felt the past slide over her like a suffocating cloak and with a determined effort she thrust it aside, reminding herself that the past was all about yesterdays and that she was only interested in today and tomorrow.
And neither was going to feature this man, even if he was straight out of a female fantasy.
And he was.
He’d always been indecently good-looking, she thought numbly, but age and maturity had added a hard edge to his masculinity that would make even the most cynical, man-wary female catch her breath.
And the combination of jet-black hair and blue eyes was a killer.
Resolutely she reined in her feelings, holding them close, reminding herself of the price of loving this man.
It was high. Too high.
She’d paid it once with interest and she wasn’t prepared to pay it again.
So she held that dark gaze steadily and noted the shock that he couldn’t quite conceal with a flicker of feminine satisfaction.
He hadn’t expected her to come home.
But she had. And he was going to have to live with that.
Like it or not, she was back.
And she was staying.
‘Hello, Tom.’ Her voice was cool and formal. Not a tremor, not a shake, not a flicker of emotion. She was proud of herself. ‘It’s been a long time.’
Tom braced his shoulders and tried to counter the shock wave that pulsed through his body.
He’d always known that one day Sally Jenner would walk into his life again. That he’d be forced to stare his past in the face.
Acknowledge the guilt.
It had been seven years and yet he still wasn’t able to remember their final encounter without breaking into a sweat.
He gritted his teeth, telling himself that he’d made the right decision for both of them, even though she hadn’t been able to see it at the time.
At first glance she seemed hardly to have changed. Still the same intriguing green eyes that flashed a hint of rebellion and challenge, still the slim legs, the narrow waist and the delicate curves. She looked as though a strong gust of wind would blow her over, but he knew better. Sally was fit and strong, probably the most athletic woman he’d ever met. She was an accomplished rock-climber, an impressive long-distance runner, and her wildness and courage had stolen his heart. In all the years he’d known her, he’d seen her cry only once.
And that had been the day he’d ended their relationship.
Looking at her soft, perfectly shaped mouth, Tom suddenly had trouble remembering why he’d done it, and he cursed mentally, wishing that he’d had time to prepare himself for her arrival.
Why the hell hadn’t someone told him that she was coming?
Warned him?
‘Does Bryony know you’re here?’
She’d been one of his sister’s closest friends and he knew that they’d kept in touch over the years.
One delicate eyebrow lifted a fraction and he saw the challenge in her green gaze. ‘Of course.’
He gritted his teeth. ‘She failed to mention it.’
‘She probably didn’t think you’d be interested.’
It was a less than subtle reminder that he’d been the one to cut her out of his life and Tom ran a hand over the back of his neck, seriously discomfited for the first time in his thirty-four years.
If he’d known she was coming back, he would have had time to prepare—would have somehow arranged for them to have their first meeting in private. Clearly there were things that needed to be said.
As if reminding them both that they weren’t alone, Emma gave a little cough.
‘You know each other?’ Her tone pulsed with a curiosity that she couldn’t hide and she glanced between them with interest.
Sally smiled, nothing in her expression suggesting that she was anything other than totally relaxed. ‘It was a long time ago.’
Her tone suggested a casual acquaintance of long standing, a relationship with no real attachment on either side.
Remembering the explosive passion they’d shared, Tom wondered how she’d managed to forget the incredible intimacies that had bound them together.
And then he looked into those cool green eyes and realized that she hadn’t forgotten.
Neither had she forgiven.
In those green eyes he saw disdain where there had once been adoration, contempt where that had once been unconditional love.
He drew breath slowly, shocked by how severely that contempt unsettled him.
And yet what had he expected?
Had he known she was coming, how would he have anticipated their reunion?
Sally Jenner had every reason to hate him.
‘I heard you were working in the Himalayas.’ Suddenly he wanted to know everything about her. Where she’d been, what she’d been doing. When she’d stopped crying over him.
‘Among other places.’ Her reply was intentionally vague and he saw the flash in those green depths and understood.
Mind your own business, her eyes said. What do you care, anyway?
‘And where are you living now?’
He needed to know. There were things he had to say to her and they certainly couldn’t be said in public.
She ignored his question, her gaze turning to Emma who was still watching them in awed silence. ‘Sorry. This must be very boring for you and I’m sure we need to get on with some work.’
Emma shrugged. ‘Well, if you two want to catch up, I can—’
‘Not at all,’ Sally interrupted her smoothly, moving away from the window and making her way towards the door. ‘We’ve said hello. It was nice to see you, Tom.’
With a few casually spoken words she’d dismissed him as unimportant and Tom wrestled with an inexplicable impulse to power her against the wall and remind her just what they’d shared.
But that would be a totally illogical response, of course, given that he’d been the one to walk away from their relationship.
He’d thrown their relationship away. So why was he now questioning that decision?
Because in thirty-four years he’d
