having.’
As Sam pedalled away Robert stood watching him, aware that he’d failed to reassure the old man that he hadn’t caused any offence with the remark about his father, but he was still in the grip of surprise at hearing Alicia was in Holly Wood. He should feel pleased, and somewhere, at a distance, he knew he was, but before that was the realisation of what it was going to mean to his wife. Already he could feel a horrible sinking dismay, and fighting a near overwhelming urge to turn tail and go right back to Washington, he waited for the gates to close and started towards the house.
Sabrina Paige was already in the process of preparing her husband’s welcome-home breakfast when she heard the gates open at the end of the short drive and a taxi pulling up. She’d known, more or less, when to expect him, because he’d rung from the airport to let her know his plane had landed on time, at which point she’d promptly rolled out of bed, showered and dressed in a pair of bright white capri pants that showed off her long legs to perfection, and a copper-coloured silk vest that generously revealed her well-toned shoulders and arms and added a lustrous burnish to her naturally olive skin. Her rich, glossy dark hair was carelessly scrunched into a clip at the back of her head, and her exotically slanted deep brown eyes and sensuous mouthwere subtly enhanced by an expert use of kohl and colour. At forty, she was still an exceptionally beautiful woman. However, over recent times her famously sultry looks had become faintly ravaged by excesses of emotion and perhaps a little too much wine.
As Robert let himself in through the door of their spacious farmhouse-style kitchen she turned to him with a smile of affection and went to embrace him. Since he’d taken an overnight flight he’d probably want to sleep off some jet lag after breakfast, and though she wasn’t really in the mood to go back to bed, if he wanted her to join him she wouldn’t let him down.
‘You look tired,’ she murmured, peering into his face. ‘Did you sleep at all on the plane?’
‘A little,’ he replied, and dropping his briefcase on the table he loosened his tie and began tearing open the envelope he’d just signed for.
‘Hungry?’ she asked, going back to the Aga where she was heating butter ready to scramble eggs. She knew better than to express interest in what had arrived in the mail, particularly when it was something he’d signed for. His work was always classified, which was something she’d always found irresistibly attractive about him. She loved the air of importance and exclusivity that surrounded his research, and how highly regarded he was in his field. And the fact that he was a senior enough government official to be invited to social functions at some of the most prestigious addresses in the world was as great an aphrodisiac to her as the envy of all her friends.
‘Mm,’ Robert murmured, quickly scanning the documents he’d taken from the envelope. Clicking open his briefcase he dropped them inside and unfolded a copy of the Financial Times . ‘Everything OK here?’ he asked, shrugging off his jacket. ‘Where’s Annabelle?’
Breaking eggs into a bowl, Sabrina said, ‘Still in bed, of course. I’ve no idea what time she came in last night. She’d like me to think it was eleven, but when I checked at one o’clock this morning her room was empty, so she’d obviously sneaked out again.’
Robert was nodding, the way he often did when notpaying full attention. Then, apparently registering what had been said, his eyes came up. ‘She’s here now,’ he said, not making it a question.
‘She is, but not alone. Georgia’s in the other bed, and I think someone’s on the floor in a sleeping bag. The room’s such a mess it’s hard to make out what’s breathing and what’s not.’
Relaxing, Robert came to stand behind her and kissed the back of her neck. ‘You smell good,’ he murmured, tightening his
As Sam pedalled away Robert stood watching him, aware that he’d failed to reassure the old man that he hadn’t caused any offence with the remark about his father, but he was still in the grip of surprise at hearing Alicia was in Holly Wood. He should feel pleased, and somewhere, at a distance, he knew he was, but before that was the realisation of what it was going to mean to his wife. Already he could feel a horrible sinking dismay, and fighting a near overwhelming urge to turn tail and go right back to Washington, he waited for the gates to close and started towards the house.
Sabrina Paige was already in the process of preparing her husband’s welcome-home breakfast when she heard the gates open at the end of the short drive and a taxi pulling up. She’d known, more or less, when to expect him, because he’d rung from the airport to let her know his plane had landed on time, at which point she’d promptly rolled out of bed, showered and dressed in a pair of bright white capri pants that showed off her long legs to perfection, and a copper-coloured silk vest that generously revealed her well-toned shoulders and arms and added a lustrous burnish to her naturally olive skin. Her rich, glossy dark hair was carelessly scrunched into a clip at the back of her head, and her exotically slanted deep brown eyes and sensuous mouthwere subtly enhanced by an expert use of kohl and colour. At forty, she was still an exceptionally beautiful woman. However, over recent times her famously sultry looks had become faintly ravaged by excesses of emotion and perhaps a little too much wine.
As Robert let himself in through the door of their spacious farmhouse-style kitchen she turned to him with a smile of affection and went to embrace him. Since he’d taken an overnight flight he’d probably want to sleep off some jet lag after breakfast, and though she wasn’t really in the mood to go back to bed, if he wanted her to join him she wouldn’t let him down.
‘You look tired,’ she murmured, peering into his face. ‘Did you sleep at all on the plane?’
‘A little,’ he replied, and dropping his briefcase on the table he loosened his tie and began tearing open the envelope he’d just signed for.
‘Hungry?’ she asked, going back to the Aga where she was heating butter ready to scramble eggs. She knew better than to express interest in what had arrived in the mail, particularly when it was something he’d signed for. His work was always classified, which was something she’d always found irresistibly attractive about him. She loved the air of importance and exclusivity that surrounded his research, and how highly regarded he was in his field. And the fact that he was a senior enough government official to be invited to social functions at some of the most prestigious addresses in the world was as great an aphrodisiac to her as the envy of all her friends.
‘Mm,’ Robert murmured, quickly scanning the documents he’d taken from the envelope. Clicking open his briefcase he dropped them inside and unfolded a copy of the Financial Times . ‘Everything OK here?’ he asked, shrugging off his jacket. ‘Where’s Annabelle?’
Breaking eggs into a bowl, Sabrina said, ‘Still in bed, of course. I’ve no idea what time she came in last night. She’d like me to think it was eleven, but when I checked at one o’clock this morning her room was empty, so she’d obviously sneaked out again.’
Robert was nodding, the way he often did when notpaying full attention. Then, apparently registering what had been said, his eyes came up. ‘She’s here now,’ he said, not making it a question.
‘She is, but not alone. Georgia’s in the other bed, and I think someone’s on the floor in a sleeping bag. The room’s such a mess it’s hard to make out what’s breathing and what’s not.’
Relaxing, Robert came to stand behind her and kissed the back of her neck. ‘You smell good,’ he murmured, tightening his
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