The Deserving Mistress. Carole Mortimer

it in, her legs feeling slightly shaky, too. But Jude Marshall had that effect on her, she acknowledged heavily; she seemed to want to either hit him or kiss him at any given moment—and just now the former had definitely won out.

      ‘I’m really sorry about that.’ She gave David a rueful smile. ‘I’m starting to feel as if that man is haunting me!’ Both waking and asleep.

      Sleep, despite her exhausted state, had been very hard to come by the previous night, thoughts of Jude Marshall, of the way he had kissed her, preventing her from drifting into a relaxed state.

      What on earth had prompted him to kiss her at all? Oh, she knew that he was angry with her, a frustrated anger, at her total indomitableness. But she wouldn’t have thought that was reason enough for him to have kissed her…?

      David shrugged. ‘He is rather—forceful.’

      That was one way of describing him! All that May really knew at this moment was that her evening was completely ruined, the very fact that Jude was eating in the same room as her enough to put her off her food. Or to relax enough to enjoy David’s company.

      She sighed. ‘He’s a nuisance,’ she acknowledged heavily.

      David gave her a searching glance. ‘Would you rather we ate somewhere else?’

      She gave him an incredulous look. ‘We can’t do that!’

      ‘Of course we can,’ he assured her mildly.

      May shook her head dazedly. ‘But—but—we’ve ordered our food, and—and everything!’ Even now she could see the waiter heading towards their table with their first course.

      David shrugged. ‘So we’ll unorder it. The last thing I want, May,’ he continued firmly as she would have protested again, ‘is for you to feel under some sort of strain. The idea of this evening was for us to have a sociable dinner together, to relax and get to know each other a little better. Something we obviously aren’t going to be able to do with Jude Marshall in the room.’ He put his napkin down on the table and stood up to talk quietly to the waiter, the latter looking completely nonplussed as he returned to the kitchen still carrying the plates of food. ‘I’ll be back in two minutes,’ David promised before striding over to the maître d’.

      May watched him dazedly, hardly able to believe that David was willing to go to another restaurant just because he sensed how uncomfortable she was now that she knew Jude Marshall was dining here, too.

      But as she saw Jude enter the dining-room at that moment, the beautiful woman who moved so gracefully at his side, she knew that there was no way she could have remained here now even if David had wanted to do so.

      The woman was tall and slender, her ebony dark hair cut stylishly short, the glowing beauty of her face dominated by luminous green eyes, her mouth a pouting invitation, the low-necked dress she wore revealing a creamy expanse of shoulders and breasts, her legs long and slender.

      There was no doubting that, despite being in her forties, the woman was absolutely stunning, and as she and Jude walked to their table every pair of eyes in the room followed their progress.

      Except May’s.

      After that first glance she had got hastily to her feet, not waiting for David to return but rushing quickly from the room, not stopping until she reached the relative sanctuary of the foyer, her breath coming in short gasps, her pulse racing so fast she could feel the blood pulsing through her veins.

      What on earth was she doing here?

      ‘Coward!’ Jude murmured huskily.

      May’s shoulders had stiffened as she forked fresh hay into the lambing pens, so he knew she was aware of his presence behind her, but she made no effort to turn and answer his accusation.

      Because accusation it most certainly was.

      Jude hadn’t been able to believe it when, having seen April seated opposite him at the dining table the previous evening, he had turned to glance around the restaurant in search of May and her own dining companion.

      Only to find that she hadn’t been there!

      His mouth tightened. ‘May, I said—’

      ‘I heard what you said.’ She turned sharply to face him, her features set in cool challenge as she looked at him questioningly.

      He raised mocking dark brows. ‘Well?’

      ‘Well what?’ she returned scathingly.

      ‘Don’t let’s start that again!’ He gave a disgusted shake of his head. ‘Why did you leave the hotel so suddenly yesterday evening?’

      ‘Did I?’ she returned dismissively, obviously completely ignoring his frustration with the way she answered his questions with one of her own. Deliberately so? Probably, he acknowledged heavily.

      Jude scowled. ‘You know damn well you did.’

      ‘We left the restaurant, Jude,’ she corrected dryly. ‘That doesn’t mean we left the hotel,’ she added pointedly.

      Jude’s scowl deepened as he easily understood her implication, his narrowed gaze searching on her almost defiant expression. If May were to be believed, then instead of eating she and David Melton had gone upstairs together to one of the hotel bedrooms…

      ‘Besides,’ she continued hardly, ‘I’m surprised you even noticed our departure considering the identity of your own dining companion.’ The last was added scornfully.

      It wasn’t easy, but Jude forced visions of May in David Melton’s arms from his mind—for the present! He would get back to that subject in a moment.

      His smile was mocking now. ‘Ah, you recognised her,’ he murmured with satisfaction.

      May gave a derisive laugh. ‘Along with everyone else in the room! But then, how could anyone not recognise the beautiful actress, April Robine?’