Читать книгу Yesterday's Bride - Alison Kelly - Страница 10

CHAPTER TWO

AS THEY sat amid the bustle and laughter of the family-orientated restaurant, the heavy silence hanging over their table wasn’t conducive to making Taylor feel comfortable. The air seemed like a volatile mix of suppressed anger, bottled-up resentment and raw sexuality, which threatened to explode at any moment. She knew if it did, her child would be the most critically injured.

It was obvious Craig was anxious to be anywhere but where he was, and Taylor resented the way her body was reacting to his reluctant presence. Why were the random memories running through her head only the kind that caused a surge of sensual adrenalin to course through her? Lord knew more than enough unpleasant scenarios had been played out between her and Craig in the later stages of their marriage. Why was it they seemed incidental now?

With the benefit of twenty-twenty hindsight, she realized it would have been better had she arranged for Melanie to meet her father alone. Her daughter was all too aware of the undertow of tension rippling beneath the stop-start conversation of the last fifteen or so minutes; it showed in her uncharacteristic quietness.

Reaching for her fries, Taylor realized they, like - everything else, were now cold. But it didn’t matter. Emotionally she’d been too wound up to eat; only for Mel’s sake had she made an effort. Yet considering how every time she lifted her eyes from her food, she’d encountered rich brown masculine ones that negated her ability to chew, swallow or execute any of the automatic steps of eating, she didn’t think she’d convinced anyone she was enjoying the meal.

‘Not hungry?’ Craig asked. She gave a tight smile and shook her head. His eyes skimmed over her face as if taking an inventory of her features, then with a seductive smile he helped himself to her half-eaten burger. ‘I am.’

Without taking his eyes from hers, he bit slowly into the same spot she had. Remembering how those even white teeth had felt nibbling on her flesh, she felt her stomach somersault as a wave of heat rose from her toes into her cheeks. Oh, hell! This was insane!

‘What about you, Mel?’ Craig was asking. ‘Would you like something else?’

‘No, thank you.’

He frowned, then reached for his wallet. ‘Sure you wouldn’t like to go buy yourself an ice cream or something?’ he urged.

Melanie cast a concerned look at him, then quickly lowered her eyes and shook her head. ‘No, thank you,’ she said again.

Her daughter’s lifeless response prompted Craig to send Taylor a what’s wrong with her? look.

Annoyed at his pseudo-innocence, she sent him a furious well, what do you expect? glare in return. Why wouldn’t the poor kid have clammed up? Taylor fumed silently. He’d practically ignored her since they’d left the office! He’d been so busy studying her, Melanie could have sprouted wings and flown away and he wouldn’t have noticed! It didn’t matter that she had been more than a little preoccupied with less than motherly thoughts. After all, Melanie could have lunch with her any time. Craig was here at Mel’s request; the least he could do was be attentive to her.

Not that she owed him any favours, Taylor told herself, but for Melanie’s sake she’d better give him some direction if this lunch wasn’t going to turn into an even bigger disaster than it already was! Ensuring her daughter wasn’t watching, she pointed first at Craig, then at her own mouth and finally at Melanie. Then she opened her hand in imitation of a duck quacking to indicate Craig should say something to the child.

It took a couple of seconds before comprehension dawned on Craig’s handsome features.

What? he mouthed back.

Anything! she returned.

I don’t know what to say to her! Craig enunciated each word silently. Damn, he thought, it was all very well for Taylor to look at him as if he was a complete moron when it came to children, but he’d never had to deal with them. She’d never given him the chance! He glanced at the small dark head beside him, seeking inspiration, but none came. How could a businessman of his calibre be so devoid of something appropriate to say? Why, when he’d rescued deals with some of the most high-powered men in the world, was he being awestruck by a pint-size kid?

His attention again became focused on Taylor. Mouth pursed, she looked daggers at him, then again started to speak voicelessly. The silent movement of her lips and the hint of tongue and teeth revealed by her actions stirred heat in his loins. Cursing mentally, he shifted in his seat, trying to concentrate on what she was mouthing to him, rather than on her delicious mouth.

Dammit! He couldn’t make out what the last word was. He sent her a blank look and watched intently as she mouthed her message again.

Ask her about...Hell! He still couldn’t make it out.

‘She said, “Ask her about school”.’

Guiltily, both adults looked at the owner of the tiny voice. Obviously the child had intercepted her mother’s message to him and interpreted it better than him.

‘Er...yes. How is school? Do you like it?’ he asked woodenly.

‘I don’t know,’ the little girl responded. ‘I haven’t started yet.’

