But was it any more incredible than the way he felt towards Sabina?
Also, it was strange, but with the knowledge that it was Sabina’s mother his grandfather was seeing Brice found he no longer felt that instinctive rejection of such a relationship in the older man’s life.
Whereas Sabina obviously felt the opposite!
But how much of that was directed towards the unsuitability of his grandfather as a suitor to her mother, and how much was it because it happened to be Brice’s grandfather?
‘Won’t you give them a chance, Sabina?’ he prompted gently. ‘After all, they’re both adults, and—’ He broke off as Sabina turned on him fiercely, looking up at him with widened eyes.
‘Don’t you understand, I can’t think about this just now?’ she grated emotionally.
Brice studied her more closely. Was that tears he could see in her eyes, building up against the lashes as they threatened to fall?
‘Sabina!’ He stood up abruptly, reaching out to take her into his arms. ‘It will be all right, you’ll see,’ he told her soothingly as he cradled her head against his shoulder.
It would never be all right again!
How could it be, when she had fallen in love with Brice while engaged to Richard, and now she found her mother was involved with Brice’s grandfather? That relationship alone made it impossible for her to distance herself from Brice—or his family!
She had thought last night, once she’d realised her feelings towards Brice, that this situation couldn’t get any worse. With her mother’s arrival it just had!
‘Sabina…?’ Brice prompted huskily now as he looked down at her concernedly.
She loved this man, every arrogant, attractive, caring inch of him. What was she going to do?
Brice looked at her searchingly, those emerald-coloured eyes like penetrating jewels. She only hoped he couldn’t see what was in her heart!
‘Sabina…’ he finally groaned throatily, pressing her closer to his chest before his head lowered and his lips claimed hers.
Heaven.
Absolute, complete heaven.
Her arms moved up instinctively about his shoulders as she returned the kiss, senses raging as pleasure coursed through her, her lips parting invitingly beneath his.
Brice accepted that invitation with a low growl in his throat, the kiss instantly deepening as his mouth crushed hers, the warmth of his tongue moving sensually against hers.
Sabina clung to the broad width of his shoulders even as her body curved itself instinctively into the hardness of his, able to feel every muscle and sinew, his own arousal unmistakable.
Her neck arched as Brice’s lips moved from hers to trail a blaze of fire down the sensitive column of her throat, his tongue now caressing the deep hollows at its base, one of his hands moving to cup the pertness of her breast against the thin material of her tee shirt.
She gave a gasp of pure pleasure as his thumbtip moved lightly over the hardened tip of her nipple, her legs feeling weak as hot desire swept through her entire body, her panting breath sounding loud in the otherwise quiet of the bedroom.
‘Brice…!’ she groaned achingly, knowing she wanted more, so much more.
‘This is right, Sabina,’ he muttered forcefully against the lobe of her ear. ‘So very, very right!’ His arms tightened painfully about her.
‘I—’ She broke off abruptly, hearing another noise that she somehow knew—even in her befuddled state of arousal—wasn’t made by either Brice or herself.
She quickly pulled back from Brice, pushing against his chest, just managing to free herself from his arms and step away from him as the bedroom door opened, Sabina’s sharp glance in that direction showing her that Richard stood there.
Her fiancé!
She felt her cheeks blushing painfully red as she looked guiltily across at the man whose ring nestled on her left hand, wondering if Richard knew, if he guessed, if there was anything about Brice and herself that showed that only seconds ago they had been in each other’s arms.
It was impossible to tell anything of Richard’s emotions from his deadpan expression as he looked at them, the blue eyes narrowed speculatively, but not accusingly.
He arched blond brows. ‘Are we still leaving?’ he drawled interestedly.
‘We are.’ Sabina gave an abrupt nod of her head, moving to close her suitcase, all the time keeping her gaze averted from Brice as he stood tensely only feet away from her, hands clenched at his sides. If he dared to say anything that would imply—!
‘In the circumstances, McAllister, I think it’s probably best if we don’t go ahead with the portrait, after all,’ Richard addressed the other man dryly.
