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BOOK 5
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Being Yours BOOK 5 PART TWO
Cliff's hand shook as, leafing through the mail his secretary had put on his desk, he saw the ‘Personal’ designation on the letter from a law firm he’d only heard of three weeks ago. For long moments, he held it, staring at it. He rose, locked the door, returned to his desk then slowly, reluctantly, slid his paper-knife under the envelope’s flap. It was the third one he’d received in a month. Exactly as the others had, it read, ‘Ms Castle requests that you contact her either through these Offices or at the above box number. Enclosed, please find a letter from same.’ Letter? The term was a joke. All the polite little missive said was ‘Please get in touch with me, Cliff. It’s past time for us to sort out our lives.’ It was signed, simply, ‘Lynne’. Why, all these months after her disappearance, had Lynne suddenly decided to contact him? There could be only one answer, and it was not one he wanted to hear. ‘Sort out our lives...’ lives being the operative word. Plural. Separate. Negat
Being Yours BOOK 5 PART TWO
He bent his head, one hand cupping her chin, looked into her sleepy eyes and smiled. ‘Hi, Lynnie.” Her blue eyes were filled, not with indifference as he’d feared, not with desire as he’d dreamed, but with sleepy questions, and she blinked several times then srniled that joyous, welcoming smile that he had seen every morning when he awoke, every night when he came home, every time she saw him — and every night in his dreams since they’d parted. ‘Hi yourself,’ she murmured, and a huge surge of relief shook his body. She hadn’t come to ask for a divorce! That radiant smile said she still loved him! ‘Lynne ... oh, sweetheart,’ he said, his voice thick and choked, then he took her lips with his own, parting them gently, kissing her with all the tenderness she had ever been able to arouse in him. I love you so much! He dared not speak the words aloud, but it didn’t matter then, because her hands slid through his hair, pulling his head down to her, muffling his, ‘I’ve missed you so badly
Being Yours BOOK 5 PART TWO
Cliff ignored what he saw as a provocative statement geared to precipitate an argument. ‘But what you got out there —’ he gestured toward the patio ‘“wasn’t what you came for.’ ‘No, it wasn’t.’ But oddly, his statement — and it had definitely been that; no hint of a question had colored his tone — instilled an element of doubt in her. Had she, on some subconscious level, harbored a hope that maybe, if she and Cliff were to see one another again, things might happen that would eventually lead them to an understanding? Lead them back together? ‘No,’ she repeated sharply, as much to reassure herself as in response to him. ‘I came because I... because I had to.’ He nodded. ‘You came because I forced you by not responding to your letters.’ “Yes. I thought at first it would be easier if we could do it all by mail, and through lawyers, not have to meet personally.’ It was her turn to laugh sourly at the irony of what she’d said. Their meeting had certainly become personal. Their gazes me
Being Yours BOOK 5 PART TWO
They'd been working so hard,’ she said, ‘and both of them knew they needed a break. I don’t know if he ever mentioned it, but Taylor had a private pilot’s license.’ Her voice choked again. ‘He’d wanted to be a commercial pilot since he was a little boy, but when Dad died — well, he never got beyond his private license. A friend offered them the use of his hunting camp up in the mountains, so Taylor rented a small float plane to fly into the lake the camp’s on. Michael and I went up to stay with Amanda. We’ve. .. been there ever since.’ ‘And that’s why you left our — your — house in Victoria.’ “Yes.” ‘And why you didn’t take the money I put in your account. Taylor left you ... provided for? Is it enough, Lynne? You said you had a cash-flow problem sometimes. That money’s yours! You must know I want you to have it.’ She sat erect, would have moved apart from him, but for the firmness of his hold. ‘I don’t want your money, Cliff. Taylor left Amanda’s education provided for and the mo
Being Yours BOOK 5 PART TWO
As the hotel, Lynne flew from the station wagon through the mercifully empty reception area, and up the stairs to her second floor room. As she’d driven, she’d been fully aware of the headlights sweeping along behind her, headlights that had caught up with her less than a minute after she had left Cliff's cabin. She locked the door and leaned against it, steeling herself for the knock she was sure would come. After long minutes, when there had been no footsteps in the hall, no hammering on the door, she tiptoed to the window and pulled an inch of drapes aside, peering down into the parking lot. His car was there, pulled in beside hers. Cliff stood, leaning against the hood, as if too tired to do anything else. Presently, he lifted his head, looked right at her window, stood erect and headed for the front doors. She dashed across the room to her door then froze, waiting, her body quivering, for his knock on the door. She didn’t know how long she stood there, the silence profound exce
Being Yours BOOK 5 PART TWO
Jumping to her feet, Lynne would have strode away, but his hand lashed out and caught her by the wrist, swinging her back to face him. ‘Give me a chance,’ he said quickly. ‘I didn’t finish explaining what I thought about last night before I decided to come here. No, not to live in your house, but to stay nearby for a while, to visit casually as any other man interested in you might, get to know your children in a relaxed, unceremonious way. I wondered if it might be possible for me to learn to love him — them ~ after all, the way you’d want any — uh — suitor of yours to do.’ ‘I don’t have suitors!’ He looked at her as if he longed to believe that, but couldn’t. Not quite. ‘Lynne — why did you take your brother’s child to raise?’ ‘Why? What kind of question is that? Because I love her.’ ‘If you hadn’t? Say, if your brother had lived far away and you’d never met his daughter, never developed an affection for her. Would you then, upon his death, have left her to the care of strangers
