Extreme Provocation

He laughed, then his eyes narrowed shrewdly and he drawled, ‘You came to the casino to try and stop your father gambling, didn’t you?’

The sudden change of conversation threw her. Shock flared in her green eyes. She didn’t reply, but her step faltered, she bent her head and felt her face run with hot colour.

‘He was in the casino every night this week,’ Randal said lightly, watching her bent head with calculation.

‘He enjoys gambling,’ she said coolly, lifting her head to signify her indifference, which of course she did not truly feel. But she didn’t want him to know how worried she was by her father’s drinking and gambling.

‘But you don’t?’

She shrugged lightly. ‘It’s hardly my sort of thing.’

‘A pity,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘I hoped you’d turn up again. Don’t tell me I frightened you off forever?’

‘You’d frighten anybody,’ she said, throwing him a haughty look.

‘Would I, now?’ he murmured, watching her with a wicked smile.

Her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t like the way he’d said that. Desperate to get rid of him, she turned, then walked quickly into a department store. Randal followed her. Scent assailed them from the brightly lit counters.

‘Shopping for make-up?’ he drawled beside her. ‘You don’t need it. You have a beautiful face and perfect skin.’

‘How poetic,’ she said sarcastically.

‘When I first saw you, I noticed you weren’t wearing make-up. It seemed incongruous in the casino. But you don’t need it with those eyes, do you? They’re like green fire—’

‘I do wish you’d go away,’ she snapped.

‘I can’t help myself,’ he drawled, smiling sardonically. ‘You fascinate me.’

‘Well, you don’t have the same effect on me.’ She stopped by a perfume counter, turning to glare at him. ‘Or hasn’t that occurred to you?’

He looked down at her, unsmiling. ‘Oh, yes. But it doesn’t deter me.’

‘Perhaps a kick in the shins would work better?’

‘You really are a tempestuous little creature, aren’t you?’ he murmured. ‘It’s funny. I’ve always had two types of women. Can never decide which I prefer.’ He looked her up and down slowly, drawling, ‘Virginal blondes or tempestuous whores.’

She caught her breath at his insolence.

‘I always dreamed of meeting a woman who was both,’ he said softly. ‘And I did the night you walked into the casino. You’re an exciting combination of madonna and whore. I’m afraid I can’t be stopped. I must have you.’

For a long moment, she just stood there, breathless and afraid, staring up into his ruthless face. What he had said was unacceptable. She was so shocked that she couldn’t summon the anger to slap his insolent face because she simply had never been spoken to like this in her life, and the worst part was—she believed he meant every word he said.

‘Let me buy this scent for you,’ he drawled suddenly, picking up an expensive test bottle. ‘It’s my favourite. I’m sure it will suit you.’

Raising the bottle, he softly pushed a swath of her blonde hair back, his long cool fingers touching her naked throat, hearing her catch her breath as excitement shivered through her.

‘I must find your pulse, my dear,’ he murmured, and slid his long fingers down until they encountered the hot throbbing beneath her white skin. ‘Ah,’ he said softly. ‘Unmistakable—’

‘Take your hands off me,’ she whispered, rooted to the spot, almost hypnotised by him.

He just smiled, and then she felt the cool spray of scent on her throat. It felt so intimate, so erotic. ‘I’ll have to find all your pulses,’ he said under his breath, unsmiling. ‘One by one. The heat brings out the scent. Did you know that?’ His hands slid to her wrists, lifted them both. He studied the blue veins, feeling the rapid thud at his touch. He sprayed each wrist. His blue eyes flicked to meet hers compellingly. ‘When you’re my mistress,’ he said softly, ‘I shall put scent on your body every night.’ His dark head bent closer to her. ‘At your throat...your ankles—’

Lucy broke away from him in a sudden fury. ‘How dare you say such things to me? How dare you?’ She was so angry she was shaking from head to foot, her pulses throbbing wildly. ‘If you don’t leave me alone, I shall scream, and then a store detective will come over and—’

‘Let me buy you this perfume,’ he cut in, unconcerned by her threat.

‘No!’ she snapped, rage in her green eyes. ‘I loathe it! It will always remind me of you!’

‘In that case,’ he drawled, ‘I shall buy you a very large bottle of it. You must keep it in your bedroom. Put it on before you go to bed. Then you’ll always think of me as you undress.’

‘Oh!’ Anger burning her cheeks scarlet, Lucy turned on her heel and stormed away from him, unable to fight him verbally, aware that her only defence was just to walk away. She expected him to follow her.

