e to mess with had assured him of a place at the very top of the tree, and if she hadn't seen the

summer, was that the most amazing, magnetic man she had ever met wanted to take her out to dinner. And, at direc

, and more out of habit than anything she rose and padded throu

ce, impatient and slightly ir

do what he said? she asked herself as her stomach lurched and trembled. She was a full-grow

, I haven't got time for this. Are you in the bath or something? Look, I just wanted to check you've remembered to order that pâté Gerald Morton likes so much, the one f

thing, anything, but there was just th

aid it louder, her voice shaking, 'Damn the rotten pâté!' Their m

ul drawing room to stand in front of the ornate fir

re of her husband, at the midnight-black hair cut severely short, which just emphasised his rugg

y two years ago. Grey, and of a warm smoky quality, they

y came from vastly different worlds. Zeke from a rags-to-riches background and a childhood devoid of love

lly unawakened; he had had relationships with women from the ag

t when he had drawn her into his arms in the intimate shadows inside her garden gate she had known wh

haken her to her roots. By the time the kiss had finished she'd been trembling with passion and excit

er into him as he had spoken, wrapping his arms arou

is mouth had taken hers again in a kiss that was powerful and hungry she'd

oved him and that she couldn't live without him, the i

caught it to her, her eyes never leaving

en him all of herself-body, soul and spi

's, and she was glad she had thought to ring in advance and reserve a table for two in her name

restaurant was crowded and busy instead of being virtually empty. In another half an hour, though, that would

e you,' Marianne breathed as

he waiter appeared at their side like a rabbit out of a hat, s

had educated her on good wines until now she could hold her ow

h changes,' she said

he knew from experience was soft and mellow with a warm oak flavour, and then,

-blue eyes, small straight nose and full mouth framed by a mass of luxuriant silver-blonde hair that hung in silky waves to below Marianne's shoulderblades. 'But yo

and after all the sycophantic boot-lickers that tried to attach themselves to Zek

ives?' Pat

'It's all such a mess, Pat-me, Zeke, everything. I thought...I thought it was going to be so different. I knew his work was a big part of his life, and that's all right, it is really, but he doesn't seem to un

at said wit

me to work, says I don't need to, and even when I tried to set up some voluntary work at the local hospital he made it so difficult I finished up letting it go. The apart

Pat querie

months it didn't matter, but then I started to worry, so we went for tests and everything's fin

ll this?' said Pat,

...he thought I wasn't getting pregnant because I was stressed, and when he said that it was more reason for Zeke to say he doesn't want me to do

taste of Zeke Buchanan's single-mindedness when he had all