The Holiday Escapes Collection. Sandra Marton

smoothed down her simple black dress, her stomach growling with nerves.

      Stacey got up to follow her out of the bedroom. ‘And don’t accept any drinks from anyone unless they have been opened by you or you’ve seen them poured in front of you. You could get spiked with a drug.’

      Charlotte swung around to look at her sister. ‘Why? In case I get addicted just like you?’

      There was a tense little silence.

      Stacey turned away, the stark outline of her thin shoulder blades beneath her close-fitting top making Charlotte’s insides twist with guilt.

      ‘I’m sorry…’ she began.

      Stacey turned and gave her a grim look. ‘No, you’re right. You’re absolutely right. I’m an addict and I wish to God I wasn’t. I just can’t seem to get on top of it. I try and try but it’s so hard…’

      ‘Will you go to the clinic I suggested?’ Charlotte urged. ‘I’ve downloaded the details from the web and I’ve got the money to pay for it on my credit card.’

      Stacey rolled her lips together without answering.

      Charlotte decided it was time for a bit more pressure to be applied. ‘I had a conversation with the man whose wallet you stole,’ she said.

      ‘That arrogant pig.’ Stacey screwed up her face in disgust. ‘How’d he find you?’

      ‘That’s immaterial,’ she said. ‘But he said he was going to press charges.’

      Stacey’s chin went up to a pugnacious height. ‘Let him. See if I care.’

      ‘Stacey, six weeks in prison, let alone six months or, God forbid, six years would kill you. You know it would. Look what it did to Dad. I want you to get out of town as soon as possible. You were lucky the police didn’t find you last night. The clinic is totally confidential and totally remote and secure. No one will find you there. I’ll make sure of it.’

      Stacey let out a little sigh, her thin shoulders slumping in tired resignation. ‘I guess I have no choice.’

      ‘You don’t unless you’re ready to face the consequences of what you did. This way you can get away while the dust settles and detox at the same time. In a month you’ll be a new woman, I guarantee it.’

      ‘All right…’

      Charlotte’s heart leapt in relief. ‘Really?’

      Stacey looked down at her bruised pin-pricked arms and gave a rueful grimace. ‘Yeah…I’m ready to get sorted out. Besides, I’m running out of veins.’

      Charlotte gave her a bone-crushing hug and released her to press a soft kiss to her forehead. ‘I’m proud of you, Stacey. I know you can beat this. And you don’t have to face it alone. I’ll be with you every step of the way.’

      Stacey gave her another twisted little smile. ‘I don’t know why you’ve stuck by me this long. Most sisters would’ve given up long ago.’

      Charlotte held her sister’s cold, claw-like hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze. ‘I would do anything to get you well again, Stacey. Do you understand? Absolutely anything.’

      Stacey nodded, tears shining in her light blue eyes. ‘Thanks…’ She gave a big sniff and added gruffly, ‘Now look what you made me do. You made me cry.’

      Charlotte gave her another quick hug. ‘I’ll see you later. Have something to eat and watch some TV or something. You can share my bed or sleep in Emily’s as she’s staying with Caroline and Janie tonight. That way we can get you to the clinic first thing in the morning.’

      ‘Thanks. I hope your date goes well,’ Stacey called out as Charlotte bolted for the door. She gave a teasing smile and added, ‘But don’t let him kiss you, got that? I don’t want you turning into a slut or something.’

      Charlotte stretched her mouth into a smile that felt like an amusement implant. ‘Got that,’ she said and closed the door.

      The hotel bar was crowded but Charlotte could feel the magnetic tug of Damon’s gaze as soon as she entered. He was standing head and shoulders above everyone else, a drink of some sort in his hand and his usual inscrutable look on his face.

      Nerves fluttered like a handful of moths in her stomach as she walked to where he was standing, her tongue sneaking out to run over her lips as she met the twin black pools of his gaze.

      ‘Would you like a drink?’ he asked without so much as a greeting, his eyes running over her possessively.

      She raised her chin in pride. ‘I would like you to greet me as if I was a normal date. I do have a name, you know.’

      His dark eyes held hers for a moment. Then, placing his glass to one side with an exactitude she found a little unnerving, he took her by the upper arms and, tugging her towards his hard body, planted a hot, moist brandy-flavoured kiss to her mouth.

      ‘Kalispera, Charlotte,’ he drawled.

      She stumbled backwards when he released her, her face aflame. ‘I didn’t mean like that!’

      He raised his brows. ‘Would you have preferred me to caress you as well?’

      She let out a hissing breath and ground out in an undertone, in case the nearby drinkers could hear, ‘I would prefer not to be here at all. Having you paw me in public would be the ultimate in degradation.’

      A warning flickered in his black eyes as they locked with hers. ‘Careful, Charlotte,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t want to have to spoil this evening by calling the police. Where is your sister, by the way?’

      ‘I don’t know where she is,’ she lied. ‘I haven’t seen her.’

      ‘Well, when you do see her, perhaps you can give her this message,’ he said. ‘Her attempt to use one of my credit cards earlier today has left a trail a mile wide for the authorities to follow. When my wallet was stolen I cancelled all but one of my cards. Of course I lowered the limit available on it, but I wanted to see if she would take the bait and—just like you four years ago—she did.’

      Charlotte felt her heart lurch sideways in her chest. Was there to be no end to this torture?

      ‘But of course I am willing to overlook that little indiscretion if you behave yourself,’ he added smoothly.

      ‘I can only apologise on my sister’s behalf,’ she said, shifting her gaze from the steely probe of his. ‘She has…some emotional problems and I’m doing my best to help her through them.’

      ‘What sort of emotional problems?’

      Charlotte could feel the weight of his gaze as she fixed her eyes on the woodwork of the bar. ‘Depression…that sort of thing…our mother died three years ago. She’s still missing her terribly.’

      Damon signalled for the bartender’s attention. He didn’t want to have his heart-strings pulled by what was very probably yet another outright lie. As much as he was familiar with grief, he’d seen her sister when she’d propositioned him and she hadn’t looked too depressed to him. She’d been bouncy, flirtatious and carefree, her eyes even brighter than her smile.

      ‘What would you like to drink?’ he asked again as the bartender approached them.

      ‘Soda water,’ she answered without looking at him.

      ‘Nothing stronger?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘You want to keep a clear head so you can keep track of your lies, eh, Charlotte?’

      Her eyes flew back to his in a startled glance. ‘No…I—I just don’t want to drink and drive.’

      ‘You should have caught a cab.’

      ‘I can’t afford it.’

      ‘I just gave