Incredibly, he did not. As she stormed out of the department store, the scent clinging to her, she was still shaking with rage. How dared he do that to her in a public place! Touch her throat like that, spray this beastly scent on her pulses. As for telling her point-blank that he wanted her to become his mistress...!

She wished she had slapped his face. Unfortunately, her horror of public scenes was too great. Still, she thought as she shopped alone for the next hour, he had obviously got the message in the end, because he didn’t show up again, and she was glad of that.

When she got home, her father was up, drinking black coffee and relaxing in the drawing-room in an armchair, his white shirt open at the neck and his grey trousers expensive.

‘Morning, darling,’ he said lightly as she came in. ‘Have you been out shopping?’

‘We needed some food for the weekend.’ She bent to kiss his unshaven jaw, the pale stubble rough against her soft skin. ‘I got some essentials, and something special for dinner tonight.’

‘You are a sweetie.’ He smiled lovingly at her. ‘By the way—a package came for you. It’s over there, on the coffee-table.’

Lucy glanced at the antique table, frowning. ‘For me?’ She picked up the square gift-wrapped box, tensing as she saw the bold black handwriting on it.

‘A boy delivered it,’ said her father. ‘About an hour ago.’

Opening the package, she saw the gold writing embossed on white and trembled with rage as the large box of French perfume was exposed. How dared he! How dared he!

‘Something wrong?’ Her father was watching her face.

With an effort, she controlled herself. ‘No...nothing at all.’ She gave him a tight smile. ‘I’ll just go and make myself some lunch.’

Going upstairs, she stormed into her bedroom, through to the connecting bathroom, and ripped open the box, unscrewed the vast bottle of scent and poured it all down the sink.

Waves of delicious scent engulfed her. Expensive, sexy, classy, fresh...it permeated the bathroom, drifted inexorably into the bedroom, clung to the cream carpet, the floor-length beige curtains, the cream-gold bed...

For the rest of the day, her bedroom was an emporium of scent.

And Randal’s arrogant, mocking smile filled her mind every time she set foot into her room. By nightfall, the whole of the upstairs of the house reminded her of those moments this afternoon and the dreadful, wicked, shamefully exciting things he had said.

It was enough to make her scream...

CHAPTER TWO

THE next day, Lucy was polishing the drawing-room when she saw the long white sports car pull up outside the house. Pulses leaping with fury, she froze, staring. It was eleven o’clock, a sunny day, and her father was still asleep. If she didn’t answer the door to Randal, he would wake her father, and she didn’t want that. She didn’t want him to know that this dangerous man had taken such a fancy to her and was in hot pursuit. He didn’t even know she had visited the casino that night. What would he say if he found out what had happened? She had asked Edward to keep silent on the subject. They had dined together last night, as always on a Saturday night, and he had gone home at midnight, aware that her father was once more at Marlborough’s casino. But Edward could do no more to stop her father than Lucy herself could. He had told her he would go to the casino at some point himself to try to prevent her father from gambling. But so far, he hadn’t done anything. Lucy was afraid to go there again, and the reason for her fear was currently getting out of that long white sports car, flashing dangerous blue eyes to the house.

Randal walked with that lazy arrogance to the door. He looked casually wealthy in black trousers and a black cashmere V-neck sweater. His black hair was pushed back from his hard forehead, his blue eyes hooded by those heavy eyelids.

Lucy moved away to the hall, light footsteps taking her to the front door before he could knock or ring or make any sound that might wake her father.

Wrenching open the door, she looked angrily into his face. ‘What are you doing here?’

He smiled mockingly. ‘I came to see you. What else?’

‘Well, I don’t want to see you. Haven’t you got the message yet?’

‘But you’ve answered the door.’ Black brows arched coolly.

Lucy’s face flushed a delicate pink. ‘I didn’t want you hammering on the door and attracting attention. This is a quiet residential square. The neighbours notice everything that happens.’

He surveyed her with amused insolence. ‘Nothing to do with your father sleeping off last night’s hangover, then?’

Lucy’s colour deepened. ‘I don’t know what you mean!’

‘He was in the casino until dawn,’ Randal said coolly, his face unsmiling. ‘He ordered a magnum of champagne. I doubt he’ll surface much before lunchtime.’

‘Gossip?’ she queried, dislike in her green eyes.

He laughed under his breath. ‘That’s right. Aren’t you going to ask me in? I’d love a cup of coffee.’

