Love Play by Rosemary Rogers (10 page)
Read Love Play by Rosemary Rogers Online
Authors: Unknown
Sara was drifting in the nebulous never-never land between sleeping and
waking when she was made aware that they had all been dismissed for the day.
'See you tomorrow?' Voices calling to each other, lights being dimmed.
She couldn't possibly stay here in hiding!
She had been half-afraid, but when she emerged still wearing her make-up
for protection, the Duca di Cavalieri was nowhere to be seen. Thank God! Sara
sighed. Maybe now that he thought she was taken he would leave her alone.
Italian men and their pride!
Consciously pushing the thought out of her mind, Sara hurried towards
the parking lot where the limousines waited. She had no idea what time it was,
but Garon would surely have left by now! She had deliberately dragged her feet,
guiltily remembering how nice Sally had been to her. She must have been crazy,
letting Garon think that she . . .
'Hi. Need a ride?' He must have waited, unless he was running late. Sara
could feel the eyes of the security guard at the gate and some of the other
members of the crew lingering on her curiously. No doubt they all knew exactly
what was going on and that this casual-seeming meeting had been contrived.
'Well . . .' Sara hesitated. 'I don't know if the limou¬sine . . .'
Garon's blue eyes pinned her in place. He leaned sideways to unlock the
door of his latest pet Maserati, this one a convertible done in shades of gold
and black.
'Get in.' His voice didn't leave her a choice, and feeling like a tiny
leaf bobbing on the crest of a tidal wave, Sara obeyed meekly, without any
further argument. This was Garon Hunt. She must remind herself of that. She had
had a lot of secret fantasies about this same man less than two years ago, when
she would save every magazine article, every newspaper clipping or picture that
had anything to do with him. This was her dream man .. . and one of the most
secret of her fantasies had been that he would be the one to take her
virginity, the man she chose to set her free into the world of sophisticated,
liberated women. And as long as the choice was hers she didn't have to feel
like the prey of some stalking predator!
'Close the door, huh?' Garon's voice was perfunctory; he was acting in
front of all those people as if this had been a casual impulse and he was just
being kind. And maybe he was - why should she flatter herself?
All over again, Sara was jolted back to the reality of her position. She
wasn't herself. She was her bright, volatile, outgoing sister who didn't let
anything faze her. And she didn't really look enough like Delight to pass,
unless she acted enough like Delight so that no one who knew her would bother
to look further than her laughingly flippant and bold manner. She had almost
slipped with Riccardo, Duca di Cavalieri. She mustn't with Garon!
Garon Hunt drove one-handed with careless competence once they had left
the studio gates. His other hand he had placed firmly over Sara's hand, pressing
it down against her thigh occasionally as if to remind her that he was aware of
her.
Lean back — relax! Isn't this what you've fantasised about for years?
Sara did lean back, trying to act as if she was quite relaxed and in control of
herself. Garon drove very fast, she noticed, trying not to. Maybe she ought to
fasten her seat belt? Only she couldn't find it, without pulling her hand free
of his, and she couldn't do that without appearing gauche.
"Turn some music on, huh, babe? Anything you feel like hearing.'
Sara flinched as he passed a slow-moving truck and swung in front of it with
inches to spare.
She found a station that was playing Pink Floyd and left it on,
remembering that Delight had all of the Pink Floyd albums. What now?
Garon gave her one of his crinkling, lopsided smiles that made women all
over the world sigh with longing.
'Still tired? I thought
we'd
drive down to Malibu - visit a friend of mine who's a great cook. I have a
standing invitation to dinner. You'll like Ted. I've known him a long time.'
'It sounds greats' Sara said brightly.
Maybe - just maybe Garon was just being nice to her, and his friend the
cook would stick around. And if not, Sara thought fatalistically, closing her
eyes for a moment, wasn't
Garon Hunt
exactly what she needed to set her free?An
attractive , sexy, uncomplicated
married
man. What
reluctant virgin could
ask for more? Remembering the tenderly passionate love scene from Deal in Death
when he had first made love to his frightened Indian child-bride, Sara felt
reassured. If it happened, it would be like that. Didn't everyone say that
Garon Hunt didn't have to be an actor because he always played himself?
