CHAPTER FOUR

‘SO you’re back!’

Holly turned sharply, blushing guiltily at the accusation in hazel-coloured eyes. ‘Yes,’ she answered James softly, all her amusement suddenly gone.

He deftly moved his chair further down the hallway towards her. ‘I thought you and Zack were only going out to lunch; it’s after four.’

‘Did you need me for anything?’ she frowned.

‘Well—no,’ he admitted abruptly. ‘But that’s hardly the point, is it? Didn’t you take any notice at all of my warning about Zack this morning?’ he scowled heavily.

‘Well, of course I did,’ she soothed. ‘I was very grateful for your concern.’

‘But you ignored it, anyway,’ James snapped. ‘Really, Holly, I thought you had more sense!’

‘Than what?’ she stiffened.

‘Than to become yet another of the women who find my brother so fascinating.’ He couldn’t disguise his bitterness. ‘If I didn’t need you so badly I think I’d sack you!’ He turned his chair and went into his study.

Holly was shaking by the time she reached her room. Zack was right about one thing, she had never seen James quite so angry and frustrated before. She couldn’t pretend she wasn’t surprised by some of what Zack had told her this afternoon; some of it had surprised her immensely. She had no idea that there was no medical reason why James shouldn’t walk; she had thought his injury was permanent. Perhaps Maxine’s attitude was a little easier to understand in the circumstances, although her affair with Zack—if there was one—wasn’t. If she agreed to Zack’s plan, and by some miracle it actually worked, she could be leaving James open to even more unhappiness than he was suffering now. But at least he would be walking again!

Maybe she owed it to James to do this. She had been responsible for enough unhappiness in the past, she didn’t want James on her conscience too. One marriage break-up to her credit was surely enough in anyone’s lifetime!

After such disturbing thoughts she went and had a refreshing shower, then sat down in front of the mirror to perform the soothing task of drying her hair, allowing herself the time to think, to be aware of all the consequences being Zack Benedict’s girl-friend would entail. The main drawback was that she didn’t know if she was capable of being any man’s girl-friend. There had been no one since Alex, and that had been years ago. In fact, it was the only drawback as far as she was concerned, because she really didn’t want to be the cause of James parting from Maxine. But it was a big problem to her, and one that he would have to be aware of from the beginning. She hadn’t heard him leave his bedroom yet, so she might as well go and tell him now.

Her light knock received no answer, and after knocking again she entered the room, only to come to an abrupt halt at the scene before her. Zack and Maxine were seated side by side on the bed, Zack wearing nothing more than a black towelling robe that left a large expanse of chest and legs bare, Maxine holding his hand as she looked up at him.

Both turned to look at Holly as she stood transfixed in the doorway. ‘I—er—I came to check that your wrist was all right,’ she spoke to Zack, unable to look at the other woman, knowing how ridiculous she must look just standing here gaping at the two of them. ‘It doesn’t matter.’ She turned to leave.

‘Don’t go, Holly,’ Maxine said abruptly, having stood up when Holly turned back to them. ‘I only came to bring Zack some cream for his arm myself,’ she held up the tube in her hand. ‘Please don’t leave on my account,’ she added curtly. ‘I have to go and change for dinner anyway.’

‘Oh, please—’

‘I’ll see you later, Zack,’ Maxine said brittlely. ‘The cream should ease the pain in your arm.’

Holly stood slightly inside the room where she had moved aside to let the other woman leave, eyeing Zack uneasily, more than ever aware that he wore only a towelling robe.

He stood up, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his robe. ‘Why did you really come here?’ he asked suddenly.

She gave him a startled look. ‘Your wrist—’

‘Is the least of your concerns,’ he drawled. ‘You weren’t exactly overwhelmed with concern earlier, so I can’t believe it would worry you so much now that it would bring you hotfoot to my bedroom.’

‘It wasn’t “hotfoot”,’ she snapped. ‘We got back almost two hours ago!’

‘Exactly,’ he said with satisfaction.

Too late she realised the trap she had fallen into. But when she had seen Maxine in his room, how close they were, she had changed her mind about agreeing to his plan. It suddenly hadn’t seemed necessary for her to become involved, not when it was so obviously Zack and Maxine who were causing the rift between husband and wife, and not her at all.

‘So why did you come here?’ he prompted at her silence.

