Dangerous Discovery. Laura Martin

amended, casting clearly scathing eyes around the room, ‘and you could have had all this damage covered. You’re reasonably intelligent, aren’t you? Why the hell take the risk?’

      ‘Stop it!’ Estelle placed her hands over her ears in a frantic childlike gesture. ‘Stop making me feel a hundred times worse than I already do! I know I’ve made a mistake! I know I’ve been stupid!’ She glared at him, her throat tight with misery. ‘Don’t you think I know that?’

      ‘Right, come on! I’ve had enough! Pack a bag. Sort through what you’ll need for tonight: clothes, things for the baby.’

      ‘What?’ Estelle’s eyes narrowed in confusion as Hunter pushed her unceremoniously towards the chest of drawers where half of her underclothes were dangling unceremoniously on view. ‘Stop bullying me!’ She wheeled around to face him, found herself, with a swift glance at his angry expression, up against more than she could handle. She lowered her voice, forcing control back into her body, stepping back towards the brightly stencilled piece of furniture. ‘Why have I got to pack a bag? Where am I supposed to spend the—?’ Estelle stopped abruptly as realisation dawned.

      ‘Yes, that’s right.’ Hunter speared her with a look that dared her to disobey. ‘You’re staying the night with me at the manor. Now, I want no arguments. I am tired and angry and as frustrated as hell. This whole evening has been an absolute waste of time from beginning to end. So just be quiet, get your things, pick up your baby and come with me.’

      ‘I...I can’t.’ Estelle shook her head in wild determination.

      ‘Of course you can. Don’t be ridiculous. This place is not fit for a pig in its present condition. It’s absolutely disgusting. Now don’t argue!’ he commanded, twisting her back around to face him. ‘Just get some stuff together—’

      ‘Stop ordering me around, will you?’ Estelle glared up into Hunter’s face and tried to find strength from somewhere. ‘I can’t stay the night with you—I just can’t!’ She tried to move away again but he had advanced, pinning her against the chest of drawers, so that escape was impossible.

      ‘Don’t look so panic-stricken; I’m not suggesting we spend the night in the same bed,’ he drawled. ‘Not even in the same room. Our kiss was pleasant, but it hardly puts us on the sort of intimate footing you are suggesting—’

      ‘That’s not what I meant,’ Estelle retorted, ‘and you know it! I would no more want to sleep with you than...than...’

      ‘Than what?’ He had moved closer still and, as she found her eyes drawn upwards to his face, she saw the slight curve at the corner of his mouth, the now familiar gleam of male predator in his eyes.

      Estelle grasped a breath. She was learning; she knew what that look meant; unfortunately she wasn’t quite fast enough.

      ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea to be quite so provocative,’ Hunter gritted, confusing her, making her more aware of the potent male danger by stroking the edge of his finger gently, oh, so gently, along her cheek. ‘I’ve already discovered this evening that I have a penchant for childlike vulnerability. Don’t tempt my control any further. I’m aware, you see, of my additional weakness: beautiful, stubborn young women who will insist on openly insulting me, who will insist on not doing as they are told—they always were a great turn-on. Do you want to see how I show them the error of their ways, Estelle?’ He lowered his head a fraction and she felt the familiar, inexplicable jolt in the pit of her stomach. ‘Do you want to become one of the corrected?’ he murmured huskily as his mouth brushed against the trembling softness of her lips.

      ‘N-no!’ Estelle’s cry was a faint whisper.

      It was a plea that Hunter ruthlessly chose to ignore. His mouth covered Estelle’s moist lips with potent firmness. His hands skimmed the outline of her body, coming to rest at her slender waist, holding it in a grip that was firm and full of cool possession.

      ‘Now I think you understand what I’m saying.’ He was raising his head at last, his glance sliding over Estelle’s flushed cheeks, her bright, startled eyes. ‘You’ll find I’m a perfect gentleman—up to a point. Even I have my limitations, just like everyone else.’ He gave a slow, satisfied smile. ‘Take no longer than five minutes. I’ll wait outside while you sort through what you need,’ he informed her briskly. ‘Call me if you want any help.’

      Estelle leant against the chest of drawers for support and stared as Hunter’s imposing presence left the room. What on earth is happening? she thought dazedly. What sort of a fool’s game am I playing? She ran her tongue lightly over her tips and struggled to forget how it had felt when Hunter’s mouth had covered hers.

      Oh, Connie! I’m so sorry! She closed her eyes and wondered if Hunter had simply taken what he had wanted with her too. It didn’t bear thinking about. And now here he was suggesting she go with him, stay at his house! Surely even to consider such a proposition was the height of madness!

      Estelle’s eyes searched the room helplessly—she saw the mess and with a shudder of disgust turned violently away. But how could she stay here? There was no way she could face clearing up everything tonight and there was Joseph to consider, above everything else, above her own fears and needs. This place just wasn’t fit for a baby.

      With a heavy heart, Estelle jerked open one of the drawers and prepared to pack, praying silently that she would get through the next few hours unscathed.

      CHAPTER THREE

      ‘YOU can use this room for tonight.’ Hunter threw Estelle’s well-packed holdall on to the enormous four-poster bed that dominated the ornate bedroom. ‘The child will have to make do with a drawer or something.’ He threw a brief uninterested glance in Joseph’s direction. ‘You can pad it out with towels; there are plenty in the bathroom, just through there.’ He indicated a door in the corner of the room with a nod of his head. ‘You know where the kitchen is should you need anything else, don’t you?’

      Estelle nodded mutely, too nervous to admit that she hadn’t a clue where anything was after the endless maze of corridors they had just travelled along. ‘I’m sorry to be such a nuisance,’ she murmured as he moved towards the door. ‘Are you sure you want the bother of having me in the house?’

      ‘Have I read the situation wrongly?’ His words were clipped, his voice curt and suddenly irritable. ‘Do you have somewhere, someone else to go to, then?’

      ‘N-no. It’s just I don’t want to be...I mean...there was no need to—’

      ‘Save your breath, Estelle,’ he interrupted crisply. ‘We’ve been through all this before. You’re here now and it’s late. Get some sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.’

      

      Tomorrow came quickly enough. Six-thirty, to be precise. Joseph was cutting teeth and his insistent cries woke Estelle immediately.

      It took several moments before she got her bearings; the grand room with its ornate hangings and impressive collections of paintings and books was so at odds with her own congested flat that for some considerable time she actually thought she was having some kind of weird dream. Then, as the depressing happenings of the night before came flooding back, she realised that the nightmare she had woken to was not in fact a nightmare at all but actual reality...

      

      ‘Oh, I’m...I’m sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be down here at this hour.’ Estelle backed away to the door. Hunter was sitting at the long oak table in the kitchen, dressed immaculately in a crisp dark business suit, with a sheaf of papers at his right hand, and a coffee-pot and a cup at his left. He looked, Estelle thought, as if he had been there for quite some considerable time. Another calculation gone astray—she had counted on him being safely out of the way, tucked up, asleep in his bed somewhere, for another couple of hours at least.

      ‘There’s no need to run away like some startled rabbit,’ he drawled, raising his head to survey Estelle with cool,