She hesitated and broke off in confusion.
‘A real castle?’ he finished for her.
‘Well, yes…’ she said, flushing a little.
Looking amused, he told her, ‘It’s a real castle.’
So his family home was a castle!
Her heart sank. If, hating the thought of never seeing him again, she had harboured any faint hope of staying in his life, that killed it stone dead. With money and a privileged background like that, he was right out of her class.
‘Though the estate is still extensive,’ he went on, ‘the castle itself is quite small as castles go. No larger, in fact, than, say, a reasonably sized hall, but with more turrets.
‘But, to get back to the point, although Anders is only just over an hour’s drive from London, we’ve a small vineyard on the estate.
‘The winery hasn’t been in production for quite a number of years but I’ve always had it in mind that if and when the opportunity arose I’d try and give it a new lease of life.’
Finding her voice, Tina hazarded, ‘So you’d like some advice?’
‘I was thinking of rather more than that. As your needs and my needs seem to coincide, I was offering you a job.’
‘A job?’
By rights she should have been ecstatic, but now a miracle had happened she simply felt numb.
‘You said you needed one,’ he pointed out.
With no chance of any other relationship developing, working for him would be one way of staying in his life.
But wouldn’t it be awkward and embarrassing, put her in an untenable position, to work for a man she had been to bed with?
‘I do, but I…I really don’t think…’
He had hoped for a more positive, a more favourable, response. But, wary of exerting too much pressure, he said easily, ‘Well, you don’t have to decide right this minute…
‘Tell you what, I’ll ask Jervis to bring the car round and as soon as you’re up and dressed we’ll go over to Anders. After you’ve seen the castle and the vineyard we can talk about it further.’
She had opened her mouth to refuse, when she hesitated. Though nothing could come of it, she found she badly wanted to spend a little more time with him, see his family home.
Watching her face, trying to gauge her reaction, he wondered how to play it. Would it be best to turn on the heat or allow her a breathing space?
But what if she decided against going to Anders? He couldn’t afford to let her take the initiative and walk away. Somehow he had to make her want to stay with him.
His mind made up, he rose to his feet in a leisurely manner and, removing the tray, set it down on the Elizabethan blanket chest.
When he didn’t immediately leave, unwilling to let him see her get out of bed naked, she stayed where she was until, with an innocent look, he queried, ‘Something wrong?’
‘My dressing gown’s still in my case,’ she explained awkwardly.
He crossed to where her case was and returned a moment later with her lightweight dressing gown over his arm. Instead of handing it to her, however, he stood by the bed and held it for her.
When still she hesitated, he said quizzically, ‘Don’t tell me you’re shy, after last night?’
Watching her bite her lip, he laughed softly. ‘Why, I do believe you are. But then if you remember how—’
‘I’m afraid I don’t remember much about it,’ she broke in desperately.
‘Much?’
‘Anything,’ she admitted.
‘Ah,’ he murmured softly. ‘Well, if you’d like me to refresh your memory…?’
Thoroughly hot and bothered, her equilibrium gone, she exclaimed, ‘No!’ Then, less vehemently, ‘No, I wouldn’t…I mean I…I just want to get dressed.’
He frowned. Though she had been wrong-footed from the start, it was already clear that she had much more strength of character than he’d envisaged and he couldn’t make up his mind whether, in the long run, that was a good thing or not.
But one thing he did know. While she was off balance it would pay him to keep her off balance…
With a sigh he said, ‘Then perhaps I’d better stop teasing you.’
The mock contrition on his face and the devilish gleam in his eyes made him totally irresistible.
Realising that he had no real intention of stopping and knowing she would have to make a move or endure even more, she slid out of bed and, her back turned to him, slipped into the silky gown.
Wrapping it round her and holding it in place with his arms, he touched his lips to the warmth of her nape, planting soft little baby kisses until he reached the warm hollow behind her ear.
As, shivers running up and down her spine, she stood perfectly still, not daring to move, his mouth travelled down the side of her neck, nibbling and sucking, making her want to squirm.
At the same time his hands slid up to cup her breasts. Through the thin material of her gown, she could feel the warmth of his palms and her heart began to race madly. When his thumbs brushed over her sensitive nipples she gasped.
Part of her mind was aware that she ought to pull free, put a stop to this madness before she reached the point of no return.
But still she continued to stand rooted to the spot while his hands caressed her breasts, sending needle-sharp darts of pleasure running through her.
Just when she thought she could stand no more of such exquisite torment, he stopped and, turning her into his arms, lifted her chin and began to kiss her.
While she tried to hold on to the coat tails of her fast disappearing self-control and call a halt, he plundered her mouth with a masterful expertise that soon, caught in the spell of the black magic he was weaving, left her limp and quivering all over.
She had never known it could be like this. Had never imagined anyone being able to make her feel such longing, such naked need.
When finally he slipped the dressing gown from her shoulders and laid her down on the bed, mindless with desire, she made no demur.
For a brief moment he stood looking down at her, half regretting what he intended to do, wishing that circumstances were other than what they were.
Her flawless skin, her long slender limbs, her beautifully shaped breasts, her slim waist and flat stomach, the seductive curve of her hips, would have tempted the most dedicated of monks.
Tossing aside his own robe, he stretched out naked beside her and, murmuring how beautiful she was, began to kiss her again, expertly and
