The Millionaire's Rebellious Mistress - By Catherine George Page 0,51
touch hers. ‘Don’t expend all your energy on those barns of yours, Sarah. Leave some for evenings with me.’
Sarah was more than happy to do this for the following fortnight, which was a period of marking time for her until the permits came through to start on the barns. Some clearing work in them was all that was possible, and since Ian was now helping them this took very little energy on her part or Harry’s.
For Alex certain social commitments were unavoidable some evenings, but they spent the others together at his house—most of them in bed. But Sarah always drove back to Medlar House, and in spite of Alex’s persuasion refused to stay overnight at Glebe Barn.
‘I’ll be happy—deliriously so—to sleep here at weekends,’ she promised. ‘But because Harry picks me up every morning I’d rather keep to the usual routine during the week.’
Alex eyed her sardonically. ‘You don’t want him to know about us?’
‘Lord, no,’ she said, grinning. ‘Can you really picture me telling Harry Sollers that my new friend is the vice-chairman of the Merrick Group?’
There was no answering smile from Alex. ‘Is that what I am? Your friend?’
She bit her lip, flushing. ‘A very special friend. But I can’t tell Harry that, either.’
‘Why the hell not?’
‘Because it’s too private to talk about to anyone,’ she said, and kissed him so passionately he stopped arguing and made love instead of war.
They spent the weekends in much the same way as the first one. Sarah was now so much at home at Glebe Barn that it was a huge effort to leave it to go back to her flat on Monday mornings, and one particular Monday was worse than usual, because Alex was going away for a while.
‘I’m in London, at a conference on global recycling,’ he said morosely.
‘Just as well,’ said Sarah cheerfully. ‘Bob has said we can start on the foundations this week, even though the deal isn’t final, and when I’m working flat out on that kind of thing I’m tired by the evening most days. And Westhope is a twenty-mile drive for me, instead of just five minutes away like the cottages.’
He nodded moodily. ‘I wish you had a less demanding job, Sarah.’
She busied herself with pouring coffee and buttering toast. ‘But I don’t, so from now on I’ll be much better company if we just see each other at weekends. Why the smile?’ she added suspiciously.
‘Out of all these droves of women apparently languishing for me—or at least my money—I have to fall for the one who doesn’t have enough time to fit me into her schedule,’ Alex said sardonically. ‘I’d begun to hope our relationship meant something to you.’
‘It does,’ she said, and eyed him warily. ‘I’m just not sure what you expect of it, Alex.’
‘A hell of a sight more than you’re prepared to give,’ he snapped, and jumped up to stalk round the table.
She put out her hands to fend him off. ‘So tell me what you want.’
‘Wasn’t last night—and this morning—explanation enough?’ He pulled her to her feet. ‘You know damn well what I want.’
‘Alex, don’t rush me,’ she said urgently. ‘I’ve only just got used to the idea of you as a friend.’
‘Even as a mere friend I’d expect to see more of you than the odd weekend!’
Sarah gazed at him in appeal. ‘Once I get the job off the ground at Westhope things will settle down enough for us to see more of each other than that.’
‘How generous of you.’ Alex stood back, shaking his head in mock wonder. ‘I never learn, do I? I should have remembered from past experience of your sex that priorities for a man are not necessarily the same for a woman. Like a fool, I thought you cared for me, Sarah.’
‘I do.’ Sarah blinked hard. ‘Surely after what’s happened between us you must know that?’ She flushed miserably. ‘But to strip this down to basics I’m not used to—to this kind of thing on top of a working day. I get tired.’
‘By “this kind of thing” you mean sex?’ he asked brutally.
The word struck her like a physical blow. ‘It’s not the word I would have used, but, yes, I suppose that’s what I do mean.’
‘For me it was a great deal more than that,’ he said harshly.
‘It was for me, too.’
‘But still not enough to combine it with your busy schedule? Or is there something you’re not telling me, Sarah?’