Prince Brothers: Prince's Love-Child Part 5

CHAPTER FIVE.

TOO much!

After all her care yesterday, all her thinking before speaking, she had now said far too much...!

Admittedly he had just made her angry all over again with his doubts concerning her motivation five years ago, but even so, as she saw the sharp intelligence of his gaze, the questions starting to form there, she knew it had been a mistake to have let that anger provoke her into saying as much as she had.

As a virgin, the possibility of her using contraception that night had to have been nil, and Rik knew that he certainly hadn't used any. d.a.m.n her reckless tongue!

'But I wouldn't give that too much thought if I were you, Rik,' Sapphie dismissed brittlely. 'I've had dozens of lovers since, and I'm sure they were all grateful for the fact that you had already taken away that particular barrier!'

She knew by the angry darkening of his eyes that by pretending she'd slept with other men, she had successfully diverted his attention from the original subject; her virginity. Although, as his gaze now turned to Arctic grey, she wasn't too sure she would be able to handle his change of mood. But for both their sakes, as well as Matthew's-he was already fatherless, so it wouldn't do if his mother was throttled in the street too-she knew she had better try!

'Perhaps I was right about this walk not being a good idea,' she told him lightly as she came to a halt on the pavement. 'We don't seem to be able to be in each other's company for five minutes without one of us insulting the other!'

A nerve pulsed in his tightly clenched jaw as he obviously fought an inner battle to control his anger. 'Why is that, do you suppose?' he finally managed to rasp between clenched teeth.

'We simply don't like each other?' she suggested with a dismissive shrug.

Rik continued to glare at her for several long seconds, and then he seemed to force himself to relax, his hands unclenching at his sides, his mouth twisting into a humourless smile. 'But I do like you, Sapphie,' he mused. 'I find your forthright manner, the way you say exactly what you're thinking, very-refres.h.i.+ng.'

Sapphie's breath caught in her throat as her gaze was met and held by his now warm blue eyes.

'Perhaps it isn't that we dislike each other at all,' Rik continued gruffly, one hand reaching up to cup the side of her face, his fingers seeming to burn where they touched, holding her mesmerised. 'Perhaps it's that we like each other too much?' he murmured before his head lowered and his lips claimed hers.

She had realised yesterday how she still felt about this man, but it was an emotion she had denied by being continually rude and antagonistic towards him.

But now, with his lips gently exploring hers, she couldn't deny her feelings any longer. She loved this man. Unbelievable as it might seem, after five years' absence, she was still in love with Rik Prince!

Perhaps it was because of her deep love for Matthew, and his undeniable likeness to his father. Or perhaps she loved Matthew as much as she did because of that likeness to his father; whatever the reason, she knew, as her body instinctively melted into Rik's, that she was still in love with him!

The summer sun beat down on them hotly, but Sapphie's heat was all coming from inside, making it impossible for her to think; she was only capable of feeling.

And what she felt was remembered desire; her hands clung to the broad width of Rik's shoulders, her body curved into his, making her completely aware of his own arousal.

'Well, well, well,' drawled a self-satisfied male voice. 'And you told me I was wasting my time, Dee, trying to get Sapphie and Rik together!'

Sapphie and Rik had sprung guiltily apart at the sound of Jerome's voice, Sapphie now shooting Dee a wary glance at Jerome's comment.

As Sapphie had suspected, Jerome was trying to throw her and Rik together, and from the furious expression on Dee's face-her eyes were sparkling a venomous emerald-her sister was far from pleased that he seemed to have succeeded.

Not that he had. Sapphie might still love Rik, respond to him as she had to no other man, but it would be an act of madness on her part to even contemplate becoming involved with him again. Dee's obvious displeasure, at the mere idea of Rik and Sapphie liking each other, had nothing to do with it!

As for Rik, Sapphie couldn't even look at him at the moment, didn't trust herself not to give away her feelings. Neither did she want to witness the apologetic expression that was sure to be on his face as he looked to Dee for forgiveness for what had, after all, only been an impulse on his part!

'Actually, Jerome,' Sapphie briskly took charge of the situation, 'Rik and I were just saying goodbye to each other; I've decided to return to England on the Eurostar train with the two of you this afternoon.' The idea had only just occurred to her, but the more she thought about it the more she liked the idea of going home. Safely away from the temptation of Rik Prince!

'That sounds like an excellent idea,' Dee grated, obviously only slightly mollified by this news. 'I'm sure that Matthew will be eagerly awaiting your return,' she added challengingly.

Sapphie felt her heart miss a beat, her face go pale, at Dee's deliberate mention of her young son. Had Dee somehow realised? Did she know why Sapphie had steadfastly refused to share with anyone all these years the ident.i.ty of Matthew's father? It was what Sapphie had feared ever since meeting Rik again yesterday, the reason she had endured the dinner together last night; she simply couldn't let Dee or Jerome tell Rik that she had a young son.

