‘Comfortable bed.’ Adam bent slightly and pressed down on the blue-covered mattress he would be using during his visit.
‘The bathroom is through here.’ Eve threw open the connecting door with a casualness she was far from feeling, promising herself she would remove all her personal toiletries from the room at the first opportunity. ‘But I should knock first; I’m afraid you’re sharing it.’ She turned to leave.
‘With you?’
She turned slowly at the door, knowing she had given herself away by her haste to be gone. ‘As it happens, yes,’ she bit out, looking at him challengingly, daring him to comment further.
He didn’t, the single brow he raised eloquent enough.
Eve left him standing in the middle of the guest bedroom, closing her own door forcefully behind her a few seconds later, standing shakily just inside the room until she could breathe more easily.
The weekend promised to be a horrendous time for her. Her more unsuspecting grandmother could have no idea what she had done with her casual invitation …
* * *
‘Where on earth do you think Sophy and Patrick found him?’ Marina said speculatively, her dark blue eyes gleaming interestedly as she lay on Eve’s bed later that evening.
These feminine confidences had become a ritual, first between two little girls, then two young women, and latterly between two fully grown women, although they hadn’t been too regular in recent years.
But Eve had no doubts that Marina was going to totally explore this new interest she had in Adam Gardener as she settled more comfortably on the bed, her arms back behind her head as she let her thoughts drift.
Marina had only returned from her trip into town shortly after tea, Eve and her grandmother sharing a look of mutual horror at the number of shopping bags she had carried into the house, shopping she lost all interest in as soon as she was introduced to Adam Gardener. The sulky pout to her lush red-painted lips became a thing of the past as she instantly dazzled him with one of her warmer smiles, her hand resting intimately in his as she gazed up at him as if he were the only man in the world.
&n
bsp; And, to Eve’s disgust, Adam fell for it hook, line and sinker, as far as she could see!
And the two continued to monopolise each other until it was time to go and change for dinner—when it now seemed as if Eve had to listen to how attractive Marina found him!
‘I don’t think they “found” him anywhere,’ she gently rebuked. ‘He’s a business acquaintance, and owns a gallery in New York, I believe,’ she provided dismissively, wishing Marina would go to her own room so that she could finish getting ready. Paul would be arriving soon, and the last thing she wanted was him and Adam getting into conversation together. She would just have to hope that the dinner party the other evening stayed firmly out of the conversation over the weekend! What an idiot she had been to ever have lied in the first place.
‘Rich, do you think?’ Marina frowned consideringly.
‘I think a person’s wealth, or lack of it, shouldn’t make any difference, if you like someone,’ Eve reproved softly.
Marina grinned unabashed. ‘I just happen to know I would be happier with a rich husband than with a poor one, regardless of whether or not I like him,’ she mocked lightly.
Eve had given up being shocked by anything Marina said years ago, but even so …! ‘Husband?’ she repeated frowningly. ‘You’ve only just met the man!’
‘But I’ve been looking for a rich husband ever since I was seventeen,’ Marina confided audaciously. ‘I’ve just never met the right man yet. Adam Gardener could be him, don’t you think?’
She thought Marina ought to have her head examined for even contemplating such a thing!
Regardless of the fact that Adam had been charming to Marina since they had first met, he did have the ability to totally demolish her if he chose. Brittle and selfish as Marina could sometimes appear, she didn’t deserve to have less than a completely loving relationship with her husband.
And no, as far as Marina was concerned, she didn’t believe she could have that with Adam Gardener.
‘I don’t believe it really matters what I think,’ she answered drily, knowing that, no matter what anyone else’s opinion might be, in the end Marina would only do what pleased her.
Marina grinned with anticipation, the bad-tempered shrew of the last few days completely erased. ‘He really is an attractive individual.’ She moved to the edge of the bed in preparation of leaving. ‘Thank goodness I packed a couple of sexy dresses for the evenings—even if that was originally with the intention of tormenting old Paul!’ she added with glee.
Eve shook her head ruefully. As far as she was aware, ‘old Paul’ never even noticed what Marina was wearing—unless it was to comment disparagingly on it! But then, that was probably what Marina had meant about ‘tormenting’ him.
‘And I bought this fantastic dress today …’ Marina murmured thoughtfully.
Eve was slightly suspicious of that reckless glint in Marina’s eyes, but if she made a comment about this new dress Marina was sure to wear it anyway, so she might as well save her breath. ‘Isn’t it time you went and got ready?’ she prompted, as Marina made no effort to get up off the bed now that she had sat up.
‘In a minute.’ Her cousin nodded absently. ‘Lucky you.’ She gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘You actually get to share a bathroom with the man. Would you like to swap bedrooms for the weekend?’ she asked brightly as the idea occurred to her.