He studied her for a few moments and the teasing light faded from his eyes. Once again, she observed an almost imperceptible tightening at the corner of his mouth. "Are you okay?" he asked.
She shrugged, then sat down on one of the rush-seated chairs, keeping her towel tucked securely beneath her arms. With the tip of her finger, she traced a bright terry-cloth stripe that ran across the tops of her thighs. "Did you know, Mitch?"
He wandered over to the stucco wall and looked down at the sea. "Know what?"
"About Sam and Mindy? About the others?"
The breeze lifted his hair as he turned back to her. He nodded.
She felt as if she had been hit with a new betrayal. "Sam's infidelity was common knowledge, wasn't it? Everyone knew but me."
"I wouldn't say it was common knowledge, but…"
Slowly she rose from the chair and gazed at him. "We're friends. Why didn't you tell me?"
He studied her and said quietly, "I thought you knew."
She felt sick at her stomach. Was this the opinion Mitch had of her? Did everyone see her as some spineless creature who turned a blind eye to Sam's wanderings? "Don't you know me better than that?"
"Where Sam is concerned, I don't know you at all."
He seemed to be condemning her, and she resented it. "You're blaming me, aren't you?"
"Sam is one of the greatest visionaries in our business, but when it comes to personal relationships, everyone knows he's pretty much a loser. I guess what I don't understand is why you're the only one who was really surprised. Why is that, Susannah?"
Hurt welled inside her. She couldn't believe that Mitch was attacking her. "I didn't ask you to come here, and I don't want you prying into my life."
He glared at her, the corners of his mouth growing tighter by the second. And then something seemed to give way inside him. "Aw shit." He closed the distance between them in two long strides and wrapped her in his big, bear arms.
She needed his comfort, and she was more than willing to forgive him. Wrapping her own arms around his waist, she laid her cheek against the solid wall of his chest where she could hear his heart pumping beneath her ear. "I loved him, Mitch," she whispered. "I loved him and I didn't want to know."
He drew her closer, rubbing his hands up and down her back through the towel. "I know, honey," he murmured, his voice sounding slightly hoarse. "It'll be all right."
As he spoke, the motion of his chin scraped her temple. His fingers rose above the top edge of the beach towel and touched her skin. She closed her eyes, drawing comfort from his presence in a way she had never been comforted by Sam.
And then something changed. His body began to grow tense. The muscles in his arms hardened until she felt as if she were being imprisoned instead of sheltered. A warning bell went off inside her. His leg pressed against the center line of her thighs as if he were trying to push them apart. She had never been so aware of his greater strength, never before felt threatened by it. This was Mitch, she told herself. It was only Mitch. And then he crushed the beach towel in his fists.
"Mitch!" She rescued the towel and pushed herself away at the same time.
He let her go so abruptly that she stumbled. She trapped the towel before it could fall and righted herself. "Mitch, what-" But as she raised her eyes to his face, she couldn't remember what she had been about to say.
"Yes, Susannah?" he asked calmly.
He looked as solid and unflappable as ever. She began to feel stupid. What was wrong with her? Mitch didn't present any threat. Was this going to be another legacy that Sam had left her-the sense that all men were dangerous?
"Hors d'oeuvres, anyone?" Paige appeared with a tray of cheese, black olives, and crackers.
Her head had begun to ache, and she was grateful for her sister's interruption. Excusing herself, she went into the cottage to shower.
Paige-out of pure mischievousness, Susannah was certain-insisted Mitch stay with them in the cottage. That evening she outdid herself with a meal of plump prawns saut‚ed in butter and herbs, rice pilaf, Greek salad, and a chewy loaf of fresh, warm bread. Mitch was effusive with his compliments, and Paige's cheeks took on a rosy flush. Neither of them paid much attention to Susannah.
Over bowls of apple cobbler drizzled with cream, Mitch entertained them with a story about Yank losing his new Porsche at a shopping mall. He was so amusing that before long Susannah relaxed and joined in. The tension between Susannah and Mitch dissipated, and they were soon trying to top each other, telling Paige stories about Yank.
When they began describing Yank's habit of misplacing his girlfriends, Paige accused them of exaggerating. "Nobody's that much of a nerd."
Susannah and Mitch looked at each other and laughed.
But Susannah's lighter mood vanished after dinner when Mitch broached the subject of her return to California. She knew she couldn't stay here forever-she had already been away much too long-but the thought of returning made her insides twist. "I'm not ready. I can't go back yet."
His brow furrowed and he looked as if he were about to say something more, but he merely took a sip of coffee and asked Paige about the island. The strain between them was back.
For the next two days, Mitch and Paige baited each other until Susannah wanted to slap them both. Mitch continued to bring up the subject of Susannah's return, but she refused to discuss it. He began to make vague allusions to a new problem at SysVal. She ignored him. For the past six years she had dedicated herself to the company. Someone else could take over for a while.
By the third day, Mitch could no longer postpone his departure. "We need you in California, Susannah," he said once again, as he handed over his suitcase to the driver of the jeep that was taking him to the airstrip in Chora. "Come with me. We can get a later plane." Once again, she had the sense that he was holding something back.
"Soon," she replied quickly. "I won't stay much longer."
"When? Damn it, Susannah-"
Paige quickly intervened, jumping into the fray like a mother bear defending her cub. Using tactics that were distinctly her own, she brushed her small body against Mitch's big one and gave him her poutiest smile. "So long, Mitch. Look me up whenever you decide you're man enough to go skinny dipping with me."
Instead of ignoring Paige's baiting, he smiled. For a moment his eyes flicked to Susannah, and then he cupped Paige by the back of her neck and gave her a long, deliberate kiss.
When Susannah saw his tongue slip into her sister's mouth, she looked away. She was well aware that Mitch had a strongly sexual nature tucked away beneath his endless supply of navy-blue suits, but it made her uncomfortable to witness it.
Mitch pulled back and slapped Paige's rear. "Keep it warm for me, lamb chop. One of these days, I just might run out of interesting things to do and take you up on your offer."
He brushed Susannah's cheek with a friendly kiss and climbed into the jeep. Paige shaded her eyes with her hands and watched the vehicle disappear. "Mitch Blaine is definitely one hell of a man."
It was the first time Susannah had ever heard her sister speak about any male without cynicism. She suppressed a stab of jealousy because Paige was forming a relationship with Mitch while her own friendship seemed to be showing mysterious signs of strain.
"I should have gone back with him," she said stiffly. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't stay here forever."
Paige draped a comforting arm over her sister's shoulders. "Give yourself a little more time."
Time didn't help. Another week passed, but whenever Susannah thought of returning to California, her heart began to race. One afternoon, she stood at the stone sink washing up their luncheon dishes while Paige went into the village, and as she dried a serving bowl, she told herself she had to do something soon. It wasn't fair to impose upon Paige much longer. For the first time, she let herself think about leaving SysVal and going to another company. Her misery was so encompassing that she didn't hear the jeep pulling up outside the cottage.