Chapter 9
What had she expected? Sara couldn't be quite certain afterwards. A
small and cosy beach cottage, perhaps? But she didn't really do too much
thinking all the time Garon made his way in and out of the traffic at a high
rate of speed that reminded Sara of the articles she had read about his racing
cars as a hobby. At least he concentrated while he drove, and that made her
feel a little easier - a little less like her death was imminent.
She was relieved when, at last, Garon slowed down; slightly confused
when he stopped before massive iron gates that were almost concealed by
shrubbery and flowering trees,
'Just give me a minute . . .'
Sara watched, fascinated, while Garon went through what Delight would
have called 'the whole bit'. What a security system! He said something into
some kind of hidden voice box and came back to the car, glancing sideways at
Sara with a grin and the air of a conjuror about to produce a rabbit. And sure
enough, under her fascinated eyes, the gates swung open soundlessly.
Looking back over her shoulder, Sara noticed that the gates had already
closed again behind them, and she quickly pushed away the slight feeling of
unease that threatened to spoil her excitement and anticipation.
'Reminds me a little of Ali Baba's cave!' she said flippantly out loud,
and Garon chuckled.
'That's what I thought the first time Ted showed it to me !Takes getting
used to, I guess.' He gave her that appealing little-boy-found grin and Sara
could feel her heart beginning to beat faster. 'What happens is that the
computer- Ted calls her Big Mother- recognises my voice and opens the gates.
But there are also guards, with their dogs, even if you don't always see them.'
They were driving down a long avenue edged with cypress trees - very
Greek or Italian. Brooding, Sara thought with a little shiver.
'How far
is the house, for
goodness' sake?'
This time Garon patted her thigh - almost absent-mindedly.
'Right around the ... next bend! See up there? Sits right on the ocean,
and there's a stretch of private beach too.' He glanced at her appraisingly
now. 'I'd like to bring you out here during the day some time, you'd love it.
Maybe after the picture's in the can, huh?'
Sara hardly heard him as her eyes widened over the house. 'First Ali
Baba and now Gone with the Wind? She hadn't realised that she had said her
thought aloud until Garon chuckled.
'I like your sense of humour, kid! But don't get too bowled over by the
house. In spite of all his dough, Ted's a teal down-to-earth, regular guy. And
a football fan like you - didn't I read that somewhere?'
Garon was helping her out of the car while Sara tried to hide her
dismay. Football? And of course he didn't mean soccer. Oh, God, how was she
going to bluff her way out of this
one?
'Oh . . . yeah. But tennis is my game this year! I'm bored with football
now.'
"Tennis, huh? My game too. Maybe we can have a game some time?'
Moving ahead with the easy assurance of a man who knew he had plenty of
time and not much effort to make, Garon slid a casual arm around Sara's waist
as he dropped a light kiss on her temple.
"Mmm!' She couldn't think of anything else to say! What was she
supposed to do next? Say next? Thank God there was someone at the front door —
now she didn't have to do or say anything except 'hello' and 'thank you' to
their host.
Sara had her first unpleasant shock of the evening when she recognised
the voice that hailed them. Theodore Kohler - one of the richest men in the
world, it was whispered; who also happened to have been a close friend of both
her mother and her father. Uncle Theo of her childhood, who, of course, had
always been 'going back to America.'
'Hey, Ted!' Sara hung back, giving her nerves time to stop quivering.
She reminded herself that she hadn't met Uncle Theo for at least five years,
and she'd changed a lot since then - and so had Delight. But now Garon was
performing swift, casual introductions. 'Ted - Delight. Delight - Ted! And now
I could sure use a drink!'
'It's waiting for you.' The tall, slightly stooped man still looked the
same, except for the fact that his hair had gone almost entirely silver.
Sara had no more time to hang back as Garon propelled her forward with a
slightly quizzical glance.
'What's the matter? You've met Ted before, haven't you?'
'Ted's met the whole family! What's the matter, young lady, you
forgotten your Uncle Theo?'
Wafting forward on Delight's favourite perfume, Sara reached up to kiss
a bearded cheek. 'Of course, I remember! But I didn't know if you had ... I was
just a little kid, wasn't I?'
