All The Fire Page 19

  Joanne tried to maintain a calm front. ‘Oh, yes,’ she murmured pleasantly.

  ‘Yes, damn you!’ Dimitri threw out an expressive hand. ‘It’s obvious we’ve both spent the night here! We could have slept together as far as Jimmy knows!’

  ‘I know that.’ Joanne bent her head. ‘So you’ve ruined my reputation. But that doesn’t matter - not with you.’

  Dimitri groaned. ‘In God’s name, it should matter to Jimmy! Or is this crazy country of yours peopled by imbeciles!’

  Joanne turned away. ‘Why should it matter to Jimmy? Our engagement was broken six weeks ago!’

  There was a moment’s silence, and then she felt Dimitri close behind her, his body almost touching hers. ‘What did you say?’ he asked unevenly.

  Joanne bit her lip. ‘Our engagement is over. It was broken six weeks ago.’

  Dimitri heaved a sigh. ‘But that was just after you came back from Greece!’

  ‘That’s right.’ Joanne bent her head.

  Dimitri uttered an expletive. ‘Your father doesn’t know?’

  It was a question, and she shook her head.

  ‘No. I didn’t tell him. After - after what Andrea told me I felt sure she couldn’t want me back, and I felt equally sure my father would insist that I came.’

  ‘I see.’ Dimitri’s voice was taut. ‘And last night—you didn’t think to tell me then?’

  ‘Why should I? I didn’t know that it mattered to you.’

  Dimitri’s fingers gripped her shoulders, almost cruelly, crushing her back against him. ‘Yes, it matters,’ he muttered violently. His mouth sought the nape of her neck, and a shiver ran up her spine.

  But she wasn’t prepared to give in quite so easily. She knew the strength of the power he held over her and it frightened her to realize how vulnerable she had made herself.

  ‘Tell me,’ he said, turning her round to face him, ‘why did you break your engagement? Was it because of me?’ His eyes were dark and inscrutable.

  Joanne coloured. ‘You know the answer to that,’ she replied tautly.

  Dimitri’s eyes softened. ‘What’s wrong? Why are you looking so apprehensive? Do you imagine I’m going to seduce you or something?’

  Joanne’s colour deepened, and Dimitri shook his head rather impatiently. ‘Contrary to your beliefs, I am not an animal,’ he muttered huskily. ‘Besides, would it be so dreadful?’

  Joanne quivered. ‘No.’ She bent her head. ‘That’s why I’m afraid. I - I - ought to get dressed!’

  Dimitri drew her closer against the hard length of his body. ‘First, I’ll tell you something,’ he said softly. ‘Your father didn’t send me here. So far as he is aware, you received his telegram and whether or not you choose to go is your affair. I came - because I had to. I had to satisfy myself once and for all that you intended going through with this marriage to Jimmy. I somehow couldn’t believe that you would, and then last night when you weren’t home I went through agonies imagining you with him. But instead it was some other man.’

  Joanne smiled. ‘It was a medical student that Dr. Hastings supplied as an escort,’ she said quickly. ‘It wasn’t an emotional thing.’

  Dimitri sighed. ‘Okay, I’ll accept that. Knowing you for the innocent you are, how could it be anything else?’ He shook his head again. ‘Anyway, I had to see you. I wanted you last night, so badly I could hardly think straight, and when you kissed me I knew you must feel the same. I would have told you earlier, but when Jimmy arrived I was really mad! I wanted to hurt you as you were hurting me, but instead I only succeeded in hurting myself.’

  ‘And now?’ Joanne looked questioningly at him.

  Dimitri’s mouth softened. ‘Now - well, I think we ought to consider our future very seriously. Like - how soon will you marry me?’

  ‘Marry?’ Joanne touched his lips with her fingers. ‘I thought you were a loner—a man who didn’t want a little woman to darn his socks and cook his meals—’

  Dimitri silenced her with a kiss. ‘I don’t need you for those reasons. I need you because I love you, because I can’t live without you.’

  Joanne buried her face in his chest. ‘My father will be so pleased,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t know about—Andrea—‘

  ‘Andrea will accept the inevitable,’ murmured Dimitri softly. ‘And how about you? Are you pleased?’

  ‘Oh, Dimitri, need you ask? I adore you.’ Her voice was husky with emotion, and for a long moment there was silence in the room. Then he gently pushed her away from him. ‘I don’t want to do this,’ he muttered, ‘but it won’t be for much longer, then we’ll be together always.’ A smile lifted the corners of his mouth. ‘How do you think you ‘ll like being the wife of a university lecturer?’

  Joanne stared at him incredulously. ‘The fellowship! She breathed. ‘But - the responsibilities—’

  Dimitri gave her a wry smile. ‘Compared to a wife, they are as nothing,’ he remarked calmly, without a trace of dismay ...