‘Let’s not,’ Zavier drawled. ‘I think I’ll take Dad’s lead and have a lie-down.’ His eyes flickered to Tabitha, who stood there suddenly deflated. What she had expected from this the strangest of reunion s she had no idea, but it came as a huge anticlimax that now she had finally seen him he was disappearing so fast.
Just what did you expect? she scolded herself. That he’d be pleased to see you? But her spirits lifted as he pulled her close, running a lazy hand around her waist. ‘Perhaps you could bring me up a drink.’ He kissed her then, again, and this time it was absolutely unnecessary, for no one had doubted the joy in their reunion .
This blatant display of sexuality Tabitha knew had been entirely for her benefit, and the thought simultaneously thrilled and terrified her, making even the simplest task of pouring a Scotch a feat in itself. Knocking gently, she quietly opened Zavier’s door. The drapes were drawn and she stood there for a moment, allowing her eyes to become accustomed to the darkness. Making her way over, she passed the heavy crystal glass to him; the touch of his fingers made her jump and most of the contents of the glass trickled between their fingers.
‘Steady. You’re really nervous, aren’t you?’ Zavier observed.
‘Terrified,’ she admitted.
‘Why? They all believe us. Even Aiden seems to be coming round to the idea.’
‘Good.’ Her voice was strained; she was scared she might reveal it wasn’t his family that was unnerving her at the moment, wasn’t the charade they were playing, but the impact of him close up that terrified her. ‘How was America?’
‘Great—didn’t you get my postcard?’
Which ended that conversation. Zavier would no more write a postcard than fly to the moon. He had propped himself up on one elbow, and, placing his drink on the bedside table, he pulled his tie looser.
‘You must be exhausted?’
‘I’ve spent sixteen hours sleeping on the plane.’
‘Oh, that’s right.’ Tabitha gave a wry laugh. ‘There was me feeling sorry for you, imaging you slumming it in economy, but no doubt you flew first class—or does your family have its own private jet?’
‘No, but for heaven’s sake don’t suggest it or it will be on top of Mother’s list of “must haves”.’ It was a tiny joke but it made her smile, though it wobbled slightly as his finger came up to her lips.
‘That’s better. I forgot how beautiful you look when you smile.’
He was being nice to her, gentle and funny, and she didn’t know how to respond, didn’t know what was real any more.
‘Lie beside me.’
‘Why?’
‘Practice. We’re going to have to get used to sharing a bed, and anyway I don’t like sleeping on my own.’
And no doubt he never had to, Tabitha thought, but she was weakening. ‘I shouldn’t.’
‘Why?’
Tabitha swallowed. ‘Your mum put us in different rooms; it wouldn’t be right.’ She was fighting for excuses. Marjory had practically opened the adjoining door for them, handed her consent on a plate, but it wasn’t some delayed moral code that was preventing her lying down beside him. It was the very real fear that she might weaken and tell him how she was really feeling. Tears were threatening, and the emotions of the past few weeks, the desperate need to see him, the fact he was actually here, the shock of his tenderness were all doing unimaginable things to her self-control.#p#分页标题#e#
‘Come here.’ They were the same two words he had used on their first night together, the same two words that had catapulted her into his arms, and this time the effect was gentler but just as devastating. Slowly she unstrapped her sandals, before stretching out on the bed beside him.
‘We mustn’t…’
‘I know.’ He pulled her into the crook of his arm and she lay there rigid, her breath hot and bursting against her lungs. ‘How has it been, the last few weeks?’ She didn’t answer, just lay there, revelling in his embrace. ‘How did your family take it?’
‘There’s only my grandmother.’
‘So how did she react to the news?’ His voice was so deep, so soft, it was almost lulling her to sleep as she lay in the darkness next to him.
‘She was surprised, pleased, stunned—the same as my friends, really.’
‘Why were they surprised?’
Wriggling slightly, she turned in the darkness towards him. ‘Well, the speed of it. They all initially tried to convince me that I’d gone crazy. I guess there’s not many people left who believe in love at first sight. How about you?’