His After-Hours Mistress

After breakfast, curious to find out what he had provided in the way of an office, Lucinda pushed open doors until she found the room. It had a desk in front of the window with very fine views over sweeping lawns, a tennis court and a corner of the swimming pool.

The massive desk held a computer, with a little note attached to it saying that Zane had had it networked with her system at the office. Thoughtful of him, she felt, but he had taken a liberty, one that she wasn’t sure she approved of.

On another table was a printer and scanner and copier. There was a stock of stationery and a couple of easy chairs as well as a very fine black leather executive chair. She tried it out for size, twisting around with her feet in the air. Perfect!

Zane had thought of everything.

At that moment Tim came running into the room and all thoughts of Zane were forgotten.

She let him swing on the chair while she phoned her secretary and then got someone to bring in a desk and chair for Tim out of his bedroom. He played there happily while she made a few phone calls and checked the correspondence that Amanda had scanned on to the computer for her.

She even managed to do some work on a new project before it was time to take Tim to the hospital. Perhaps the arrangement was going to work after all, she thought. Tim was a good child and, although she had no intention of keeping him cooped up in her office the whole time, he had proved that for short periods he was more than happy to sit with her.

Tim’s grandmother, Helen, didn’t look at all well. She was more than pleased to see Lucinda and her darling grandson—and he was delighted to see her, hugging her and hugging her as though he never wanted to let her go—but she was clearly exhausted after only a few minutes. ‘It’s my heart,’ she explained. ‘It’s giving up, I’m afraid.’

She was much older than Lucinda had expected, probably in her mid-seventies, and far too old to be looking after a child as young as Timothy. Lucinda couldn’t believe that Zane had let her do it. Surely the duty should have fallen on his shoulders?

But of course business always came first with Zane. That was why she had been totally surprised when he’d taken so much time off in St Lucia. And how disastrous the outcome of that had been! Lucinda returned to his house with her heart both heavy and angry.

After she had put Tim to bed that evening Lucinda went to her newly acquired office and worked until almost midnight. She needed the mental challenge to take her mind off Zane. It wasn’t easy. She kept seeing twinkling blue eyes and a sexy smile and her body remembered the way he had taken her to the top of the universe and back.

She really oughtn’t to think of him like this any more. It had been but a brief interlude and was not likely to be repeated. Not if she had anything to do with it. She wouldn’t put it past Zane to try while she was here, but forewarned was forearmed, wasn’t that what they said? And she certainly knew all there was to know about Zane Alexander.

The next day Tim wanted to go swimming. It was an almost Olympic-sized pool and Lucinda was nervous, but he told her that his uncle Zane took him swimming there. She had noticed yesterday that Zane had had a fence erected around the whole pool area, which had pleased her enormously, and now as they let themselves in she was startled when Tim ran over to the shallow end and jumped in.

She needn’t have feared. Even at five years old he could swim like a fish. ‘I used to swim with my daddy,’ he said matter-of-factly when Lucinda congratulated him on his prowess. ‘I miss my daddy.’

‘Of course you do,’ she said sympathetically, marvelling that he could remember so well.

‘And my mummy! Will they ever come back?’

Lucinda winced inside. ‘I’m afraid not, sweetie. But they’re up there watching you and thinking about you all the time. That’s why you must be good.’

‘I am good,’ he said importantly.

Lucinda hugged him. ‘You’re the best boy I know. And the best swimmer I know. Let’s have a race.’

After all his swimming Tim was tired out and once lunch was over Lucinda put him in bed. ‘I’m going to do some work in my office, sweetheart. If you wake up, come and find me.’

Tim nodded and yawned and in seconds he was asleep.

Lucinda had showered and changed into jeans and a knitted top and was so busy on her new computer that she didn’t hear Zane enter the room. She didn’t even know that he had come home. ‘You’re early,’ she said, looking round in surprise when he spoke her name.

‘I thought I owed you some of my time. Where’s Tim?’

