A Stranger's Kiss

letters were returned unopened.’
    ‘I can’t believe the cruelty of it.’ His arm clasped her convulsively and suddenly his voice was tight with anger. ‘You were just a child.’
    ‘Not quite. Eighteen. Nigel was twenty-one. You mustn’t blame them, Adam. It was grief, I know that and they couldn’t get their head around the fact that it was my decision… They’d lost their only son and I’d…’ She couldn’t repeat what Aunt Jenny had said to her. She knew it was what he’d wanted, but she still felt guilty.
    ‘They lost their only son and then they threw away a daughter. My poor Tara, however did you cope?’
    ‘I’m not sure. Hard work helped. I sold the little house we were going to live in and bought this place. It took a lot of my time to decorate, get exactly how I wanted it.’
    ‘And there’s never been anyone else?’
    ‘Plenty of men were willing to comfort the grieving widow,’ she said. ‘But I don’t think they had anything very permanent in mind.’ That was when the body armour started. The severe dark clothes, a cool frosty look that kept the office Romeos at bay, until the habit of saying no had become a way of life.
    ‘It’s hard to believe.’
    Telling him seemed to have lifted a burden from her and she found that she could smile. ‘Well, there was Jim Matthews. He wanted to marry me you know.’
    ‘Oh?’ There was a sudden fierceness to his voice. ‘And were you tempted?’
    ‘Not even remotely. But he was difficult to convince. He thought it was a wonderful idea to have a twenty-four hour a day captive secretary. He found it difficult to understand my reluctance, but once Jim gets something into his head he’s difficult to shift.’
    ‘I have some sympathy with the man. I intend to marry you myself.’ He kissed her to demonstrate just how serious he was. ‘But I think you’ll find he has something else on his mind these days.’
    ‘Why?’ She was suddenly suspicious. ‘What have you done?’
    ‘I have a contact in the States who publishes picture-book horror stories. Jim’s over there now working out a deal for a dozen books.’
    Tara laughed. ‘That’s why I haven’t been able to get hold of him.’
    ‘Why would you want to do that?’ he demanded. ‘I thought you wanted him out of your life.’
    ‘I thought I’d have one more try at convincing him of that. But you’ve apparently done it for me. Is there anything you can’t make money out of?’
    ‘In this instance there was no money involved. It just seemed like a good way of getting rid of a rival.’
    ‘He was never a rival.’ He said nothing. ‘Do you want me to prove it?’
    * * *
    Tara woke to an unfamiliar buzzing. She frowned, turned over and then she saw Adam through the open door of the bathroom. She lay for a moment savouring the pleasure, the intimacy of watching him shaving. Then the razor stilled and he was there, a towel wrapped around her his hips, smiling down at her.
    He paused for a moment in the doorway. ‘Hello, sleepyhead.’
    She had thought she would feel shy, but she didn’t. She held out her arms to him and he moved swiftly across the room and kissed her. She tangled her arms around his neck and encouraged him wantonly. But a few minutes later he removed himself with reluctance.
    ‘I hate to interrupt you, my darling, when you’re so obviously enjoying yourself, but it’s half past nine. We should both be somewhere else.’
    ‘What a pity you’re so strong willed,’ she murmured and stretched languorously.
    ‘Tara!’
    She laughed, delighted. ‘I just wanted to be sure you weren’t that strong willed.’
    Tara showered and slipped into a soft pink shirtwaist dress, leaving her hair loose about her shoulders. His eyebrows were expressive as she walked through into the kitchen and helped herself to the coffee he had made. She returned the compliment, raising her eyebrows at his dark business suit, fresh shirt and tie.
    ‘Are you always so well prepared when you call on a lady in the middle of the night?’ she asked, a teasing light dancing in her eyes.
    ‘My bag was in the car. But I’m afraid I’ve scandalised your neighbours. I think every one of them must have put out their milk bottles in order to have a better look.’
    Tara was unconcerned. ‘You can hardly blame them after the racket you made last night.’
    ‘Perhaps not.’ He grinned. ‘Shall I go round and apologise to them all?’
    ‘Er, no. I don’t think so, but you could get