She thought quickly. ‘I thought I should remind you that the picnic basket is still in the boot of your car; I didn’t bring it in,’ she told him, knowing how lame she must sound. But she hadn’t been able to think of anything else on the spur of the moment. ‘And the hot sun will make what food we did leave go off.’

Zack nodded. ‘I’ll see to it as soon as I’m dressed.’

‘Oh, Right, I’ll go and get ready for dinner—’

‘Holly.’

‘Yes?’ She looked up at him with questioning brows.

‘I’m still waiting for an explanation as to why you came to my bedroom.’

‘I told you—’

‘Holly!’ His stern gaze compelled her to answer him honestly.

‘I just—It’s only—I thought about what you said earlier, about James, and I—What are you doing?’ Her eyes were wide with alarm as he moved to close the door.

‘What we discussed earlier was private.’ He turned from closing the door, his eyes narrowing at her pale face. ‘I’m not about to pounce on you now that we’re alone,’ he derided. ‘I just don’t want us to be overheard.’

Holly swallowed hard, nervous in spite of herself, unable to stop the inner turmoil this situation caused. Being alone with James in his office, or indeed anywhere, induced no such unease, and she knew it was because she felt no threat from him. Zack Benedict couldn’t be dismissed so easily.

‘Sit down, Holly,’ he invited softly. ‘We can talk now.’

‘I don’t think this is the right place—’

‘You didn’t seem to be of the same opinion when you decided to come here,’ he reasoned. ‘And where else could we be completely alone?’ His mouth firmed at her sceptical expression. ‘Maxine really did come to offer medical assistance,’ he told her harshly. ‘We would hardly go to bed together here!’

She flushed at his angry rebuke, although she still felt unnerved by the fact that Maxine had been here when she arrived. ‘I came to tell you I want to help James, but after seeing you here with Maxine—’

‘Leave Maxine out of it!’

‘Can we?’ she frowned.

‘Yes,’ he snapped.

Holly sighed, believing him. ‘All right—well, I want to help James if I can.’

‘But not be associated with me,’ he taunted.

Holly glared at him for his perception. ‘That’s it exactly,’ she bit out.

‘The two go together, I’m afraid.’ His mouth twisted.

‘I’m beginning to realise that,’ she nodded, telling him about James’s reaction to them being out most of the afternoon. ‘I’ve never seen him so angry,’ she recalled with a frown. ‘He really meant it about sacking me.’

Zack grinned. ‘For becoming involved with his disreputable young brother.’

‘It isn’t funny,’ she scowled. ‘I could have lost a job I enjoy very much.’

‘But you didn’t, did you?’ he reasoned. ‘Which must tell you something.’

‘Only that he isn’t quite angry enough yet,’ she sighed.

‘Don’t worry, if you should happen to lose your job I’ll help you find another one.’

‘Oh yes?’ she mocked. ‘I’ve already told you I can’t sing.’

‘And that you aren’t going to comply with any of the other requirements either,’ he added tauntingly. ‘I didn’t have that sort of job in mind—we do employ secretaries too, you know. But at the moment I’m more concerned that James should continue to believe we’re attracted to each other.’

‘He’s said nothing about your feelings,’ Holly told him waspishly. ‘Only warned me about becoming involved with you.’

‘Then I’ll just have to convince him that I’m equally besotted. Besotted,’ Zack repeated slowly, as if he were surprised he had said it. ‘It’s an old-fashioned word,’ he mused. ‘But then you’re an old-fashioned girl, aren’t you, Holly Macey?’

‘I’m not sure I’d say that,’ she evaded.

‘Well, I would,’ he smiled.

It was the smile that did it. ‘Why did you have to make it into an insult?’ she flared angrily. ‘Would you feel more comfortable with me if I’d had numerous lovers and cared for none of them?’

‘I wouldn’t believe it,’ he shrugged.

‘Which part?’ she challenged, coming dangerously close to losing her control, and that musn’t happen.

Zack seemed to sense how on-edge she was, and his eyes narrowed. ‘Holly—’

‘Which part?’ she snapped. ‘That I’ve had a lover? Or that I didn’t care for him? Well, you can believe both parts, Zack,’ she scorned. ‘I’ve had a lover, and although I may have thought I cared for him I soon realised I didn’t. There, do you feel better now?’ Her eyes glittered with fury.

