Web of Deception

chapter Nine



Kate Henry leaned forward off the wooden bench of her seat on the ski lift to slide onto the snow in front of her and head back onto the beginner’s run. Problem was that the snow was frozen from having being compacted by so many skiers, making it very slippery, especially for a beginner. Knees bent, she leaned forward to make sure she kept her balance.

Making her way onto the edge of the run, Kate looked uphill to make sure she wouldn’t get in the way of other skiers coming down the hill, then shifted her gaze down towards the slope she was going to tackle.

She heard the swish of snow being flicked at her feet as a pair of skis cut into the snow and turned her head.

“Where did you come from?” Kate asked.

Daniel slid his ski goggles onto this forehead. “From up the mountain. There’s a black run on the other side.”

“I didn’t even see you.”

“It’s lucky I spotted you then, isn’t it? I saw you in your lesson earlier on. You were very good. Easily the best in your class.”

Though not sure she believed him, her lips curled to a smile. “I don’t know about that. But I’m feeling rather pleased with myself. When we got here, my aim was to be able to go down the beginners slope without falling onto my butt and I can do it.”

Daniel pointed his ski pole down the hill. “Show me what you can do. Lead the way.”

There was no doubt her achievements on the ski slopes weren’t as grand as his. Still, she was happy to show off her newfound skiing skills.

Kate made her way down the hill, zigzagging from one side of the run to the other as she’d been shown by her instructor. This was how the beginners skied down the hill.

As she slowed down to turn again, she heard Daniel calling out and stopped.

“Very good,” he said. “But this time let’s up the pace a bit. You can follow me.”

“You won’t go too fast, will you?”

“Faster than this.” He grinned. “But not too fast.”

She nodded and he sped off. Kate struggled to keep up with him as he skied down the hill with the ease of a seasoned professional. At one point, he slowed and looked back to see she was far behind so he stopped and waited for her to catch up.

Kate slid to a halt next to him. “That was too fast for me.”

He shook his head. “Kate, you can do it. I know you’re good enough. You’ve got to relax and let the skis take you. Trust me.”

“No, I can’t. I’m not as good as you.”

“You can. Don’t think about it. Just do it.”

He placed his gloved hand over hers. If only she shared his confidence. She was reasonably good for a beginner but could she let rip and speed down the hill?

Everything she did was always well within the bounds of her skills. Though she tried new things occasionally, she so so rarely went outside her comfort zone.

Looking up at Daniel, she knew this was the time. Now or never. She nodded.

Daniel sped off again, zigzagging down the hill. And she did it. She kept up with him. The wind rushed past her, skis gliding along the snow, and she felt her heart beat faster. Felt the rush. Each turn was a little quicker than the next as they shot down the slope, building up speed.

Then she saw him signalling her, pointing straight down the hill. He wanted her to stop zigzagging and go straight down the middle like the professional skiers did. That meant going even faster.

Kate sucked in a deep breath, leaned forward a little more and skied straight down the middle right behind Daniel.

So this was what it felt like. Challenging. Exhilarating. It went straight to her head.

At the bottom of the run, Daniel pulled over to one side. Kate slowed and stopped beside him. He’d already pulled his goggles onto his forehead and she did the same.

He grabbed her shoulders and rubbed her arms. “I knew you could do it.”

She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. “That was brilliant. I got such a buzz out of it.”

She’d loved the rush, loved pushing herself. And though it had probably been nothing for Daniel, for her it had been an adrenaline rush. An extreme.

“See what happens when you leave what the instructor said behind you, when you don’t worry about the way other people do it. You just let rip. You did it your way.”

Kate couldn’t stop grinning. She wasn’t sure she had done it her way.

But it had been a heck of a lot of fun.

* * *

Daniel stepped out of the shower, a towel around his waist. That felt better. Glancing across at the spa, he saw the water in the tub was bubbling furiously, nearly filled to the top. He was glad he’d started it running earlier. He couldn’t wait to get Kate in there.

Walking into the bedroom, he saw she was still sitting on the edge of the bed in her thermals, her bare feet dangling down. Her hair was messed up from wearing a beanie all day but she looked beautiful as always.

He wondered how it was possible for a woman to look so damn sexy wearing candy striped thermal underwear. He didn’t have an answer. He only knew he wanted to get her out of those clothes as quickly as possible.

Kate looked up at him. “I’m too tired to move.”

“You’ll feel better after a soak in the tub.”