‘In bed,’ announced Lucinda.

‘He’s not ill?’

She smiled. ‘We’ve been swimming. What a fantastic little swimmer he is. He wore himself out.’

‘So you’ve coped all right?’

Lucinda nodded. ‘We went to the hospital yesterday to see his grandmother.’

‘Ah.’ He dropped into one of the easy chairs. ‘I was going to take him there this afternoon. How was she?’

‘Not well at all,’ answered Lucinda crisply. ‘I can’t believe that you’ve let her take care of Tim all this time. She’s far too old. He’s such a handful; it’s not fair on her. No wonder her heart’s giving up.’

‘Is that what she told you?’

‘Not the Tim bit, but she did mention her heart. She can hardly get her breath.’ Lucinda was really fired up about the whole thing and her voice rose. ‘You should be the one looking after Tim, not his grandmother. Goodness, what were you thinking?’

‘I’m thinking I have a full-time job,’ he answered fiercely.

‘Nevertheless you could still have him living here with you,’ she slammed. ‘He starts back to school in September. Lots of one-parent families cope. Even working parents. They get help. You could have done that instead of putting all the pressure on Helen.’

‘Helen wanted to look after him,’ informed Zane, his brow thunderous now.

‘And you let her.’ Lucinda was really fired up now. ‘You didn’t stop to think that it might be too much for her. Oh, no, having Tim here would spoil your nights of passion with whichever woman is your current favourite. I despise you, Zane Alexander.’

Once the words were out Lucinda wished that she hadn’t uttered them. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to set things up for her here, and this was how she repaid him. Goodness, she wouldn’t blame him if he told her to go. Right now!

‘And how about our nights of passion?’ he asked with amazing calmness.

Actually he was too calm. It worried Lucinda.

‘How do you rate those? Were they sordid?’

Lucinda winced. They definitely hadn’t seemed it at the time. They had been beautiful and sensual and her heart had sung with sheer happiness. Even now, despite her reservations, she still looked on them with pleasure.

‘Of course they weren’t,’ he answered for her. ‘You’re letting your emotions run away with you, Lucinda. You know nothing about my private life.’

‘I know what I read in the glossies.’

‘And you believe it?’

‘And I know that you’ve done wrong by your brother.’

Zane closed his eyes and laced his fingers tightly together. ‘I sometimes think I could strangle you, Lucinda Oliver. And at other times—’ he opened his eyes and looked straight at her ‘—I want to take you to bed. In fact, I think that’s what I might do right now. A form of punishment, shall we say, for daring to turn on me.’ And, with that, he scooped her up into his arms.

Lucinda’s struggles were to no avail and, to be honest, she didn’t struggle too hard. Zane had made up his mind and that was that. He kicked open the door to his bedroom and she had a quick impression of masculine browns and beiges and a dark green carpet before he laid her down on the bed.

In a matter of seconds he had ripped off his clothes and then he did the same to her. She was utterly at his mercy, her eyes wide and shocked and appealing, but it made no difference. Zane wanted and Zane was going to take. And she, Lord help her, was powerless to do anything about it.

She could have left. While he was undressing she could have got off his bed and made for the door. So why hadn’t she? Because she wanted it as much as he did! She had lain there and watched as each inch of his flesh was exposed. It was so familiar to her, so incredibly powerful, that she hadn’t been able to move.

And this time when he made love to her there were no preliminaries. No long drawn out foreplay, no teasing, no enticing and encouraging. He held himself over her for just a second before he entered her, a second when his eyes were asking whether she wanted to run.

But by then Lucinda’s heart was racing and her hormones dancing and the very thought of him taking her like this held a very different kind of excitement. It wasn’t until he had entered her that she realised he was not using protection. On all other occasions he had, but this time he’d been in too much of a hurry.

It was too late now to worry about it and with a bit of luck it was the wrong time of her monthly cycle. There were much deeper issues to think about. Like the fact that she was still in love with him—despite everything! And the fact that his lovemaking was coming to a grand finale far too quickly!