Taylor blushed under Craig’s stinging glare. ‘I...I only enrolled her today. She starts next week. At St Catherine’s. My old school. It has a junior school as well as high school. Mel’s going to the junior school.’

‘I’m sure I’d have assumed the high school if you hadn’t pointed that out,’ he said drily.

‘I’m not old enough for high school—’ Melanie again stopped short and pondered the man beside her. ‘What should I say?’ she asked both adults.

Taylor frowned. ‘About what, darling?’

‘To finish talking to him.’

Unsure exactly what her daughter was on about, Taylor hedged. ‘Um...what do you think you should say...to finish talking to him?’

The little girl wore a considering expression for a few moments then delivered a direct gaze to the man beside her. ‘Is Daddy okay?’

Taylor’s gasp was nothing compared to the half-strangled gurgle Craig emitted and one look was enough to tell her Daddy wasn’t okay. His face was drained of all colour and he looked as if he’d been poleaxed!

‘I...I’m fine. I think,’ he muttered, reefing at his already-loose tie.

‘No, I mean do you want me to call you Daddy or Craig or mister or sir or...?’

The kid was counting off the various titles on her fingers, but Craig had no idea how to answer her. ‘Er...well—’ he paused and tried to gather his thoughts

‘—maybe you should ask Taylor...I mean your mother...Mummy...’

“This is something you two should decide between yourselves,’ Taylor responded quickly.

In that instant, Craig was swamped by a dozen emotions, all generated by the woman sitting opposite him. Passion was easily the most dominant one, but he wasn’t sure whether it would be best purged by reaching across and kissing her or reaching across and choking her. In view of her amused grin, he fancied the latter.

‘Well?’ Melanie pressed. ‘What do you want me to call you?’

Slowly he turned to the child. For a little girl, she certainly had a big attitude, he decided, amused by her arched eyebrow. He stiffened, knowing the same had been said of him as a kid. He felt his heart swell—his daughter. His own flesh and blood. He was both humbled and proud to think she resembled him so closely.

‘Daddy sounds pretty good to me,’ he said, clearing his throat when his words sounded a bit scratchy. ‘It’ll probably take us both a bit of time to get used to it, though,’ he told her.

‘It’ll be easy for me!’ Melanie proclaimed, her wide smile reflecting in her eyes. ‘I’m used to talking to your picture and calling you Daddy.’

‘My picture?’

‘Yeah, the one Mummy keeps on her dressing table.’

Craig raised an eyebrow and studied his estranged wife. ‘Now, that’s interesting.’

Taylor could have cheerfully throttled her beloved daughter on the spot but she managed a careless shrug. ‘It’s important for children to identify with a father figure,’ she said. ‘I don’t believe in telling horror stories about absent parents. So I just omit the gory bits!’

‘So why not keep it on Melanie’s dressing-table?’

‘Because there’s no room on it! It’s already chock-a-block with her favourite stuffed animals.’

Melanie stood up. ‘I’m going to the toilet.’

‘Again? You went at the office.’ Taylor almost groaned on hearing her inane response. Melanie was old enough to decide when she needed to relieve herself! The truth was she was uncomfortable with the thought of being left alone with Craig. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’ she asked hopefully.

The five-year-old rolled her eyes. ‘Mummy, I’m not a baby!’

‘Frightened to be alone with me, Taylor?’ Craig’s sexy drawl, coated in amusement, came on the heels of Melanie’s departure.

Taylor ignored the remark. At twenty-nine, she hoped she was sophisticated enough to deal with her feelings for Craig Adams. Now she wondered if she wasn’t every bit as naive as she’d been when she left him five years earlier. Around this man her emotions always seemed to bamboozle her common sense. Nothing, it seemed, had changed. But there was no reason he had to know that. From here on she’d treat him like any other male acquaintance—with polite pleasantness, nothing more.

‘So...’ She hoped he didn’t notice the breathy sound of her voice. ‘How’s the business doing?’

‘You can’t tell from the size of the dividend cheques?’

‘I didn’t mean financially. I was curious about what sort of expansions we’ve made.’

‘We’ve made?’ He scowled. ‘Listen, Taylor, you’ve been a silent partner in this firm for the best part of six years. Don’t think you can waltz back here and start quizzing me on how I run the company!’

‘I...I never meant to imply...’ She paused and tried again. ‘I was only making conversation—’

‘Ah! Sorry I didn’t realize your interest was only superficial!’

