Free Forbidden Desires by Marina Anderson Page B

care of him. Will you be in?’
    The temptation was too great for Oliver to resist. He knew that it was a mistake, that this woman and her friends were out of his league, but at this moment the thought of actually touching a woman like Noella, let alone making love to her, was irresistible. ‘Yes, I’ll be in,’ he promised.
    ‘Great, I’ll see you later then.’ With that Noella lay back on her lounger, put her glasses on again and closed her eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, Oliver left them. He had a lot of tidying up to do if Noella was going to keep her word.
    In the pool Harriet was laughing as Edmund put his hands on her waist and lifted her in and out of the water. Every time she re-entered the pool she found herself nearer to his body until finally she was actually brushing against him and their legs entwined so that his upper thigh was between hers. ‘I want you, Harriet,’ he whispered. ‘I want to make love to you, to hear you cry out for me the way you cried out for Lewis last night. You know that, don’t you?’ Harriet nodded, the pressure against her pubic bone was delicious and she didn’t want it to stop.
    ‘I’ll give you pleasure in ways you’ve never dreamt of,’ he continued, his hands tightening against her bare waist. ‘You saw me with Noella in Polperro, didn’t you?’ Again Harriet nodded. ‘Well, I’ll take you like that, out in the open wherepeople might come along at any moment. I know you’d enjoy it. I’m right, aren’t I?’ Again she nodded, feeling the water move against her vulva as their legs trod water together.
    ‘Will you let me?’ he persisted, his eyes boring into hers.
    ‘I really shouldn’t,’ whispered Harriet, her pulse racing. ‘What about Lewis?’
    Edmund’s face darkened. ‘Surely you could—’
    ‘Harriet,’ Lewis called suddenly, cradling the phone between his chin and shoulder, ‘is it all right with you if I go to the local pub and meet up with Mark tonight? I’ll only be gone an hour or so.’
    ‘Why can’t Mark come here?’ asked Harriet, and felt Edmund’s fingers dig into her flesh. She realised he thought it was a stupid thing for her to say.
    ‘I didn’t think you’d want us working in the house.’
    ‘I really don’t care,’ retorted Harriet, torn between irritation at the fact that he was willing to go off and leave her alone with Edmund and her desire for him to do exactly that.
    Lewis raised his eyebrows and then returned to his phone conversation.
    ‘You see,’ said Edmund with a half-smile. ‘Fate’s been kind to us.’
    ‘There’s still Noella,’ Harriet pointed out.
    ‘I have a feeling that Noella’s been making plans of her own,’ said Edmund, who’d already suggested that his wife made her first movetowards Oliver in the hope that this would enable him to begin his pursuit of Harriet – a pursuit that he knew Noella anticipated would end with Harriet joining both of them.
    Still Harriet hesitated. ‘I’m not sure,’ she murmured.
    ‘I won’t give up,’ warned Edmund. ‘And believe me, I usually end up getting what I want.’
    ‘Suppose it isn’t what I want?’ asked Harriet, twisting free of him and starting to swim away.
    ‘But it is, isn’t it?’ he called after her, and it was.
    ‘You’re really going then?’ asked Harriet that evening as she watched Lewis taking his jacket from their bedroom wardrobe.
    ‘Sure, you don’t mind do you?’
    Harriet took a deep breath. ‘I don’t mind, but I hope you know exactly what you’re doing.’
    Slinging the jacket over his shoulder he looked thoughtfully at her. ‘So do I, Harriet, so do I.’
    Harriet knew with absolute certainty that if he went to meet Mark then she and Edmund would make love that evening and the thought both intrigued and frightened her. ‘Please, Lewis, don’t go,’ she said quietly. ‘Life’s good at the moment, let’s not spoil it.’
    ‘I’m not spoiling anything; I’m simply going out for a drink with