He switched on the overhead light and watched as the buried lump under the quilt yelped and eventually emerged, hair everywhere and green eyes spitting fury.
‘I did ring the doorbell,’ he said, bypassing pleasantries.
‘How did you get in?’
‘Key.’ He jangled his trouser pocket provocatively. ‘Didi has a spare on a hook by the Aga.’
‘So you just took it and headed over!’
‘That’s about the size of it.’ He stepped into the bedroom, which was cluttered but not in an unpleasant manner. The dress she had worn earlier hung over the chair by the dressing table and several outfits, which he suspected she might have earlier tried on, were piled randomly on the weathered pine trunk by the bay window. Here was someone who had no hang-ups about neatness. A scented candle had obviously been burning because the room smelt of sandalwood and he thought that a nice touch. ‘Actually Didi was surprised I didn’t have my own key, but I told her that you always travelled up to London to see me.’ She had now wriggled into a semi-sitting position and folded her arms protectively. ‘You spent the entire evening fulminating. Why?’#p#分页标题#e##p#分页标题#e#
‘This is neither the time nor the pla—’
‘Yes, yes, yes. And now we’ve established that, are you going to spit it out?’ He strolled across to the bay window, shoved aside the pile of clothes and sat down, stretching out his long legs and relaxing back to stare at her. He doubted she knew what a fierce turn-on she was, with her rumpled vanilla-blonde hair and her angry green eyes. He doubted she was aware of how those angry green eyes would slide furtively towards him, fascinated and caressing and guilty all at once. He had done his own fair share of furtive watching over dinner…little did she know, but watching her watching him had been an erotic little game.
Ever since that morning, she had been playing games with him, keeping him at arm’s length when those hot eyes were begging him to get closer. Who was he to resist the pull of Nature?
He hadn’t anticipated being attracted to the woman. It was a complication which, he had to admit, was proving intensely enjoyable. Those Keep Out signs she was plastering all around her were a nuisance, however.
‘We could always go downstairs if you find it awkward being in bed…’
Georgie thought of him sitting there, watching her as she clambered out from under the duvet in her unappealing nightwear. ‘Okay. I’ll say what I have to say and then I want you to leave. Understood?’
‘Sure.’
‘What do you think you were playing at this evening?’
Pierre frowned and crossed his legs. Just looking at her was beginning to arouse him! It was crazy. He stood up and began pacing the small room, to distract himself from the way she was leaning forward, affording him a tantalising glimpse of those soft, small breasts.
‘Explain.’
‘Don’t pretend, Pierre! You know exactly what I’m talking about! I gave you the perfect opportunity for us to start finding a way out of this relationship!’
‘Oh, yes, it’s coming back to me now.’ He stopped pacing and stood at the foot of the bed, six feet two inches of pure, sinfully sexy male. When he rested his hands on the foot stead and leaned forward, Georgie unconsciously shifted back. ‘I was supposed to agree to being a workaholic, someone who couldn’t possibly live without…what was it? Oh, yes, the cut and thrust of city life, the sort of single minded bore who couldn’t sustain a relationship in a hundred years.’
‘I never said that you were a bore, ’ Georgie contradicted sulkily.
‘Oh, forgot. I was exciting and ambitious and well-travelled. So exciting and ambitious and well-travelled that anything rural couldn’t fail to bring on rapid mental shutdown.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with that,’ Georgie said defensively. ‘You must have been able to see what I was doing?’
‘Must I?’
‘Yes! Laying the foundations! Your life in London…me down here…what better way to at least start bracing Didi for the eventuality that the distance and the differences between us would get in the way?’
Pierre nodded thoughtfully and strolled to the side of the bed and sat down. Georgie looked at him warily. ‘You mean you agree? I thought you might! I mean, it makes sense, doesn’t it? You could even go away!’
‘Anywhere in particular?’
‘China! That’s a developing country with a growing economy! Isn’t it? You could go to China to…to…do whatever it is you do…oversee an important deal…’