‘It’s not!’ she protested, angry at his accusation. Once Adams Relief had been as much the focus of her life as his. When they’d started the temporary-staffing business, a year after their marriage, they’d only listed replacement office staff on their books, but within eight months they had several highly qualified people capable of stepping into managerial positions. Three years from the inception of the business, Craig had seen an opportunity for expansion. Himself a qualified mechanic who’d completed his business-management degree at night, he saw the need for qualified tradesmen to be provided on a relief basis and so Adams Relief stretched its services to cater for this demand, also.

Taylor had to admit that for a long time, like Craig, she had regarded Adams Relief as their ‘child’ and had delighted in watching it grow and develop under their guidance. But unexpectedly her maternal instincts started to surface and she became less and less satisfied with the idea of being solely career orientated. Craig, however, had been so completely opposed to amending their original decision to never have children, Taylor hadn’t raised the issue a second time and pushed the idea from her mind. At least she tried.

Perhaps it was some sort of trick of her subconscious that allowed her to fall pregnant. Perhaps it was a case of wishing too hard and too often, but regardless of what quirk of nature saw her get pregnant while using contraceptives, the fact was she did.

Thinking of her precious daughter, she was eternally grateful the decision had been taken from her hands.

‘Rest assured, Craig,’ she said, ‘I have no desire to try to interfere with the way you’ve been running the firm.’

‘Too busy overseeing the Radcliffe family fortunes, are we?’

‘I won’t even dignify that remark with an answer!’

‘You’re right. That was uncalled for.’ He presented her with an apologetic look. ‘I really was sorry to hear about your parents. A hotel fire is a tragic way to die. It can’t have been easy for you to deal with.’

‘I coped. And at least they went together.’ She gave a small ironic smile. ‘I doubt either of them could have survived without the other. Or wanted to.’

Craig recognized the flash of pain in her face. He knew that as a child, Taylor had spent her life on the outside, looking in at parents too wrapped up in themselves to notice their little girl. She’d always claimed if she ever loved anyone as completely as her parents loved each other, she’d never have children. Six years into their marriage, she’d changed her mind.

‘They were quite different once my father retired and Mel and I moved to Adelaide,’ she said softly as if reading his thoughts. ‘Father especially was quite taken with Melanie, and Mother showed me dozens of albums full of photographs of me as a baby.’ She gave a brittle laugh. ‘Of course, there aren’t many of me from the age of five onwards. Boarding-schools aren’t big on taking snaps of pupils.’

‘So how come you’re so keen to send Melanie to St Catherine’s?’

‘Because it’s an excellent school.’

‘Well, I think she’s far too young for boarding-school—’

‘You think!’ Taylor practically spat the words. ‘For your information, she’ll be a day pupil not a boarder! And besides,’ she said tersely, ‘you’ve been a silent partner where Mel’s concerned for the past five years! I’ve managed to make all the right decisions thus far—’

‘Have you?’ His interjection was ignored.

‘And I don’t need your two cents’ worth now!’

‘I’m back!’ The reappearance of Melanie interrupted them.

‘Good girl,’ Taylor said, rising to her feet and gathering up her handbag, ‘because we have to leave now.’

‘Ohhh.’ The protest was the universal whine of a five-year-old. Taylor ignored it not because of anything she’d read in a good-parenting manual, but because self-preservation demanded she end this fiasco as quickly as possible.

Craig caught her by the elbow. ‘Have dinner with me tonight.’ It wasn’t a question but his tone stopped it short of being a command.

‘Can we, Mummy?’ Melanie pleaded, tugging Taylor’s hand.

‘I’m sorry, but I play basketball on Friday nights,’ Taylor said, grateful for the excuse.

‘You still play basketball?’

‘I happen to believe in staying in shape and keeping fit.’

‘Well,’ he whispered, ‘there’s no denying you’re in great shape, but I’d like to test out your fitness for myself. How about tomorrow night, say eight o’clock?’ He smiled at her blushing confusion.

‘Nnnoo...I don’t like to have Melanie out late two nights in a row,’ she said, dislodging his grip and hurrying to the street. He kept pace with her.

‘I wasn’t suggesting you bring Melanie,’ he muttered.

If she’d hoped the fresh air would help clear her mind and soothe her jumbled nerves, she was wrong. The warm, early-February breeze seemed determined to sweep the musky scent of his favourite aftershave into her nostrils and into every cell of her memory. Sensual panic rushed through her, partly created by his scent and the tone of his voice, and partly by the feel of his breath on her neck. Her stride faltered and he grasped her elbow with lightning reflexes to prevent her stumbling. She jerked free as if scalded.

‘I...I can’t get a sitter. I’ve lost touch with most of my old friends,’ she said.

‘Even your old school pal, Dr Liz O’Shea?’