‘Do you?’

She blinked at the softly spoken question. ‘I don’t understand—’

‘Don’t you?’

‘No!’

‘How long has the anger been building up inside you, Holly?’ He was standing very close now, so close she could see the golden flecks in the green of his eyes. ‘Since the affair broke up? How long, Holly?’

‘Its none of your business,’ she rasped, and turned away, stunned by his perception, learning more and more what a sensitive man he was. Most people would assume her to be bitter about the past, and although that was part of her feelings anger was predominant. Everything to do with Alex angered her.

Zack’s hands came down on her shoulders as he turned her back to him. ‘He must have hurt you very much,’ he said gently. ‘How old were you?’ His eyes were narrowed.

‘Seventeen,’ she bit out. ‘And yes, I was hurt at the time. But I’ve got over it now.’

‘Have you?’ he probed. ‘Seventeen is very young to have been let down in that way. I can’t even remember when I was that age!’ he realised with surprise.

Holly’s mouth twisted. ‘I’m sure you were breaking hearts even then.’

‘Maybe,’ he acknowledged. ‘But I don’t think I hurt anyone as badly as you still hurt.’

‘That isn’t true,’ she denied heatedly. ‘I told you, I got over it long ago.’

‘Holly …!’

She hadn’t even suspected he was going to kiss her this time, wasn’t ready for it at all. As a result she didn’t fight him, but was aware only of the warm pressure of his lips on hers as he gently explored her mouth, his hands holding her lightly, as if he didn’t want to frighten her as he had last time.

As she had always suspected could happen, she didn’t want to fight him; she felt her body melting against his, knew the security of the lean hardness of his body as he moulded her to him. Her lips flowered beneath the insistent caress of his, her arms going up about his neck as she raised herself on tiptoe to deepen the kiss.

Zack’s arms tightened about her, a deep groan sounding in his chest as she trembled in his arms, the hardness of his thighs telling her how deeply aroused he was.

She was aroused herself, her body aflame with need after years of physical denial. Her breasts throbbed under the slow thoroughness of his caress, suddenly taut beneath the clinging tee-shirt she still wore.

‘God, Holly, I never dreamed—’

‘That I could have feelings like the next woman?’ The fiery pull of desire began to fade, her natural sense of survival once again taking over.

‘No,’ he shook his head, his eyes a dark green. ‘No, not that. You—’

‘This was a mistake.’ She pushed completely out of his arms, sanity returning to leave her confused and upset. Admittedly no other man but Alex had come close to tapping the desire that was in her, but that she should have let Zack Benedict break through her defences left her vulnerable with fear.

Zack pushed his hair back from his face, its heavy straightness making it impossible to keep in order, especially when female fingers seemed intent on caressing it to disorder. ‘I don’t understand you, Holly,’ he said slowly.

‘I’m not asking that you should,’ she snapped, knowing those few moments when she lacked control had completely changed her relationship with this man. And she was fast trying to re-establish the antagonism!

‘But I want to,’ he told her with obvious sincerity. ‘You were a different woman just now, vibrant, sensual—’

‘Do you usually have a post-mortem about a simple kiss?’ Her eyes scorned him.

He flushed at the taunt. ‘When it’s with a woman who’s shown me nothing but dislike so far, yes,’ he grated. ‘Maybe I should just think myself lucky you didn’t try your self-defence on me again,’ he added derisively.

‘Maybe you should,’ she challenged.

He shrugged, some of the tension leaving him, mockery returning to lazy green eyes. ‘I believe we were discussing James …?’

‘Yes,’ she replied with some relief, knowing self-recrimination could come later, that for the moment she had to make this man believe her self-control hadn’t slipped in that nerve shattering way. God, why couldn’t she have shown him the same revulsion as the previous evening, why did she have to respond? ‘I want you to realise that although I agree to your plan on principle, I do not want any more familiarity between us than there has to be.’

The mockery in his eyes deepened, clearly mocking her after what had just happened between them.

Hot colour darkened Holly’s cheeks. ‘I’ve already told you, the kiss was a mistake—’

‘If it had just been the kiss I might have inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt,’ he said seriously. ‘But we both know it was so much more than that.’

‘No—’

‘I’m not going to push you into a corner, Holly,’ he soothed, ‘where your only choice is to stand and fight, or in this case, deny all knowledge. But I will kiss you again—soon. And you’ll want me to.’