“That sounds good,” she said. “If only I could get up.”

Daniel stretched out his hand and she took it, following him back into the bathroom.

She stepped ahead of him onto the bath mat, her hands on her hips as she peered into the tub. “That looks good.”

“We’ll have to get you out of these clothes first.”

He wound his hands around her waist from behind, hooked his fingers over the hem of her thermal top. Kate raised her arms obediently as he lifted the top over her head and tossed it onto the tiles. She turned her head to look at him through the corner of her eye. Daniel unhooked her bra, slid the straps off her shoulders before sending the bra in the same direction as her top.

Instinctively, he lowered his lips to the curve of her neck and kissed her gently from behind. He wrapped his arms around her waist again, his fingers inching higher up her rib cage towards those lush round breasts.

His fingertips skimmed the underside of her breasts. He wanted her. All of her. But he would make her wait.

Sidling up close behind her, his chest was pressed against the fine smooth skin of her back. She felt so good. His hands dropped lower until he hooked them over the top of her thermal pants and he slid them down over her thighs. Stepping out of them, she wore only flimsy black panties, striking against her pale skin.

Daniel slid one hand over her stomach and pulled her close. His other hand slid over the lace of her panties. She gasped and tilted her head back onto his chest.

“This isn’t very sensible underwear, now is it?” he said. “Best we get rid of it.”

Still breathless, she nodded and he lowered the scrap of fabric down to her ankles. On his knees behind her, he pressed his mouth on the soft flesh of her bottom, then slowly stood, trailing kisses up her spine. She was so soft, her skin so smooth, and as he pulled her close again he thought how well she fit against his body.

His towel hadn’t shifted from his waist, so he ripped it off. Last night and the night before when they’d made love, it had been so quick, so intense. This time, he was going to make it last longer so he could savour every moment.

Daniel pressed one final kiss to her neck. “We can’t let the spa go to waste. It’s our last night in the mountains.”

Taking her hand, he helped her into the tub, then joined her.

“Champagne!” Kate pointed to the silver tray with two glasses and a chilled bottle on it. Daniel had put it there before his shower.

“I’d almost forgotten about that,” he said. “I was distracted.”

Reaching across, he removed the foil, popped the cork and poured two glasses. He passed one to her.

Kate’s lips curled to a sultry smile as they clinked glasses. “This is the life.”

“So you could get used to this?”

She took a sip of champagne. “Absolutely.”

This could all be hers. And so much more.

If only she would open her mind just a little and look at things from a different viewpoint, from outside the square. She’d shown Daniel what she was capable of on the slopes this afternoon when she’d forgotten the rules her ski instructor had taught her. She’d trusted herself instead, flown down the hill, gone much faster than she thought she could. If only she would take his hand now and let him show her the way.

Kate knew what she wanted. She’d been very clear on the matter. A man, a home, a family, and a career, of course. And he respected that. There was no reason she couldn’t work after having children if that was important to her though her priorities might change after the fact.

So might his too, for that matter. He could scale down the business. It’s not like he needed the money but he did enjoy the thrill of the next deal. Working from home could be an option if he decided to spend more time with the children. He just hadn’t had the chance to think about it. There was still time time for that.

Security must surely be a consideration for Kate, though she’d never stated it directly. That was one thing he could give her. She wouldn’t want for anything and he’d make sure she was well taken care of for the rest of her life.

She wanted all those things and saw marriage as the first step to achieving her goals.

But there were other paths she could take which would lead to the same end. There were other ways which would fulfill her, satisfy her. She just had to open her mind to it, consider other options.

Why was she so set on marriage? Perhaps there was more to her past than she’d let on.

Kate’s eyes were closed as she slid lower into the tub, glass still in hand.

“You’ll drown if you slide down any lower,” Daniel said.

As she sat up higher, he glimpsed a flash of dusky nipple, until she adjusted her position so she was covered by water and the bubbles.

She smiled. “Perhaps I was a little too relaxed.”

“I’m glad I have that effect on you.” He slid beside her so their thighs were touching. Putting his glass down, he stretched one arm around her. “I get the feeling sometimes that you’re on your guard.”

“You know the old saying. Once bitten, twice shy.”

“We’ve all been “bitten”. We’ve all had experiences, some not so pleasant, that have shaped us.”

“That’s it, I guess. I’ve made mistakes and I don’t want to make the same ones again.”

“What happened? Before Mark, I mean.”

