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‘Oh, Garth!’ Sabrina stopped and turned to look at him, shocked by what he had told her.
‘She recovered for a short while but she was in a wheelchair.’ Garth stared at her. ‘She needed me, Sabrina, and I felt so goddamned guilty.’
‘So you finished with my mother?’
He nodded. ‘It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.’ There was a far-away look in his eyes for a moment. ‘She must have known that she was pregnant when I finished with her, but she never told me.’
‘I suppose she didn’t want you to feel trapped.’
‘Yes, I suppose so.’ He smiled sadly. ‘The awful thing was that Jessica died six months later. But by that time your mother had moved and I had no idea where she was.’
Sabrina lowered her eyes from his and there was silence for a moment as both were lost in their own private worlds.
Then she looked up at him sadly. ‘I sometimes think that fate chooses the paths for our lives. Maybe you and my mother were just never meant to be.’
‘Maybe. About four years later I met Nadine. She was a widow with a young son and I was a widower.’ He smiled at Sabrina. ‘We comforted each other and I fell very much in love with her. I never did tell her about my affair with your mother. She was so sympathetic about my losing my wife—how could I tell her that I had been unfaithful to her?’ Garth shook his head. ‘Even now I feel guilty when I think about Jessica.’
Sabrina understood Garth’s reluctance to tell Nadine. Maybe if he had told her right at the beginning that his marriage to Jessica had been a mistake she would have understood. But to have to tell her now would be hard.
‘Anyway I thought that I would never see your mother again and then one day I bumped into her in the middle of Oxford Street. I could hardly believe my eyes. It was six years since I had last seen her. We went and had a drink together.’ Garth pushed a shaking hand through his hair. ‘I told her I was married with a baby daughter and a stepson. She told me about you. You can imagine my shock.’
Sabrina could indeed.
‘I don’t know, Sabrina, maybe I let you down and maybe I took the coward’s way out, but when she told me that things were better left as they were I agreed with her.’
Sabrina blinked back sudden tears.
‘She had already told you that your father was dead. And I had to consider Nadine. I do love her——’
‘It’s all right, Garth. I understand,’ she broke across him hastily, understanding him and loving him for being so upset, for caring about what she thought.
He smiled at her. ‘When I needed a secretary and I knew you were looking for a job I couldn’t resist asking your mother to point you in my direction. I wanted so much to know you. I wasn’t disappointed by the young woman I met.’
His eyes moved gently over her face, noting the emotion in the deep blue eyes, and he placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. ‘I’m sorry I’ve made a mess of things,’ he whispered softly. ‘That I’ve upset you so much.’
‘It’s a relief to know everything, to be honest.’ She smiled tremulously at him.
He smiled back. ‘It’s your birthday on Saturday, isn’t it?’ he asked suddenly.
She nodded, surprised that he knew. She had almost forgotten about it herself, there had been so much on her mind recently.
‘Let me take you out somewhere to celebrate. Lunch or dinner; you choose.’
Sabrina hesitated for a moment and bit down sharply on her lip; she felt totally out of her depth with all of this. ‘I don’t know, Garth...’
‘You don’t want me in your life, is that it?’ His voice sounded unbearably strained.
‘I... no.’ She shook her head. ‘No, it’s not that at all.’ If the truth were known, Sabrina desperately wanted Garth in her life. She wanted to know her father. She stumbled, then looked up at him with wide glimmering eyes. ‘But let’s face it, Garth, the situation is a mess. Your family don’t know about your affair with my mother or about me. You are a man who is very much in the public eye. Can you really afford to have me in your life?’
He was silent for a moment. ‘I admit that I’m scared about telling Nadine and, yes, my career is important and it is in a difficult period of transition at the moment.’
She nodded. ‘I understand more than you think, Garth. Even a whisper of scandal could be very damaging to you at the moment.’
He knew that what she was saying was right—she could see it in the over-bright gleam of his eyes. ‘You could still come to Brussels with me as my secretary. Then when things have settled down...’
She shook her head.
‘Think about it, Brina.’ He reached across and took hold of her hand. ‘Please.’
Her eyes shone with tears. ‘Oh, Garth, I just don’t know anything any more.’
