'Get married?' he asks. 'Have children?'
I pull an I-know-I'm-talking-crap kind of face, except I'm not talking crap at all. I know damn well why Dan told me his favourite colour's white, just like I know why he's having the bedrooms redecorated. He's planning for the end-game. And when all's said and done, as long as he takes his time, I'll be quite happy to play along.
'If we do get married and have kids … at some point … they might think, you know, it's a bit strange … if they never saw their relatives.' I let out a groan, wondering why on Earth I'm spilling this out to Clive. 'Jesus, don't tell him I said that.'
Clive chuckles.
'Mum's the word.' He lays down the pen and rests his arms on the table. 'He doesn't like to think about where he came from: that's my take on matters. But if you and Dan ever did … you know … then you should probably talk to him about it.'
I stew some more. My mission to dig for information seems to be falling flat on its face. I'm not satisfied with Clive's answers. Which reminds me, there's something else I'm having difficulty believing.
'Why are you really here?'
'I've told you twice.' His lip gives another twitch.
And I've had enough. I'll ask him straight.
'Third time lucky then. Are you here to protect me?'
'Protect you? I couldn't protect a fly.'
'Seriously? You hit Dan the other week. And you managed to drag Boyd out of Slaters.'
And that's it. At the mention of Boyd's name, the lip gives one almighty twitch.
'You know what?' I inform him. 'It's a ruddy miracle you managed to dupe me yesterday.'
Before he speaks again, he spends a few seconds tracing his finger in a small circle across the puzzles page.
'If you say anything to Dan, I'll end up with another black eye. And the last one's only just gone.'
I've got him. Another prompt, and I'll have confirmation of what I think I already know.
'So, what's going on?'
'He didn't want to leave you alone.'
'I'm not alone. Norman's here. And Betty.'
'Norman might be built like a brick shithouse but he's got a heart condition. And as for Betty, she's hardly a black belt.'
Fending off an image of Betty in a karate outfit, high kicking some unseen opponent, I move on to the obvious point.
'Is this about Boyd?'
He groans quietly, shifts about on the chair and scratches his ear lobe.
'Just spill the beans, Clive.'
He shakes his head.
'Now.'
'Okay.' He screws up his face and then blurts it all out in one go. 'It is about Boyd. Dan wanted your bodyguard down here but it couldn't be arranged in time. He called me. I'm a stop gap. Don't say anything.'
'Mum's the word.' It's my turn to smile triumphantly. 'But if he's that worried, why couldn't I just go with him to the bloody vets?'
'I don't know.'
My brain sparks into life. 'He doesn't think … He doesn't actually think Boyd poisoned his dog?'
Clive's mouth twitches again. He raises a hand and points at his face.
'Black eye.'
'Spit it out.'
He sighs heavily. 'He just wants to know for sure.'
'God, he's a piece of work.'
'He's just playing it safe.'
'And I'm obviously in love with a paranoid idiot. Bloody hell.'
Pushing the mug of tea to one side, Clive leans forwards.
'He's doesn't want to worry you. That's all. Promise you won't say anything to him.'
Staring at Clive's anxious features, I tap an index finger against the table, dragging out the wait before I finally give him an answer.
'I promise.' I stand up.
'Where are you going?'
To get some peace. That's what I'd like to say. To clear my head and think things through.
'Upstairs,' I mutter.
He leans back again, a wide grin playing across his face.
'Planning the colours?' he asks mischievously.
And I grimace.
'Oh, shut up.'
Chapter Ten
Leaving Clive to struggle with the Sudoku, I go in search of peace and quiet, but as soon as I reach the top of the staircase, I'm distracted by other matters. Intrigued by what I've been informed is my new home, I begin to wander through the bedrooms, four on the first floor, two more up in the eaves, all decked out with antique furniture, cleaned to within an inch of their life and definitely in need of a little make-over. At last, I come to the master bedroom, our bedroom. When I open the first of the two mahogany wardrobes, I discover that it's full of Dan's things: a range of suits, shirts and casual wear. When I open the second, I find it empty, waiting for a new set of clothes, evidently mine. Finally, I lie down on the bed and gaze up at the ceiling, wondering if I'll ever feel at home in a place like this, because at the moment I feel like nothing more than a guest in some posh country hotel.