‘No, I’m not going to ask you in,’ she said tightly, and began to close the door.

‘Want me to start hammering on the door?’ he drawled, preventing her from shutting it with one strong hand.

Her eyes warred with his. Angrily, she felt she had no option but to let him in. ‘Very well,’ she said angrily. ‘I’ll let you come in. But one false move and I’ll scream the house down.’ Holding the door back for him, she felt her pulses leap as he moved inside.

He dominated the hallway, his presence like electricity. He was so tall—at least six feet four—and those shoulders were intensely broad, his body rippling with lean muscle.

Lucy looked up at him through her lashes. ‘We’ll go in the kitchen. Please keep your voice down...’

He followed her coolly along the hall. Lucy was so aware of him behind her that her pulses were leaping like fire by the time they reached the kitchen.

As they entered the sunlit pine kitchen, she turned and found him right behind her, very close, his muscled chest at eye-level, the tanned flesh visible where the V of his sweater ended, and a sprinkling of black hairs curling there.

Her eyes flashed to meet his. Their gazes collided with violent impact. She felt breathless suddenly, her heart thudding with alarm. Why does he affect me like this? she thought in panic.

‘I’ll get you that coffee...’ she said, her voice oddly husky, and turned away from him, going to the side and switching on the kettle.

He moved behind her, and she felt his breath on her neck as he bent his dark head, long fingers pushing her blonde hair softly back to expose the naked nape of her neck.

‘You’re not wearing that perfume,’ he said softly, and his mouth kissed her throat.

Angrily, she turned. ‘Keep your hands to yourself!’

‘Why aren’t you wearing it? I went to a great deal of trouble to have it delivered here for you.’

‘I couldn’t stand the smell of it,’ she said deliberately. ‘It reminded me of you.’

‘What did you do? Pour it down a sink?’

Her face flamed. ‘Yes!’

He laughed. ‘Well, that rebounded on you, didn’t it? The whole house smells of it.’

‘It’ll go away eventually,’ she snapped. ‘Just like you.’

‘But I won’t,’ he said under his breath, moving towards her. ‘I won’t go away until I’ve got what I want.’

She backed, found herself cornered, heart thudding as she stared up at him in sudden wild panic. ‘But what is it? What do you want from me?’

His blue eyes moved to her mouth, then her full breasts as they rose and fell beneath the pale blue silk dress she wore, and they were both suddenly aware of the swift erection of her nipples as excitement shot through her under that powerful gaze.

‘I want to make love to you,’ he said softly.

It was suddenly impossible to breathe. Lucy stared at him, her body tense. As those blue eyes flickered back up to meet hers she felt her heartbeat rocket.

‘Well!’ She was almost speechless. ‘If you think that I...’ The words seemed to stumble over each other. ‘That I would dream...think of...even consider...’

He was smiling sardonically, his strong hands moving to her waist as he took that last, deadly step towards her.

‘Don’t...!’ she gasped out.

His hard thighs pressed inexorably against hers. He had her completely cornered now, her heart drumming as she clutched his powerful arms with nerveless fingers.

‘Have dinner with me tonight,’ he drawled. ‘Or I’ll kiss you until your legs give way.’

‘I’ll scream!’ she whispered, appalled to realise that she was almost hypnotised by him.

‘Then scream,’ he mocked, and bent his dark head, very slowly, giving her time to scream her head off, but she couldn’t move or speak as that hard mouth came closer, her pulses drumming feverishly as she waited for that kiss.

His mouth closed over hers at last, and she shook as his lips parted hers, a terrifying sweetness invading her body as she felt her mouth open beneath his and accept the hot exploration of his kiss. Pleasure was flooding her, her eyes closing and her hands curling on his broad shoulders, loving the feel of those firm muscles beneath her fingers. The kiss was slow, sensual and unbearably exciting, making her want more, her pulses clamouring as she suddenly felt an urge to touch his strong throat and push her fingers slowly through his dark hair.

With a smothered gasp of self-loathing, she struggled out of that hot embrace, but his arms tightened around her and his kiss deepened, his mouth forcing her to accept the growing passion of the kiss. She started to hit out at him, giving hoarse gasps of angry excitement as she felt that hard male body in every nerve-ending, and, most of all, felt the press of his manhood against her.

Suddenly, she was terrified. Her voice shakily pleaded for release. ‘Please...’ Her mouth was against his, her body trembling. ‘Please let me go...Randal...’ She felt humiliated, intolerably excited, confused...

