To Deceive Is To Love (Romantic suspense) (8 page)

David caught Danny’s fist before it made contact. His hand encased his brother’s smaller hand and twisted it back, causing Danny to nearly go to his knees.

Chantelle’s voice screaming out for them both to stop caused David to release his grip. Danny staggered back and then went to charge at David again, only by this time, Chantelle had rushed over and was trying to hold Danny back. Gripping her arms around Danny’s shoulders, she positioned her body between the two brothers.

“What’s gotten into you two?” she shouted, still holding on tightly to Danny, who had managed to calm down slightly. She stared accusingly at David.

For a moment, he remained silent, his arms now down by his sides. The anger had faded, leaving him feeling ashamed. Danny didn’t deserve this from him and neither did Chantelle. He should have handled the situation far better. Instead, he had resorted to childish innuendos, knowing full well how hot-tempered Danny was and exactly how he would retaliate. David couldn’t get his brother to hate him any more than he did now.

Raising his hands up in a submissive gesture, he moved forward. “Look, what I said was uncalled for, Danny. You just came at me in a bad moment. Can we forget it?”

Chantelle had released Danny, but she still stood between them and the small frown that creased her brow made it clear she felt David had given a pitiful apology. Still, she glanced back over her shoulder at Danny and attempted a small smile.

“I don’t know what it was about, but can you two at least part amicably? I’m not much good at refereeing and I can’t stand the sight of blood.” She smiled encouragingly, but was met with a stony response from Danny.

“Come on, Chantelle; let’s get the hell out of here.” Without looking at David, he marched off.

Chantelle looked at David as if waiting for him to say something. When he didn’t, she turned and followed Danny.

David remained standing there even after the red Fiesta they had both gotten into drove away. His thoughts were going in every direction, first to Danny and how far he had come from the doting brother who was so excited when David was home on leave that he wouldn’t give him a moment alone the whole time. David had loved telling him about the planes he was flying and the places he had been. There had been so much admiration in Danny’s young face and now all he saw was contempt.

He so desperately wanted to put it right between them, but where could he begin and for what purpose? He had put Danny at risk enough by being related to him. Besides, if he was to tell Danny everything, it would have to include the truth about their mother and Danny wouldn’t thank him for it.

His thoughts switched to Chantelle. The moment he’d seen her, he had wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms, to feel his lips upon hers and admit how he couldn’t stop thinking about making love to her. Maybe if they had made love, the obsession would be over. Instead, she had made him desire what she had denied him. It was a fantasy he was going to have to live with, because in reality, he knew it could never happen.

****

Paul tapped lightly on the door. “Chantelle, are you all right in there? I haven’t seen you for days and frankly, I’m beginning to worry. Of course, if you have a man holed up in there, I’ll go away.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Paul, but I’m all alone and quite happy to stay that way. No offence, but I don’t feel up to talking,” Chantelle called weakly through the door.

It was obvious her muffled tone concerned Paul, because he knocked on the door again, this time harder. “I’m standing here all day if necessary. Now open this door.”

Chantelle let several minutes pass, then finally stood up and trudged to the door. She stood there in her dressing gown, her hair tied back off from her pale face. She knew she looked a mess, with her eyes puffy and swollen and her nose very red and sore.

Paul gaped at her with his mouth ajar.

“Don’t stare at me like that, Paul. I’m not as bad as I look. Well, at least I think I’m over the worse of it. Flu has a way of making you look pretty dreadful even when you’re on the mend.”

He let out a small sigh of relief. “You had me worried there. After what happened when you came back from that air show in Germany last week and then locking yourself away in here, I began to think...”

“That I might be suicidal?
I hardly think so.
Just languishing in self-pity.”

“I’ve got the perfect remedy.
One of the finest wines from France, the number for the local Chinese takeout place, and my brilliant company.”

“Paul, I warn you, I’m not the greatest company at the moment and as for food, you can count me out.”

“Won’t hear of it.
See you in ten minutes.”

Chantelle shook her head with a small smile as Paul disappeared to fetch the wine. She shouldn’t have told him about Danny and what had happened between them on their return from the air show. But it had shocked her so much at the time that she’d needed to tell someone and Paul was a great listener.

The air display in Germany had been fine except for the lousy weather, which had given her this damn cold. And, of course, there had been Danny’s unexpected confession.

“Is there anything going on between my brother and you?” When he’d asked, Danny had been seated in the passenger seat of her Fiesta and they were on their way to her flat where Danny had secured his motorbike in her hallway. He hadn’t said a word since the confrontation back at the airfield with David.

She didn’t want to think about it. The whole scene had been upsetting enough without a postmortem done on what had led up to it. “Like I told you before, it really is none of your business. But if it makes you happy, no. There is definitely nothing going on and there never has been. Satisfied?”

He had said nothing else until they arrived at her flat and he asked himself in for a coffee. Since he had to drive across London to his rented house, she had agreed.

