Nights of Passion: Mendez's Mistress / Bedded for the Italian's Pleasure / The Pregnancy Affair. Anne Mather

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      ‘Why did you lie about your age?’

      ‘Oh, yeah.’ Steve scowled at her. ‘You couldn’t wait to rat on me, could you? This is a young man’s country, Rache. Why shouldn’t I take off a few years? Plenty of women do.’

      Rachel finished her coffee and put the cup aside. ‘I’d better go,’ she said. ‘Daisy will be wondering where I am. Why don’t you come with me?’

      Steve made no attempt to move. ‘She wants to go home, you know,’ he said again. ‘She wants to go back with you.’

      Rachel shook her head. ‘I don’t think Dr Gonzales will allow that.’

      ‘What do you mean?’

      ‘It’s too soon after the operation. She’ll probably need a few more days’ rest when she gets out of the clinic.’

      ‘Well, I won’t be here,’ said Steve flatly. ‘I’ve promised Lauren I’d take her to New York, and I can’t let her down.’

      ‘But you don’t mind letting your daughter down?’ Rachel suggested mildly. ‘I think you need to go and see Daisy, Steve. Get your priorities in order.’

      She excused herself to go to the bathroom, and when she came back Steve had gone.

      CHAPTER ELEVEN

      DAISY was alone when Rachel went back up to her room. Apart from asking if Rachel had seen her father, she seemed indifferent to the fact that he’d apparently left without saying goodbye. Rachel guessed that this was one of the reasons why she wanted to go home. Where Steve was concerned, only Lauren seemed to deserve his undivided attention.

      Daisy fell asleep soon afterwards and Rachel took the opportunity to go back to her hotel and get changed. She could hardly go out for dinner in her tank top and shorts, and she was grateful now that she’d pushed the crocheted top and skirt she’d been wearing for her date with Paul Davis into the suitcase.

      Then, before taking a shower, she rang Evelyn and Howard and told them what was going on.

      Naturally, they were both disturbed to hear how serious Daisy’s accident had been, and Evelyn said she’d give Steve a piece of her mind next time she was speaking to him. But Rachel knew that was unlikely. Since the rift between them had been breached, Steve’s parents would be unlikely to do anything to create more hostility.

      She rang off, promising to keep them informed of what was happening, and then took another shower. She even washed her hair again, aware that the heat and humidity had left a sticky film over her skin. Or was that being with Joe? shewondered, combing her hair back from her face and regarding her reflection with critical eyes. There was no doubt that when he touched her her temperature soared out of sight.

      It was later than she’d expected when she got back to the hospital, and Daisy had already had her evening meal. She didn’t appear to have missed her mother. When Rachel entered the room, she was engrossed in one of the films Joe had loaded onto the video iPod, but her eyes widened when she saw her mother had changed.

      ‘That’s new, isn’t it?’ she asked, and Rachel realised she’d bought it after Daisy had left for America.

      ‘I had a date with Paul Davis,’ she said offhandedly. ‘I had to have something to wear.’

      ‘It’s nice.’

      Daisy offered her approval before returning to the film, and Rachel spent the rest of the evening flicking through the magazines the nurse had brought her from the visitors’ lounge. They didn’t stop her nerves from jangling every time someone opened Daisy’s door, but they helped keep her mind off seeing Joe again.

      It was completely dark when she stepped outside later. But the heat hadn’t dissipated. It wrapped itself around her like a damp blanket. Yet the scents of night-blooming blossoms seemed accentuated somehow, their fragrance giving the warm air a sensuous appeal.

      Rachel had half expected Joe to be waiting for her in the foyer, but when the lift reached the ground floor only a female receptionist and two security guards were gathered about the desk. ‘Have a pleasant evening, Ms Carlyle,’ the receptionist called cheerfully, and Rachel was heartened by the fact that people were beginning to recognise her.

      All the same, she wasn’t happy standing out on the forecourt. At night, the clinic had a whole new ambience, and an awareness of how vulnerable she was to possible thieves or muggers couldn’t help but cross her mind. After all, it was after nine o’clock. She couldn’t remember when she’d last gone out so late at home. If ever.

      When a low-slung dark vehicle swung into the grounds of the facility, Rachel drew back in alarm. The car was unfamiliar to her, and when it drove under the portico where she was standing she considered going back inside.

      Then a window was lowered, and Joe said, ‘Hey, Rachel!’

      He was driving himself this evening, and he stopped the car beside her and thrust open his door. ‘I’m late, I know,’ he added, pulling a sheepish face. ‘The traffic on the turnpike was murder.’

      Rachel’s tongue circled her lips. He had no idea how glad she was to see him. ‘I haven’t been waiting long,’ she said quickly, and managed a slight smile when he looked down at her.

      ‘You should have stayed inside,’ he commented, his dark eyes taking an intense interest in her appearance. She was glad now she was wearing the new outfit. For the first time in his presence she didn’t feel her age. ‘A beautiful woman alone is always vulnerable.’

      A beautiful woman! He’d said it again, and Rachel felt a shiver of anticipation slide down her spine. It didn’t matter that she knew she wasn’t beautiful. It was just so good to pretend she was.

      ‘So …'Joe indicated the car behind him. ‘Shall we get going?’

      ‘Why not?’ Rachel nodded, noticing how attractive he looked in lightweight cream trousers and a dark brown shirt. His collar was unfastened, and his folded-back sleeves displayed forearms liberally dusted with dark hair. There was a slim gold watch on his wrist, and a heavy gold ring occupied the smallest finger of his left hand. He was nothing like Steve, she thought. And wasn’t she grateful for that?

      The low sports-saloon had the distinctive smell of leather combined with what she recognised as an expensive men’s cologne. And mingling with the rest was the singular scent of a heated male body.

      The engine roared to life, and Joe swung the powerful vehicle out into the stream of traffic. Dozens of pairs of headlights streamed towards them, illuminating palm trees and huge planters filled with flowering shrubs. Waxy anthuriums and scarlet proteas grew in careless profusion, reminding her of the semi-tropical climate, the heat of which had been briefly relieved by the fresh breeze blowing in her face.

      ‘There’s a tropical storm off Cuba,’ Joe commented as she tucked her tumbled hair behind her ears. ‘With a bit of luck, it won’t come our way.’ Then he smiled. ‘How’s Daisy tonight?’

      Rachel thought how ironic it was that Joe seemed more concerned about her daughter than the girl’s father. ‘She’s fine.’ She paused. ‘She really loves the video iPod. She’s been watching one of the films you downloaded for her.’

      ‘That СКАЧАТЬ