Carson wheeled on her. ‘Can’t you see the game she’s playing?’
‘Of course I can see it. But you have to go along with it, at least for the moment.’
‘He’ll go along with it for as long as it suits me,’ Angelica snapped at her. ‘Now, if you wouldn’t mind leaving us, I need to have a long, private talk with my husband.’
‘I’m no husband of yours,’ Carson said. ‘Our marriage was over long ago.’
‘Not according to the law. There are papers that make it very clear that we are still husband and wife for the next few days, at least.’
‘After which our divorce will become final,’ Carson said firmly.
‘Why don’t we talk about that later? I just want to enjoy my little boy’s birthday.’
She had come with a mountain of presents, which she unloaded onto the child, apparently oblivious of the fact that her presence was enough to make him happy. Joey exclaimed over the parcels and tried, haltingly, to thank her. The few words he could manage came out distorted, and Gina had to interpret for him, while Brenda’s smile grew more frayed.
But she persevered, covering Joey with kisses at regular intervals. The child looked up, beaming first at his mother, then at his father. To him, this was the longed-for family reunion.
Gina turned away from that sight. Her heart was heavy.
The house was very quiet and dark. Gina had undressed for bed, but although she lay down for a while she didn’t expect to sleep, and soon rose again.
A glance into Joey’s room showed her that he was asleep. Brenda had made a great performance of putting him to bed, and if there was anything missing in her attitude he didn’t seem to notice.
Perhaps, Gina thought, the actress still had some genuine, motherly feeling for him. For Joey’s sake, she would have been glad to believe it.
Gina had slipped away to her room without trying to talk to Carson. Now she wondered where he was. In his bedroom, presumably. And Angelica? Where was she?
She’d forgotten to bring a glass of water upstairs as she normally did. Pulling on her dressing gown, she slipped out into the corridor and headed down the stairs to the kitchen.
There was a faint light in the hall downstairs, coming from beyond an open door. As Gina reached the bottom step she froze, realising that she’d been mistaken. Angelica and Carson weren’t in his bedroom at all. Through the door to the front room she could see them, in each other’s arms.
At first everything was a confused jumble-two bodies pressed together-two mouths locked-Angelica half naked in a seductive diaphanous creation-hands embracing, caressing, inciting to passion-
Then Gina’s head cleared and she saw that Carson’s arms were by his sides. It was Angelica’s hands that writhed, sliding over his head, his shoulders, vainly trying to rekindle desire. The man stood motionless, coldly waiting for her to be finished.
Eventually Angelica drew back, her lovely mouth curved in laughing disbelief.
‘Don’t be so stuffy, darling. You and I always had the hots for each other, and some things simply don’t die. I’ve thought of you a lot recently-’
Carson didn’t move and he didn’t speak.
‘Oh, sweetie, are you trying to punish me? Playing hard to get? Well, that might even be rather fun. Remember how we used to-?’
‘Shut up and get out, Brenda.’ Carson’s voice was like ice as he pushed her away from him. ‘And don’t try to touch me again or I’ll make you very sorry.’
‘You’re afraid,’ she jeered. ‘You know you can’t resist me.’
‘I think I’ve just proved that I can. No, it’s simpler than that. You make my skin crawl. All I can think of is the rottenness inside you.’
‘I see. It’s Miss Goody Two-Shoes now, is it?’
‘I’m going to marry Gina, yes. And we’ll have a real marriage, which is more than you and I ever had.’
‘Oh, you’re so smug and sure of yourself. That was always what I couldn’t stand about you. Well, don’t make any plans for an early marriage. It doesn’t suit me to be divorced just yet. It wouldn’t go well with the reconciliation story I’ve given the press.
‘But one day-who knows? Be nice to me, and in the end I’ll probably be nice to you. In the meantime, we can always-’
She slipped a silk-clad arm about his neck again and tried to fasten her mouth on his, but Carson moved fast, fending her off with a gesture so vigorous that it sent her reeling back to land sprawling in an undignified heap on the sofa.
‘You son of a bitch!’ she shrieked. ‘In Hollywood they queue up to sleep with me. I’ve had-’ She began to reel off a string of names.
But she was talking to air. Carson had walked out of the room.
Gina saw him coming and backed up the stairs. He found her at the top, leaning against the wall, almost dizzy from what she’d witnessed.
‘How much of that did you see?’ Carson asked her.
‘I saw her trying to kiss you-’
‘Then you also saw me reject her. I couldn’t sleep with her if she was the last woman on earth. She makes me ill. Don’t tell me you doubted that?’ He looked more closely and saw her eyes shining with tears. ‘What a fool you are, my darling!’ he said gently. ‘Did you really think she could get me back to her bed?’
‘I wondered,’ she said huskily.
‘Well, now you know better.’
A movement from below made him draw her away to his room. When they were inside he locked the door and put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her face by the pale light coming through the window.
‘You really believed that of me?’ he asked. ‘We’re to be married soon, and you thought I’d take another woman to my bed?’
‘Brenda isn’t just another woman. I’ve heard you talk about her, like an obsession that would haunt you for ever.’
‘Maybe she was, once. A sick obsession. But sickness can be healed. I’m a different man now, whole and sane because you came to me with your generosity, your courage and your laughter. I’d forgotten about laughter until I met you with your crazy little car. I’d forgotten about love until I held you in my arms.’
He drew her closer. ‘Now, this is all I want. Let that woman do her damnedest! She won’t part us.’
‘But, Carson, don’t you realise that-?’
‘Forget her,’ he said against her mouth.
With a sinking heart Gina realised that Carson hadn’t discerned the bleak truth that faced them. Angelica had already done her damnedest, and it was enough to make their life together impossible.
But the feel of his lips was wonderful, creating heat and passion, so that the sad thoughts faded. There would be a lifetime for them later. Just now she would surrender to her love, and lay up for herself memories to cherish like treasure in the cold, lonely time ahead: the time that she had seen, and he hadn’t.
Slowly, almost reverently, he drew off her nightdress, revealing the whole of her slim, pale body.
‘Do you know how long-and how badly-I’ve wanted you?’ he murmured.
Gina shook her head. ‘I only wish I did.’
‘Then let me show you.’
He pulled off his own clothes, kicked them impatiently aside, and drew her nakedness against his own. The first touch was like fire for them both. His kiss was deep and intense, taking possession of her. She leaned against him, glad to yield to her desire, eager to belong to him totally in the flesh as she did in spirit.
She felt his body along the length of her own, pressing her close, and she held him, running her hands over his long, muscular back, down the length of his spine to the lean, powerful hips and thighs. Tremors went through him at the touch of her fingers, gentle at first, then inciting him as she grew in confidence.
His tension grew as he sensed her caresses asking for his love, and he lifted her, carrying her the short distance to his big bed, and laying her down tenderly. He didn’t rush her, but contemplated every line and curve of her beauty before dropping his head to lay between her breasts.