Chapter Ten

Sam leaned back in his chair and stuck his feet up on his desk, contemplating life. His life, in specific. He hadn’t rung Helen since the party, although he’d seen her at a conference where they’d had tea together. The atmosphere had been strained, and no wonder after the way he’d behaved at the party. He reached for the phone, picked it up, before setting it back down. Helen would be at work in her office. A smile warmed him at the thought. He bet she’d be good at her job, although he liked her in her gypsy persona, too. She seemed more vibrant, easy-going and relaxed when she played the gypsy fortune teller, apart from the night of the party.

He’d wanted to ring her a dozen times, but hadn’t because the family curse stood between them like an enormous chasm. He wanted Helen, thought about her all the time. Hell, he even thought he loved her and it scared him half to death. Difficult to trust his feelings for her when it brought back all sorts of old history. His girlfriend, Amber. He’d thought she was the one and had been ready to ask her to marry him after three weeks. All along she’d wanted his money. Status. She certainly hadn’t wanted his children, and later, he’d discovered she’d been seeing another man at the same time. It had been a turning point in his life. The time he’d become cynical, according to his mother.

“Hey, boss!” A sharp tap on his door accompanied the shout.

“Come in.” Sam lowered his feet and grinned at Suzie when she rushed into his office. She carried a newspaper. When he looked closely, he noticed the flush of temper on her cheeks.

“Look!” she said, waving the newspaper in front of his face. “Look at this!”

“Suzie, I won’t be able to see unless you stop waving the paper in front of my face.”

She slapped the paper in his hand and he saw his own face staring up at him. It was a photo of him and Helen. The headline made him scowl, and his gut hollowed with distaste. Playboy Sam Norville out on the town. God, he hated that playboy label. It implied useless. Without motivation. It implied a lack of morals. None of which were true. But it sold newspapers and magazines, which was why the label had stuck. And the fact he never went out with the same woman more than once didn’t help. Sam’s grip tightened on the newspaper while he read the story. The photographer had snapped the photo at the conference. Their heads were close together and their fingers entwined and rested on the tabletop. A pot of tea and two cups sat beside their hands. It looked intimate. And it was an invasion of privacy. There was a second photo of him in disguise with Helen outside his flat. Someone had put the clues together. Hell, he’d have phone calls from his family over this, and the photographers would be hiding behind trees and jumping out of the woodwork. He read further. Has the playboy met his match?

“Has Helen seen this?”

“I don’t know. We saw each other in passing this morning, but I haven’t talked to her since.”

Sam ran his hand through his hair. He hated being in the spotlight, the butt of public speculation.

“I’ll try to ring her now, but if I can’t get her, can you tell her I’ll ring tonight?”

“Her boss won’t let her take phone calls,” Suzie said, a furrow of anxiety forming between her eyes.

“Yeah, I know, but I’ll try anyway.”

He picked up the phone and dialed, but he managed to get an idiotic girl who insisted that Helen didn’t work in the Home Office. “Never mind,” he said and slammed the phone down.

The phone rang almost immediately. His brother. Sam cursed inwardly and set about denying everything.

“You’ve broken your rules,” Jase said.

“None of your business.”

“The twins said you had someone at the flat when they rang.”

His brother was fishing, baiting a hook and waiting for him to bite. Wasn’t gonna happen. “Is there a point to your call?”

“Yeah, I want you to admit you’ve fallen in love with the girl.”

Sam hung up without replying, knowing he wouldn’t win and Jase would make him lose his temper, which would be as good as a confession.

“Hell,” Sam muttered, rubbing his hands across his face. Why had he asked Helen out? Why did he keep thinking about the woman? He snorted, knowing the truth even if he wasn’t ready to admit it to everyone else. He’d fallen in love with her, and it scared the hell out of him, because what he felt for Amber paled in comparison to the feelings filling him now. The love at first sight thing was holding true for yet another Norville.

Sam took the phone off the hook and attempted to work. When his concentration failed, he checked his watch and decided he’d go for a walk. Photographers dogged him. By the time he arrived home, it was late, his temper soaring. He rang Helen, but Suzie said she’d left to go to Greensbarrow to prepare for the fair the following day. She’d left her cell phone in the flat, so there was no way of contacting her. Suzie hadn’t seen her either and didn’t know if Helen knew about the photos and story in the paper.

“She won’t be back until Sunday night,” Suzie said.

“Tell her I rang. Hopefully, I’ll have a chance to talk to her before she sees or hears about the photos.”

“Yeah,” Suzie said. “See you on Monday.”