“I told you about Craig Deal, the ad guy, and how shallow that relationship was.” She looked down. “There was another man after him. A bigger mistake.”

“Kate, everyone makes mistakes.”

“Not like this. This was a complete sham. I just didn’t know it at the time.”

“What made it so bad?”

“He was ten years older than me and much more worldly. I thought he was sophisticated but that’s not how I’d describe him now. He was cunning and clever in ways I could never be and I think he’d had years of practice at it. I wasn’t looking out for it. I’d never met such an accomplished liar. Never suspected someone could be that two-faced.”

“What did he lie about?”

Kate sipped her champagne. “Everything that was important. Now that I look back on it, I should have picked up on the clues. He only gave me his mobile and work numbers, not his home phone. We always went to my place, never his. He said he was renovating. Oldest story in the book.”

The penny dropped.

But Daniel knew Kate well enough to know she would never fool around with a married man or break up someone else’s marriage. She had far too much integrity for that. There wasn’t a nasty bone in her body.

“He was married,” Daniel said.

She nodded. “And everyone else seemed to know about it except me.”

“So how did you find out?”

“We were having drinks with some people from his work. I overheard him say something to a mate about Sharon and I asked a woman from his office who she was. She said it was his wife and looked at me like I was an idiot, like it was really obvious. But it wasn’t to me. I was in shock.”

“And what did he say?”

She shrugged. “Not much. He acted like it was no big deal. Told me I was overreacting.”

Daniel raised his eyebrows. “He expected you to put up with that?”

“Yes. He said if his wife didn’t care, there was no reason I should. Apparently they had an open relationship but the fact is, he hadn’t been open with me about any of it until I confronted him. He knew I wouldn’t have had a bar of him if I’d known he was married. I’ve got standards and I think he found that funny. Thought it was a game. He used me.”

What kind of man would do that? All men wanted sex. There was nothing new in that. But if that was what he’d wanted there were other ways of getting it. Other women, for a start. Because Kate was too kind a person to treat so badly.

A curl of anger unfurled in Daniel’s stomach. Did that man know how much his selfishness had affected her? Would he even care?

Daniel cared.

Though it was in her past, this had obviously shaped her personality and her ideas and the woman she had become.

Kate put her champagne glass to her lips, then lowered it. And the words came tumbling out.

“Do you know what the worst thing was?” she asked. “He was completely dishonest about the whole thing, not just through the relationship but at the end when I broke it off with him too. He refused to accept that he’d kept anything from me or done anything wrong. I was shattered when it happened but the thing that stuck with me the most afterwards was the lack of honesty and integrity.”

So that was why she’d found a man like Mark afterwards. He wasn’t the kind who’d lead her on or cheat on her. With Mark, what you saw was what you got. The man was reliability personified. That was one of the things that made him a good employee.

“Not all men are like that,” Daniel said. “Not all of us are dishonest. You got unlucky. And if I saw that bastard I’d take great satisfaction in punching him out.”

“I’m sure you would.”

“I’ve been honest with you from the beginning. I wanted you from the start and that hasn’t changed.”

She looked at the glass in her hand. “You’ve never led me on. But surely you can see why I don’t want to be taken for a ride again. My heart has led me astray not once, but over and over again. I don’t want to do it that way any more. To make my choices based on my feelings. I’ve got a good head on my shoulders.” With a wry smile, she added, “I just need to use it more.”

“You’re an intelligent woman, Kate.”

“Mark wasn’t right for me either. He’s a nice guy. Reliable. Caring. I can’t say a bad word about him. But we weren’t right for each other. We didn’t have deep feelings for each other. Certainly not enough to last us a life-time together. It wasn’t anyone’s fault that the relationship fizzled out.”

“Your feelings aren’t always wrong,” Daniel said. “There’s a strong attraction between you and me. Emotional as well as physical. You can’t deny it. But we can make the most of it without hurting each other. It doesn’t have to be that way. And I guarantee I’ll always be honest with you.”

Kate looked at him, her expression serious. “I’ve been honest with you too. I know what we’ve got won’t last forever.”

He returned her deep stare. “But I’m all right for a bit of hanky panky? A good time?”

Her lips parting, she nodded. “A very good time. That hasn’t changed.”

Kate was wrong. Something had changed for him. From the moment he first saw her, he knew he wanted her, but he hadn’t known how she could fit into his plans in the long term. Not for life. But for much longer than a fling. This was a woman who could satisfy him in so many ways.

