Chasing Summer: Date with Destiny / Marooned with the Maverick / A Summer Wedding at Willowmere

She stared back at him and gulped. This was taking her role-playing too far. ‘No,’ she denied. ‘It wasn’t like that at all!’

He seemed taken aback by her vehemence. ‘What, then?’

‘I—I was embarrassed...confused... Drunk!’ she added in desperation.

He made a scoffing sound. ‘Not that drunk.’

She threw her head back to stare straight ahead. ‘You don’t have to believe me,’ she said stiffly.

‘I sure as hell don’t! One day, Salome,’ he growled, ‘you’ll play your sexual games with the wrong partner. In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if poor old Charles might not have been on the end of a few of them.’

Her head snapped around in automatic outrage. ‘Charles needed no encouragement,’ she protested. ‘You don’t honestly believe I’d let a man like that touch me, do you?’ An involuntary shudder rippled through her, revealing the shaken, vulnerable woman she was.

Mike frowned across at her, then shook his head. ‘God knows what I believe any more. You’ve got me stumped.’

Salome wanted to cry. She had him stumped? She was the one who was stumped! Well and truly. A crazy laugh escaped her lips before she could snatch it back.

‘And what does that mean?’ he flung at her.

Now she couldn’t stop laughing. ‘Nothing... nothing.’

He muttered something decidedly obscene, and backed out like a madman, screeching up the ramp from the basement like a teenage hoodlum showing off. But he wasn’t showing off, Salome realised as her hysteria died and she saw the evidence of real pain on his face. He was hurting, hurting badly.

It shocked her. Shocked and puzzled her. Why should it bother him to believe bad things of her? He wanted her badly, didn’t he? Her thoughts confused and depressed her, and she sat in silence as Mike weaved his way through the busy lanes, eating up the miles between McMahon’s Point and Killara in record time.

She sagged with relief when the Jaguar screeched into the kerb outside Molly’s. But, with the engine suddenly dead, the silence and tension between them was excruciating. Mike made a frustrated sound and turned towards her. ‘Salome...’

Her green eyes carried true bewilderment and unhappiness as they reluctantly faced him. ‘Yes?’

He sighed when he saw them. ‘I’m sorry. What I said...I didn’t really mean it. I—I know you didn’t lead Charles on. I know your fear and shock last night was genuine. And I know you weren’t deliberately teasing me in the lift. It just happened between us, didn’t it? Though why you had to run away afterwards, I’ll never understand.’

Tears rushed into her eyes. Tears of relief. She hadn’t realised how much his vile accusations had been tearing her apart.

‘Please don’t cry,’ he rasped.

‘No,’ she agreed, blinking furiously.

‘I said I was sorry. There’s no reason to cry.’

No reason to cry? she thought wretchedly. No reason? Oh, Mike...if only you knew...

They both sat in silence for a minute as she got herself under control, drawing a tissue from her handbag and wiping her nose.

‘Shall we go inside?’ he finally suggested. ‘I’ll make the call to my parents while you collect your things. Maybe your mother could make us both a cup of tea?’

‘I don’t think she’s home,’ Salome said, having noticed Wayne’s car was missing. ‘It looks like she and Wayne have gone out. At least...’ she sighed as a horn blew and a white Falcon sedan swung into the driveway in front of them ‘...they were out.’

‘Hm. Wayne’s not exactly popular with you, is he?’ Mike commented.

Salome shrugged. ‘He’s all right, I guess. I hardly know him. Neither does Molly,’ she added pointedly. ‘Certainly not enough to have him stay.’

‘He’s living with your mother?’

‘He moved in yesterday,’ she said curtly.

‘Ahh...I see... Hence your move to the penthouse.’

‘Exactly.’ Salome pushed open the car door and climbed out on to the footpath. Mike alighted from his side, a sardonic smile on his face as he walked around to join her. ‘And here I was, thinking you had succumbed to the fatal attraction of living next to me.’

‘Mike! Salome!’ Molly called from the driveway. ‘Come on in. You’re just in time!’

‘In time for what?’ Salome muttered under her breath.

‘Now, now, be nice,’ Mike whispered, sliding an arm through hers. ‘Besides, your mother is a grown woman, entitled to live her life as she sees fit. You demand the same rights, don’t you?’

‘Well, yes, but—’

‘But nothing! Let the woman have her fun.’

‘F-fun?’ Salome spluttered, outraged. ‘I’ll have you know that she’s been having fun with men since before I was born. Always at my expense, I might add. Do you have any idea what it was like, having a procession of creepy uncles living with you? Most of them young enough to be my boyfriend, instead of Molly’s, with libidos to match? I had to have eyes in the back of my head, trying to outwit their octopus hands!’

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