Freedom To Love

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He was in no hurry to do more than kiss her, obviously thinking they had all night to progress. But his mouth on hers was enough to quell all the fight in her, taking her lips again and again as she lay beneath him. Katy hadn’t known there were so many ways of kissing, with gentleness, with passion, and finally with thrusting savagery, his lips probing hers to deepen the caress. She had never known such intimacy, feeling as if he really did possess her in that moment, quivering helplessly against the hard arousal of his body.

‘Aren’t you going to touch me?’ he whispered huskily.

‘I—I’ve never——’

‘Don’t play the innocent with me, Katy Harris.’ His voice hardened. ‘That routine bores me. No girl, of eighteen or otherwise, is innocent nowadays. Women are born offering themselves.’

Katy gasped, ‘That’s a cynical attitude!’

‘Learnt the hard way, little girl. Are you going to take this dress off or do you expect me to make love to you when you’re fully clothed?’ He pulled at the zip fastener at the back of her dress.

‘No!’ She stilled his movements, pulling away from him. ‘I don’t know what you think I am, Mr Wild, but I can assure you I don’t hop into bed with a man I only met today.’

‘Do I come back tomorrow?’ He watched with narrowed eyes as she stood up to straighten her dress.

‘I won’t be here tomorrow,’ she snapped.

‘Neither will I—Thank God! You’re a tease, do you know that? You’ve been giving me the green light ever since you got on the plane, and now I’ve decided to take you up on that offer you’re playing hard to get.’

‘Hard to get! Why, you——! You must be the most conceited man I’ve ever met! I’ve done nothing to encourage you, I even ripped up that card you gave me with your telephone number on.’

‘Only so that I stayed interested. I bet you didn’t rip up the second one?’

‘Well … no. But——’

‘I thought not. I’ve had every trick in the book tried on me, the “I’m not interested” routine is the most frequent.’

‘And if a girl really isn’t interested?’ Katy demanded.

‘That doesn’t happen very often,’ he said dryly.

‘Well, it’s happened this time,’ she said with dislike. ‘If and when I choose to sleep with a man I hope he doesn’t have your conceit. How awful to make love to someone because you feel it’s expected of you!’

Adam stiffened, his eyes hardening to blue slits. ‘Is that why you think I did it?’

‘Of course,’ she scorned, moving to the other side of the room to look out over the lit-up Calgary. ‘The irresistible Adam Wild has to keep up his reputation.’

‘Reputation?’

‘Oh yes. The newspapers are always reporting on your prowess. I’ve lost count of the amount of women you’ve been seen escorting.’

He lounged comfortably on Katy’s bed. ‘If it’s offered …’

‘You take it,’ she said disgustedly. ‘Only this time it wasn’t offered. And it never will be, not to you! God, you think you’re so magnificent, don’t you! Well, this is one time where you didn’t strike lucky. You’re the sort of man who most turns me off!’

‘That wasn’t the impression you gave a moment ago,’ he drawled insultingly.

‘How typical of you to bring up a thing like that!’

He smiled. ‘You have to take what you can in today’s world.’

‘Well, I’m not for the taking! God, I wish your trousers would come back so that you can get out of here!’

‘You can’t wish it any more than I do,’ he scowled.

‘Then stop looking so damned comfortable. Why can’t you sit in one of the chairs instead of lounging about on my bed?’

‘Because I am comfortable.’ A knock sounded on the door. ‘My trousers, I hope.’

It wasn’t. Gemma stood outside the door. Katy kept the door half closed, her heart in her mouth. If Gemma should find Adam Wild in her bedroom …! She would never hear the end of it!

‘Is there anything wrong?’ she asked Gemma with a calm she was far from feeling.

‘No, I just came to make sure you’re all right. You aren’t still sulking, are you?’

‘I don’t sulk,’ Katy said stiffly. ‘If you choose to sleep with Gerald then that’s your business.’

‘But you don’t like it,’ Gemma sighed.

‘It isn’t up to me to either like or dislike it, it’s your decision.’

‘You’re such a prude.’ She eyed Katy suspiciously. ‘I thought you were going to have an early night?’

Katy blushed. ‘I am. I’m just going to take a shower before going to bed. I——’ Oh no! Behind Gemma she could see the porter stepping out of the lift with Adam Wild’s newly cleaned trousers. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

‘Here we are, ma’am,’ the young boy grinned at her. ‘I got them back just as soon as I could.’

‘Thank you,’ she said through stiff lips, handing him a tip from her purse.

‘Thank you, ma’am.’

Gemma frowned, looking from Katy to the trousers and then back again. ‘But what——Who——’

‘Mine, I believe,’ drawled that deeply mocking voice.

Katy spun round to see Adam Wild standing beside her, the robe making the situation appear more intimate than it was. She almost groaned as Gemma’s eyes widened with shock.

Adam took the trousers out of her hand. ‘Good evening, Miss Harris,’ he greeted Gemma. ‘I hope you’ll excuse me while I get dressed?’

‘Katy!’ Gemma sounded scandalised, watching as Adam walked into the bathroom. She turned blazing eyes on Katy. ‘And you dared to disapprove of me! My God,’ she gave a bitter laugh, ‘you’re even worse than me. You only met the man today, and already you’ve been to bed with him. Well, in future don’t you dare to preach to me,’ she ended fiercely. ‘Goodnight!’

Katy watched her sister leave, turning angrily to tackle Adam Wild.

CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_832a15e3-ec0c-5c7c-8f7e-663075c9cacb)

‘YOU did that on purpose!’ she attacked him as soon as he came out into the main room.

He was looking his calm, assured self, handing her the towelling robe. ‘Of course I did. Your sister was right about you, you are a prude.’

‘I am not!’

‘Yes, you are.’ He finished tucking his shirt into the low waistband of his trousers, the movement straining the pale blue shirt across his taut muscular stomach and wide powerful shoulders. ‘So that’s why you have a single room. At least your sister isn’t ashamed to let people know she’s sleeping with her boy-friend.’

’You don’t happen to be my boy-friend. I doubt you’ve ever been any woman’s boy-friend.’

‘How right you are! I’ve never met a woman yet who could be entertaining out of bed as well as in it.’

Her eyes blazed, green sparks visible among the grey. ‘I suppose that’s where you think we belong, between the sheets.’

‘Or on them,’ Adam taunted. ‘I’m not that fussy where it happens. A change of locality can make it more interesting.’

‘I’m sure you’ve tried it at every locality and in every position imaginable,’ Katy said insultingly.

He shrugged. ‘You could be right. Have a nice holiday,’ came his parting taunt.

Nice holiday! How could she, when her own sister thought her little more than a tramp, capable of going to bed with a man just because he was rich and famous?

She knew by the open mockery on Gerald’s face the next day that Gemma had told him all about finding Adam Wild in her room. By the time they had picked up the camper and were setting out for Banff Katy had had enough of his knowing looks.

‘Why don’t you just come out with it?’ she snapped angrily. ‘Just say it and get it over with!’

He gave her a look of exaggerated innocence. ‘Why, what do you mean, Katy?’

‘It’s disgusting!’ Gemma suddenly burst out, giving her a scathing look. ‘At least Gerald and I are engaged!’