from Mariel to his father. ‘Dad.’

His father stopped an arm’s length away. ‘Hello, Dane. Mariel invited me, but if you want she’ll drive me straight home again.’

Avoiding her gaze, Dane was tempted to tell her to do just that. He flexed his fingers. ‘You’re here now.’

There was anguish in his eyes, Dane knew, because there was empathy and understanding in Mariel’s when he finally looked. He felt as if she’d stripped away his pride and confidence and left him naked.

He gestured stiffly to the sofa. ‘What are you drinking these days?’

‘I’ll have a beer, if you’ve got one, thanks.’

Mariel switched on a CD. Light music filled the room. She slipped past Dane with an, ‘Okay, then, I’ll leave you two to—’

‘Not so fast.’ Dane grabbed her arm and practically frog-marched her to the adjacent kitchen. As soon as they were out of earshot he spun her to face him. Her eyes were moist. And angry.

She was angry? ‘What the hell are you doing?’ he demanded, his voice killingly low.

‘I’m thinking about you, Dane.’ She set her box of chocolate goodies on the counter. ‘Your father needs you, and whether you know it or not you need him. I thought bringing him here for a friendly game of chess was a good starting point.’

He dropped her arm, strode to the fridge and pulled out two beers. ‘I’d rather face a firing squad.’

‘I might be able to arrange that.’ He didn’t need to look at her to feel her knife-edged gaze, as sharp as a slap. ‘In fact, I might just perform the favour myself.’

His temper boiled over. ‘You brought him here to play chess? Fine. You play. I’m not ready for this.’

Mariel hugged her arms around her body as he passed her, set the beer in front of his father and strode outside. The door slid shut with a thud that vibrated along the wall.

Ah, God. Had she made a really bad mistake? Her heart raced, her legs felt weak, but she made herself cross the room to face Daniel. Tension dug grooves in his already lined face. She’d upset not one person, but two people.

‘He’ll come round,’ she murmured, then pulled her lips into a smile, pulled up a chair so that they both faced the chessboard. ‘Meanwhile, why don’t you explain the game to me?’

Daniel took three long gulps of beer then scrubbed a hand over his jaw. ‘I should go.’

‘Give him a few moments.’ To distract Daniel, and settle herself, she picked up one of the beautiful black crystal pieces. ‘What’s this one called?’

Daniel exhaled a slow breath. ‘It’s a bishop. It can only move diagonally.’ He picked up another. ‘Whereas the knight can jump over any other chess pieces. The object of the game is to checkmate your opponent’s king.’

‘And what does that mean, exactly?’

‘It’s when—’ He broke off when the door slid sharply open and Dane stepped back inside.

His expression gave nothing away. It was as if he’d pulled on a mask. But he was calmer, Mariel noted. The tension in his shoulders had loosened; his hands weren’t balled into fists any more. Some of her own tension ebbed. But only a little, because he was too cool. Too controlled.

He wasn’t finished with her yet, she knew. She’d stepped way over the boundaries they’d set. She was his lover; that was all. Temporary at that. Which gave her no right to interfere in his personal decisions. Or his life.

Just because family meant everything to her, and she wanted one of her own some day, it didn’t mean she had to inflict her lifestyle choices on anyone else. Not even Dane. Even if her motives had been purely for his benefit.

She sprang off the chair, nerves jangling. ‘I’ve got things to do. Upstairs.’

Dane watched her go, then took the chair she’d vacated, set his empty beer bottle on the floor beside him. Outside, he’d been tempted to keep walking, to leave Mariel to clean up the mess she’d made. Until he’d realised she only had his interests at heart. Since when had anyone done anything like that for him? He quite simply couldn’t remember. And he’d reacted like an angry schoolkid.

But he was a grown man, so he’d just have to suck it up and act like one. Didn’t mean he was going to like it. ‘Let’s get it over with, then. White?’

His dad shook his head. ‘We don’t have to play.’

The beginnings of a smile tugged at the corner of Dane’s mouth. ‘You never did like to lose, as I recall.’ He moved the clear crystal king’s pawn two spaces.

His dad mirrored the move. ‘I haven’t played in years.’

‘No excuses.’ Dane made his second move. Queen, four spaces.

‘Barbara left.’

‘I know.’ Both men studied the board. ‘That’s the kind of woman she is. I tried telling you that.’

‘Women. You can’t trust them.’

‘Generally, I’d agree with you.’

‘But Mariel’s different, right?’

Dane felt his father’s gaze on him. ‘Mariel’s not up for discussion.’

‘Why not? She’s living here. I read the papers. Just good friends. ’ His chuckle turned into a loud throat-clearing and he reached for his beer again.

Dane resisted the urge to defend their relationship. His father made it sound cheap. He studied the board but didn’t see it. What they had could never be termed a cheap affair. He’d never known anyone like Mariel. Never would. The fact that he’d have to let her go at some point in the not-too-distant future suddenly loomed, and just for a heartbeat everything inside him stilled and nothingness yawned before him.

More rattled than he cared to admit, he pushed the thought away and made his next move.

Mariel remembered the chocolate cookies she’d intended offering them about ten minutes later. Chocolate always soothed troubled waters. She didn’t want to interrupt or distract, so she’d put them on a plate, set it on the table and leave. She stole barefooted downstairs.

Male voices floated up the stairwell as she descended. ‘You think you and Mariel might get—?’

‘No.’

Mariel froze on the step at the categorical denial, fingers tightening on the smooth, worn banister.

‘She wants to play happy families some day. Big old house, kids of her own.’

She’d always known he was going to end it, but to hear it spoken of in that detached and decisive way cut to her core like broken glass.

‘Kids were never big in our family,’ she heard Daniel say.

‘We’re not family,’ Dane shot back. ‘Being biologically related doesn’t make a family.’

Well, at least Dane understood that much, Mariel thought. But she didn’t want to hear any more. She climbed the stairs back to her room. Closed the door and lay down to wait for the afternoon to be over.