‘Liz plays on the team with me when she’s not on duty.’

‘Well, then, hire a professional.’ Her look of outraged horror told Craig he’d made a tactical mistake.

‘I will not leave Melanie with strangers! The answer is no!’

He shoved his hands into his pockets, pondering the idea of hauling her into his arms and kissing her into agreement, but one look at her determined features crushed the egotistical belief he could do it. But he wasn’t prepared to let her walk away without knowing for sure he was going to see her again. Soon.

He was struggling with a solution when he caught sight of the childish smile being beamed up at him. Well, he thought, returning the little girl’s grin, All’s fair in love and war.

‘Hey, Melanie,’ he said, ‘how would you feel if I called over one night next week to check how you were doing at school?’

‘Craig!’ Taylor’s blurted anger was drowned out by her daughter.

‘Wow, that’d be great! You could have dinner with us!’

‘Now there’s a great idea!’ He patted the child’s head, his eyes on Taylor. ‘I’m free Monday,’ he said, finding the fury in her green eyes nostalgic.

‘Monday’s no good! Mel will be too tired after her first day at school.’

‘That’s okay,’ he said. ‘Tuesday’s equally good for me.’

‘Tuesday she has ballet!’

‘There’s always Wednesday—’

‘No, there isn’t!’ she said triumphantly. ‘I have basketball practice until seven.’

‘We’ll make it after seven, then,’ Craig countered, his hands balling into frustrated fists in his pockets.

‘Er...no, I...’

‘Say seven forty-five?’

‘I...I...um...I—’

‘Oh, please, Mummy? Pretty please?’

Melanie’s beseeching look and misty eyes tugged at Taylor’s maternal instincts while Craig’s arrogant smirk pushed at her violent streak. Great! She had a choice between a confrontation with the devil in Craig and a crying jag to rival the deep blue sea from Melanie. She could either score points for herself or break her daughter’s heart.

Her resigned sigh and half-hearted nod sent such a tide of relief rushing through Craig that he knew he was smiling like an idiot. ‘Thanks, Taylor, I’d love to come.’

Her response was a murderous look and he was relieved to have the kid nudge his leg to gain his attention.

‘Aren’t you gonna thank me, too?’ she asked him.

‘Eh, well sure,’ he said, crouching to put himself on the same level as the girl. The small arm that snaked out and hooked around his neck in an instinctively trusting action caught him off guard. He quickly lifted his eyes to the woman who bad conceived this child against his wishes, seeking her guidance as to what was expected of him. But she’d turned away.

‘Well, Melanie...’ He paused, still at a loss as to what to say to the owner of the huge smile and innocent brown eyes fixed on him. ‘I...eh...thanks for lunch. And...and I guess I’ll see you Wednesday.’ Quickly he set her away from him and stood up.

Blinking the blur from her eyes, Taylor made a production of looking for her car keys, hoping he’d say a quick goodbye and leave.

‘Taylor?’

She lifted her head impatiently. ‘Yes?’

‘She seems a nice kid.’

He was so close she could count the rate of the pulse in his neck. Traitorously her mind recalled how quickly passion accelerated that pulse, how it had felt to have it throbbing beneath her tongue as she licked the sweat of lovemaking from the skin covering it.

‘What’s your address?’

From her body’s reaction to his voice, he could have been asking her to strip. Goose bumps carpeted her skin, her own pulse went into a tailspin and her vocal cords seemed paralysed—along with every other part of her his eyes touched. It became a mental struggle to recall where she lived and her voice trembled slightly when she finally told him.

Taking hold of her wrist and softly brushing his thumb over it, he murmured, ‘Sure you’re not free beforehand?’

For Taylor the temptation to say to hell with basketball was almost overwhelming. She swallowed hard before answering in case the wild idea verbalized itself. ‘Seven forty-five Wednesday,’ she said firmly, removing her hand from his grasp.

‘I’ll be there.’

‘Melanie will be looking forward to it.’

‘She won’t be the only one, will she, Tay?’

Tay! No one but him had ever called her that. His use of it now was intended as a deliberate reminder of shared intimacies. Ha! As if she’d needed reminding.

He uttered no other farewell, and, determined she wouldn’t, either, Taylor took Melanie’s hand and walked away. The child twisted, waving cheerfully to the tall, darkly handsome stranger who was her father.

‘I think he likes me, Mummy,’ she said proudly, buckling her seat-belt. ‘Why else would he ask if he could come and visit me next week?’ she mused aloud.

Why? thought Taylor, revving the car with more vigour than was necessary. Because, dammit, he used you as a means to see me! And heaven help me, I let him do it!