That was what Holly was most afraid of. She had discovered with Alex that she possessed a sensuality that shocked her; she daren’t let any man take control of that sensuality a second time. ‘I doubt if Maxine will approve of that,’ she scorned. ‘She may have agreed to your plan because she too wants her marriage resolved as soon as possible, but I doubt if she expects you to actually make love to me to achieve it.’

‘Maxine has agreed to nothing—because I’ve told her nothing.’ Zack watched her with narrowed eyes. ‘She only knows what we want everyone else to believe, and that’s that we’re seeing each other.’

‘But you and she—’

‘Are friends, nothing more. I’ll only tell you this one last time, Holly,’ he said grimly. ‘Maxine and I are not having an affair. We’re friends, and I don’t like to see my friends being hurt.’

‘How about would-be girl-friends?’

He met her gaze steadily. ‘Not them either.’

She turned away in confusion. ‘So Maxine isn’t to know this is all pretence?’

‘No. She has her pride, Holly,’ he continued. ‘It’s bad enough that James should think himself in love with you, without Maxine being aware that we’re using that. How would you feel in her place, when she’s loved James and stood by him all this time? Exactly,’ he drawled at her look of contrition. ‘Besides which, I’m sure James is only infatuated with you, because he believes you’ll demand nothing from him, not even physical love.’ He raised dark blond brows questioningly.

Holly’s gaze dropped from his, her mouth tightening. ‘You’ve already told me all this,’ she rasped.

‘Not all of it,’ he taunted. ‘Some of it I’m only just realising myself. Maybe you would have been good together after all,’ he added hardly, his eyes like chips of ice. ‘He wouldn’t have asked what you don’t like to give. You could have both stayed half alive then!’ He sounded almost angry as he said the last.

But if he were angry so was Holly. ‘I may have agreed to help, because of my affection for James, but I don’t have to take your insults on top of everything else!’ She left the room angrily, closing the door with a firm click. Damn the man, he got right to the source of a person’s weakness and pain, and twisted his own particular brand of knife into it.

As she turned to go back to her own room she gave a dismayed gasp. A stony-faced James was looking at her with some disbelief. There couldn’t be any doubt what he was thinking, not when she had just left his brother’s bedroom!

‘James, I—’ she began.

‘I believe it’s almost time for dinner,’ he told her woodenly, looking pointedly at the casual clothing she still wore.

‘But James—’

‘Excuse me, but I have to change. And it necessarily takes me longer than you,’ he added bitterly, manoeuvring his chair to his room.

Holly let him go, realising in that moment how hard Zack must find it to be ‘cruel to be kind’. It wasn’t easy, but James’s bitterness just now, completely uncharacteristic of him, showed that it just could work. If only she could stand Zack Benedict’s perception for that long!

She changed without really thinking about it, her attention constantly wandering to the time she had spent in Zack’s arms. He had enjoyed kissing her, she knew that, and the fact that she had enjoyed being kissed had been equally obvious. She had fought the knowledge of her own weakness for five years, a weakness that had cost other people their chance of happiness as well as her own, and if she had any sense she would run a mile from Zack Benedict. But she had already agreed to help, she couldn’t back out now. She might have changed her mind about that if she had known what Zack had in store for her!

‘Would you mind if Holly used the apartment in London next weekend?’ he asked James after dinner. The four of them were sitting in the garden, the evening still clear and hot, only the sounds of the birds singing in the trees breaking the silence that surrounded them.

Holly’s peace was at once shattered, and it took all her willpower not to choke over her coffee. She had no desire to go to London next weekend or any other!

‘Next weekend?’ James repeated slowly, obviously not thrilled by the suggestion either.

‘Mm.’ Zack seemed immune to the tension he had just introduced into an otherwise trouble-free meal, the conversation through dinner remaining outwardly polite, even Maxine and James refraining from snapping at each other; mainly because Maxine had been very silent this evening, seeming lost in her own thoughts. ‘I promised Holly I would show her round the studio,’ he gave her a warmly intimate smile, ‘and next weekend seemed as good a time as any.’ This last statement seemed to challenge anyone to disagree with him.

‘The studio?’ Maxine repeated sharply. ‘But you’ve always refused to let any of us in there, claiming the work you do there is too important to be used as a sideshow.’