“Sure.” The phone clicked in his ear and he hung up.

“Heck, what a mess.” Sam grabbed a beer and dropped into a comfortable chair in his lounge. If he hadn’t had work plus a charity function to attend, he would have traveled to Greensbarrow to see Helen. Now it would have to wait until Sunday.

 

The annual fair in the village of Greensbarrow in Berkshire was one of Hayley’s favorites. She’d worked it the previous year and made enough money to make her blink, which was why she’d turned down a conference in favor of attending the fair.

Her booth was situated on the north side of the main arena, along with the tea tent and several food stalls. The grandstand on the opposite side was a sea of faces, the current silence full of tension due to a jump-off in the show-jumping competition. Hayley heard a dull thud, the echo of a horse’s hoof hitting a rail. A clatter followed and the crowd let out a collective groan.

“Four faults,” the announcer called.

Hayley tidied away the cup and saucer plus the teapot used by her previous customer. At this fair, she had her own tea supplies and made the tea for each customer. She readied the next cup with its matching saucer and added tea leaves to a clean teapot.

“Are you ready for the next customer?” Hayley’s assistant, a student, poked her head around the corner and grinned at her. She did a great job collecting the money and organizing customers while Hayley took care of the tea side of things.

Hayley stood, her charm bracelet jingling musically when she went to greet her next customer. She rounded the corner of her partition and came to an abrupt halt, her smile of welcome freezing on her mouth.

Three ladies stood in the entrance. Hayley didn’t know two of them but the third was very familiar. Abbey. Her sister—no, half sister. She still hadn’t quite wrapped her head around that fact. A herd of butterflies stomped around the interior of her stomach. This was the last thing she needed. Another screaming match with her sister. Shoving aside her panic, she nodded at her customers. It would be best if she tried to act normal. She knew Abbey well enough to know if her sister sensed a weakness, she’d exploit it.

“Who would like to go first?”

“You go first, Trudy,” Abbey said, her eyes widening on seeing Hayley. The surprise gave way to calculation.

Hayley sucked in a deep breath and maintained a calm smile. Inside, panic rioted out of control. She waited for Abbey to denounce her as a fraud, but her sister remained silent. Hayley showed her first customer into the private part of her booth and went through her spiel on automatic pilot. Fifteen minutes later, she couldn’t have repeated what she’d told the woman, but luckily she seemed satisfied.

The second woman had a lovely manner and helped set her at rest.

Hayley managed to get through the second reading, but her stomach quivered and if Abbey looked too closely she would see the tremor of her hand. Abbey would know how vulnerable her presence made Hayley feel, and no doubt use it as a weapon.

The second woman left and automatically Hayley cleared away her cup and teapot.

Abbey walked in and took possession of the seat opposite Hayley.

“Would you like tea?” Ever the polite hostess.

“I don’t think so,” Abbey said. “What I want is money.”

“I don’t think so,” Hayley said, throwing her sister’s words back at her. She would not let Abbey intimidate her.

“I’ll tell everyone you’re a fraud.”

Hayley stood and filled a pot with tea leaves. She poured water over them and prepared a cup of tea.

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard,” Hayley said. “But I don’t owe you anything.”

Abbey’s mouth set in a hard line. It made her appear cruel. Her sister looked so much better when she smiled.

“I know about you and that man. I saw the photos.”

Hayley flinched and Abbey noticed. Her sister gave a tiny triumphant cry. “I knew it,” she said. “You love him.”

“We’re just friends.” Hayley said the words so quickly she knew she’d given herself away. “Is there a point to this conversation?” What photos? What was Abbey talking about? Curiosity gnawed at her, although she knew better than to ask questions and reveal vulnerability to her sister.

“I need money. Today.”

Hayley took a deep breath. It did nothing to settle her fears. “No.”

“I think you’ll change your mind,” Abbey said, her blue eyes glittering. “You won’t like the consequences if you don’t.”

Threats. What could her sister do to her to make things worse? She already felt as if she’d lost her family. Abbey had taken that from her.

“You’ve made your point, but I’m not biting. No money. That’s my final decision.”

Abbey stood abruptly, her eyes flashing dislike. “If my marriage breaks up, it will be your fault.”

Hayley’s mouth dropped open in shock. “My fault? How could it be my fault?”

“Ohh!” Abbey stomped her right foot but her spiked heel sank into the grass, spoiling the effect when she had to struggle to remove it from the soil.

Suddenly everything clicked into place for Hayley. “Dan’s not the one with the gambling problem. It’s you.”

