Carole Mortimer - Darkness Into Light

‘You can think in a pool, too?’

‘I’ve never tried.’ She shrugged. ‘I didn’t really have that in mind when I suggested the swim.’

‘Oh?’

‘My, what a suspicious mind you have, Mr Sutherland.’ Danny looked up at him reprovingly. ‘Your uncle lives in a sterilely safe world but I would have thought you had more sense. I certainly don’t have designs on that great body of yours,’ she said angrily.

He had stiffened at the mention of his reclusive uncle, but his expression lightened at the latter, until finally he smiled, albeit resignedly. ‘Go and get your bikini, Danny,’ he sighed. ‘I’d hate you to miss your daily exercise and lose that figure.’

An imp of mischief possessed her as she looked for her bathing costume, picking up one of Cheryl’s, a skimpy black article on her petite sister, even more so on her more generous curves. But Pierce’s last comment had been a little patronising, and she intended shaking him out of his arrogant complacency.

She certainly did that when she joined him, waiting until he surfaced at the side of the pool before dropping her black robe, almost giggling out loud at the widening of Pierce’s eyes as he leant his chin on his folded arms, water dripping down his face.

‘I was wrong,’ he said slowly. ‘Your body is better than Raquel Welch’s!’

She moved to the poolside with exaggeratedly provocative movements. ‘Eat your heart out, Pierce Sutherland.’ She gave him a sweetly triumphant smile. ‘I’ve already promised not to touch you.’

He watched her as she slowly entered the water by the stairs. ‘I didn’t make the same promise,’ he reminded huskily. ‘Although we would have little privacy here.’ He grimaced.

She glanced up at the brightly lit windows. The pool, another recent addition for the new owner, was built close to the back of the three-storey house. ‘Mr Sutherland isn’t back in the house, is he?’ she prompted cautiously, doubting Henry Sutherland would like the idea of his gardener cavorting about in his pool with his nephew.

Pierce shook his head. ‘I can assure you Henry is not in the house.’

‘Do you call him that?’ She swam over to his side, treading water when she reached him. ‘It doesn’t seem respectful somehow. He’s a very powerful man, isn’t he?’ She wrinkled her nose at one man having as much power as Henry Sutherland was reputed to have.

‘Very,’ Pierce agreed grimly.

‘Where do you fit into the scheme of things?’ she asked interestedly. ‘Your cousin does the accounts,’ she explained at his questioning look. ‘I wondered what you did for the Sutherland empire.’

‘A bit of this, a bit of that.’ Pierce shrugged dismissively. ‘It’s a big organisation.’

She nodded, looking appreciatively at the blue-bottomed pool, liking the privacy the fenced-in area offered—except from the house itself! ‘How many lengths have you done?’

‘Ten.’ He shook the water from his hair. ‘Feel up to doing the other twenty?’

‘I can try.’ She nodded. ‘Although don’t make it a race; I’m completely out of practice. They closed the pool down in Bedmont, you know,’ she told him as they struck out in leisurely strokes.

Pierce moved smoothly through the water, obviously pacing himself to her slower movements. ‘Feel free to use this one any time you want.’

‘Won’t your uncle mind the intrusion?’ ‘Henry can be a very generous person,’ he told her drily.

‘I suppose it’s nice for him, having his two nephews working for him,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘He doesn’t have any children of his own, does he?’

‘No.’

‘I heard his wife died.’

‘A long time ago,’ Pierce confirmed abruptly.

‘How sad. And he never married again?’

‘No.’

‘It seems a pity, I’m sure he must have a lot to give a relationship.’

Pierce’s mouth twisted. ‘He is very rich.’

‘I didn’t mean in that way.’ She gave him a stern look for his cynicism. ‘With all that wealth he must also be a very travelled man. Very interesting, I should think.’

‘To my knowledge no woman has ever wanted him for his mind,’ Pierce drawled drily.

Amusement flickered in warm brown eyes. ‘Now that is disrespectful,’ she teased.

‘But true,’ he rasped, striking out in stronger movements. ‘Let’s speed this up or we’ll be here all night!’

She managed fifteen lengths before hauling herself out and collapsing on the cool marble surround to the pool. By the time she had recovered her breath enough to sit up Pierce was on his final length. He glided easily through the water, obviously not tiring at all, his strokes still strong and smooth, a grim look of satisfaction to his face as he levered out on to the side, picking up a towel to drape it around his neck.

‘I’ve been thinking …’

‘Well, it worked for one of us, didn’t it.’ She grinned.

His brows rose. ‘You have no solution to your problem?’

‘Not yet, but I’ll find one,’ she dismissed confidently. ‘You were thinking …?’

‘When you go on this late night jog of yours,’ he dropped down on to the marble beside her, ‘why don’t alarms go off and the lights come on?’

‘It’s quite a security system, isn’t it,’ she acknowledged. ‘What does your uncle have in the house that he needs to protect?’

Pierce’s mouth twisted. ‘That most elusive possession, privacy.’

Danny grimaced. ‘And an expensive one, too, if the guards and security system are anything to go by.’

‘You didn’t answer my question,’ he prompted hardly.

‘About the bells and lights?’ She shrugged. ‘Dave Benson switches them off while I take my run.’

‘He what ?’

Danny frowned at his harsh anger. ‘Don’t panic,’ she teased. ‘There’s still the visual surveillance, and the actual guards. Besides, it isn’t for very long, and—–’

‘Long enough,’ Pierce ground out fiercely, his eyes icy grey. ‘I can’t believe this.’ He shook his head. ‘Are you really telling me that Benson switches off a million pounds worth of highly technical equipment so that you can jog five miles a night?’

‘A million pounds?’ Danny gasped at the figure. ‘Is that really how much it cost? I know he’s a rich man, but—–’

‘Does he?’

She shrugged. ‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about, it’s only for a few minutes—–’

‘Long enough for someone to get in to the grounds and up to the house,’ Pierce snapped, anger etched deeply into his face.

She shook her head. ‘Not with the dogs loose.’

‘Ferdinand and Kilpatrick are with you, remember,’ he bit out tersely.

Danny gave an impatient sigh. ‘In that case there are still the men patrolling the house and immediate grounds.’

‘After learning of the shambles you’ve made of the rest of the security system I wouldn’t be surprised to know that they’re watching you, too! God,’ he exploded into a sitting position. ‘This is incredible!’

She chewed on her bottom lip as she realised how seriously upset he was. ‘Are you going to tell your uncle?’ She grimaced.

His head snapped round, his breathing uneven. ‘You can be sure he needs to be told what’s going on in his own house!’ he told her hardily.

‘What will he do?’

‘Well, I wouldn’t advise any more late night trips into the grounds,’ he warned grimly.

‘Dave Benson isn’t going to get into trouble, is he?’ she asked pleadingly, wishing she had just kept her mouth shut. But it had been something she had never been able to do. Besides, she hadn’t realised it would cause this fuss.

‘Mr Benson is going to get exactly what he deserves!’