‘Circumstances?’ Brice echoed harshly.
Richard shrugged. ‘Sabina is obviously—upset, by her mother’s friendship with your grandfather,’ he dismissed derisively.
‘Are you?’ Brice rasped in her direction.
Sabina slowly raised her head, reluctantly meeting Brice’s probing gaze. ‘I—I’m not sure how I feel about that at the moment,’ she answered honestly, needing time and space to digest the fact before knowing how she felt about it. ‘But I do agree with Richard that it would be best if we leave now, that it’s better to forget about the portrait, too,’ she added firmly.
Brice’s mouth thinned angrily. ‘Why?’
Because she daredn’t be alone in a room with him! Because every time she looked at him she wanted him, shamelessly, unreservedly, completely! Because she loved him!
Because there was no point in the portrait being painted when she was going to end her engagement to Richard…!
She shook her head dismissively. ‘As you’re well aware, I was never interested in having the portrait done in the first place,’ she reminded distantly.
‘You only went ahead with it to please your fiancé, is that it?’ Brice rasped scornfully.
Sabina’s head went back proudly at the open challenge in his words. ‘That’s it exactly,’ she confirmed tersely, a certain defiance in her gaze now as she met Brice’s unblinkingly, knowing she was daring him to dispute her words, but unable to do anything about it.
Brice’s mouth turned back contemptuously. ‘I’m sure there must be many other ways in which you can “please” your fiancé,’ he taunted scathingly.
‘I’m sure there are,’ Sabina returned coldly, not liking the tone in Brice’s voice at all.
‘Just send me a bill for whatever time and materials you’ve already used,’ Richard told the other man dismissively.
The emerald eyes hardened to angry pebbles of light. ‘That won’t be necessary,’ Brice rasped.
‘But I always take care of my debts, Brice,’ Richard told him smoothly.
‘I said, forget it,’ Brice snapped harshly.
Sabina anxiously watched the exchange between the two men. Looking at Brice now, it was hard to believe that only minutes ago they had been in each other’s arms, totally lost in their arousal, everyone and everything else forgotten. Brice now looked coldly remote, and she—
Sabina didn’t know how she looked, only knew she had to get away from here, away from Brice, away from the spell this place seemed to have cast over her! Back to London where she knew who she was and where she was going.
‘If you’re ready to leave now, Sabina?’ Richard prompted pointedly, obviously bored by his conversation with the other man.
‘I’m ready.’ She reached out to swing her zipped suitcase onto the floor.
‘I’m sure Brice isn’t going to be so petty as to let you carry your own suitcase downstairs. Are you, McAllister?’ Richard taunted challengingly as he picked up his own packed suitcase.
‘No,’ Brice rasped tersely, abruptly relieving Sabina of her burden, his fingers, briefly, icily cold against hers. ‘I believe my grandfather is organising that his estate manager will drive you to Aberdeen airport,’ he added harshly.
Sabina preceded the two men down the winding staircase, anxious to be gone now. Once she was away from here perhaps she would be able to see her feelings towards Brice for what they were—be able to know if it really was love she felt towards him. Or something else.
Although none of that changed the fact that she had to end her engagement to Richard…
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
IT WAS only Brice’s anger that kept him silent as he followed the couple down the stairs, the feeling of complete impotence where Sabina was concerned.
Because if he once started to speak, to protest at Sabina leaving like this, then he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop, that everything he wanted to say to her about the rightness of what she was doing would come tumbling out!
How could she leave with Richard Latham after the kisses she had just shared with Brice? And she had responded, he was absolutely sure of it.
But she was still leaving with Latham…
Jeff, the estate manager, was waiting outside with the car, opening the boot so that the luggage could be stowed away.
‘No matter what your feelings at the moment, Sabina,’ Brice rasped as she would have moved to get into the back of the car, ‘I think you should at least say goodbye to your mother. And a thank-you to my grandfather for his hospitality wouldn’t go amiss, either,’ he added scathingly.
A slight flush had entered her cheeks at the obvious rebuke as she straightened. ‘Of course,’ she acquiesced abruptly.