'You two know each other - great! And now a drink, please, Ted?'
'Told you it was waiting — and you know where! Well, come along,
Delight. Did you know I tried to persuade your mother not to call you that?
Naturally, she wouldn't listen. And what are you doing with Garon?'
'He asked me to dinner, that's all!'
'That's all , huh? I don't know about you kids these days —and I don't
want to know either! Do your thing ... if you're sure you know what's good for
you!'
Garon turned around to study them both with interest, a question in his
eyes. 'You two know each other awful damned well! How?'
'Hell, it's a long story. I used to be in love with Mona and ended up in
the role of "best friend"!' Theo/Ted Kohler shrugged expressively.
'Yeah, I guess I can understand how. Mona's quite a woman.' Garon
grinned irrepressibly, clamping an arm around Sara's waist to pull her closer against
him. 'As a matter of fact, don't you think little Delight here looks a whole
lot like her mom?'
Ted Kohler snorted. 'Hell, I don't know! Ask your shrink! But I'll tell
you one thing, all of Mona's children take after her.'
Sara forced herself to smile brightly and a trifle impudently back at
him under his suddenly frowning perusal, relief flooding her when he finally
allowed in an annoyed tone of voice that he could have sworn for a few minutes
that she had reminded him more of her sister.
Skating on thin ice, Sara said pertly: 'Half sister, Uncle Theo! I'm the
make-it-on-her-own kid! And I am, aren't I, Garon?'
I'm a better actress than Delight! Or any of them! Sara's mind soared,
as she threw herself into her role for the evening. Garon was already intrigued
- much more so than he had been in the beginning. His ringers brushed very
lightly against her breast, and he was really looking at her, bright blue eyes
probing.
'Your half sister was much more sensible than you were, and I'm sure she
probably still is!' Seeing that they had hardly heard him, Ted Kohler gave a
mental shrug. He was no Daddy to Mona's kids anyhow, and this one, from all
accounts, was quite street-wise.
'I'm afraid I have a few people here,' he said, turning back to Garon,
who shrugged.
'Anyone I know?'
'No one I wouldn't trust. So feel at ease, old buddy!'
'Come on - we'll check them out and then I'll show you the tennis courts
by moonlight!' Garon grinned down at Sara.
'How romantic!' Sara kept it light, already beginning to feel insecure.
How long would she be able to keep Garon at bay? And it was only when she
thought that that the realisation came. She really didn't want to be made love
to by Garon! Even if Delight would have. If she was going to lose her damned
virginity some day, it had bloody well better be very special! No married man
with one eye on the clock, even if he was Garon Hunt. But how was she able to
break it to Garon without. , . without blowing her cover?
It was hard on the heels of that thought that Sara received her second
shock for the evening.
'My house guest, the Duca di Cavalieri. ..' And if Garon hadn't been
holding her - I
'Oh, yes. We have met.' His voice was completely indifferent, his eyes
hard and disinterested — like twin black pebbles striking hers. Sara noticed,
belatedly, that he had on his arm the most gorgeous female she had ever seen -
a honey blonde with exquisite porcelain features and expensive jewellery.
Well — good!. she thought indignantly. Let him pursue someone else for a
change! What a relief! She floated by him with a vague smile, as if she was
trying to remember him.
And maybe she would let Garon seduce her after all. Someone had to be
first! Sara began to set the scenario in her mind. They would leave soon —
there would be flowers and champagne and soft music. Wagner, perhaps. She hoped
Garon liked Wagner.
A waiter came out with a tray, and Sara reached out automatically. She
had better get slightly tipsy, it might help. She had to relax - learn to
relax. A
second drink might help even
more, because the first one had been just orange juice in a tall glass.
'Not many people can drink a
second Harvey Wallbanger in two swallows and remain standing. My . . . friend
and I have a bet going on you, Signorina Delight.' Riccardo's voice made Sara
grit her teeth, even as the woman with him smiled sweetly and a trifle
condescendingly. She spoke with a French accent. 'Of course I have my money on
you. Two drinks.. .phoo! They are nothing, in spite of what they call them,
oui?