![]() ‘What, then?’ The grey eyes were very cold and steady.īecause of you, she thought. ‘You mean you just set that poor sod up then did a runner for the hell of it?’ ‘I don’t think I have one,’ Lydie said, after a pause. He had a magnificent tan, his body as firm and muscular as ever. Wherever he’d been in the past years, there’d been no shortage of sun, she thought, her breath catching. ‘Well, there had to be some explanation.’ Stripped down to black briefs, Marius began to towel himself vigorously. ‘Your flight, by the way, was put down to pathological shyness triggering an incredibly early attack of bridal nerves.’ ‘I’ve known better moments.’ Marius pulled himself out of the water and walked towards the changing cabin, unbuttoning his shirt. ‘You drowning in the pool could be one sensation too many for this household,’ he added pointedly. It’s much too easy to get into difficulties, especially when you’ve been drinking.’ He threw a grim look at the wine bottle and glass. ‘And you never swim, even in a pool this size, without someone knowing. ‘But there are basic rules to be obeyed, nonetheless,’ he said curtly. ‘Do you make a habit of this? Coming down here alone at all hours?’ ‘But your rescue attempt was quite unnecessary. ‘And naturally I’ll pay for your dress suit to be cleaned,’ she went on, raising her voice a notch. ‘That’s putting it mildly,’ he cut in savagely. She said coolly, ‘I’m sorry if I startled you-’ She wasn’t going to ask if it was Nadine. I came to the door, and I saw you in the water-not moving-your hair.’ I thought it had been left on by mistake. ‘When I got back, I saw the light in here. ‘I took one of the guests home.’ Marius pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. He hadn’t been to bed either, she thought. His black tie was floating on the water, and his elegant ruffled shirt was plastered against his body. His dinner jacket was lying on the side where he’d dropped it. ‘Are you out of your mind?’ he demanded hoarsely. ![]() She kicked herself free and swam to the edge, resting an arm on the smooth turquoise tiles while she recovered her breath. Her body jackknifed in shock, and for a moment she floundered, choking on the water she’d swallowed.ĭimly, she heard a splash, then he was beside her. The main lights in the pool-house came on, dazzling her. ?’ It was Marius’s voice, harsh with anger. She felt like a mermaid, some doomed half-woman of the deep, endlessly singing her siren songs to call a lover who didn’t answer. She turned onto her back and floated for a while, staring up into the darkness beyond the elaborate glass dome, her hair a pale cloud around her on the water. And which always began in the same way-with the heavy, rich scent of lilies. She didn’t want her rest tormented by any of those wantonly erotic images which left her stranded in a wilderness of aching frustration. No, she thought as she turned at the end of the pool and began to swim back. There was something about the movement of the water against her body which soothed her, driving the demons away.Ī few lengths, and she’d be able to go back to her room and sleep. She’d spent hours down here in the pool when the rest of the house was asleep. Still in her black silk teddy, she walked to the side of the pool and dived in with hardly a splash. She put the glass back on the table, and dropped her robe to the floor. The condemned woman drank a hearty breakfast, she thought with irony. The wine was cold and dry, caressing her parched throat as she sipped it. There was even a bucket containing the last remnants of some melting ice and a half-empty bottle of white wine.Īt more optimistic moments she would have said it was half-full, Lydie thought wryly, finding an unused glass. The loungers and wrought-iron tables and chairs around the edge were draped with damp and discarded towels. The party had obviously extended into here, as it usually did. As Lydie switched on the lamp at the door, she could see the gentle steam rising from the water. Apart from a languid game of golf, swimming was Debra’s only real exercise, and she kept the pool well heated.
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