Zack’s hand covered Holly’s as it rested on her thigh. ‘I’m sure Holly isn’t going to see it as such.’

She wasn’t going to ‘see’ it at all. If they were going to continue with this it had to be together, not with Zack making all the decisions! ‘I wish you’d mentioned it to me earlier,’ she began to make her excuses.

‘I wanted to surprise you,’ again he smiled.

He had certainly done that, and he knew it! ‘It’s rather short notice for me to plan to be away—’

‘Your weekends are your own, aren’t they?’

‘Well—’

‘James?’ Zack prompted his brother.

‘Holly is always free to make what arrangements she chooses for the weekends,’ James confirmed stiffly.

‘There you are,’ Zack told her triumphantly. ‘And you did show such an interest in the studio when we talked about it; I’d love you to see it.’

This man told lies and invented things without blinking an eyelid! She hadn’t given his recording studio so much as a second thought since she found out that was what he did for a living. ‘I couldn’t possibly impose on James and Maxine’s hospitality by staying at their London home,’ she protested. ‘It wouldn’t be fair to them.’

‘As far as I’m concerned you’re quite welcome to use the flat in London any time you want to,’ Maxine said waspishly. ‘What I don’t understand is the need for it. Why can’t Holly stay at your apartment, Zack?’

His hand tightened over Holly’s as she flinched at the suggestion. ‘I don’t think we know each other well enough for that,’ he answered calmly.

‘No?’ the other woman challenged.

‘No.’ He remained calm.

‘You surprise me,’ she snapped. ‘James tells me she wasn’t averse to visiting you in your bedroom this evening.’

‘She came to see about my bee-sting,’ he challenged.

‘For almost an hour?’ Maxine arched disbelieving brows. ‘That’s rather a long time to enquire about one bee-sting,’ she taunted.

Zack shrugged. ‘I wasn’t complaining.’

Maxine flushed. ‘I’m sure you weren’t!’

Holly couldn’t help noticing the way neither Zack nor Maxine mentioned the fact that the other woman knew how long she had been in Zack’s bedroom because Maxine herself had been in the room when she arrived. They must realise that James would definitely misconstrue that—and he would have every right to. Holly still wasn’t sure of Zack’s involvement with the other woman.

‘Please feel free to use the apartment in London, Holly,’ James told her curtly. ‘If you’ll all excuse me, I have some work to do in my study.’

‘I’m going up to my room.’ Maxine followed her husband. ‘It’s been a long day,’ she muttered in a disgruntled voice.

‘So James saw you leave my bedroom,’ mused Zack once he and Holly were alone. ‘What did he have to say?’

‘Nothing,’ she answered flatly, still angry with him for deciding she should go to London with him next weekend without even asking her.

‘He must have said something,’ Zack prompted with a sigh.

‘That it was late and that he had to change for dinner.’

‘That’s all?’

‘Yes,’ she said abruptly. ‘Now would you mind telling me why I could possibly want to go to London next weekend?’

‘Because I’ll be there,’ he replied in a distracted voice. ‘That was really all he said?’ he frowned.

‘Yes. Now—’

‘But was he angry? Resigned? How did he sound when he said it?’ Zack asked exasperatedly.

‘Bitter. Zack—’

‘Ah!’ He sounded triumphant. ‘Bitter, hmm?’

‘Yes. Could you—’

‘That’s good,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘That’s very good.’

‘Zack, will you please listen to me?’ Holly demanded angrily. ‘I don’t want to go to London next weekend!’

‘Don’t be silly, Holly,’ he dismissed in a preoccupied voice. ‘It’s all been arranged now.’

‘Without consulting me!’

‘You could have spoken up at the time,’ he dismissed with a shrug.

‘While you and Maxine were having your private battle or afterwards?’ she glared at him.

He gave her an irritated look. ‘It wasn’t private, both you and James witnessed the exchange.’

‘Yes, and although you deny it, Maxine seems to feel she has some say in your actions.’

His mouth was tight, his hands thrust into the trouser pockets of his dinner suit. ‘I’ve never made comment about Maxine’s feelings, only my own,’ he bit out.

Her eyes widened. ‘You mean she is in love with you?’ she gasped.

His expression was grim. ‘Maxine is as confused as James at the moment, she doesn’t really know what she wants.’

‘But she thinks she wants you?’

