Free An Affair to Forget by Evelyn Hood Page B

about. “Gareth, do you mind?” she said through gritted teeth.
    “ What’s worrying you?” A warm hand covered hers, held it firmly. “Relax, you’re with me and I’m not going to let anything bad happen to either of us. It’s just a bit of cloud, that’s all. Nice white fluffy cloud.”
    Concrete cloud, Morrin thought. She wanted to jump to her feet and announce at the top of her voice that she had had enough and she was getting off now, thank you. But there was nowhere to go to. Without fully realising what she was doing she turned her hand beneath Gareth’s so that her fingers curled round his. Then her free hand inched across her lap towards him and he took hold of it, his grip steadying her and drawing her back from the verge of panic.
    “ Just close your eyes,” she heard him say, and she obeyed, grateful for the strength of his leg against hers, the masculine smell of his body. Turning her face into the angle of his shoulder and his neck she genuinely believed that he was right; he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
    When at last the plane levelled and the bumping eased she sat up abruptly, embarrassed and confused, dragging her hands free so that she could smooth her hair. The turmoil the plane had just come through was being mirrored in her own confusion.
    Gareth grinned down at her, openly amused by her embarrassment. “That was cosy… almost like old times. Feeling better?”
    She gave a shaky laugh and began to moisten her dry lips with the tip of her tongue, then stopped as she saw his green eyes following the movement. Gareth, of course, would see it as a sensual act, not one of fear.
    “ It’s at times like these I agree with the ancients who said that man was never meant to leave the ground,” she confessed. “Weren’t you scared… even a little bit?”
    One eyebrow rose slightly. “Why should I be afraid? The way I see it, the pilot’s as anxious to reach the ground in one piece as I am, and where he goes, I go. Besides” – his gaze travelled over her with open masculine appraisal, lingering at the opening of her blouse – “I was enjoying myself too much to think about danger.”
    She reddened, and wrenched her head away from him so that she could gaze out of the window, beyond the placid, middle-aged man in the window seat. He didn’t change, she thought angrily, staring at an expanse of deep blue water below, creaming into white against the jewelled island spread out as though arranged there for her approval.
    A few minutes later she was descending the steps, blinking in the brilliant sunlight. After the air-conditioned plane Tenerife felt like a warm blanket.
    Sam was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps. “You seemed to enjoy the descent.”
    “ Enjoy it? I was terrified.”
    “ Really?” His voice was cool. “You were practically on Sinclair’s lap at one point.”
    “ For goodness’ sake, Sam, he was only trying to stop me from making a fool of myself. And I didn’t ask him to sit beside me, remember.”
    “ I don’t know that; I wasn’t there.”
    “ Exactly, you weren’t there.”
    “ I’m sorry, love.” He put an arm about her and hugged her to him. “I’m just feeling a bit edgy now that we’re here. If we don’t get Vicki and Sinclair to agree over this play I’ll have lost a wonderful chance.” He dropped a swift kiss on her cheek. “Here we go, my darling… and here’s to a successful outcome.”
    They had to wait on the sun-baked tarmac for Gareth. Several passengers had left the plane and gone over to the small open bus waiting to take them to the terminal building before he appeared, lingering to talk to the flight attendant, who dimpled back at him.
    “ Can’t resist the chance to charm women, can he?” Sam murmured.
    As he came down the steps Gareth, his jacket slung over one shoulder and his shirt open at the throat, took time to look up at the clear blue sky and across to the low hills behind the buildings. A faint breeze