AMANDA BROWNING - An Old Enchantment

‘Did I see you talking to your father?’

Whether deliberate or not, with his words the mood changed, and she frowned. ‘What a talented man you are. You can dance with my mother and still watch me at the same time!’ Unfortunately, she only managed to sound peevish, and, annoyed at herself, her next bid to move away was more determined. However he was far stronger than her, and she was forced to subside or make a scene.

Kerr clucked his tongue. ‘You have the quickest temper. The dance was already over, and I only asked because of what Bernice said earlier.’

Pulling a face, she looked up, and, quite without her volition, her eyes filled with tears. ‘Damn, I think I’m going to cry.’

With the swift action she was becoming used to, he steered her from the dance-floor and out into the garden. Away from prying eyes, he pressed a pristine handkerchief into her hand. Maxi promptly blew her nose and blinked back the moisture.

‘Sorry about that.’ She gave him a self-conscious smile. ‘I hate causing a scene.’

Standing between her and the building with his hands in his trouser pockets, he raised his brows. ‘That’s a good one.’

She stiffened, aware that she had been foolish to let her guard drop. ‘Don’t start, Kerr. We were getting along fine.’

‘Temporarily. You surely don’t expect it to last,’ he contested.

Expect reasonable behaviour from this man? She wasn’t that foolish. ‘I may be cabbage-looking, but I’m not green. This is just an island of calm in a sea of storms,’ she declared airily.

‘Very poetic.’

‘Don’t sneer, it really doesn’t become you,’ she reproved coolly.

Kerr looked dubious. ‘You’ve become a judge of that, have you, in just a few hours?’

She shrugged. ‘Why not? You judge me.’

‘Ah, but I made my mind up a long time ago,’ he disagreed softly.

That had been made patently obvious. ‘And it would never occur to you to change it?’ She couldn’t hide her bitterness.

Taking his hands from his pockets, he stepped closer to examine her face. ‘Not without good reason. Not when I know...all that I know. Are you feeling better now?’

It was a moot point. ‘I’m not about to blubber all over you, if that’s what you mean.’

The light caught the flash of his teeth as he grinned. ‘You certainly sound better. We’ll go back, before they begin to wonder what we’re up to.’ Taking her arm, he headed towards the door.

Maxi gave a final sniff, ‘What’s to wonder about? There could be only two reasons for us being out in the garden. The first would have them in stitches. They’ve probably plumped for murder.’

Kerr halted in the doorway and when she automatically tipped her head up in silent query, he caught her chin with his fingers. ‘Why is it so impossible to imagine I might want to get my hands on you for the first reason?’ he queried dulcetly, and, before she could guess his intent, he brought his mouth down on hers.

MAXI could still feel that kiss as she prepared for bed. It had been the merest brush of his mouth over hers, but the effect had been astonishing, like being hit by lightning. Her lips had tingled as if they were frozen, yet burned with heat, and every single thought had rushed out of her head. Yet in the midst of it, she had had the strangest feeling of stepping back in time. As if those lips were known to her—and she was sure it wasn’t just a reaction to that punishing kiss earlier. But just as she was on the point of understanding, the contact had been broken, leaving her stranded in space.

When, a second later, Kerr had escorted her to the table, she had still been bemused. She must have functioned, though, because she couldn’t remember anyone looking at her oddly, and she knew she had spoken, but for the life of her she couldn’t recall a word she’d said. Not for those first five minutes. She hadn’t danced with Kerr again, but she hadn’t refused Andy when he’d asked her to. Not from any sense of defiance, but because, with everyone keeping an eye on them, it would have looked odd if she hadn’t.

Unfortunately Fliss hadn’t liked it one bit, and showed a regrettably childish inclination to sulk. The evening had broken up soon after that. Kerr had driven her home without comment, accepting her mother’s offer of a nightcap when they reached the house. Maxi had refused one herself, choosing instead to say goodnight and go to her room.

Now she slipped out of her dress and reached for the silk robe she had draped across the foot of the bed when she unpacked earlier. Cleaning off her make-up, she heard footsteps mount the stairs, doors open and close, and then gradually the house grew quiet. She was in the act of brushing her hair when she heard a soft tap on her door. Almost she thought she had imagined it, until it came again and she swivelled on the dressing stool.

‘Come in,’ she invited cautiously, not really surprised to see her sister slip inside and close the door behind her. Fliss was still in the same yellow dress, and had clearly only been waiting for the others to go to bed before paying this visit.

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