Zack’s eyes glittered with anger as he turned to look at her. ‘She thinks she does,’ he nodded grimly.

‘And of course you’ve done nothing to encourage her into thinking that?’ Holly scorned.

‘No, I haven’t,’ he snapped. ‘Maxine and I have been friends for longer than I care to remember, I can hardly deny her that friendship just because for the moment she’s confusing it with deeper feelings.’

Holly didn’t know what to say, totally confused as to what was going on now. Zack made it sound as if he was actually doing his best to discourage Maxine’s feelings towards him.

‘And before you jump to any more conclusions,’ he rasped harshly, ‘what I’m doing now I’m doing solely for James, not for my own benefit.’

‘The thought hadn’t crossed my mind,’ she told him crossly.

‘No?’ he taunted.

‘No,’ she snapped resentfully, knowing it had been going to be the next thing that flashed through her mind. ‘But why would you want to repulse such a beautiful woman?’ she added curiously.

‘Mainly because she’s my brother’s wife,’ he bit out tautly. ‘And also because I know I’m not what she really needs.’

‘And James is?’ she asked doubtfully.

‘Before the accident Maxine and James lived mainly in London, when they weren’t rushing off round the racing circuit. Maxine would find me pretty dull after that, I can assure you. Oh, I like to go out and have a good time too, but mainly I like to spend quiet evenings at home—some of them even alone,’ he added mockingly. ‘Maxine made her choice between us once, I think James was the right one for her.’

Holly didn’t see how any woman could possibly find this man dull, but she had no intention of inflating his ego by telling him that. ‘James feels she’s no longer the sort of wife he needs,’ she said.

‘So I heard,’ Zack nodded. ‘But once he’s out of that chair and walking again it will be different for them both, you’ll see.’

‘You sound so confident he will walk again.’

‘Oh, he will,’ he nodded. ‘I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.’

‘You know I want to help him too, but going to London was not part of my plans.’ There were too many memories there, too many people she never wanted to see again.

Zack sighed. ‘It wasn’t part of mine either to start with, but you don’t act very much like my girl-friend here, so I had hoped James would think you were more amenable in London.’

‘I’ve already warned you I won’t be part of your familiarity,’ snapped Holly.

‘There’s a difference between that and being damned frosty!’

‘If you aren’t satisfied then you know what you can do!’ she glared at him.

‘God, you live up to your name, don’t you?’ he said exasperatedly. ‘Prickly as hell! I’m going back to London tomorrow night,’ he sighed. ‘Just try and bear with me until then.’

‘I thought you intended staying for some time?’

‘My plans have changed.’ The hardness of his eyes seemed to imply that she was the reason for that. ‘Just be at the London flat when I call for you at eight o’clock on Friday evening,’ he warned.

‘Surely we don’t have to continue with this there?’ she sighed. ‘It’s enough that James and Maxine believe we’re seeing each other.’

‘Eight o’clock,’ he strode forcefully to the door. ‘Be there.’

‘But Zack—’

‘Be there, Holly,’ he told her in a softly controlled voice. ‘Otherwise I could get nasty.’

‘You don’t frighten me—’

‘No?’ he taunted. ‘Let’s wait and see, shall we? If you aren’t waiting for me I’ll come looking for you, and I may not be in a pleasant frame of mind.’

‘Are you ever?’ she said bitterly.

‘Frequently. One of these days I just may surprise you,’ he mocked.

‘I doubt it,’ Holly snapped. ‘You’re highly predictable!’

He shook his head, his mouth quirking with humour. ‘Do you always have to have the last word?’

She gave a rueful smile. ‘With you it pays to.’

* * *

Zack returned the smile. ‘Maybe. I have been accused of being domineering from time to time.’

‘Really?’ she mocked disbelievingly.

‘Yes—really,’ he chuckled softly.

‘I can’t think why,’ said Holly with feigned innocence.

‘Neither can I,’ he grinned. ‘Get a good night’s sleep, Holly. All this will seem more acceptable in the morning.’

But it wouldn’t, she knew it wouldn’t. Alex was in London, her mother too, and she didn’t want to see either of them again. Alex had betrayed her, and although her mother had been hurt too she had let Holly down at a time when she needed her the most. She couldn’t see either of them again!