Being Yours BOOK 5 PART TWO
‘Oh, Cliff. Surely, then, she wanted to know why you needed to know that?’ He shook his head. ‘I guess it didn’t matter to her. She was more concerned that Logan might come home and find me there. I could see how edgy she was. She kept looking past me to the street. My mother has always hated any kind of unpleasantness, and if Logan had come home while I was there, there’d have certainly been some of that. When he kicked me out, he said it was for good, and he meant it. My mother told me she didn’t remember if I’d even had mumps, let alone a bad case, and if that was all, would I excuse her because she had a lot to do. Darren was bringing his fiancée home for dinner. ‘She claimed Frieda was a wonderful young lady from an excellent family. Very well-to-do. Like Darren, she was in pre-law. Her face glowed when she talked about them, so I congratulated her, thanked her for the information and left.’ He shrugged again, gave Lynne a crooked smile that didn’t wipe away the bleakness in h
Being Yours BOOK 5 PART TWO
Lynne laughed derisively. It was the only way to keep from weeping. ‘I don’t think that was the only reason, Cliff, nor even the prime one. You wouldn’t hurt a baby. You couldn’t. But you left because your own hurt grew too big for you to bear. You left to protect yourself.’ She watched him swallow. ‘All right. Maybe that’s so. At least in part. But I knew I was hurting you by not being able to warm to him. I could only see it getting worse. I didn’t want to put him through what I went through as he grew older and could sense my ... resentment, or put you through what Logan made my mother suffer. It was because of me that they had a lousy marriage.’ ‘I doubt that. If they’d had a good marriage, they'd have found a way to get around Logan’s feelings toward you.’ ‘You sound so sure.’ ‘I am.’ She gazed at him questioningly for a moment. ‘Was he very cruel to you? Logan, I mean? Did he beat you?’ He came back to her and took her hand, lowering them both to the garden bench, his face
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Being Yours BOOK 9
Lohano Tiki drove his bright yellow Ferrari up the long gravel incline and parked in front of the huge pillared portico that was the entrance to the Black Orchid Palace.He climbed out of the car, and quickly ducked down to check his hair in the wing-mirror.Good. Nicely wind-ruffled and carefree.A handsome, square-jawed face looked back at him, tanned a deeper colour by the desert sun.By the Nevadan desert sun, to be exact.His shirt was dazzling white and casually opened at the throat to reveal a strong dark column of neck and the first few wisps of dark chest hair.His jacket was white linen, faultlessly tailored, his slacks a dark green. His loafers came from Rome. His only piece of jewellery was a modest, leather-strapped watch from Switzerland.He was dressing to impress Koki’Hana as much as his rebellious and strong-willed granddaughter.He sprang lithely up the four rounded steps, that were spread out like a fan and led to the huge, impressive, carved oak doors of the palace
Being Yours BOOK 9
George Dixon watched the large crocodile of people emerge from the intermediary house by the east wall.As the owner of fifteen per cent of the Orchid House, he’d been asked to attend the full day’s festivities, of course, but he’d only just decided to put in an appearance.It was three-fifteen p.m.The extra waiters and waitresses hired for the lunch had been circulating in the grounds all afternoon, laden with trays of champagne, fruit juice and little nibbles. He hijacked a waiter and grabbed a glass of cold Moet et Chandon and a few smoked salmon pastries that melted in the mouth.He was lounging against the fountain that was the centre-piece of the outer grounds. Round, made of stone, and full of fish and water-lilies, it shot a fountain of water nearly thirty feet into the air.It was cooler there.George didn’t much like the heat. He was a small but very fat man, with a round belly and short, stocky legs. He could only imagine what the heat must be like inside the hot-houses.G
Being Yours BOOK 9
King Koki’Hana reached the end of the welcoming line, and finally shook hands with the last person to be presented - a tall, thin Portuguese man, whom Electra had introduced as their head groundsman. It was his job to keep the gardens outside the glasshouses looking good.Koki’Hana quite liked meeting the people who made businesses tick. Oahu, like all the islands, was a large ethnic mix of people - Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Polynesians, Portuguese and American. Here at the Orchid House, he was pleased to see that Electra Stapleton’s only criterion for picking her staff was their having the right qualifications for the job. He operated a similar policy where his own business affairs were concerned.‘Well, Alii Koki’Hana, I’m sure you can see now why the Orchid House is such a success,’ Electra said quietly. ‘My staff are simply the best in the world.’ She said with it quiet pride but total sincerity.King Koki’Hana nodded. ‘So I see. And you are rapidly expanding, I underst
Being Yours BOOK 9
