Island for Dreams (7 page)

Then presently she saw another signpost looming ahead and slowed down again to peer at it. Turning down the car window, she breathed in the cold air. It was then that the police car drew up beside her, and a very nice young man said politely,

‘
Can I help you, madam?
’

Hoping with all her heart that Juan was asleep, Nora said eagerly,
‘
Yes, you can, officer. I seem to have missed the
road to Ramsey.
’

‘
Indeed you have, madam,
’
he answered crisply.
‘
But only by a short margin. If you
’
ll turn the car round and follow me I
’
ll take you back to the right road.
’

After a swift glance at the silent Juan Nora did as she was told and in five minutes she was on the main road leading directly to Ramsey.

Only when they had reached her flat and the engine was shut off did Juan stir himself.
‘
Congratulations,
’
he said.
‘
You made it.
’

‘
With no thanks to you,
’
she snapped.
‘
Well, aren
’
t you going to open the garage door?
’

He looked at her disapprovingly. On raised eyebrows he exclaimed,
‘
Do I detect impatient undertones directed at myself? No one orders me about. Now ask me nicely.
’

Nora stared at his changing expression and took fresh umbrage. The tension that had built up inside her during the journey was now fit to burst. Furthermore, it rankled to know that she had had to be rescued by a police officer, even if he was a nice one. Now it seemed Juan was intent on humiliating her still further. And it was all his fault! He could easily have put her on the right road. Come to think of it, he had deliberately needled her into conversation at the vital moment when she had overrun the turning into the main road to Ramsey. He had done it deliberately, of course.

‘
Men
!’
she muttered under her breath, and made to open her door.

Instantly his hand shot out to grip her wrist, and her look of disgust turned to one of sheer amazement.

He said coldly,
‘
I repeat—ask me nicely.
’

Nora struggled to free her wrist, to no avail. His grip was unshakeable no matter how she twisted and turned her wrist.

‘
You
’
re hurting me, you big brute!
’
she cried.
‘
How dare you manhandle me? Let me go at once!
’

‘
You
’
re hurting yourself by twisting your wrist. I
’
ll let you go when you
’
ve done what I ask.
’

Her eyes, brown daggers, clashed with the merciless glint in his.

‘
I
’
ll never ask anything more of you while I
’
m on the island,
’
she told him furiously.
‘
Not if we sit here all night.
’

‘
That
’
s all right with me,
’
he told her coolly.
‘
I
’
m quite comfortable.
’

Nora looked down at the strong brown fingers curled around her wrist and tears bit in her eyes at her own helplessness. She hated him, the big overbearing brute! Fate seemed to be on his side too, for he had been asleep for the most part during the car run, while she was tired out by now.

Frustrated minutes ticked by and Nora thought longingly of her bed. She knew when she was beaten. It was one thing to sit beside Juan wide awake in a sleeping world, but quite another to fall asleep and be at his mercy.

Her voice was a mere whisper.
‘
Would you mind opening the garage door
... sir?
’

The emphasis on the last word was said insultingly, but Juan did not turn a hair.

‘
Certainly, madam. It
’
s a pleasure.
’

He unfolded his long length from the car and to Nora his answer was the last straw. He had imitated the policeman
’
s voice to perfection, thereby revealing the fact that he had been awake at the time of her encounter with the officer of the law.

Words failed her as she drove into the garage. With a set face she waited for him to lock the garage door before putting her hand out for the keys. To her surprise he did no such thing. Instead he took hold of her elbow and began to move along with her to the entrance to the flats.

With her voice on ice, Nora spoke.
‘
I can find my own way, thanks.
’

‘
All the same, I
’
ll come up with you to your door,
’
was his answer.

She made no demur since it occurred to her that she could hand over to him the clothes she had borrowed after her fall from the pier. That way she would be rid of him and under no further obligation.

He unlocked the door of her flat, then handed her the keys.

‘
I
’
ll get your clothes,
’
she said, and hurried inside.

He stood politely at the door and was leaning negligently against the door frame when she returned.

‘
Thanks,
’
he said politely as she thrust the parcel at him.
‘
I
’
d like to congratulate you on your driving this evening. Apart from missing the turning, you did very well.
’

His mouth twitched and Nora longed to slam the door in his face, only he happened to be standing deliberately in the way.

