Double Fault (10 page)

Marissa made a fatal mistake by targeting Charles Farrow, however, because it left Pierce free to talk to Kerry. And Kerry, having discovered that some tennis stars had very mediocre manners, was in no mood to be trifled with. Her irritation amused him sufficiently to invite her to join them both for dinner later that evening. She had stared at him in disbelief.

“Hadn’t you better check with Miss Reynolds first because somehow I don’t think she’ll be too thrilled by the idea?”

“It’ll do Miss Reynolds good to know she’s not the only fish in the sea,” his answer had been a trifle grim even though he’d continued to smile. “Now are you going to accept my invitation Miss Kerry Farrow, or do I have to get down on bended knee?”

“I think I’d like the bended knee bit,” she’d giggled and then clutched at his arm in mortification as he began to kneel. “No don’t! Please don’t! The Press photographers are here. They’ll start taking photos.”

He’d grinned at her. “Won’t your publicity stand it?”

“My father won’t stand it. It’s his company that’s sponsoring the tournament and I’m only here on sufferance. I’m meant to be on my best behavior.”

“Your father?” He’d looked around with interest. “Is he the big guy with the silver hair? The one who’s keeping Marissa sweet?”

She nodded, wondering if he minded the fact that Marissa was very definitely flirting with her father, but he’d only grinned.

“In that case, let’s make it a family foursome. Let’s go to the
Boathouse
,” he’d name an extravagantly priced restaurant cum nightclub on the outskirts of town, and then wandered off to confirm the arrangements with the other two.

* * *

“I don’t think I’ve ever treated someone as tense as you” Maggie’s voice dragged Kerry’s thoughts back from the past to the aromatic blend of massage oils and the long smooth strokes of Maggie’s hands on her body.

“I…life is a bit difficult at the moment,” Kerry admitted, obediently turning over so that the other girl could concentrate on her front.

“If I’d realized you were so uptight I’d have suggested a hot stone massage but it’s a bit late for that now. How about having a sauna instead? Some of my clients like to loosen up their muscles by having one before I massage them. Afterwards can be just as effective though and it will have the added benefit of perking up your skin ready for the facial I’m going to give you later on. Aw come on! You may as well make the most of Pierce’s generosity unless you’ve something better to do,” she added when Kerry shook her head.

As Maggie continued to massage her back, Kerry felt herself go tense all over again at the other girl’s words. That was exactly the problem. She didn’t have anything else to do. Pierce had made sure of that. She couldn’t even go and see Lauren and Ben without telling him because he still had the keys to the van and
Greenleas
was much too far away from a train station or even a bus stop to contemplate walking out on him.  She could book a taxi of course, but if she did she would have to ask George to pay for it when she reached his house because it would cost far more than she had in her purse. She didn’t rate her chances of getting away without Pierce seeing her go either. He’d probably put his receptionist on ‘Kerry Watch’ or something.

Maggie, sensing her indecision, made up her mind for her. “It’ll be fine Kerry. You’ll love it. And afterwards you can have a cool shower and then rest in the relaxation area while I make you a fruit cocktail to replace all the fluids you’ll lose.”

* * *

Kerry enjoyed the sauna more than she expected to.  The dry heat seemed to seep right into her bones so that for the first time since Pierce had come back into her life she felt warm again. Stretching out on the towel she spread on the wooden slats, her mind drifted back to that magical evening again, to a time that now seemed more than a lifetime ago.

It had been obvious from the way Marissa ignored Pierce that she was furious with his plans. Sharing the spotlight with another woman was not how she had expected to spend her evening. Determined to punish him she flirted excessively with Charles Farrow. It was a ploy that turned out to be her final undoing though because it left the way clear for Pierce to take Kerry onto the dimly lit dance floor.