Bevis expertly aligned the small light aircraft with the portable runway lights Electra had lit ten minutes ago, and lightly touched down. He taxied neatly to the end of the runway, turned, and then parked the plane near a stand of hua trees, where it was partially hidden.He went through his checklist, making sure all the systems were shut down, then locked the cockpit, grabbed his overnight bag, and jumped lithely to the ground.At thirty-eight, he looked a good ten years younger, and still retained the well-built but fat-free body that would be the envy of many men his age. His short hair was still as dark as a raven’s wing, with not a hint of grey at the temples.He gathered up the landing lights, turning them off as he went, and stowed them away in their small wooden shed, hidden in the small copse of trees, padlocking the door after him.During the short walk to Electra’s luxurious bungalow, ‘Makai Hale’, he ran a tired hand through his hair. It was good to have a break from the
Being Yours BOOK 9
Electra stroked the damp copper hair off his forehead and looked around desperately. There was only the diminishing storm, darkness and fear. She couldn’t move him - she wasn’t strong enough to get him into her car. Besides., she didn’t know if she should move him, and wished she knew more basic First Aid.She felt as if she’d been cradling the stranger in her arms forever, but it had actually been less than five minutes since the lightning strike.The rain had been gradually dwindling, and now had stopped altogether, but she could still hear the distant rumble of thunder, away to the east, as the storm headed out to sea.Suddenly another sound began to impinge on her mind, and she looked up hopefully as a small set of lights dipped and disappeared in the distance.A car! At last!Coming from the same direction as she had been. Somewhat belatedly, she realized her own car was still blocking the road, and she carefully lowered the stranger’s head to the ground and got to her feet.Her
Being Yours BOOK 9
Hawaii, or the Big Island as it was known to the locals, played host to fewer tourists than its sister island Oahu, but boasted similar moutainous lush greenery, great surfing and multi-cultural dining, all with the added bonus of spectacular black beaches, courtesy of the volcanoes.A mountainous land of plantations, myth and Polynesian mystique, it slumbered like a giant emerald in the vast blueness of the Pacific ocean.However, Hilo, its major city, was as big, busy and cosmopolitan as any city in the developed world.The Big Island, like all those in the chain, also had its fair share of hotels and tourist resorts, but, unlike Oahu, it still relied heavily on the more traditional sources of money, such as fruit plantations and coffee, to fill its coffers.Near the pretty village of Kailua, set well back in the coolness of the hills, away from the hustle and bustle of hotels and shops, lay the impressive and sprawling edifice of the Black Orchid Palace.No higher than two storeys,
Being Yours BOOK 9
Electra Stapleton turned the last page of the contract she was reading, and initialled it in the right-hand corner. She’d made a few important changes, and she made a mental note to herself to get one of her lawyers to draw up a revised draft.Not that Nationwide Flowers Inc. would complain. She’d given them all they wanted, but had cleverly slipped in a few little goodies that would be beneficial to the Orchid House too.For instance, ensuring that their chain of florists used one of the Orchid House’s flowered wrapping sheets whenever they sold one of their orchids. The free publicity that would generate would save her hundreds of thousands of dollars. And cost Nationwide Flowers not a penny.She was a bit worried about the shipment date, though; it was rather tight. She reached for her computer keyboard and punched up the details on the company’s regular transporters. Before she’d taken over, the Orchid House had had only one - a privately owned aeroplane company that had shipped a
Being Yours BOOK 9
Haldane Fox glanced up as the oddly melodious 4 ping 5 echoed around the cabin.‘Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We are now beginning our descent to Honolulu Airport. Please observe the “No Smoking” signs, and “Fasten Seat-belts” signs. Your cabin crew will be around to help anyone having difficulty with their belts. I trust you enjoyed your flight with us, and wish you all a pleasant stay on Oahu. Aloha'Haldane sighed wearily and reached for his seatbelt. It had been a long flight, from London to New York for a short stopover, then on to LA for yet another stopover before the long haul across the mighty Pacific Ocean to the fabled Hawaiian Islands.He yawned widely, trying to shrug off the fast-approaching affects of the dreaded jet-lag.A stewardess, the same one who’d been serving him throughout the flight across the pacific, lingered by the side of his seat.‘Everything alright, sir?’The soft voice made him spin his head and look up. The stewardess’s smile caught in her th
Being Yours BOOK 8
By the time they arrived at the hotel, the security gate had been forced open, and a fire engine and two police cars were in the parking area. Apart from the fact that the firemen had broken down the main door, to all other outward appearances the Alcaszar appeared to be untouched. It wasn’t enough to stop Matt from leaping from the car and running across to the main doors where a group of firemen was standing, though.By the time Alex joined them, however, he appeared to be calm. “It’s only damaged the courtyard,” he told her. “Apparently it started among the wood that was stacked there, probably caused by a careless cigarette butt. They say it’s probably been smoldering for hours.”From the tone of his voice Alex knew immediately that he didn’t believe it was accidental but that he wasn’t prepared to talk to the police about his suspicions. She glanced up at him. His eyes had darkened to the steely gray that she now knew from experience was a sign that he was very angry. She took hi