Zach kept to his word and left the next day, much to Holly’s relief, although her relationship with James stayed very curt on his side, and Zack’s nightly telephone calls did not help. When he called for the first time on Monday evening and asked to talk to her she had expected a change in their plans for the weekend, and was surprised when he said he had just telephoned for a chat.

The calls continued through the week, and while she became a little more relaxed about them, Maxine and James obviously reacted in the opposite way, Maxine being almost as abrupt with her now as James was. In fact, the weekend away became something to look forward to rather than dreaded!

‘Zack is being rather attentive,’ remarked Maxine after Thursday evening’s call.

‘Yes,’ she replied without elaboration, not wishing to antagonise the other woman any more than she had to.

Maxine glanced at her husband. ‘Perhaps we should have warned you about not taking Zack too seriously.’ Her voice was friendly, but her eyes remained hard. ‘Shouldn’t we, James?’ she prompted him.

He glanced up from the glass of whisky he had been broodingly staring into. ‘Holly prefers not to take notice of warnings,’ he rasped.

‘Do you?’ Maxine looked at her with hard blue eyes.

‘I—’

‘Because where Zack is concerned that would be very silly.’ The friendliness of Maxine’s voice couldn’t altogether conceal the edge of steel it contained.

‘I’m sure—’

‘James and I know him so much better than you do.’ She smoothed her black silky dress over her long legs, her hands slender and graceful, tipped with scarlet nail polish.

‘I’m sure you do,’ she said stiffly, relieved to at last be able to finish a sentence.

‘His interest never lasts for long,’ Maxine continued hardly. ‘And it could make things awkward for you here when you’re no longer—seeing each other.’

‘Awkward?’ Holly repeated abruptly.

‘Embarrassing, then,’ Maxine amended in a bored voice. ‘Zack has always been a regular visitor, hasn’t he, James?’ Once again she prompted her husband to join in the conversation.

He turned from replenishing his glass. ‘He always used to be, yes,’ he scowled.

‘He still is,’ Maxine snapped irritably. ‘He visits me regularly when I’m in London. He would visit you there too if you—Now there’s an idea, James!’ she brightened excitedly. ‘We could go up to London with Holly tomorrow.’

James slowly lowered his glass, staring at his wife as if she had gone insane. ‘What?’

‘We could go with Holly to London—’

‘I heard that,’ he rasped.

‘Then why—’

‘I heard it,’ he bit out tautly. ‘I just couldn’t believe you meant it.’

‘But it would be perfect, James.’ Maxine moved to take his hand. ‘You’ve always given the fact that you would be too far away from your work as the main reason for not going up to London—well, now you would have Holly with you. I don’t know why we’ve never thought of this before.’

Holly knew; it was because Maxine had never been this desperate to go to London before, to keep a watchful eye on her and Zack. The other woman was so intent on observing Zack that she didn’t seem to realise that James’s moroseness of the last week had been because of his feelings of jealousy because of another woman.

‘Holly is not my work,’ he rasped harshly.

‘No, but you have to admit she could help you with it if you suddenly wanted to work while you’re there—’

‘Holly isn’t going to London to work,’ he snapped.

‘But I’m sure she wouldn’t mind, when she isn’t seeing Zack. Would you, Holly?’ Maxine prompted eagerly.

Holly’s incredulity had been increasing as the conversation progressed, mainly because James hadn’t yet turned the idea down flat. ‘No, I wouldn’t mind at all,’ she told them dazedly.

‘There you are, James,’ Maxine looked pleased with herself. ‘It would be ideal.’

His mouth firmed. ‘I need to think about it,’ he muttered.

‘What did you say?’ his wife pounced, her face glowing.

‘I said I’d think about it,’ he repeated fiercely. ‘And I will. I’ll let you know what I’ve decided tomorrow.’

‘Not too late,’ Maxine encouraged as the two of them left the room together, Holly seemingly forgotten now that she had agreed to the idea. ‘Because we’ll need to make all the arrangements.’

‘I won’t be rushed,’ James could be heard complaining in a disgruntled voice as they got into the lift together.

Holly sat alone in the lounge, her feelings mixed, pleased that James was at least thinking of leaving the house for a while, although she realised his reasons for doing so were not yet apparent to Maxine. How would the other woman react if she did know—be relieved that she could be free to pursue Zack, or finally realise that she still loved her husband? It was a tangle that only time would unravel.