She lifted a militant chin. Her eyes were brown sparks of anger.
‘
Very funny
!
’
she cried in disgust.
‘
You wanted me to miss that turning!
’

He raised a mocking brow.
‘
Hey now, don
’
t be like that! I did what you wanted by supplying the company to give you the confidence you needed, so what are you so het up about?
’

‘
So het up?
’
Nora echoed. Words failed her.
‘
Why, you ... you didn
’
t help me at all
!’

He said reasonably,
‘
But surely that was the point of the whole exercise? I left you on your own for you to react in the way you would to any problems. It was a true test, and you came through it very well.
’

But Nora was in no fit state to reason. Her nerves were too raw after an evening which she could not say with truth that she had enjoyed. She felt choked and in need of her bed.

‘
Look, I
’
m tired,
’
she said huskily.
‘
Goodnight.
’

Juan made no move to go. He swung the parcel on a negligent finger and narrowed keen eyes that probed.

‘
I
’
m not going until you tell me what
’
s upsetting you,
’
he told her in steely tones.
‘
Come on, let
’
s have it.
’

But Nora stood her ground, staring at him with animosity and disgust.

Patiently, he went on,
‘
Look, I know you
’
re tired and that you hated being rescued by the law, but it
’
s something more than that, isn
’
t it? Something against me personally?
’

She spoke in the manner of someone being tolerant against their will.

‘
Can you deny that you weren
’
t asleep when that police car drew up?
’
she demanded.

‘
I never said I was, did I?
’

Nora drew in a breath that hurt, and went on painfully,

‘
Do you also deny that you knew I was driving past the turning that would have taken us to Ramsey?
’

He said roughly,
‘
I don
’
t deny anything. You had to find out your own mistakes. When you
’
re driving alone you have to make your own way back to where you want to go. There
’
s a road map in one of the compartments in front of you. You
’
d better study it before making any more long
journeys.
’

Nora knew that what he said made sense, but instead of placating her it only seemed to add to her fury. At what seemed to be a stretched moment Juan nonchalantly leaning against the door frame seemed set to prevent her from shutting him out.

It was no use, she told herself despairingly. He would have the last word every time—he was that kind of man. Yet he was proving to be a man of integrity who stood no nonsense. Her kind of man really. What then was the matter with her? She had lowered her eyes to the carpet and his finger beneath her chin felt strong yet gentle. His tone was loaded with charm.

‘
Come on now, where
’
s your sense of humour? I don
’
t suppose you realise that you probably floored that policeman into making him a friend for life. No need to worry when you
’
re driving in the dark in that part of the island. He
’
ll be there to come to your rescue.
’

He looked into her face to see what effect his words were having.
‘
I
’
m your friend too if you
’
ll
have me. I
’
m a pretty useful man to have around.
’

He gave her the slow lazy smile which always added to her discomfiture. She drew away hurriedly, and said lightly,

‘
I
’
m on holiday, remember? I
’
m sure I shan
’
t have any cause to call for masculine help. If I need any I
’
ll let you know.
’

He shrugged.
‘
If that
’
s what you want,
’
he agreed coolly.
‘
Let me know and I might consider it.
’

‘
There
’
s always Jony,
’
Nora reminded him, feeling more composed since moving back from his touch. His presence was unnerving.

‘
True. But Jony is a farmer.
’
He paused, smiled wickedly.
‘
No doubt he
’
ll find time for you.
’

She quivered.
‘
You
’
re making me feel like some rich heiress who could be held for ransom
!
’

Juan raised a brow.
‘
You mean like someone abducting you to force you into marriage in order to share your inheritance?
’
He shook his head.
‘
You
’
re safe enough and you have nothing to worry about. Mind you, you could do worse than marry a Manxman. After all, their ideas about marriage are sound enough, and not as distorted as people from across.
’

She looked up at him, startled by so much plain speaking. Drat the man! He always seemed to be taking her unawares. No use trying to decipher his enigmatic expression, and she was never sure when he was laughing at her.

She tried attack.
‘
Are you telling me this on your own behalf? That someone will get a prize if they marry you?
’

He threw back his head and laughed.
‘
Lord, no! I
’
ve spent most of my time over the water, so I
’
m as contaminated as the rest of them.
’