‘Come on,’ he said gently. ‘Let’s walk some more.’ He tucked his arm around her shoulder as she shivered suddenly.
Both of them were so caught up in their conversation that they didn’t see the man who was leaning against a tree at the bottom of the garden, a zoom-lens camera trained directly on them.
CHAPTER THREE
SABRINA had never been as nervous about a date as she was about lunch with Marc Kingsley. She paid special attention to her hair and make-up that day and took ages deciding what to wear.
She decided finally on a cream linen suit that had a short skirt and a long-line jacket. She teamed it with a peach silk blouse. The effect was both stylish and yet sensual. As she surveyed her appearance in the mirror she was comforted by the fact that she looked serene and calm. She would hate Marc to know just what chaos he had wrought to her system by that one kiss.
The effects of that kiss still remained with her now. She could feel heat rising inside her when she remembered how she had pressed close against him, how soft and skilled his mouth had felt against hers. She swallowed hard as she tried to dismiss the memory.
When the front doorbell rang she felt her stomach tying itself into knots. With a last glance in the mirror she went to let him in.
‘Good morning.’ Marc’s manner was brisk, but the eyes that swept over her appearance were very complimentary.
‘Would you like a coffee or anything before we leave?’ Sabrina invited softly.
He shook his head. ‘No time.’
‘Oh?’
He ignored the question in her eyes and smiled. ‘Are you ready?’
She nodded and turned to pick up her handbag.
‘And don’t forget your passport,’ he said casually.
‘My passport...’ She looked around at him in complete surprise. ‘Why do I need that?’
‘If you run along and get it, I’ll tell you on the way,’ he said with infuriating calm.
Sabrina’s hand wasn’t quite steady as she opened the drawer of her bureau and took out her passport. Where on earth was he taking her? she wondered. Her heart thudded with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Even a lunch date with Marc Kingsley felt like an adventure.
He looked exceptionally stylish this morning. He was wearing a dark suit that seemed to emphasise his dark good looks, his hair gleaming almost blue-black in the spring sunshine.
She was surprised to find that he wasn’t in his red Porsche this morning. Instead a long black limousine waited at the kerb, and a uniformed chauffeur held the door for them as they climbed into the luxurious seats.
‘This is very decadent.’ Sabrina smiled at Marc a little shyly.
‘Practical,’ he told her crisply. ‘I find it easier to have a chauffeur when I make business trips. I can carry on with my work as we travel and I don’t waste any time.’
‘I see.’ Her eyebrows rose slightly. ‘Am I to take it we are on a business trip?’
He pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘No, I just don’t want to waste time.’ Then he grinned at her. It was a deliciously wicked grin that did incredible things to her heart-rate.
‘Champagne?’ He leaned forward and pulled down a cabinet in front of them. Packed very neatly inside there were rows of bottles and crystal glasses, including a silver bucket with a chilled bottle of champagne.
‘It’s a little early for me,’ Sabrina murmured. She wasn’t used to drinking in the middle of the day at the best of times and, accompanied by such a suave, handsome man, she was frightened of lowering any of her barriers... especially to Marc Kingsley.
‘Nonsense.’ The champagne cork flew off with an almighty pop and the champagne flowed with frothy enthusiasm into two crystal glasses. ‘It’s never too early to start celebrating.’ He handed her the glass and she accepted it with only a moment’s pause.
‘What are we celebrating?’ she asked, wrinkling her nose as bubbles tickled it.
For a moment he considered her question. ‘Why, spring of course and the rising sap.’
She caught his eye and had to laugh. ‘You are incorrigible, Marc Kingsley,’ she said with a shake of her head.
‘I hope so.’ He reached across to top up her glass as she took a drink from its golden contents.
‘I hope you’re not trying to get me drunk,’ she said in a mock-teasing voice, ‘because it won’t work.’
One dark eyebrow rose at that. ‘My dear girl, I have never had to stoop so low.’ This time there was no laughter in his tone.
Sabrina could well believe it, and immediately she felt a little embarrassed at making such a comment.
‘Anyway, what do you mean, it won’t work?’ he went on to ask, the laughter back in his eyes.
