A Stranger's Kiss

Tara. He’ll have showered, changed and be flirting with some other female before we’re back at the villa.’
    She bit her lip. ‘Will he?’
    He glanced across at her. ‘Yes. He’s quite incorrigible. At least while his wife’s away.’
    This was the final straw. ‘He didn’t mention a wife, Adam, I—’
    ‘Please don’t pretend that it bothers you. I don’t suppose you mentioned your husband, either.’
    He pulled into the gates of the villa and Tara moved quickly, anxious to get away from him, get upstairs and out of her now hated scarlet dress.
    ‘Don’t go, Tara.’ There was something in his voice that suggested disobedience would be foolhardy. ‘I don’t know about you, but I could do with a drink. A brandy?’ He didn’t wait for her reply, but poured two glasses and handed one to her. She didn’t want it, but stood holding the glass, waiting to be read the riot act.
    But Adam simply took off his jacket, pulled his tie loose and stretched out on a sofa. ‘Come and sit down.’ He patted the seat beside him.
    ‘I don’t think—’
    ‘I’m not Hanna Rashid, my lady. I prefer my women to co-operate in their seduction.’ She sat nervously on the edge of the sofa. ‘To be fair to the man he was short of time. He had to move quickly when you presented him with the opportunity.’
    ‘I didn’t...’
    ‘That sofa is something else.’
    She felt the colour drain from her face. He had clearly witnessed the whole thing. ‘I tried to shout.’
    ‘Yes. That’s when I thought I’d better intervene. I promise I wouldn’t have interrupted if I had thought you were enjoying yourself.’
    ‘You... stood by and watched?’
    ‘It’s tough being a knight errant. Especially when the lady protests she can look after herself.’ He drained his glass. ‘It’s a good job I didn’t actually believe you. But then I do know Hanna of old. He didn’t waste much time on the preliminaries though and that rather took me by surprise.’
    Her cheeks flamed. ‘I haven’t thanked you for rescuing me,’ she said, very quietly.
    ‘No, you haven’t.’
    She glanced back at him. He was sitting in the corner of the sofa waiting for something more. ‘Thank you.’ She made a move to stand but he stopped her, taking her glass and placing it on a low table.
    ‘That’s not enough, Tara.’ His eyes were hooded, concealing their expression, but there was a tenseness about him that boded nothing but trouble. Her emotions were already in turmoil, now sitting so close to him, the scent of him was like a drug, making her skin vibrate, her pulse race. She wanted to run but she knew her legs wouldn’t have carried her to the door.
    ‘Adam—’ His name was only a breath on her lips.
    His eyes never left hers as he took her fingers and raised them to his lips. ‘Yes, Tara?’ But she couldn’t speak, mesmerised by the dark head bent over her arm, his lips gently exploring their way up the inner curve of her elbow, to the hollow of her shoulder. His touch was tender, arousing and he did not need to push her against the cushions. She opened to him like a flower, offering her throat, her eyes, her mouth to his teasing delicate touch.
    He outlined her lips with the tip of his tongue and her mouth parted eagerly, drinking in his kiss like a man dying of thirst in the desert.
    They were the only two people left in the world and lost to everything but him, she wound her arms about his neck. ‘Love me, Adam,’ she begged.
    He raised his head and looked at her for a long, still moment. Then almost regretfully he shook his head.
    ‘No. I don’t think so.’
    ‘What—?’
    He stood up abruptly and walked across to the drinks table, poured himself another brandy and drank it straight down. Shock held her pinned to the sofa. He turned back to her. ‘That’s it. The lesson is over. You can go now. But the next time you’re tempted to start playing games, just remember how you’re feeling now and have a little pity for your victim.’
    It was a moment before she could move. Then she ran. She stumbled on the stairs, but managed to keep moving. Her hand trembled so much on the door knob that she began to think it was locked, then it opened quite suddenly and she fell into the room. Tara slammed the door, turned the key and then ran for the bathroom.
    She tore off her clothes, not caring what happened to them and stepped under the shower, scrubbing at herself until she tingled and her skin was pink. But it didn’t