A visceral jolt of desire flooded her body as she remembered the first time he’d taken her in his arms. Dancing with him had been a revelation as his hands molded her to him, making her almost a part of him as he led her into the music. All awareness of her father and Marissa had drifted away, their cynical comments about the other diners no longer intrusive as Pierce became the centre of her existence. And by the time the music finally stopped she knew she’d had the same effect upon him. She knew he was equally reluctant to join the others and make polite conversation.

After that there had been no looking back. Flowers had arrived the following morning, flowers and a second invitation that did not include her father. The following two weeks had been a whirlwind of experiences – their first kiss; the day Pierce managed to escape the long lens of the photographers for long enough to take her to a hidden place and make love to her for the first time; the hours she’d spent wrapped in his arms while they watched his opponents lose; the thrill of knowing he was hers when he held up the winner’s cup. By the time the tournament was over she had agreed to join him on the circuit as soon as she could. Then a photo of their very passionate farewell kiss made it to the front page of the national newspaper her father read every morning. When he saw it he was livid.

“That’s the last time you attend one of my sponsorship events,” he told her. “You’ve made
Farrow Holdings
a laughing stock Kerry, and I won’t have it. From now on you’ll concentrate on your job and keep out of the papers.”

“But that’s not fair! What’s the difference between me seeing Pierce and you spending most of your time with Marissa?” she protested

“Marissa Reynolds has been fulfilling the requirements of the sponsorship deal by posing for photographs and attending cocktail parties while Pierce Simon has reneged on almost every part of the agreement. Instead he has put all his energy into trying to get into my daughter’s knickers and succeeding too if that photo is anything to go by.”

“It’s not like that. He loves me, and he’s asked me to join him on the circuit as soon as I can,” she shouted, hating the way he made her relationship with Pierce seem sordid.

“You’re far too young to understand love you silly girl. Pierce Simon is talking about lust, that’s all it is…lust. He’s making a fool of you Kerry. How long do you think you can hold onto him? A week? A month?”

Resolutely ignoring the fact that Pierce had never actually told her he loved her, Kerry stood her ground. She was going with Pierce whether her father liked it or not. Life on the tennis circuit, even if it proved to be short lived, had to be better than sharing a house with a man who never bothered to disguise the fact that he found her presence irksome, and her ineptitude at the job she hated an affront to his own success.

Maggie popped her head through the door, interrupting her thoughts. “You’ve been in the sauna for nearly fifteen minutes Kerry. That’s more than long enough for one session.”

Her phone rang while she was speaking and with an apologetic smile she answered it. After a short conversation she cut the call, handed Kerry a soft cotton robe and made for the door.

“Sorry, but I’ve got to go. They’re having a problem with some deliveries in reception. It’s a whole lot of new stuff for the Spa but nobody can check it because the order form is missing. I won’t be long. Just go through to the relaxation area when you’re ready.”

* * *

Dropping her towel and robe onto a nearby bench Kerry stood under the shower for several minutes, letting the lukewarm spray cool her skin. Then she saw the plunge pool and decided she may as well use that too. Maggie had told her the icy water would close all the pores in her skin and although she hadn’t said to use it, it seemed a good idea to Kerry, especially if she was to have a facial later on. With a sharp intake of breath, she lowered herself into the water.

Although the shock of the cold water on her skin made her gasp, it didn’t wash away her memories. If anything they were clearer than they had been for years and she guessed it was because she had nothing to do but to focus on them. Irritated with herself, and with Pierce for taking away everything that kept her too busy to think, she ducked her head beneath the water as she tried to forget the last words her father had thrown at her.

He had used language she had never heard from him before when she told him she was pregnant. Then, with his voice full of venom, he had told her to get out of his house. “If you won’t have an abortion then I won’t have you here flaunting his brat,” he told her.

The memory ripped at her emotions even as she wondered why she had ever thought he would react differently. She’d been as naïve about him as she had been about Pierce and both of them had let her down.

