Running to Paradise (33 page)

“
I’m fine, thank you.”

“
If you’re sure.” He began to close the door, then opened it again to say, “Sleep well. There’s a key in the lock, but don’t feel that you have to use it. You’re quite safe.”

Somehow
he managed to make it sound like an insult instead of an assurance.

When
the door finally closed soundlessly behind him Morrin took a deep, ragged breath, and picked up the hairbrush with trembling fingers. She felt so drained that she scarcely had the energy to climb into bed. She did not turn the key in the lock.

Lying
awake in the darkness she listened to the muted roar of the storm and heard Gareth come upstairs, the dogs thumping ahead of him, his voice low and easy as he spoke to them. She closed her eyes and began to count sheep, but as the bedside clock ticked steadily on sleep drew further and further away.

She
tossed in the comfortable bed, finally sitting up and turning the pillow over, thumping it viciously into place. Love-making might be a new experience for her, but to Gareth Sinclair it was a way of life and she had been a fool to make such a fuss over what, to him, was nothing more than a few kisses. The women he was used to, women like Camilla and, no doubt, Cass, who had made him laugh on the phone only an hour before, would have enjoyed the episode in the sitting-room that evening then dismissed it from their minds. That was what Gareth expected, and what she herself should have done.

The
problem was that Camilla and Cass and Morrin belonged to different worlds. The other two fitted easily into Gareth’s world and Morrin didn’t. Perhaps that was why he had kissed her, Morrin thought, turning over in bed for the umpteenth time. Perhaps it amused him to make love to someone who was unsophisticated and naïve.

The
idea only made her feel worse about herself. At least he was going away for a few days. She could finish typing his manuscript, send it to the agent, and have time to pull herself together before he came back. Then there would be another book to work on, taking dictation in the mornings, checking it over in the afternoons, when he was usually away from home. That was what she needed now, a few days without his distracting presence, a chance to return to her normal routine.

She
was certain of one thing… never again would she stay late to finish work. She had tempted Fate, and Fate had well and truly slapped her down.

If
you
can’t
stand
the
heat
,
get
out
of
the
kitchen
… Recalling the phrase, Morrin smiled wryly in the darkness. She definitely could not stand the heat. The kitchen was not the place for the likes of her.

And
yet, she thought as sleep finally relented and returned to claim her, it had been wonderful while it lasted. Something that she would never forget; a glimpse of the unattainable and a memory to hold forever.

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