He released her with reluctance, his mouth lifting from hers as though he could not bear to stop kissing her. He looked down at her flushed, fevered little face, saw the green eyes enormous with panic, the pulse beating hotly at her throat.

Lucy struggled away from him, backing across the kitchen.

‘Do I get a dinner date?’ he asked thickly.

‘No,’ Lucy said at once, and then, on a sudden inspiration, ‘If my boyfriend catches you here, he’ll kill you.’

‘Boyfriend?’ he said sharply, frowning, then as though to himself, ‘Of course...’ The black lashes flickered. There was a little silence as his mouth hardened. ‘Who is he? How long have you been seeing him?’ His eyes darted down. ‘It can’t be serious because you’re not wearing a ring.’ His eyes shot back to her face. ‘Are you in love with him? No, you can’t be or—’

‘I have no intention of discussing my personal life with you,’ she snapped heatedly, keeping her distance. ‘Now kindly leave.’

‘Are you in love with him?’

Her mouth tightened. ‘You don’t give up, do you?’

Randal laughed. ‘Never. At least—not when I want something.’

‘You can’t have everything you want.’ She lifted her chin, eyes defiant. ‘Life isn’t like that.’

‘Perhaps not for other men,’ he drawled arrogantly, ‘but I can assure you it is for me. I always get what I want. There’s always a way. Didn’t you know that?’

‘Not with me,’ she said flatly. ‘You’ll never find a way to get—’

‘I only have to find your Achilles heel,’ he murmured, smiling. ‘And I think I already have—don’t you?’

She flushed, pointing suddenly to the door. ‘Get out of here!’

He laughed, eyes mocking. ‘That gesture would be more effective if you hadn’t kissed me back so passionately just now.’

Fury shot through her. She abandoned her stance. ‘I didn’t kiss you back. I was cornered and forced into it.’

‘You could have screamed,’ he drawled, laughing at her. ‘But you presumably wanted it as much as I did. What’s the matter—doesn’t your boyfriend know how to kiss?’

‘How dare you?’ she said, trembling with rage. ‘He’s ten times the man you are.’

‘But he hasn’t made love to you yet.’

‘He’s not like that,’ she said heatedly. ‘He wouldn’t dream of—’

Randal laughed with such open mockery that she couldn’t continue.

‘I’m not discussing him with you,’ Lucy blazed, hating him violently. ‘Now please just accept that I don’t want anything to do with you—and leave.’

He smiled lazily, hands thrust into black trouser pockets. ‘I’m afraid I can’t do that. I want you far too much.’ He moved suddenly, striding towards her with coolly lethal sex appeal and making her back away, her heart in her mouth.

‘If you kiss me again, I’ll—’

‘Don’t worry,’ he said softly. ‘I won’t kiss you again. Not just yet.’ His hand touched her chin, cool fingers making her pulses race. ‘I can hear your father moving about upstairs. I don’t want to run into him. And you don’t want me to, either—do you, Lucy?’

She flushed, jerking her chin from his grasp. ‘I just want you to go. That’s all.’

‘The more you run,’ he said softly, ‘the harder I’ll chase.’

Breathless, she stared into the powerful face. ‘Why?’ she asked in sudden overwhelming panic.

‘Because I’m that kind of man,’ he drawled sardonically, smiling with amusement at her fear. ‘A hunter. A predator. I enjoy the excitement of the chase, and you’re the most exciting prey that’s ever caught my fancy.’

As she shivered, he turned coolly from her, a smile on his hard, mocking face, and left the kitchen, closing the door quietly behind him, his footsteps moving with panther-like grace to the front door.

Lucy was trembling as she sank into a chair at the kitchen table, the morning sunlight streaming over her through the windows, and heard the front door close behind him.

What on earth was she to do?

Edward arrived at three for Sunday lunch. Her father had been up for two hours, and was flicking idly through the Sunday newspapers in the drawing-room. Lucy had prepared most of the lunch and was just waiting for it all to be ready. The potatoes were roasting in the oven along with the lamb and the onions. Various saucepans filled with vegetables were bubbling on the hobs.

‘Mmm!’ Edward strolled over to the stove. ‘Smells delicious! How long till it’s ready?’

‘Fifteen minutes.’ She glanced at her watch, poked the carrots with a fork. ‘You didn’t go to the casino last night, did you?’

He grimaced. ‘It was so late when I left—’

‘Daddy was at the casino till dawn, drinking champagne.’ She sighed heavily. ‘Edward—somebody’s got to do something. We must be running out of money. Surely you can—?’

