CHAPTER NINE

BETHANY had had no idea, until that moment, whether angels were allowed to kiss human beings of Nick Rafferty’s kind or whether she would disappear in a puff of smoke, never to see this man or his children again.

But nothing like that happened. Nick’s mouth was savage against hers as he demanded a response from her, and she was unable to deny that there was one, melting into the hardness of his body, returning his kiss with a passion that matched his own, his mouth not crushing hers now, but sipping and tasting, drawing every last ounce of pleasure from the caress.

He finally raised his head to gasp, ‘God almighty, Beth!’ His eyes were dark with pain, his hair as dishevelled as the first time Bethany had seen him—but this time it was from her own restlessly caressing fingers! ‘Who the hell are you?’ he groaned, his arms like steel bands as he held the slim length of her against his hardness.

She couldn’t think straight, was dazed by the power of the desire that had exploded so suddenly between the two of them.

Nick shook his head to clear his own desire-filled brain. ‘I don’t think you’re an angel at all, more like a dev—’ He broke off abruptly as the doorbell rang, frowning darkly. ‘What the hell—!’ He re-leased Bethany abruptly. ‘It’s ten-thirty at night!’ He scowled.

She knew what time of night it was—it was about the only thing she did know! She had never before been kissed in the way Nick Rafferty had just kissed her—at least, she didn’t think she had…

It had been the most amazing feeling being in his arms, as if, having been in the wrong place at the wrong time all of her life, she had suddenly found where she did belong—in Nick Rafferty’s arms. Which was ridiculous. She didn’t belong anywhere any more, was merely here to unravel a complicated situation. She had a feeling she might just have made things worse. As usual. Only this time she really had made things worse. There was going to be no forgiving or second chances on this one!

‘I should answer that, if I were you,’ she advised Nick shakily as the doorbell rang a second time. ‘It may be Mr Fairfax with news—’ He didn’t need any more telling, hurrying to answer the door.

The glamorous blonde standing on the doorstep definitely wasn’t Robert Fairfax!

‘Lisa!’ Nick greeted her, stepping back slightly in surprise.

Definitely not Robert Fairfax!

However, it was the woman of the telephone call earlier today. The woman Nick should have had dinner with this evening. The woman currently in his life. The woman he should have been kissing just now instead of her…!

And Bethany being here wasn’t going to help whatever friction seemed to have arisen between Nick and the lovely Lisa!

Bethany took the opportunity of Nick’s back be-ing towards her, and so effectively blocking her from the view of the other woman, to escape from the room and go to the bedroom she was to share with Lucy.

But long after she lay down in the bed her eyes remained open, staring up at the ceiling. Could angels fall in love? Because she was very much afraid she had really done it this time; she had fallen in love with the very man she had been sent here to help! Was this what was meant by a fallen angel? If it was, she was very much fallen—had fallen deeply in love with Nick Rafferty.

She couldn’t stay here, of course, would have to leave—

‘Beth?’

She turned to look at the little girl in the bed a short distance from her own; she had left a light on so that Lucy wouldn’t be troubled by the darkness. ‘Yes, darling?’ she returned softly.

Lucy gave her a sleepy smile. ‘I’m very glad you’re here,’ she murmured, before turning over and going back to sleep.

She had been being selfish a few minutes ago; of course she couldn’t leave here. The children needed her. Her feelings for Nick Rafferty couldn’t be lasting ones. As his attraction towards her couldn’t be either.

The fact that he had already left for the office—or with the lovely Lisa the night before!—when she got up with the children the next morning seemed to indicate that he had already dismissed it. It would hurt for a while, Bethany was sure, but she would get over her latest folly. Angels couldn’t be in love!

And she realised, later that day, that Nick couldn’t love her either! If she had thought Lisa was beautiful the night before, then Samantha Fairfax was even more so, Bethany discovered that afternoon, when she took the children to the hospital to see their mother.

Samantha Fairfax, once Samantha Rafferty, had been moved from Intensive Care to a private room, and now lay propped up against the pillows, her long black hair cascading about her shoulders, her deep blue eyes lighting up with happiness at the sight of her children. Children it took all of Robert Fairfax’s gentle persuasion to stop from throwing themselves at their mother with equal exuberance. With a broken arm and several cracked ribs, plus a recent case of concussion, that was the last thing Samantha Fairfax needed! Although there was no doubting her pleasure in seeing her children again.

They made such a happy family group, Bethany realised wistfully as she stood at the back of the room quietly observing them. Robert Fairfax was as darkly handsome as Nick, but with a much less cynical expression, and love glowing clearly in his eyes every time he looked at his wife—a love that was returned every time Samantha Fairfax gazed back at her husband. Poor Nick. He had been so hurt by the love these two felt towards each other, and yet, seeing Samantha and Robert together, it was obvious it could never have been any other way…

‘And you must be the young lady Nick has to take care of the children for me?’

Bethany looked across at Samantha Fairfax as she realised the other woman was talking to her. ‘Yes,’ she confirmed, moving forward slightly so that she wasn’t so much in the shadows at the back of the room. ‘And to date they have been little angels.’ She ruffled Lucy’s hair affectionately as the little girl giggled at the in joke.

‘Jamie and Josh too?’ their mother questioned teasingly.

‘Jamie and Josh too,’ Bethany nodded—much to the chagrin of two squirmingly uncomfortable little boys. ‘We’ve been shopping for food today, and a tree and the decorations to go with it, and Jamie and Josh have been most helpful.’

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ Robert Fairfax put in approvingly.

‘That’s very good,’ Samantha Fairfax agreed distractedly, still looking at Bethany. ‘I hope you don’t think I’m being rude,’ she added slowly, ‘but don’t I know you?’

‘I don’t think so,’ Bethany said with certainty.

‘But I’m sure I—Robert?’ She looked up appealingly at her husband.

‘We’ve never met Beth before, darling,’ he dismissed easily. ‘How could we? She’s a friend of Nick’s.’ And the two families did not meet on a social basis, not any more.

Nick believed she had been sent by Robert, while Robert believed she was a friend of Nick’s, just helping out in a difficult situation. It was the way it had to be, of course; neither of them could know the truth. Not that they would believe it anyway. In fact, Nick had already scorned such an idea as an angel!

‘Hmm,’ Samantha acknowledged frowningly. ‘It’s just that—you seem familiar, Beth.’ She still looked puzzled, as if there was an answer to her confusion that was just beyond her reach.

‘The nurse said the children could only stay for five minutes, darling,’ her husband smoothly reminded her. ‘Beth has to take them home soon.’

‘Even the name sounds as if it should—Oh, never mind,’ Samantha Fairfax impatiently dismissed the subject from her still slightly befuddled brain. ‘I’m very grateful to you, whoever you are. And I’m sure Nick is too,’ she added, with dry recognition of her ex-husband’s inadequacies.

‘Very,’ Bethany acknowledged, and the two women shared a smile of understanding.

‘We’re both very grateful to you,’ Robert Fairfax assured her as he walked her and the children outside to the waiting taxi. ‘I only hope Nick realises what a lucky man he is!’

With the assumption both Robert and Samantha Fairfax had made concerning her relationship with Nick, it was easy to understand what he’d meant by that last remark. She had no idea how Nick thought of her after last night—but she doubted he considered himself a ‘lucky man’!