* * *

“Kerry!” She could hear Pierce shouting at her but she decided to ignore him. He was a long way away, too far away for her to bother to listen to him while she was still trying to piece together the mysteries of her past. She ducked beneath the water again only to find herself hauled back to the surface by a grabbing hand. Spluttering indignantly she glared at Pierce. What was he doing in the pool fully dressed? Couldn’t he see that his jeans were soaking wet?

“Leave me alone,” she tried to kick him with her bare feet as he lifted her out of the pool and was surprised to find they didn’t work. Nor did her fingers so she was forced to hang helplessly in his arms while he wrapped her in a thick towel and carried her back into the sauna.

“What were you trying to do you crazy little fool? Drown yourself? Surely getting married to me isn’t that bad!” He dumped her unceremoniously onto the bench and kicked the door shut with his foot.

She started to shiver, her teeth chattering as she watched him strip off his jeans and polo shirt and rub himself briskly with a towel. He glanced across at her, his expression softening slightly as he reached for another towel.

“You’ll be warmer in a minute. Here, let me rub your hands and feet,” he draped the second towel around her shoulders and then knelt down and took one of her feet in his hands.

She watched in silence, feeling the warmth seep back into her body as the heat of the sauna began to build up in the cubicle. It beaded Pierce’s shoulders with sweat so they gleamed gold under the dim light. He finished rubbing her feet and felt her hands.

“Better?”

“Yes thank you. I was just cooling down after the sauna. I didn’t mean to stay in the pool,” her throat felt tight as she tried to curl away from him.

He stood up and leaned against the door, apparently unaware that his unscheduled soaking had made his briefs almost totally irrelevant. They clung to him like a second skin, hiding nothing. She looked away knowing that the flush of blood surging through her body was no longer entirely down to the heat of the sauna.

He picked up a towel and wrapped it around his hips with a sigh. “It’s my fault. I should have warned Maggie to keep you away from the sauna. You’re so tired and run down you could just as easily have fainted from the heat.”

“I’m not the fainting kind. Drowning’s more my style,” she managed a slight smile.

His answering grin wiped out the lines of worry that had settled around his eyes. “At least it hasn’t affected your tongue. What were you trying to do, drum up some publicity for
Greenlea’s
opening ceremony?”

She shook her head as she leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. The heat was getting to her again now, drugging her into a cocoon of warm towels. If only Pierce would stop talking she might be able to sleep. The thought was suddenly very compelling and she had begun to drift away when he reached out and shook her.

“Kerry, for goodness sake! You can’t sleep here,” he groaned, pulling her to her feet. “Come on, concentrate for a bit longer until I get you to a day bed.”

He pushed the door open as he spoke and led her through to the relaxation area. It was empty. She looked around dazedly.

“Is Maggie still sorting out her deliveries?”

“No. She’s having a well-deserved coffee break,” he stripped off her damp towels as he spoke and wrapped her in a long toweling robe as if she were a parcel to be posted, seemingly unaware of the intimacy of his actions.

“I offered to take over because we never leave the Spa unattended and besides I wanted a chance to talk to you uninterrupted.” He tightened the sash at her waist and then kept hold of the ends and pulled her to him.

The inflection in his voice combined with the hardening of his body as he pressed against her made her heart jump. Things hadn’t changed after all. He still wanted her, still loved her. Tentatively she wound her arms about his neck feeling the muscles across his shoulders ripple as he bent towards her, and when his mouth found hers, she was waiting.

His skin was hot from the sauna and his hair slicked into damp curls as she raked it with suddenly impatient fingers, her kisses wild from three years of hunger. Passion fizzed between them, fusing his mouth to hers as his tongue darted and danced across the line of her teeth before plunging deeper. Then he plucked at the sash he’d fastened so carefully a few moments earlier, and the touch of his hands on her bare skin drove her beyond the barriers of commonsense to the point where the sensations firing her body were the only reality. With a low cry she rubbed herself against him, her hardened nipples brushing the damp whorls of hair that covered his chest. With a sharp intake of breath he pushed the robe away from her shoulders and printed kisses on the soft curves of her skin.