‘Cassie thinks you should relax more.’ One strong hand lifted her chin, his eyes holding hers easily with their penetrating silver light, and again the full impact of his handsomeness swept over her, causing her to groan silently inside. He was just too damn gorgeous to be real, that was for sure, and it wasn’t fair…
‘My sister worries too much,’ Robyn said with a note of dryness in her voice. If Cass had regaled him with stories of her non-existent social life she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions when she saw Cass next. ‘If it’s not Guy or the twins, then it’s me. She’ll be better when the baby arrives; she didn’t stop fussing over the twins for months—every squeak or cry had her up and running. I love her like mad but when the twins were first born it was the most peaceful few months I’d ever had. She’s a great mum, though,’ she added quickly in case he thought her words were ones of criticism. ‘Absolutely the best.’
‘You’ve never felt the inclination to settle down yourself?’ he asked quietly, the subtle spicy scent of his aftershave teasing her senses. How was it that on some men aftershave just smelt like aftershave, and on others it turned into something so sexy and intoxicating that it ought to have a warning label? Robyn asked herself weakly, merely shaking her head in answer to his question. She wasn’t inclined to go down that road.
‘Not even been tempted?’ he persisted softly.
What was this? The third degree? She stiffened slightly, moving back in his arms as a dart of annoyance hit. Every instinct was warning her the less Clay knew about her the better but she wasn’t quite sure why. She didn’t for one moment think he would be interested in her—it wasn’t that—but he was the type of man who would file things away in that formidable computer he called a brain and use them against her in the future.
Future? She tensed further. Why on earth was she linking the words future and Clay Lincoln together in any way, shape or form? She couldn’t let herself accept his offer; it was out of the question. It had to be. All the danger signals were at red.
‘Why do I get the sudden feeling I’m holding a board in my arms?’ It was cool and faintly amused, and hit Robyn on the raw like nothing else could have done.
This was just a game to him, an entertaining diversion for an hour or two. They stared at each other, Clay’s gaze faintly quizzical and Robyn’s brown eyes dilated with bitterness and hurt. And then she turned her head, gazing over his shoulder coolly.
‘Who has made you hate men the way you do?’ Clay asked very softly. ‘Because you do, don’t you?’
She jerked back in his arms as though she had been stung, her face shocked. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she said sharply. ‘I don’t hate men.’ Not ninety-nine per cent of them anyway, just one particular man. Although she couldn’t very well go into that!
‘Cassie thinks there was someone,’ the relentlessly soft voice continued quietly, his eyes never leaving her face for a second. ‘She says you’ve never talked about it but she suspects a boy at university, or someone you met shortly after you left there? She thinks someone hurt you badly, Robyn.’
Robyn’s mind had been whirling in an agony of desperate humiliation, but suddenly she realised he was being completely frank. She’d suspected at first his remark was a lead-up to the way they had parted all those years ago, but now she saw he really didn’t have the faintest idea he’d been the one to break her heart and send her emotions into a deep freeze.
She gave a frosty little smile. ‘Like I said earlier, Cass thinks too much at times,’ she said evenly, her voice belying the hot colour in her cheeks. ‘Anyway, at Guy’s party you accused me of being some sort of femme fatale who wouldn’t be averse to using her body to get what or where she wanted. That doesn’t sound like someone who doesn’t like men.’
‘Ah, but I’ve had a chat with Cassie and Guy since then,’ Clay said with total unconcern at her outraged face. ‘And before you accuse me of further crimes, might I add that they did all the chatting with no provocation from me. Not that I didn’t find it interesting,’ he added thoughtfully.
‘Oh, I’m so glad you weren’t bored,’ she said with acid sarcasm, although the fact that she was so close to that big, male body and her hands—resting as they were against the hard wall of his chest—could feel the steady beat of his heart brought a slight breathlessness to her voice she could have done without. It spoke of weakness and she couldn’t afford that with Clay.
‘Bored talking about you?’ The silver eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t think that’s possible. Whatever else you are—and I haven’t decided on that yet—you certainly aren’t boring, Robyn Brett. You weren’t as a child either. Irritating on occasion, especially when you insisted on following Cassie and the rest of us everywhere and throwing a paddy if you were sent home, but never boring.’
The only times she had ever tagged onto Cass were when Clay was around, but fortunately he didn’t know that. Robyn steeled herself to change tack before this conversation got out of hand. It was too emotionally fraught—at least on her side—and that wasn’t good. She needed to be cool and composed around Clay, and although she didn’t feel it she could at least pretend.
She could feel her heart racing, a frantic, fast thud that made her light-headed and giddy, but she gave no sign of her inward agitation when she said, her voice light now, even teasing, ‘Careful, Clay, or you’ll be guilty of giving me a compliment and that would never do.’ She arched her eyebrows mockingly.
‘A cute change of subject.’ He smiled slowly, and she could feel the impact singing down her spine. ‘So, you don’t want to talk about him, right? Okay, I get the message.’
‘If there was a him; no, I don’t.’
‘No problem. I don’t like post-mortems either.’ He increased his pressure on the small of her back, drawing her into him again as easily as if she were thistledown. One hand remained warm and firm against her spine and the other lifted to stroke the silky smooth skin of her face in a light, caressing gesture that she had to warn herself not to react to. ‘Your skin’s incredible, do you know that?’ he whispered softly, almost to himself. ‘So creamy and soft.’
She wasn’t going to play this dangerous game. Robyn ignored the frissons of pleasure circulating in her bloodstream and managed to say carefully, ‘I wasn’t hinting for compliments a minute ago, Clay,’ as she kept her body from relaxing.
‘What?’ And then as he understood he made a small male sound of irritation deep in his throat. ‘Hell, I know that: stop being so damn prickly.’
She didn’t like the accusation but at least the intimate mood he’d woven so expertly had been shattered; in fact he was frowning at her now she noticed wryly. She took no notice of the little ache of regret and said brightly, ‘My mistake.’
Clay was looking at her in a way that made her wonder what he was thinking. ‘I have the strangest feeling you’re not a lady that makes mistakes,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘And you really don’t like me, do you!’ It was a statement, not a question, and said with the faintest underlying note of surprise.
Had she managed to prick that inflated male ego just the tiniest bit? Robyn asked herself silently. She hoped so. Oh, she did so hope so. ‘Is that part of the deal? Liking you?’ she asked with outrageous audacity. ‘You didn’t make that clear earlier.’
The frown deepened; in fact he was positively scowling now and his voice was flat and edged with anger when he said, ‘If you’re suggesting what I think you are suggesting I am more than capable of getting female company without having to buy it.’
‘I wouldn’t have dreamed of suggesting such a thing,’ Robyn said sweetly. ‘I’m sure you’re capable of attracting most women.’
‘Thank you,’ Clay murmured drily. ‘Thank you so much.’
For once he wasn’t having it all his own way and it felt great, Robyn admitted with a touch of ruefulness. It probably shouldn’t matter so much and she shouldn’t get such pleasure from his obvious disquiet, but she just couldn’t help it and that was that. He shouldn’t have tried flirting with her!