Freedom To Love. Carole Mortimer

room,’ he growled, the drink stained into the left side of his trousers.

      Katy stopped in her tracks. ’My room? But——’

      ‘It has to be your room,’ he said in exasperation. ‘I don’t happen to be staying here.’

      ‘But——’

      He pushed her into the lift. ‘You seem to have got stuck on that word. Which floor?’

      ‘Tenth. But—I mean,’ she amended at his scathing look, ‘if you aren’t staying here why are you in the hotel?’

      ‘Don’t worry,’ he scorned, ‘I’m not following you. It just so happens that they serve a good steak here. The fact that you’re staying in this hotel was merely a coincidence.’

      ‘I’m sure it was.’ She couldn’t imagine him deliberately setting out to find any woman, they would always have to do the running where this man was concerned. ‘I’m really sorry about your trousers.’ Her look was rueful.

      ‘So am I,’ he said tersely. ‘Unless you can get this Martini out you’ve just ruined a third of my wardrobe. I came away with two pairs of denims and these trousers,’ he explained. ‘And I didn’t intend shopping for new clothes while I’m here.’

      ‘It should sponge out.’ She hoped! ‘It was just an accident. I——’

      ‘Accidents seem to follow you around.’ They stepped out on to the tenth floor. ‘Which room?’

      Katy really had no choice. His trousers would have to be sponged before the liquid dried in and left a stain. ‘This way.’ She sounded disgruntled—and she was! To sponge his trousers he would have to take them off!

      Katy blushed as Adam raised an eyebrow at the single bed in her room, keeping her expression enigmatic as she handed him her towelling robe. It would be a little short for him, but at least it would cover most of him—the most important part!

      ‘The bathroom is through there,’ she told him in a stilted voice.

      While he was gone she straightened the rumpled bed, putting her discarded clothes back in her suitcase. She knew Adam Wild’s sharp gaze hadn’t missed the lacy bras and panties on top of her open suitcase, and she shut the lid with a bang.

      She heard the bathroom door open behind her and knew he had taken his trousers off for her to clean. She held her breath and turned. The towelling robe managed to look masculine on him, barely reaching his thighs, and he had removed his shoes and socks too. Katy was glad about that, she might have laughed otherwise. There was something very funny about a man who had bare legs while still wearing his shoes and socks. At least, she thought there was.

      Adam appeared unperturbed by his state of undress, totally sure of himself, and with good reason. His legs were long and muscular, with a fine sheen of dark hair on his tanned skin. Katy was mesmerised by him, and it was with great effort that she raised her darkened grey eyes to meet his curious stare. Her cheeks flamed as he seemed to guess her thoughts, a taunting smile playing about his lips.

      ‘Give them to me,’ she said sharply, holding out her hand for the trousers.

      He held on to them. ‘It says on the hotel card that they provide a cleaning service—a speedy cleaning service,’ he added pointedly. ‘So if you don’t mind I won’t leave my only decent pair of trousers to your tender mercies. Going on past record you’ll probably rub a hole in them.’ He picked up the telephone next to the bed.

      Katy watched him do it. ‘What are you doing?’ she demanded to know.

      He gave her a scathing glance. ‘Calling for someone to collect my trousers,’ he explained patiently.

      ‘No!’ Katy sprang forward and cut the connection off. ‘You mustn’t,’ she said desperately. ‘What will people think?’

      Adam removed her hand from the telephone. ‘I couldn’t give a damn what people think. And I’ll thank you not to touch this telephone again. Someone had just answered when you slammed your hand down on it. My trousers need cleaning, the hotel provide the service, so I intend letting them do it.’

      ‘But you can’t!’ she insisted frantically. ‘I—I only have a single room. What on earth will the management think if I send down a pair of men’s trousers?’

      ‘That you have a man in your room,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘What the hell does it matter what they think?’ he added angrily.

      ‘It matters to me. Oh, please, Adam,’ she begged. ‘I’ll be careful with them—honestly I will.’

      He began dialling. ‘I’m sorry, Katy, but your careful isn’t good enough.’ He turned away to talk into the receiver.

      Katy spun away from him. They were obviously an expensive pair of trousers, and as they were one of only three pairs he had with him he obviously wanted to take care of them, but it was very humiliating for her. She might only be staying in this hotel for one night, but she still didn’t like people to think that she had been picked up by Adam Wild and had invited him back to her room. And that was how it was going to look, she knew that.

      ‘Why do you only have a single room?’

      She turned around at the sound of Adam talking to her, her eyes widening as she took in the fact that he was lying full length on her bed, his hands behind his head as he looked at her. The movement had hitohed the towelling robe even farther up his legs, revealing that he wore black close-fitting underpants.

      Katy had never been this close to a partially naked man before, and her heart skipped a few beats as she willed herself not to show how nervous she was. She knew by the amusement in his eyes that she hadn’t succeeded, and his next remark confirmed it.

      ‘I have more clothing on now than I would have on a beach,’ he taunted her blushes.

      ‘This isn’t a beach,’ she snapped. ‘It’s ten o’clock at night, in my hotel room.’

      He smiled. ‘Does that make a difference?’

      ‘Of course it does!’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘Don’t be stupid!’ Her eyes flashed.

      ‘I think I get the picture,’ he mocked. ‘Because it’s night-time and this is a hotel room I’m supposed to turn into some sort of sex maniac. You’re the one that’s being stupid, Katy,’ he scorned. ‘I don’t have a specific time for making love. I get the urge in the morning, afternoon, and evening.’

      ‘And I’m sure you get plenty of opportunities to satisfy this urge,’ she said icily. ‘I just——’ she broke off as a knock sounded on the door. ‘That will be the porter. Oh, dear, what shall I do?’

      Adam shrugged. ‘Well, I should open the door. Unless you would like me to?’ He half rose from the bed.

      ‘No! You stay where you are.’

      ‘Gladly,’ he drawled, dropping back on to the pillows.

      Katy grabbed the trousers and made for the door. Her face was scarlet as she met the speculative look in the young boy’s eyes.

      She only opened the door far enough to hand the trousers out to him. ‘I—Will it take long?’ she asked nervously.

      ‘About an hour, ma’am,’ he said in a slow Canadian drawl.

      An hour of Adam Wild lying half naked in her bedroom! ‘No sooner than that?’ she almost begged.

      ‘Afraid not. You see——’

      ‘Hurry up, darling,’ Adam Wild called from inside the room, ‘This bed is very lonely without you.’

      The boy’s speculation grew—and so did Katy’s anger. ‘Thank you,’ she gave the boy a bright smile before turning furiously back into the room. ‘How dare you!’ she