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‘I thought you’d have enough to do lobbying the university authorities without lobbying Peter on my behalf,’ Dee told him ruefully. ‘Is it really fair, though, Hugo, to try to persuade the university to use funds that are meant to be used for the benefit of scholars’ charitable work to help finance aid programmes, no matter how deserving they might be?’
Hugo gave her an astonished look.
‘Is that what you think I’d do? You’re wrong. The reason I want to speak with the university authorities is to try to persuade them to introduce a voca
tional course for students to educate them about the way we work and the way they can help us. We need young, keen, innovative brains to come up with solutions to the problems we’re constantly facing—but right now what I need most of all is you.’
‘Me...?’ Dee looked at him mock innocently.
‘Mmm... You,’ Hugo repeated.
* * *
This time they made love slowly and tenderly, luxuriating in every touch, every kiss, sharing their joy at their mutual discovery of each remembered pleasure and adding new ones to them.
‘You’re even more beautiful now as a woman than you were as a girl,’ Hugo told Dee as he stroked his fingertips along the soft warm curves of her body.
‘And you are even more dangerously sexy,’ Dee told him, glaring mock angrily at him as he threw back his head and laughed. ‘You don’t believe me? Ask Dr Jane Harper,’ she challenged him.
‘Who’s Dr Jane Harper?’ Hugo demanded huskily as he bent his head to tease the erect nipple he had just been stroking.
Dee closed her eyes and gave a soft moan of liquid pleasure.
‘I felt so jealous of her,’ she admitted.
‘Not nearly so jealous as I was over your supposed husband,’ Hugo assured her, his voice suddenly stark with pain as he told her, ‘You don’t know what that did to me, Dee, how close I came to—’ He stopped. ‘But I told myself there were still people who needed me, even if you were no longer one of them. Life has to go on. Your father knew that too, Dee.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed quietly. ‘I believe he did.’
It was easy to let go of the past and all the pain it contained now that Hugo was here with her, holding her, loving her. She was never going to let him go again. Never.
* * *
Their guests had gone and Beth was stacking the dishwasher whilst Alex washed the crystal glasses which had been a gift to them from his family in Prague.
‘Wasn’t that the most extraordinary thing with Dee and Hugo?’ Beth asked him conversationally.
‘Dee and Hugo...what do you mean? What was extraordinary about them?’ Alex replied, frowning. ‘I admit that the fact that they already knew one another was a coincidence...’
‘Oh, Alex! Surely you must have seen...noticed...?’ Beth demanded.
‘Seen what? They hardly spoke to one another all evening,’ Alex protested.
Beth rolled her eyes.
‘They didn’t need to speak. You could practically feel the air palpitating around them.’
‘Palpitating?’ Alex gave an amused snort of derision. ‘Hearts palpitate, Beth. Air—’
‘Yes... Yes, exactly.’ Beth pounced before he could finish. ‘And their hearts were palpitating all right. There’s something going on between those two,’ she pronounced darkly. ‘Heavens, the way they were looking at one another—I almost expected the air between them to self-ignite...’
Alex gave a theatrical sigh.
‘Look, I don’t want to dampen your hopes. I know that you, and Anna and Kelly for that matter, are so blissfully pleased with yourselves for being lucky enough to find such wonderful men, but— Ouch!’ Alex protested as Beth threw a dishcloth at him.
‘We were lucky, huh?’
‘Beth, where are you going?’ Alex asked her as she suddenly turned and walked towards the kitchen door.