No, Sapphie decided after a searching glance at her sister; Dee was angry at what she saw as this current defection of her ex-lover, rather than venting her fury at how quickly her ex-lover had turned to Sapphie for consolation five years ago and shared an unforgettable night of pa.s.sion.

And it had been unforgettable. As far as Sapphie was concerned, at least.

She had always thought, following Matthew's birth, that it was her concentration on him that had robbed her of any desire to become involved with another man. Now she knew that wasn't the case at all...

Because, despite what she might have told Rik a short time ago in self-defence, she had only ever had one lover in her life-and that was Rik.

'Matthew?' Rik queried abruptly, a slight edge to his voice.

If Sapphie had needed any confirmation that Dee was still completely ignorant of the ident.i.ty of Matthew's father, then she got it now. Her sister's expression was blazingly triumphant as she sensed Sapphie's discomfort with the subject. Besides, Sapphie acknowledged, if Dee had once realised that Rik was Matthew's father, then she certainly wouldn't want Rik to know about it now. Dee was out to make trouble, yes, but not the amount that would erupt if Rik were to discover he and Sapphie had a son! Rik's attention would be totally focused on Sapphie then!

Dee stepped forward, giving Rik a teasing smile as she linked her arm with his. 'Now, now, Rik, we women have to have our little secrets, you know,' she murmured suggestively.

Jerome frowned. 'I don't see what the big deal is. It's not as if Sapphie-'

'Darling, if Sapphie hasn't told Rik about Matthew, then we really shouldn't do so, either.' Dee gave her husband a coquettish smile, still clinging to Rik's arm, glowingly lovely in a short cotton dress that exactly matched the colour of her eyes and showed off the long length of her tanned legs. 'Although I do think it's naughty of you not to have mentioned him, Sapphie,' she admonished.

Sapphie turned in Rik's direction, only to find him staring straight back at her with hooded blue eyes, that gave her absolutely no insight as to what he was thinking, either about the kiss the two of them had shared or the conversation since Dee and Jerome had joined them.

She quickly averted her gaze, her own emotions in turmoil; just looking at Dee's proprietorial claim on him upset her, not to mention how close Rik had come to learning that she had a young son.

He wasn't stupid-far from it, could count as well as she could, and Matthew's age of four years and two months, plus the nine months of her pregnancy, would take him exactly to the point the two of them had last met!

'As you say, Dee,' she muttered stiffly, 'we women must have our little secrets.'

Dee smiled, looking like a cat who had got the cream, obviously completely satisfied with the way this conversation was turning out. 'The waiter said the two of you had left without eating; shall we all go back to the hotel and have breakfast together?' she suggested brightly.

Sapphie couldn't think of food at this moment, knew that it would choke her. She couldn't even look at Rik right now, let alone sit and eat a meal with him as if nothing had happened.

But maybe it hadn't for him; after all, he wasn't still in love with her, neither did he have the secret of their son to guard with all the fierceness of a lioness protecting her cub!

'Actually, I think I'll just go back to my hotel and check the availability of seats on the Eurostar,' she answered evasively, having no intention of being left alone in Paris with Rik once the other couple had left, and feeling too disturbed at this moment to even try to monitor the conversation between Rik and the other two. 'I need to pack as well.'

'If none of you have any objections, I think I might travel to England with you, too,' Rik put in mildly.

Unbelievably.

Devastatingly!

Sapphie had thought she'd hit on the perfect way to avoid seeing Rik ever again, and instead it seemed she was to be stuck on a train back to London with him, and Dee and Jerome, for several hours.

It had to be her idea of purgatory!

It was impossible for him to mistake the look of absolute dismay on Sapphie's face at his suggestion!

Rik wasn't quite sure where the idea had come from. He'd intended returning to the States from here, rather than going to England. But, now he'd come up with the idea, it seemed the right thing to do.

Having believed himself in love with Dee for the last five years, and then discovering that wasn't the case at all, he now found himself drawn to Sapphie. Whether it was because of their past a.s.sociation, or because she was the first woman he had been in close contact with since his startling realisation, he really wasn't sure yet. But he was very attracted to her and he wasn't comfortable letting her just disappear out of his life for a second time.

If the sense of jealousy that had shot through him at the mere mention of this guy Matthew's presence in her life was anything to go by, then he was right to pursue this attraction, and not just walk away. He had already done that once where Dee was concerned, and he knew he had been correct to do so. Sapphie wore no rings on her left hand, so this Matthew wasn't her husband or fiance. In fact, if the man was anyone really important in her life, he would be with her in Paris right now, wouldn't he? What was that saying? 'All's fair in love and war'...?

Well, he seemed to have been fighting a continuous battle with Sapphie ever since the two of them met again yesterday!

As for how he felt about her-he didn't quite know yet; he just had this feeling of unfinished business between them. And he wasn't going to spend another five years of his life wondering about what might have been!

He was totally aware of Sapphie, had in his possession an elusive memory of her lithe nakedness moving against his, of her legs wrapped about him, of her little cries of pleasure as he kissed and caressed her, of tiny teeth sinking into his shoulder as their pleasure reached its peak...