Closing my eyes, I try to clear my mind. I'm nowhere near thinking things through when I hear a door slam downstairs. With a jolt, I sit up, knowing that Dan's returned. I rouse myself, make my way back downstairs, and falter at the bottom of the staircase, listening to the sound of muffled voices coming from the kitchen. I can't make out the words, but it's perfectly clear that Dan's agitated about something. As soon as I open the door, the conversation slams to a halt. While Clive's still seated at the table, Dan's by the window, leaning back against the counter, arms folded, shoulders hunched.
'What's wrong?' I edge forwards.
'Nothing.' Dan shakes his head.
'So, what happened?'
'Tests. They're sending off samples to the lab. It's going to take a couple of days.'
'And Mr Rush-it here can't wait that long,' Clive interrupts. 'I've got to get back to London.' Closing the newspaper, he gets to his feet, shrugs on his suit jacket and touches Dan on the shoulder. 'Relax, for fuck's sake. It'll be sorted tonight.' He casts a glance in my direction. 'See you later, Maya.'
While Dan sees him out, I stay rooted to the spot, feeling distinctly unsettled by the tension in the air. Somehow, in the middle of it all, I manage to note the plastic bag on the table, and smile at the fact that he's fulfilled his shopping mission. But the smile dissolves quickly. Hearing him lock the back door, listening to the footsteps that bring him back into the kitchen, my heart begins to pound.
He moves forwards, coming to stand right in front of me.
'Are you okay?' I ask.
'Fine.'
But it's obvious he's not. His lips have tightened into a straight line, his eyes hardened.
'So what was that about? What'll be sorted tonight?'
He shrugs dismissively. 'Nothing. Work.'
'If you're so bothered by it, why don't you just go in?'
'No. Today's for you and me. That fucking place isn't going to make me feel any better.'
'Then what is?'
He grabs hold of my hand.
'You.'
Without another word, he guides me out of the kitchen, through the shadowy servants' hallway and further into the main part of the house. In silence, I'm led back up the staircase, into the bedroom and left to stand in the middle of the room while he closes the door and draws the curtains. Finally, he's in front of me again, a couple of feet away, his eyes fixed on my face. There's no humour in them now, just a hard edge of determination.
'Take off your dress,' he murmurs.
I should really get him to talk, to explain this strange transformation, but logic and sense have been scattered to the wind. For some reason, Mr Mean and Hot and Moody seems to have reared his sexy head, and he's totally in control.
I simply do as I'm told … and wait.
I have no idea how long he spends just standing there, taking me in, every last bit of me, as if he's surveying his property. All I know is that my skin is beginning to tingle under his gaze, and there's a throbbing sensation at the apex of my thighs, and my heart and lungs are floundering in a mire of lust.
Finally, without the slightest hint of emotion, he takes a step forwards, reaches up and lightly traces his fingers across my lips, down the side of my neck. The tingles multiply exponentially. Like leaves blown in the wind, they skitter and gather and whirlwind their way across my body. I close my eyes and let out a moan. And then I feel him closer, his breath against my mouth, his arms around me as he unfastens my bra and drops it to the floor. Sliding his right hand across my buttocks, he draws me in to his erection while he traces the ridges of my backbone with the fingertips of his left hand, taking them all the way down to the base of my spine. Flattening out his palm between my shoulder blades, he pulls me in tight, nuzzling his face into my neck.
'This is my sanctuary,' he whispers. 'Being with you.'
Tipping my head back, I drink in the sheer bliss of it all.
'I'm never going to lose you again.'
I'd like to reassure him that he won't, but I can't because he's kissing my neck, patiently working his lips from beneath my ear, down to my shoulder and back. I'm about to slide into a chasm of bliss when he nips at my ear lobe, causing me to jolt at the change of tactic. A spark of excitement erupts at the nape of my neck, travelling the length of my spine and balling to a halt in my groin. I gasp in surprise and the grip tightens. He nips again. Another gasp. Another spark. A hand comes to the back of my head, grabbing at my hair and holding me in place while his mouth moves to a spot further down my neck. Sealing his lips against my skin, he sucks hard … and then he bites. I jolt for a second time, sensing a burgeoning warmth in my groin.