Robyn noticed a frown creasing her PA’s forehead.
‘I thought you said Harold had been in a funny mood lately?’
Robyn shrugged. She tried to look indifferent but she did not like Gayle questioning her motives. She particularly didn’t like that Gayle was able to broach such a delicate subject.
‘Perhaps that’s why I’m thinking of spending some time with Dominic,’ Robyn suggested haughtily. ‘Dominic is not in a funny mood.’
‘You’re playing a dangerous game,’ Gayle said. Her dark eyes flashed with some unspoken warning that Robyn chose to ignore.
‘Perhaps I am playing a dangerous game,’ Robyn agreed. ‘But dangerous games are the most fun, aren’t they?’
Without waiting for a reply she slid her foot away from Dominic, eased it back into her shoe, and gracefully left the room.
* * *
As soon as she saw Robyn disappear through the door, Sheridan frowned and placed a hand on Harold’s arm to interrupt him.
‘Where’s your wife this evening?’
Harold glanced towards the foot of the table then scowled over the busy guests. His frown deepened.
‘She must have slipped out for a moment.’
The granite in his voice told her that he didn’t believe such a casual explanation. The sullen line of his jaw showed that he wouldn’t let the matter rest there.
Smiling at her own manipulative skills, Sheridan shook her head. The multicoloured streaks in her hair bounced gaily, enticing his attention back to her.
‘No matter,’ she assured him. ‘I’m sure she’ll be back in a moment. Now, you were telling me about this Scottish manor house you own …’
As he began to respond, Sheridan listened with an uninterested ear. She knew enough about Harold’s Scottish manor house already. She thought it was likely that she knew more about the building than Harold did. Trying to find something of interest to focus on while Harold continued to talk, she glanced around the room and studied the other guests.
She saw Gayle talking to Dominic. There was a sombre expression on the PA’s face as she spoke. Sheridan watched Gayle lead Dominic to the dining room door, where she spoke briskly to him before returning to her seat.
Dominic left the dining hall surreptitiously, and Sheridan knew she was the only one who had seen him go in the same direction as Robyn.
Idly, she wondered how she could convey this information to Harold without giving the impression that she was telling tales and trying to create a divide between him and Robyn.
* * *
Robyn stood at the top of the stairs.
She stared down at Dominic with a predatory smile. Her body rocked slightly to the distant pulse of the Tafelmusik. The gentle movement caused the hem of her dress to sway lightly to and fro. It was a contrived position and she used it to maximum effect. As Dominic climbed the staircase she knew he would be able to see beneath the hem. The gusset of her black panties was bound to be visible to him as he stared up at her.
She smiled, excited by her own boldness.
When she saw the anticipatory light flicker in his eyes, she knew his gaze had been caught by her display. His pace up the steps didn’t quicken or slow but she noticed his gait now appeared ever so slightly awkward. Her smile broadened as she realised this was caused by the growing stiffness at the top of his leg.
He finally snatched his gaze away from the hem of her skirt when he was within two steps of her. Robyn stayed in the same position, allowing him to move closer. The scent of his aftershave caught in her nostrils and she inhaled his nearness.
‘Gayle doesn’t think we should be doing this,’ he murmured.
Robyn sniffed. ‘Gayle’s not paid to think. She’s only a PA.’
Not wanting to continue the conversation, she circled her arm around Dominic’s waist and guided him along the galleried landing towards her bedroom.
‘What does your husband think about this?’
Feigning indifference, Robyn shrugged.
‘I don’t believe Harold knows about this. But if you’re that desperate for his opinion, you could always ask him afterwards.’
Hoping the finality in her voice would end that avenue of conversation, Robyn pushed him through the bedroom door.
For a moment, they were locked in darkness. There was only the sound of his breathing, barely audible beneath the eager panting of her own burgeoning desire. Robyn could feel the heat of his lean, hard body close to hers.
In the lightless vacuum of the bedroom her arousal grew. The hectic pulse between her legs slowly transformed into a desperate ache that demanded satisfaction.
The lights came on accidentally. As Dominic took her in his arms and thrust her against the wall, Robyn’s shoulder caught the switch. She blinked against the sudden flood of brightness and smiled up at his boyishly handsome face. Unable to stop herself, she raked her fingers through his tousled blond locks.
‘Robyn,’ he murmured.
He had her pinned against the wall. His eager hands touched and caressed. He traversed the swell of her hips and the line of her waist. Moving upwards, his fingers brushed over the mounds of her breasts and caught the urgent thrust of her nipples. Grinning, he caressed the back of her neck and then stroked his fingers down her spine.
She sighed and prepared to melt for him.
Boldly, Dominic cupped the cheeks of her backside.
Robyn felt herself being pulled against him. His erection pressed forcefully into her stomach. The size of him was large enough to make her shiver.
She bit back a startled cry as he kissed her. His tongue slid into her open mouth. His lips bruised hers with the ferocity of his passion. The tingling between her legs had been urgent before. Now it was sharp and exposed, like a crackle of electricity. The heat of desire seared the flesh of her sex.
Her nipples ached with their need to be touched. Her inner muscles clenched repeatedly as she anticipated the pleasure to come. Her breath had turned to a raw and ragged panting.
‘On the bed,’ she whispered, when he eventually moved his mouth from hers. ‘Take me on the bed. I need you. I need you now.’
Dominic clearly needed no further encouragement.
He glanced quickly around the bedroom, seeming unaware of its sumptuous designer charms and stylised furnishings. His interest was focused entirely on her.
It didn’t matter to Robyn that he was overlooking the brilliant combination of pastel greens and antique brass that she had worked so hard to co-ordinate. The appraisal and the attention he was giving to her more than made up for any offence she could have taken. He carried her across the four brisk steps from the door to the bed. He completed the journey by hurling her onto the bed with an understated show of strength.
Robyn bounced in the centre of the four-poster, momentarily lost in an explosion of faux-suede sheets. She brushed long blonde locks away from her face and shook her hair back into some semblance of style.
When she glanced at him he was smiling down at her with a lusty grin.
Lowering her gaze she noticed the swell at the front of his pants had pushed the fabric out of shape. His erection was clearly large.
She caught an eager breath in anticipation. She was desperate for him.
When she landed on the bed, the hem of her skirt had ridden up. The tops of her stockings were exposed, along with a thin line of the pale flesh at her inner thighs. Although she couldn’t see, she suspected the crotch of her panties was also visible to him. Holding his gaze, she reached down and stroked a finger against