A faint blush spread across Abbey’s face before disdain and pride replaced it. “It’s none of your business.” She whirled away and left Hayley standing alone without another word.

The rest of the fair passed in a blur. Hayley thought about Sam all the time, worried about the fact she hadn’t told him the truth. She wondered about the photos Abbey mentioned. A frown settled onto her face. What did it really matter? She cleared away a customer’s cup and teapot with a sigh. Sam wasn’t serious about her. There was no point in seeing him again when she loved him. The ache in her chest intensified. Funny—she’d gone into this with eyes open. A one-night stand. She should have known she was only fooling herself. One-night stands weren’t her style, and once she’d seen Sam, made love with him, it was all over. She’d fallen in love.

 

The apartment was silent when she entered it. Hayley set down her bag and noticed her cell phone sitting on the counter. “So that’s where I left you.” She picked it up and noticed she had messages. Soon Sam’s voice sounded and she smiled. He wanted to see her, he said. Hope surged until she reminded herself not to get carried away. His messages didn’t necessarily mean anything. Only one way to find out.

She rang Sam, her heart pounding anxiously.

“Sam? It’s H-Helen.” Oops, nearly said Hayley. As soon as she saw him face-to-face she was telling him her real name and the reasons she’d used Helen. Hiding her identity hardly mattered now that Abbey knew she read teacups to earn money. Abbey would make sure everyone knew she was a big fraud.

“Are you at home?”

“Yes.”

“I missed you.” His voice slipped to intimate and her heart skipped a beat. Her hand tightened on the cell phone.

“I’ll come over,” he said. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

The phone disconnected and Hayley stood there for a few moments, her cell phone pressed to her ear. A smile bloomed. He’d missed her and was coming over.

Less than fifteen minutes later the intercom rang.

“Sam?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

Hayley buzzed him in and went to the door.

“Helen.” Sam seized her and spun her around, lifting her off the ground. Before she could answer, he kissed her, his firm lips nibbling at her with a kind of desperation. She tunneled her hands into his dark hair and held on for the ride. When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathing hard.

“Is Suzie at home?”

“No. She’s out for a few hours.”

“Good,” he said. “Which is your bedroom?”

Pleasure simmered through her while good sense took a nosedive. His hand clasped hers and she led him into her room. He kicked the door shut behind him.

“Sam, I—”

“We can talk later,” he said. “Right now I want to make love to you.”

“But what about—”

He covered her mouth with his hand. “Helen. Later, please.”

Hayley winced inwardly, but he drew her close, his hands cupping her head. She’d left her hair loose again, not bothering to tame her rampant curls into straight locks with heating irons. She’d left her contacts out and stared up at him in bemusement. The look in his eyes…it heated her right through.

He tugged off her cotton sweater and tossed it aside, his big hands cupping her breasts through her T-shirt. Hayley shivered, the touch of his hands too much. Need. It simmered through her urgent and hot.

“Sam,” she whispered.

“I need you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too.” Nothing less than the truth.

“Show me,” he said, his dark eyes twinkling with challenge. “Show me how much you missed me.”

Hayley rubbed her hand over his cheek, noting the stubble. He hadn’t even taken time to shave. The sensitive pads of her fingers explored further, brushing his eyelids, his cheeks and finally his mouth. A gasp escaped when the warmth of his mouth closed around her finger. He pulled away with a laugh.

“I love the way you respond to me. It makes me hot.”

“I can feel how hot it makes you,” Hayley said with a laugh, reveling in the hard brush of his erection.

“Strip for me,” he whispered. “I want to see you.”

Suddenly self-conscious, Hayley backed away. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Of course you can.” The seductive glint in his brown eyes told her how much he wanted her to strip for him. “Besides, you have a streak of daring that I find very sexy.”

Hayley stilled in surprise. “You do?” All her life she’d been told to hide her impulsiveness and Sam wanted her to put it on display, especially for him. The knowledge was incredibly arousing. A slow smile crawled across her face and she took a step back. With a devilish smile, she pushed the start button on her music system and the pure notes of a sax throbbed through the room.

Hayley swayed in time to the music, hips lazily rocking from side to side. She toed off her shoes, kicking them out of the way. Next, she whisked her pale blue T-shirt over her head and blew Sam a kiss. He didn’t take his eyes off her. She stroked a hand across her bare belly and threw back her shoulders, knowing it would display her breasts for him. Her hands went to the button fastening on her black cotton trousers. The zipper eased down and she shimmied from her trousers, pausing on the spot to display her pale blue lingerie.

“I think blue is my favorite color.”

“You think,” she teased, still swaying seductively.

