Uncertain Destiny. Carole Mortimer

always walks alone—–’

      ‘That isn’t going to change just because we’re having an affair,’ he cut in firmly. ‘I’m not accustomed to being answerable to anyone for my actions; I relish my privacy too much for that. We’ll continue to maintain separate households during our relationship, but don’t expect to spend too much time in yours,’ he added drily, frowning suddenly. ‘You know, I didn’t want to come to this party with Paula tonight, even less so once I realised it was a family occasion, but as soon as I saw you I knew why I’d come against all my better judgment. I don’t believe in love—–’ his mouth twisted ‘—–but even I can’t fight destiny.’

      ‘She, too, felt as if she were trying to fight something she had no power over. Justin called it destiny, but she was very much aware that this destiny could prove to be as much her destruction as her future happiness. And at the moment she wasn’t sure which Justin was in her life although, knowing of the contempt with which he held love, she had a very good idea!

      She pulled out of his arms. ‘I was also destined to meet Tony,’ she reminded him firmly. ‘And I’m going to marry him.’ She dared Justin to deny that.

      He didn’t. ‘I’ll take you back to him,’ he drawled pleasantly, his hand light on her elbow.

      Caroline trusted this calm friendliness even less than she did his blunt announcement that they were going to have an affair, eyeing him warily as they rejoined Tony and Paula, the brother and sister standing together in stony silence.

      ‘You were gone long enough,’ Tony snapped with uncharacteristic bad humour. ‘I was almost desperate enough to ask Paula to dance!’

      His sister gave him a disparaging look. ‘Don’t delude yourself into thinking I would have accepted,’ she scorned.

      Hazel eyes flashed. ‘I suppose you intend leaving now that you’ve done your duty by the parents?’ he accused angrily.

      Paula flushed guiltily. ‘Justin and I have somewhere else to go,’ she defended.

      ‘I’m sure you do,’ Tony acknowledged disgustedly.

      It was obvious that Paula’s intention of leaving only twenty minutes after her arrival was the reason she and Tony had been arguing all the time she and Justin were dancing. Caroline suddenly found, to her dismay, that she was as disgusted as Tony at the thought of the other couple leaving so that they could make love—but for completely different reasons.

      She looked up at Justin uncertainly as he squeezed her arm reassuringly.

      ‘Caro.’

      It was the softest of murmurs, barely perceptible as he spoke close to her ear so that the other couple shouldn’t hear him, and yet it was enough to reassure her that he didn’t intend making love to Paula tonight, that it was her he wanted.

      It was ridiculous to be pleased by the realisation, disloyal when she intended marrying Tony if he should ask her. But for that heart-stopping moment she wanted to be the one to leave with Justin, wanted to hear him murmur that shortened version of her name, that no one else had ever used before, over and over again as he made love to her.

      ‘Why don’t you stay on at the party, Paula?’ Justin suggested briskly. ‘I really do have to leave now.’

      Paula looked alarmed as it seemed he would slip away from her. ‘Oh, but——’

      ‘I did warn you I didn’t really have the time for a party tonight,’ he cut in in a voice that brooked no further protest to his decision to leave, alone. ‘I’ll see you on Monday. Tony,’ he nodded abruptly to the other man. ‘Caroline,’ he added lingeringly, his gaze holding her captive before he turned and strode purposefully across the room.

      ‘Damn, damn, damn!’ Paula muttered furiously as Justin left without a backwards glance.

      ‘You caught yourself the wrong one this time, sister dear,’ Tony taunted.

      Paula answered as heatedly as Tony had known she would, but Caroline wasn’t listening to their conversation, still staring across the room to where Justin had left seconds earlier. He hadn’t said anything about seeing her again but she knew that he was arrogant enough to try to contact her again, that he hadn’t given up.

      The rest of the evening was an anti-climax for Caroline, who barely noticed that Tony and Paula seemed to argue most of the time. Considering they were two mature people, Tony thirty to Paula’s thirty-five, both in exacting professions, Tony a doctor while Paula was a very competent lawyer, the two of them seemed to revert to the nursery whenever they were together like this!

      Caroline felt completely drained by the time the party drew to a close, finding it extremely difficult to behave as if that disturbing conversation with Justin de Wolfe had never taken place, and finding it even more difficult to behave as if nothing had changed between herself and Tony.

      But it had changed; nothing was the same, not even her response to his goodnight kisses once they reached her flat.

      ‘You’re tired.’ Tony finally drew back at her lack of enthusiasm for his caresses. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow after work.’

      Of course she was tired; it had been a long and traumatic day on the ward. Everything would look different after a good night’s sleep. Most of all that conversation with Justin de Wolfe. She firmly put from her mind the fact that tiredness had never made her unresponsive towards Tony before.

      But once she was in bed the memory of Justin de Wolfe and his outrageous suggestion that they had an affair wouldn’t be put from her mind any longer. He was such a fascinating man, his elusiveness where women were concerned making him more so, she admitted that. And he wanted her. He hadn’t said that he loved her, or that he even liked her, but he did want her.

      And she didn’t for one moment believe his calm acceptance of her refusal to see him again was the end of it, also knew that a little thing like not knowing her address wouldn’t stop a man like him if he were really determined to see her again. And he had seemed very determined.

      She—–

      ‘Caroline.’

      She turned to the doorway, her eyes wide, shaking slightly as she saw from the cold expression on Justin’s face that he was still filled with that implacable anger.

      His expression darkened as she eyed him apprehensively. ‘You’re tired, and it’s late,’ he bit out, striding purposefully across the room, standing so close to her chair that the heat of his body reached out and touched her. ‘It’s time we were both in bed.’

      ‘But the things you said,’ she reminded in a pained voice. ‘The baby—–’

      ‘I don’t think anything can be gained by discussing that any more tonight.’ His gaze was cold, his mouth a taut line as he pulled her effortlessly to her feet.

      ‘But’

      ‘Let’s go to bed, Caroline,’ he prompted impatiently. ‘Perhaps things will look—different, in the morning,’ he added in a hard voice.

      If they went to bed together tonight, would he want to make love to her? He was furious at the idea of the child she carried, but the flame she could see in the depths of his gaze told her it hadn’t changed his desire for her.

      But nothing would have changed in the morning; she would still be pregnant and, from the hardness of his expression, Justin would still be denying the child was his.

      She shook her head, several tendrils of fiery hair escaping the loose upsweep on to the crown of her head. ‘The baby isn’t going to disappear overnight,’ she told him.

      ‘Are you refusing to share a bed with me, Caroline?’ He spoke softly.

      She never had, not from the beginning, unable to fight the truth of his claim at their first meeting. They always wanted each other to the point of desperation; just a look from her or the murmur of her name from Justin and the two of them would be making