Sarah Holland - Extreme Provocation

Lucy struggled away from him, backing across the kitchen.

‘Do I get a dinner date?’ he asked thickly.

‘No,’ Lucy said at once, and then, on a sudden inspiration, ‘If my boyfriend catches you here, he’ll kill you.’

‘Boyfriend?’ he said sharply, frowning, then as though to himself, ‘Of course...’ The black lashes flickered. There was a little silence as his mouth hardened. ‘Who is he? How long have you been seeing him?’ His eyes darted down. ‘It can’t be serious because you’re not wearing a ring.’ His eyes shot back to her face. ‘Are you in love with him? No, you can’t be or—’

‘I have no intention of discussing my personal life with you,’ she snapped heatedly, keeping her distance. ‘Now kindly leave.’

‘Are you in love with him?’

Her mouth tightened. ‘You don’t give up, do you?’

Randal laughed. ‘Never. At least—not when I want something.’

‘You can’t have everything you want.’ She lifted her chin, eyes defiant. ‘Life isn’t like that.’

‘Perhaps not for other men,’ he drawled arrogantly, ‘but I can assure you it is for me. I always get what I want. There’s always a way. Didn’t you know that?’

‘Not with me,’ she said flatly. ‘You’ll never find a way to get—’

‘I only have to find your Achilles heel,’ he murmured, smiling. ‘And I think I already have—don’t you?’

She flushed, pointing suddenly to the door. ‘Get out of here!’

He laughed, eyes mocking. ‘That gesture would be more effective if you hadn’t kissed me back so passionately just now.’

Fury shot through her. She abandoned her stance. ‘I didn’t kiss you back. I was cornered and forced into it.’

‘You could have screamed,’ he drawled, laughing at her. ‘But you presumably wanted it as much as I did. What’s the matter—doesn’t your boyfriend know how to kiss?’

‘How dare you?’ she said, trembling with rage. ‘He’s ten times the man you are.’

‘But he hasn’t made love to you yet.’

‘He’s not like that,’ she said heatedly. ‘He wouldn’t dream of—’

Randal laughed with such open mockery that she couldn’t continue.

‘I’m not discussing him with you,’ Lucy blazed, hating him violently. ‘Now please just accept that I don’t want anything to do with you—and leave.’

He smiled lazily, hands thrust into black trouser pockets. ‘I’m afraid I can’t do that. I want you far too much.’ He moved suddenly, striding towards her with coolly lethal sex appeal and making her back away, her heart in her mouth.

‘If you kiss me again, I’ll—’

‘Don’t worry,’ he said softly. ‘I won’t kiss you again. Not just yet.’ His hand touched her chin, cool fingers making her pulses race. ‘I can hear your father moving about upstairs. I don’t want to run into him. And you don’t want me to, either—do you, Lucy?’

She flushed, jerking her chin from his grasp. ‘I just want you to go. That’s all.’

‘The more you run,’ he said softly, ‘the harder I’ll chase.’

Breathless, she stared into the powerful face. ‘Why?’ she asked in sudden overwhelming panic.

‘Because I’m that kind of man,’ he drawled sardonically, smiling with amusement at her fear. ‘A hunter. A predator. I enjoy the excitement of the chase, and you’re the most exciting prey that’s ever caught my fancy.’

As she shivered, he turned coolly from her, a smile on his hard, mocking face, and left the kitchen, closing the door quietly behind him, his footsteps moving with panther-like grace to the front door.

Lucy was trembling as she sank into a chair at the kitchen table, the morning sunlight streaming over her through the windows, and heard the front door close behind him.

What on earth was she to do?

Edward arrived at three for Sunday lunch. Her father had been up for two hours, and was flicking idly through the Sunday newspapers in the drawing-room. Lucy had prepared most of the lunch and was just waiting for it all to be ready. The potatoes were roasting in the oven along with the lamb and the onions. Various saucepans filled with vegetables were bubbling on the hobs.

‘Mmm!’ Edward strolled over to the stove. ‘Smells delicious! How long till it’s ready?’

‘Fifteen minutes.’ She glanced at her watch, poked the carrots with a fork. ‘You didn’t go to the casino last night, did you?’

He grimaced. ‘It was so late when I left—’

‘Daddy was at the casino till dawn, drinking champagne.’ She sighed heavily. ‘Edward—somebody’s got to do something. We must be running out of money. Surely you can—?’

‘I’ll go to the casino tonight,’ Edward cut in smoothly. ‘I promise.’

‘Thank you.’ She touched his thin shoulder gratefully. ‘You see, I’m sure if one of us actually turned up there, he’d realise how serious our worries are.’

Edward raised blond brows. ‘Don’t bank on it, darling. Your father already knows. Turning up at the casino may have no effect at all.’

She felt so frustrated that she put her hands to her temples. ‘What will we do when the money runs out—?’

‘We’ll get married.’ Edward slid his hands on to her waist, smiling. ‘And I’ll give you all the security you need.’

Lucy went into his arms with a sigh. As he kissed her, she compared his soft, gentle mouth with the fierce excitement of Randal’s kiss, and she felt suddenly angry.

She pulled Edward’s head closer and tried to deepen the kiss, instil some urgent passion into it.

Edward jerked his head away, frowning. ‘Lucy...!’

Humiliated, rejected, she stepped away from him, her face running with scarlet colour.

‘Darling.’ He sounded exasperated, running a hand through his blond hair. ‘It’s hardly the time or place...’

‘Edward.’ She lifted her head suddenly, emotions boiling to the surface after his rejection, her voice hoarse as she asked a question that suddenly demanded an answer. ‘Do you love me?’

He stared, even more appalled. ‘What a question! Of course I love you!’

‘Then why don’t you want to marry me until my father’s ruined himself?’ she demanded. ‘Why are you waiting for that ear-splitting crash? Why won’t you do something, Edward? Why do I constantly feel as though we’re all just sitting in an aeroplane that’s running out of fuel?’ She moved towards him suddenly, green eyes blazing with anxiety. ‘We’re going to crash at any minute and nobody’s doing anything!’ Her hands curled on his lapels. ‘Nobody’s doing anything—’

‘For God’s sake, Lucy!’ he whispered tightly. ‘He’ll hear you!’

She shook, closing her eyes, drawing an unsteady breath. ‘Edward, I’m so frantic with worry.’ Her eyes opened again, staring at him. ‘I’ve known you all my life. You’re the only person I can trust, rely on, turn to...but you’re not doing anything, Edward—you’re just waiting for the disaster that we can all see coming.’

‘I’m trying to prevent it, Lucy,’ he said flatly, and there was a sharp edge to his voice that she rarely heard, a cutting edge as though accusing her of something. ‘I’m as worried as you are. More, if anything. But having you badgering me about it won’t help.’

She looked away, flushing. ‘I don’t mean to nag—’

‘But that’s just what you’re doing,’ he said, eyes angry. ‘Nagging at me and accusing me of doing nothing when I’m bending over backwards to try and stop this.’

‘I’m sorry, Edward, I...’ Guilt ran through her. ‘I just feel so helpless...’

‘Well, that’s not surprising,’ he said flatly. ‘You are helpless.’

She looked up at that, astonished and hurt.