‘I’ll go to the casino tonight,’ Edward cut in smoothly. ‘I promise.’

‘Thank you.’ She touched his thin shoulder gratefully. ‘You see, I’m sure if one of us actually turned up there, he’d realise how serious our worries are.’

Edward raised blond brows. ‘Don’t bank on it, darling. Your father already knows. Turning up at the casino may have no effect at all.’

She felt so frustrated that she put her hands to her temples. ‘What will we do when the money runs out—?’

‘We’ll get married.’ Edward slid his hands on to her waist, smiling. ‘And I’ll give you all the security you need.’

Lucy went into his arms with a sigh. As he kissed her, she compared his soft, gentle mouth with the fierce excitement of Randal’s kiss, and she felt suddenly angry.

She pulled Edward’s head closer and tried to deepen the kiss, instil some urgent passion into it.

Edward jerked his head away, frowning. ‘Lucy...!’

Humiliated, rejected, she stepped away from him, her face running with scarlet colour.

‘Darling.’ He sounded exasperated, running a hand through his blond hair. ‘It’s hardly the time or place...’

‘Edward.’ She lifted her head suddenly, emotions boiling to the surface after his rejection, her voice hoarse as she asked a question that suddenly demanded an answer. ‘Do you love me?’

He stared, even more appalled. ‘What a question! Of course I love you!’

‘Then why don’t you want to marry me until my father’s ruined himself?’ she demanded. ‘Why are you waiting for that ear-splitting crash? Why won’t you do something, Edward? Why do I constantly feel as though we’re all just sitting in an aeroplane that’s running out of fuel?’ She moved towards him suddenly, green eyes blazing with anxiety. ‘We’re going to crash at any minute and nobody’s doing anything!’ Her hands curled on his lapels. ‘Nobody’s doing anything—’

‘For God’s sake, Lucy!’ he whispered tightly. ‘He’ll hear you!’

She shook, closing her eyes, drawing an unsteady breath. ‘Edward, I’m so frantic with worry.’ Her eyes opened again, staring at him. ‘I’ve known you all my life. You’re the only person I can trust, rely on, turn to...but you’re not doing anything, Edward—you’re just waiting for the disaster that we can all see coming.’

‘I’m trying to prevent it, Lucy,’ he said flatly, and there was a sharp edge to his voice that she rarely heard, a cutting edge as though accusing her of something. ‘I’m as worried as you are. More, if anything. But having you badgering me about it won’t help.’

She looked away, flushing. ‘I don’t mean to nag—’

‘But that’s just what you’re doing,’ he said, eyes angry. ‘Nagging at me and accusing me of doing nothing when I’m bending over backwards to try and stop this.’

‘I’m sorry, Edward, I...’ Guilt ran through her. ‘I just feel so helpless...’

‘Well, that’s not surprising,’ he said flatly. ‘You are helpless.’

She looked up at that, astonished and hurt.

‘You don’t earn much money.’ Edward counted her faults on long pale fingers. ‘You’re not qualified for anything more demanding than looking after three-year-old kids. You know nothing about finance or investment and you’re hopeless at maths.’ He raised his hands. ‘What possible use are you to anybody?’

Silent, she just stood there staring at him as his words sank in. She felt as though he’d cut her off at the ankles.

Edward smiled and bent his head to kiss her cheek. ‘You just stick with what you’re good at, darling. You’re far more help to your father and me when you’re cooking our meals and keeping the house tidy.’

She did not dare reply in case she slapped his face. And the knowledge that she wanted to slap him shocked her even more than the insults implicit in what he had said.

‘You serve the dinner, darling.’ Edward smiled, pleased by her silence. ‘I’ll go and have a drink with your father in the dining-room...’

As the door closed behind him, Lucy was struggling to suppress the anger rising in her. He had never spoken to her like that before. Never. How dared he...anger burned at the back of her eyes...how dared he...?

Suddenly, she put her hands to her hot face in self-recrimination. Edward’s right, she told herself again and again, but still that anger rose in her like a dark demon, and in the end all she could do to stop it bursting out was busy herself carving the lamb.

After lunch, Edward and her father fell asleep in the drawing-room. Lucy washed up. It took over half an hour. By the time she had finished, she was feeling an uncharacteristic burst of fury. Putting her head round the drawing-room door, she heard them both snoring. Edward was asleep in an armchair, a newspaper open beside him. Her father was asleep on the sofa, his mouth slack.