Lowering her eyelids Kate sipped her champagne, then put the glass to his lips. The fine bubbles of rich liquid were refreshing and he felt a surge of renewed energy. Taking the glass from her hand, he placed it on the edge of the spa with his.

Kate was too fast for him. She slid one leg over to perch herself on his lap facing him. The look in her eye told him she was done with talking. She rested her hands on his upper thighs and leaned forward, her breasts pressed together by her arms.

The wet ends of her hair tumbled forward so he pushed the locks behind her shoulders. He wanted to see her. Those lush, round breasts were put there for his enjoyment, after all.

Tilting her head closer, she covered his mouth with hers.

She was all his.

* * *

Kate’s lips were still swollen and her body limp from their love-making, her hair splayed across the pillow. She lay on her side and reached across to place her hand on his chest.

Daniel wondered if she wanted more. Was it possible he’d found a woman with whom he couldn’t keep up? They’d only been getting warmed up in the spa before ordering room service and spending the rest of the evening naked, rolling around on the bed together.

“Daniel,” she said, “I told you about my past but you’ve never told me about what happened with Jane.”

The way women wanted to talk after sex amazed him. What was wrong with simply lying side by side? Or closing you eyes and falling asleep?

He turned onto his side and cupped her face in his hands. “Surely you don’t want to talk now. Wouldn’t you rather just fall asleep in my arms?”

“I’ll do that later. But I deserve to know about your life too.”

Daniel rolled onto his back again. “There’s not much to tell.”

She stroked his chest. “Then it won’t take long.” He didn’t say anything so she added, “It’s clearly shaped your personality and your goals. Once you wanted marriage. You were engaged, after all. And now it’s not something you want. It’s not only that you haven’t found the right person. You told me from the start you didn’t want to get married. Ever.”

He knew she wouldn’t give up until he’d told her the full story. It had happened ten years ago and he wasn’t in love with Jane any more. There was no reason he couldn’t talk about it.

“My experience with Jane Simpson made me see the light,” he said. “I wasn’t cut out for marriage.”

“You weren’t or she wasn’t?”

Kate was quick. She wouldn’t miss a trick.

“Jane wanted marriage all right,” Daniel said. “And she got it. She didn’t even wait that long to find her ‘Mr Right’. She was engaged two months after we broke up and married a few months after that.”

Kate slid closer to him and took his hand in hers. “That must have hurt.”

“It did at the time. After that, it didn’t take me long to work out I was better off without her. She wasn’t the person I thought she was. Money was the only thing she was interested in. She was never truly interested in me. Only my money. And when I didn’t have any of that, she dumped me.”

“What do you mean ‘you didn’t have any’? You’re a wealthy man, Daniel.”

“I wasn’t always. I was young and I’d been working my way up in business, buying a few properties. It was Jane who introduced me to a businessman called Rex Irwin. He’d been around for a while so he had contacts and other capital and security. Together we formed Irwin Webb. He had a substantial amount of capital but he needed the finance I provided. And my name. The family name.

“Business went badly and I hadn’t done my research properly. That’s one lesson I leant from this particular experience. Irwin Webb folded and I was pretty much broke after that. Basically, I had to start all over again which is what I did. But not with Jane. She wasn’t interested any more. She wanted a rich man and she got one.”

“Had she been having an affair?”

“No. I’m sure she only took up with the man afterwards. That wasn’t the issue. The problem was that I thought she wanted me but she wanted someone with money. I wasn’t so appealing to her without it.”

“It sounds like you were better off without her.”

“There were other problems too,” Daniel said. “She was a stockbroker and she got involved in a dodgy deal. I don’t know exactly what went on but I suspect she was involved in insider trading. She didn’t deny it and neither did she admit it. However she did make it clear I was being a prude about the whole thing. That it was no big deal. Simply a way to make a few extra dollars.”

“Isn’t it illegal?”

He nodded. “And immoral. And dishonest. So you see, honesty is important to me too.”

Daniel’s father had told him from the beginning that marrying Jane was going to be the biggest mistake of his life. And he’d been right. It would have been. At least this way, Daniel had ended up broke but not broken.

He’d let his father down.

Worse than that, he’d let himself down.

And he was never going to do that again.

Daniel pressed a gentle kiss to Kate’s lips. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

She shook her head.

“Then maybe we can get some sleep after all.”

She nodded.

But Daniel didn’t feel like sleeping any more.