Sabrina smiled and let the question pass without comment. ‘So where are we going for lunch?’
‘A lovely little restaurant I know on the Left Bank.’
For a moment Sabrina was puzzled. ‘The left bank of what?’
‘The Seine,’ he said matter-of-factly.
‘The Seine... in Paris?’ Her voice rose a little with the thrill of it.
‘No, in Clacton,’ he said with a teasing light in his eyes. ‘Yes, of course, Paris,’ he finished with a grin. ‘Where else would we go on such a magnificent spring day?’
She smiled and matched his nonchalant tone. ‘Of course... where else?’
Sabrina had never experienced such a day before. Marc was so amusing and so laid-back about everything. He whisked her into the first-class lounge at the airport and then almost immediately they were on board the aircraft. From then it was just half an hour before they were putting down in Paris.
She was on her third glass of champagne by the time they were being chauffeur-driven along the banks of the River Seine.
‘I can’t believe this,’ Sabrina murmured as she looked out at the sparkling water and the majestic buildings lit with the brilliance of spring sunshine.
‘Can’t you?’ He looked across at her, and then to her surprise he reached for her hand and pressed it close to his lips. ‘I could offer you the world, Sabrina,’ he said huskily. ‘Whatever you want, I could give you.’
Her heart seemed to flutter in some strange way as she looked into his eyes. She didn’t want anything, she realised with one strange jolt. It was enough to have him look at her like that.
She pulled her hand away from his, confused by her emotions. She couldn’t afford to get involved with Marc Kingsley, she told herself fiercely. This was a one-off. For the sake of her father, she had to remember that.
‘Have I said something wrong?’ he asked softly.
‘No...’ She shook her head, then forced herself to smile at him.
He didn’t return her smile. ‘I take it you are thinking about the other man in your life?’ His deep voice was suddenly spiced with an emotion Sabrina found hard to define.
‘No...’ She shook her head, but she could tell he wasn’t convinced. His lean features had a hard look to them suddenly, and his eyes glittered with cold, harsh light.
‘You’re a fool, Sabrina... he won’t leave his wife for you,’ he said grimly.
For a moment she was so stunned that she couldn’t answer him. ‘What...what on earth makes you think I would go out with a married man?’ she spluttered at last.
He shrugged nonchalantly. ‘It was just a passing notion.’
‘Well, I would let it pass if I were you,’ she said in a very angry tone.
He looked at her closely. It was so hard to tell what went on behind those cool, watchful eyes, she thought with a shiver.
‘If that’s what you want,’ he said at last.
‘Yes, it is.’ Sabrina frowned indignantly. Why had he assumed she was seeing a married man?
‘Come on.’ Marc leaned forward and tapped the glass partition. ‘You can leave us here,’ he said to the driver. ‘Pick us up at the restaurant at about four.’
The car pulled smoothly to a halt. ‘We may as well walk from here,’ Marc said, holding out a hand to her as she moved towards the door.
She ignored his outstretched hand and alighted to the pavement without help.
‘You’re not going to spend the rest of the afternoon in a sulk, are you, Sabrina?’ he asked as he closed the door and the limousine pulled away from them into the busy flow of traffic.
She caught his eye and then smiled. ‘I don’t sulk. I was just irritated that you could make such a rash assumption.’
‘I’ve made my fortune by them,’ he said in a dry voice. ‘You will have to forgive me.’
‘I’ll think about it.’ But she was already forgetting about it. It was such a glorious day. The sun sparkled over the wide boulevards with their grand buildings, the horse chestnuts were starting to unfurl their green banners; the feeling of spring was everywhere.
‘I love this time of year,’ she said, breathing in deeply.
His lips tugged into a lazy smile and he reached for her hand. ‘It’s a time for lovers to stroll hand in hand,’ he said in a low tone that sent Sabrina’s heart into overdrive.
She didn’t try to pull away from him; instead she allowed herself to savour the feeling of his warm skin next to hers. They walked along the banks of the Seine in silence for a while and for a moment Sabrina felt more relaxed than she had for a long time.
‘How old are you, Marc?’ she asked suddenly.
