The Wrong Sister(34)

She watched as he closed his lips around her and suckled deeply.

What’s done is done. There’s no point regretting it.

However much they’d both fought against the attraction, they’d ended up like this. Far too soon. Unacceptably fast by anyone’s standards.

Jan, I’m so sorry.

Mom and Dad, I’m truly ashamed.

Christian, I did not expect this to happen.





“We need to get your hair dry,” he eventually said.

“Leave drying my hair. Let me play with you.”

He shook his head. “That’s as far as we go.”

“As far as you go. I haven’t gone anywhere yet.”

“I thought I took you somewhere rather nice?”

“Exactly. I want to take you somewhere nice as well.”

He drew a deep serious breath. “We stop right now, Fiona. I kissed you. I can live with that—almost.”

“You kissed me in some interesting places...”

“Just kisses. However much I might want you, I can’t have you. Not so soon after Jan. Not while you’re injured. You’re still stitched and taped together, for God’s sake.” He touched the dressing at her temple to reinforce his argument. “Not with you working on the other side of the world, either. Thank God we can cool things down while I’m in Japan.”

The words registered dimly in Fiona’s mind.

Cool things down...

Already he wants to get away from me? This meant so little to him?

A cold tide of dread rushed in, sending drifts of ice skittering across her skin, even as Christian lay resting against her, smoothing his fingers up and down from her belly-button to her breastbone...from her breastbone to her belly-button…in a hypnotic caress.

Even as her hand held him like treasure.

“Probably for the best then,” she said stiffly, brain flooding with pictures of him at exclusive business dinners attended by geishas. And sitting next to glamorous passengers in the luxurious first-class seats of his flights high above the Pacific Ocean. Being fussed over by beautiful confident flight attendants.

Slowly she unwrapped her hand.

She knew he’d attract women the way fragrant flowers attracted bees. Surely he wouldn’t resist them all? He’d foisted her off, but maybe not others...

“I should get my hair finished, I suppose.”

His fingers left her skin. He rose from the bed.

“Over there,” she said, indicating the hair drier, and sitting up with much less speed and grace than Christian had. She reached for her black silk robe and wrapped it around herself like a sheet—a token defense. Then she lurched across to the chest of drawers with its big mirror.

Cool things down.

She thought about the words as dispassionately as she could as she lowered herself onto Jan’s bedroom stool.

Had he just been feeling sorry for her? Decided a sexy little thrill would cheer her up? Started to make love to her and then changed his mind because his conscience had got the better of him? Found her less than desirable after all? None of those options consoled her in the least.

Christian stood close behind her, brandishing the drier as though it was a large pistol.

“Oh, just do it,” she snapped, irritated, still imagining him charming his fellow travelers...smarting from his rejection of her. “Wave it around anywhere. It doesn’t much matter. No-one will see me except Nicky.”

He played the warm air over her head, ruffling his fingers through her hair and running them over her scalp. His touch still felt magical, however hard she tried to ignore the sensation. And his reflection behind her was a total turn-on. She could see he was still at least half-way aroused. He wore his nakedness easily. But then, Fiona thought, this was his bedroom—he was used to being naked here. Naked with her sister.

Get those pictures out of your frustrated brain!

“Now some of this,” she muttered, indicating a pot of styling product. Christian unscrewed the lid and poked a finger into it.

“How much?”

She shrugged.

He rubbed a dab between his palms and smoothed them over her hair, tweaking to fluff and tumble it. Fiona tried hard not to enjoy his touch.

“First I paint your face. Now I style your hair,” he said, resting his hands on her shoulders. “What’s the next step?”

Then you leave me.

She dredged up a slight smile from her very small reserve of composure. “Then you unlock the door and go and see how Kathy and Nicky are getting on.”





He shot her a long considering gaze in the mirror. She’d pulled back from him…already regretting their impulsive and passionate exploration of each other’s bodies.

Fiona had started it. Now she was ending it.

Don’t kid yourself, Christian Hartley—you were hard as hell and you let her know it. It wasn’t one-sided.