No, he wasn't yet willing to let Sapphie walk out of his life a second time.

'I think I'll give breakfast a miss too,' he told Dee and Jerome lightly. 'In fact-' he extricated himself from Dee's arm linked with his '-why don't Sapphie and I meet up with the two of you again later? Say, twelvish?'

Dee looked far from pleased at the way he had moved away from her and closer to Sapphie, her expression tight as she looked at both of them from beneath lowered lashes.

'Sounds good to me,' Jerome was the one to answer Rik smilingly. 'Come on, honey; I'm starving!' He smiled encouragingly at his wife.

'Well, I'm not,' Dee snapped uncooperatively.

To give Jerome his due, his smile didn't so much as waver for a second, whereas Rik knew that if his wife ever spoke to him in that petulant tone in front of other people he would be far from pleased.

His wife?

That was a joke; the only woman he had ever asked to be his wife was this other man's wife!

But even so, if Dee had ever spoken to him like that-What was he doing? Dee had always been perfect in his eyes, the woman he measured every other female against. And had always found them wanting.

But, he realised begrudgingly, the last twenty-four hours in Dee's company, the discrepancies he had found in what she'd told him and wondering what was actually fact and what was fiction, had made him question just how well he had actually known Dee all those years ago. They had really only been out on a few dates together before she'd told him of her impending marriage to Jerome, and the reasons for it. At which point Rik had decided he wanted to marry her himself, that he couldn't live without her.

And yet he had. Quite successfully, on a professional level. It might not have been quite so successful from a personal point of view, but even that side of his life had had its moments.

Of course, Sapphie had been one of its highlights...!

'You must be hungry, Dee,' Jerome told his wife firmly. 'I know you didn't feel too well this morning, but that's pa.s.sed now. You're just feeling cranky because of your condition.'

Condition? What condition? Was Dee ill-?

No, Rik realised with a sudden intake of breath, Dee wasn't ill at all-she was pregnant!

Why was he so surprised? The other couple had been married five years now, a family was a natural progression, wasn't it?

And did he really care, or was it just force of habit that made him react...?

'Yes, do go and have some breakfast with Jerome, Dee,' Sapphie was the one to put in lightly, at the same time stepping forward to link her arm with Rik's.

He looked down at her frowningly, the force of the anger sparkling in her amber-coloured eyes was enough to make his own widen.

Idiot, her gaze scorned, why don't you just get a grip and stop making an idiot of yourself over Dee?

He straightened abruptly, not sure that was what he was doing. It was a bit of a shock to learn of the pregnancy, yes, but, there again, it wasn't really any of his business, was it?

'Yes, do go ahead, Dee,' he encouraged lightly. 'After all, you're eating for two now!' he offered, receiving a venomous look from her glittering green eyes for his trouble.

Really, these two sisters certainly knew how to let a man know exactly what they were thinking without saying a word! Sapphie was patently furious with him, and Dee was far from happy too-though, as far as he was aware, he was doing his best to keep things on a friendly basis with everyone.

Even if it was hard going!

It was his own fault, of course. He had put Dee on a pedestal, believing her to be perfect, that he could never love anyone else in the way that he loved her. How stupid was that, based on a few days of knowing each other? Especially as she had then told him she was about to marry another man!

Very, he acknowledged with a self-derisive wince. No wonder Sapphie made no effort to hide her scorn every time she looked at him!

Sapphie.

Surprisingly, he felt he knew her so much better than he had ever known Dee, personally as well as physically. The physical part was a fact, but the personal part was there every time she spoke to him in that bluntly truthful way of hers, every time she looked at him with those frankly a.s.sessing eyes.

And found him wanting...

Justifiably so, he acknowledged heavily. He had been an idiot to believe himself in love with a mirage for five years...!

'Don't be ridiculous, Rik,' Dee told him sharply. 'The baby is minute. No one looking at me would even know I'm pregnant!'

He certainly hadn't, Rik allowed. Dee had looked just the same to him when they met again yesterday, perhaps even more glowingly beautiful than he remembered. But then his sister, Stazy, had had an added glow about her when she was pregnant with Sam, so perhaps that was normal. His knowledge of pregnant women was limited. Obviously.

'You see? Cranky,' Jerome murmured indulgently as he put his arm about his wife's shoulders and turned her back in the direction of the hotel. 'We'll see you two later,' he added before leading away a disgruntled Dee.

Leaving an awkward silence in their wake as Rik, at this moment, couldn't think of a thing to say, and Sapphie-well, she was probably still disgusted with him!

'You didn't know, did you?'

He turned to look enquiringly at Sapphie as she spoke to him.

'You didn't know about the baby until just now, did you?' she persisted evenly.

He frowned. 'Why should I have known?'

'No reason. I just thought-'

'Don't bother to tell me what you thought,' Rik responded swiftly. Then his tone softened. 'I...It was kind of you to-help me out of what could have been an awkward situation.'