She could feel her climax rising within her and she knew that Zane was nearing his own. She cried out as he collapsed on top of her, his breathing ragged, hers the same as sensation after exquisite sensation made her writhe beneath him, as her whole body throbbed and her throat went tight.

And then they were still.

For a long time they were still.

Until Zane slowly rolled away from her! Their eyes met and his no longer twinkled. They were filled with soul-destroying sadness instead.

Lucinda turned away; she couldn’t bear to look at him. She didn’t know why he was sad. Anger she could have understood—it was what had started this off, but sadness? Perhaps he wanted their affair to carry on but knew that it couldn’t? No, that wouldn’t make him sad. Zane was the sort of man who hopped from one girl to another without giving them a second thought.

She must have been mistaken because he sat up now and looked at her again and there was nothing to suggest sadness. ‘I had to do that, Lucinda.’

She nodded.

‘You could have stopped me.’

She nodded again.

‘Am I to take it then that you didn’t mind?’

How could she answer that? She did and she didn’t. She was crazy where this man was concerned. It didn’t matter what rational thoughts entered her head, they took off in all the wrong directions whenever he chose to take control.

He was very good at taking control. It was almost as though he hypnotised her into doing things against her will. He had the power to make her think that she wanted what he wanted. How could that be?

‘Lucinda?’

He touched a finger to her chin and forced her to look at him. ‘I asked whether you minded?’

Slowly she shook her head. ‘But I would like to go to my room.’ She got up off the bed and, hugging her clothes to her, headed for the door. He let her go. And, completely naked, she walked along the corridor to her own room. Where she threw herself down on the bed and cried.

Zane was shocked by how easily Lucinda had capitulated, and ashamed for forcing himself on her. He would have let her go if she had fought him off, but she hadn’t, and now he felt guilty. He didn’t feel the pleasure he normally associated with making love to Lucinda, and this was alien to him.

Out in St Lucia, each time they had made love it had been an experience to surpass all other experiences. They had both risen to great heights and no regrets had ever been felt. Now he felt a heel. He ought not to have done it. On the other hand, Lucinda could have stopped him. It was her fault as much as his.

He made himself think that as he showered and dressed and when he went downstairs Tim had woken and was demanding his attention. ‘Where’s Lucy?’ his nephew asked.

‘She’s resting,’ answered Zane. ‘I think you wore her out swimming.’

‘She says I’m good,’ said Tim proudly.

‘You are.’

‘Can I swim again, then?’

Zane shook his head. ‘Not today! I’m going to take you to see Nanna. Lucinda has work to do.’ He wasn’t sure about that but he did know that she would not welcome spending time with him. Which was a shame because that was the reason he had come home early.

And what had he done? Hurt her beyond measure. How could he even look her in the face again? His only consolation was that she hadn’t stopped him. It must mean that she still felt something. When they were on the island she had often instigated their lovemaking, making him believe that she was as happy with the situation as he was.

Why then, now that they were back here in London, had she completely changed? Was it the location that had turned her into a sultry seductress? Was she not normally like that? He didn’t know what to think any more. All he knew was that he couldn’t get her out of his head. Unlike other girls he’d slept with, Lucinda had left a lasting impression.

At the hospital Helen looked so very much worse than the last time he had seen her and he could understand why Lucinda had railed against him. If Helen didn’t improve then it looked very much as though he would have to take Tim on full-time. Who, though, would he get to look after him?

A full-time nanny—or a wife? This was something he had never contemplated before. Didn’t want to contemplate. On the other hand, he couldn’t let Tim down. He was such an engaging little boy. If he ever had children, heaven forbid, he would like them to be just like Tim.

Lucinda spent the rest of the afternoon at her desk. She had heard Zane and Tim go out and couldn’t begin to describe the relief she felt. How could she have let Zane make love to her again? Her brain must have fried out there in the Caribbean. She was no more over him than she had been during those magical days.