It still made her shaky thinking about it. He had stood close behind her while she made the coffee, too close; she’d realized when his arms went around her waist. At first, she had laughed nervously, telling him to stop fooling around. Then it had happened, so quick at the time, but afterward she remembered every second of it.

He’d pulled her body around to face him. “Chantelle, don’t you realize how much I’ve wanted you? I’ve tried everything to get you to show some interest. I even flirted with Tracey, until she came on too strong. And all I wanted was for you to give me the same encouragement. Since you didn’t seem interested in any other men, I was willing to bide my time -- and then my bastard of a brother comes along and you’re like a cat in heat.”

It became all too clear why Tracey and she had never gotten along and explained the spiteful comments and dagger looks. She had been jealous. And all for nothing. To her, Danny was just a friend and work colleague. She’d never seen him in any other way.

“You must have realized how I felt,” he’d whispered while pulling her tightly against his body.

She had been so shocked by this declaration that she’d frozen, even when his mouth moved forward to kiss her. Chat had saved her. He’d come to the kitchen looking for food and finding himself ignored, had leapt onto Danny’s back to get her attention. It certainly worked as Danny staggered back from her, yelling at the same time for her to get the bloody cat off his neck. Luckily, no lasting damage had been done, but it had certainly cooled Danny’s ardor.

He’d gone to the far end of the kitchen and made no other move to come toward her. Instead, he had stood and looked at her. Probably he’d read the panic and disbelief in her face and knew his feelings weren’t reciprocated.

“Danny, I’m sorry, but I had no idea. I don’t think of you in that way.”

“But with my brother, it’s different. Why, Chantelle?” His words had sounded so full of anguish.

“Danny, you mustn’t blame David. Is that why you’re so angry toward him? If it is, you have got to stop.”

Danny’s expression had immediately changed from hurt to angry. “My hatred stems from what he put our mother through, so don’t hold yourself to blame, Chantelle. He hasn’t spoken to her since our father died -- five years. What kind of son is that? He was never around to witness what our father turned out to be: a drunk and a bully.”

Relieved the situation had switched from Danny’s feelings for her to the way he felt about his brother, Chantelle had wanted him to go on. “Your father wasn’t always like that though, was he?”

“I don’t know. My mother tells me he wasn’t, but I was too young to remember and my father served in the air force until I was twelve. He changed after he had to take early retirement on medical grounds and then we saw too much of him.”

“Facing that kind of uncertainty would change most people to a degree,” Chantelle had replied softly.

“Yeah, I guess so.” His words had sounded bitter.

“How did your father die?”

“Crashed a light aircraft he was flying. No fault was found with the plane, but he was probably drunk.”

“Accidents happen, but we always need to blame someone, don’t we? My father died in front of thousands at an air show, doing what he loved. But he made a mistake and paid for it with his life. Instead of feeling sorrow, I was angry at him for deserting us like that and especially what came afterward. Secrets often hurt the ones they are trying to protect.” She’d frowned pensively, and then given Danny a reluctant half-hearted smile. “Anyway, it’s all in the past.”

“Do you know we spend whole weekends in each other’s company and yet, we’ve never had a serious conversation? I thought I knew you, but it seems I don’t know you at all.” He had looked at her almost regretfully.

“Oh, Danny, don’t speak like that. We have fun, don’t we? We get on well and we’re a great team. Why spoil it by trying to make it into something that wouldn’t work?”

“You’re talking about earlier, aren’t you?”

Chantelle had nodded.

“I guess I got the signals wrong. Let’s forget it, shall we?” He had given her a small smile and then left.

Chantelle had closed the door after him and leaned against it with a sigh of relief. Though the air had been cleared between them, she now felt their relationship could never quite be the same. She would be forever listening to herself to make sure her words or actions couldn’t be misinterpreted.

Hearing Paul come back into her flat carrying a bottle of wine jolted her back to the present. At least with him, nothing could be misread.

Chat also came wandering up to her, having risen from his favorite sleeping position on the back of the sofa. He followed her into the kitchen and waited expectantly at the fridge door.

Opening the fridge, she removed a saucer of cooked chicken and placed it down in front of him. “I’m afraid after today, it’s tinned food for you. No more luxuries.”

“Times that bad?” Paul asked as he leaned against the counter.

“Yes, and they’ll only get worse now that winter is approaching. There’s not a great demand for air displays when you can’t see above the rain clouds and gusty winds. We have good sponsors who pay us all year round, although not enough. I’m thinking of going back to teaching.”

“What about the other team members? How do they get by?”

“They all have different sidelines, even Danny, who does motorbike racing or any other dangerous sport he can find someone to sponsor him for.”

Opening the wine and reaching in the cupboard for two glasses, Paul filled them and handed one to Chantelle. “Here’s to better times.” He raised his glass to hers.

Just then, the buzzer for the downstairs entrance door sounded. “Expecting someone?” she asked Paul.

“Not unless he’s tall, dark and exceedingly handsome.” He gave her a wide, mischievous grin.

Laughing, she went over to the intercom.