“No, I’m sure,” he whispered. “Blue is my favorite color. The color of your eyes.”

Hayley tingled all over. Arousal seeped through her, pulling her nipples to hard points. Her breathing deepened, her voice becoming husky.

“Shall I go on?”

“Please.”

Hayley reached behind to unfasten her bra and shrugged out of it. She sighed with pleasure, the cool air on her heated flesh bringing a shiver. Her tongue darted out to moisten her bottom lip, and she noticed Sam watching with avid interest. He followed the move when she repeated it. Impulse led her to touch her own breasts. She skimmed her fingers across the creamy flesh, strumming one nipple. The spike of pleasure brought a gasp. Hayley watched Sam closely and saw he liked seeing her do this. She rolled one nipple between finger and thumb, letting her head roll back and her hair spill over her shoulder in a mass of curls.

“That is so hot,” Sam said. “So hot.” As he spoke, he discarded his clothes, rapidly stripping until he stood before her, proud and naked.

Hayley paused, her eyes wide with longing.

“Keep going,” he ordered in a tight voice. Arousal glittered in his eyes and glowed along his cheekbones.

Hayley slipped her hands down her body and pulled down her pale blue panties. She stepped out of them, still swaying to the seductive wail of the saxophone. Unbidden, her hands crept back up to her breasts, unconsciously doing what she wanted Sam to do to her. She cupped her breasts, offering them to him. Yes, she should have felt stupid, but he understood her perfectly. With one giant step, he closed the distance between them.

“Hold them for me,” he instructed in a hoarse voice.

Blood ran hot through her veins, and when his mouth closed over one swollen nipple, heat suffused her in a full body blush. He drew hard, sucking and teasing the tender nipple with his teeth. Hayley felt the pull clear to her toes. A moan escaped and she didn’t even flinch. This was about pleasure. This was about love. Her love for this incredible man, even if he didn’t return the sentiment she knew he felt something for her.

“Sam,” she whispered, not bothering to hide her longing. “I need you so much.”

Her nipple popped from his mouth, gleaming wetly in the light. For an instant his hooded gaze studied the result, and she sucked in her breath, swaying toward him with sheer need. Pure craving and lust all wrapped up with love, respect and need—what had the man done to her?

“Good.” He swung her into his arms, lifting her effortlessly. He laughed when she shrieked with surprise and spun her around once before dropping her onto the single bed.

He grasped her hands and lifted them so they rested above her head. With anyone else she might have felt alarm because she was no lightweight, but she grinned up at Sam and winked at him with quiet confidence. “What ya gonna do with me?”

“I could do something kinky.” His sensual lips quirked up at the corners. “What do you think?”

Hayley studied him closely before she loosed a smile. “Sounds like fun. Do you have any chocolate body paint? I’ve always thought that might be fun.”

Sam glided a hand over her collarbone and across the upper curves of her breasts, the warmth of his palm and the slight calluses on his fingers bringing shivers of pleasure arrowing to her core. “I’ll put it on my shopping list.” He grabbed a condom and rolled it on with rapid competence.

She twinkled up at him. “Most men don’t like shopping.”

“I’m not most men.”

So she’d come to see. He cared about his employees and did his best for his clients. He didn’t play the rich man card or throw his society status at anyone. “I know.”

Sam leaned over to kiss a trail over her jaw and down her neck. Hayley bared her neck for him, to allow him easy access. The touch of his lips and his heady scent pulled at her, the sound of the jazz still floating through the room.

“I want you so much. I’ve missed you.”

She turned her head back and their lips met, sliding together in the perfect kiss. Hayley arched upward, rubbing her softness against his contrasting hardness. She sighed her pleasure, holding him to her. They kissed again, moving their bodies together in perfect harmony. Hayley breathed in his scent, shaped and molded his muscles and pulled him into her. Pleasure simmered, growing more, becoming more. Hayley released the last of her inhibitions and made love, showing with every touch, every gasp how much she cared. Wild. Fast and breathtaking. She exploded in fiery pleasure, flames licking through her sensitized body. Both breathing hard, they kissed slowly and with lingering touches, carefully stoking the passion between them again. This time when they fell into climax, it was warm and tender and full of love. Hayley sighed, abuzz with both pleasure and something else. Love. She loved Sam so much it hurt.

“Helen,” he murmured, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

She froze, guilt slashing through her pleasure. Lies. Secrets. They were coming back to bite her in the butt. Somehow there had to be a way to show him they were right for each other, that they belonged together. There had to be a way to clear the slate and make everything right.