Love came in many guises and hers had crept up on her unawares and unhappily refused to go away. She was so afraid that Zane would see how she felt and that he would take advantage. Today had proven how weak she was and if he had any idea her life wouldn’t be her own any more.

And the cruellest part of all would be when he dumped her at the end, when he’d tired of her, as he most probably would. Zane’s type never committed. It really had been the biggest mistake of her life coming here. Zane had her in his clutches—again; maybe that was even what he’d had in mind. Maybe it wasn’t for Tim’s sake.

Lucinda’s anger grew and when they returned she made a fuss of Tim but totally ignored Zane. She pretended not to notice his frown, the way he kept looking at her and asking silent questions.

She played with Tim, she gave him his tea, she bathed him and put him to bed and all the time she said not one single word to Zane.

But she might have known that she couldn’t go through the rest of the night like that. As soon as he had her to himself Zane demanded to know what was wrong.

‘Nothing,’ she answered coolly, averting her eyes because she knew that if she looked into his she would weaken. They mesmerised her. They were like pools of silky smooth water that she could dive into—and then drown in a sea of passion.

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he snarled. ‘You’ve ignored me completely for the last few hours. I’m not a fool, Lucinda.’

‘And nor am I,’ she tossed back furiously. ‘So don’t take me for one.’

Zane frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘Don’t ever,’ she spat, ‘ever take advantage of me again.’

‘So that’s it, is it?’ he asked, enlightenment in his eyes. ‘Forgive me if I’m wrong, but you didn’t complain at the time.’

‘Maybe,’ she snapped, ‘but I’ve changed my mind. ‘It was a foolish mistake, one that I’m not likely to make again.’

‘Even though your body still craves mine?’

‘Who’s saying it does?’ Lucinda’s eyes flashed a furious green.

Zane smiled, slowly and confidently. It crinkled the corners of his eyes and made him look boyish and charming and Lucinda felt an unwanted quickening of her pulses, which added to her annoyance.

‘I’m saying it does,’ announced Zane. ‘Words are easy, Lucinda. It’s body language that counts. And, believe me, I can read your body language any day.’

Lucinda felt like slapping him. ‘You’re talking nonsense,’ she responded haughtily, ‘and I have no wish to continue such a conversation.’

‘Very well,’ he agreed, much to her surprise. ‘The next item on the agenda is dinner. I thought I’d take you out.’

‘Then you thought wrong,’ she snapped. ‘Besides, aren’t I supposed to be looking after Tim?’

‘Mrs Burton can do that tonight,’ he said carelessly. ‘Besides, he very rarely wakes.’

‘The answer’s still no,’ she retorted, fighting a whole host of inflammatory sensations. It had to be no. For ever no! For her own peace of mind!

Zane drew in a deep breath, his chest rising and his height increasing. She had angered him but she didn’t care. Why should he think that he had only to click his fingers and she’d do as he asked? She was her own woman; hadn’t he found that out yet?

‘Maybe you’ll condescend to dine with me here, then?’ he growled.

Lucinda wanted to say no but she didn’t think that she could face any more of Zane’s wrath. So she inclined her head. ‘That would be nice.’

‘And before then? Can I expect the honour of your company?’

His voice was dry and sarcastic and Lucinda shook her head. ‘I still have work to do.’

Zane frowned and glanced at his watch ‘It’s nearly seven.’

‘And I spent much of the day playing with Tim,’ she reminded him. ‘I can’t afford to let my business go.’

Her remark hit home and his eyes shot daggers. ‘Then I’ll see you at eight.’ And with that he whirled on his heel and left the room.

They were halfway through their meal when the phone was brought in to Zane. ‘The hospital,’ said his housekeeper gravely.

Zane listened for a moment or two and then shot up from his chair. ‘I have to go,’ he said apologetically. ‘Helen’s taken a turn for the worse.’

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