It was warm inside, very warm; the stored-up heat from a fierce sun had heated the vehicle in spite of shade from the corrugated roof of the parking bay. He wound down the windows and settled her comfortably before pulling out into the gathering night, the smooth transition from flying a plane to driving no apparent problem. He had every right to his air of self-possession.
She glanced at him secretly. He bothered her and she didn't quite know why. She was quite accustomed to dealing with men, both as boyfriends and as business contacts. Kip Forsythe, though, was like no man she had ever known. It was as if a great precipice yawned between them, every inch of it filled with danger. The bright lights of the airport picked up the clean-cut, masculine face uncannily. In a way he was just a little frightening for no reason she could fathom. He looked as if he would be kind with the right sort of people, but instinct told her she was not in that category. As an enemy he would be pretty ruthless. There was a hard competence about him that showed he could deal with just about anything. He would be gentle with a woman but always slightly disdainful. A man's man, if there was such a thing, although he looked handsome enough to cope in just about any setting.
They were speeding through a sizeable town, the shops still open, and she tried to look around with some interest but gave it up almost at once. She was too weary. As they began to climb steadily the air cooled and she sank back against the seat, feeling safe for the first time since she had left London. Her feet were back on the ground and that was a great comfort.
'If it weren't so late you could see your objective,' the deeply dark voice pointed out. 'The Kabala Dam,' he added when she glanced at him. 'We cross the dam to
get to your hotel. The hotel was built on the slope overlooking the dam* a great vantage-point. As it's so late,. all you'll see from your hotel window is the lights over the road.'
'It's completely finished, then?' Natalie asked.
'More or less. The official opening is soon but actually it's been partially in action for quite a while. All it needs now is close and careful inspection and Africans trained to take care of it.'
The car jolted over a patch of rough ground and Natalie clutched her head, unable to help herself, pain shooting through her like small knives.
He glanced at her sharply. 'Have you anything with you for that headache?'
'No.' Actually, she hadn't admitted to a headache, but not a lot escaped him.
'Then we'll make a small detour. I live close by and I can't guarantee that the hotel will have anything, splendid modern structure notwithstanding.'
She almost told him she was all right but he didn't look as if he would take kindly to untruths at this stage and she certainly needed something, so she kept quiet and soon they were turning into the drive of a house set back off the road.
Lights were on outside, lighting up the drive and grounds, and she could see that it was quite a big house, one-storeyed in the old colonial manner, white, red-roofed and surrounded by verandas. It stood in what appeared to be a sizeable garden and they stopped at a flight of long steps that fronted the house.
'Come inside. I'll get you a couple of tablets. You can take them now.'
He was not expecting any disobedience and didn't look as if he ever would expect it. He came round to help her out, taking her arm and leading the way to the front door where a plump, dark-faced man suddenly appeared like a beaming genie.
'Get some water, Josh, and then make the lady a tray of tea.'
Natalie turned to protest. She had the greatest desire to jerk her arm away from the cool, firm grasp but common sense told her to go carefully. He bothered her. It was ridiculous but a definite fact nevertheless. She moved out of his reach surreptitiously, swinging round.
'Really, there's no need. If I could .just have the water...'
She never heard the reply because everything began to swim dizzily again and as he turned to speak to her she fainted at his feet, sliding to the hard, polished floor before he could catch her, the crack her head received chasing any remaining reality completely away.
Natalie was lying on a long settee when she opened her eyes. The soft lights from lamps hurt her, her head ached unbelievably and she struggled to sit up.
'Stay right where you are.' The swift command brought her completely back to the present and she turned her head to see Kip Forsythe bending over her, his face somewhat grim.
'What happened?' She screwed up her eyes to see him and as if he understood the pain he crouched down beside her.
'For somebody who's perfectly all right, you have a good line in fainting. I'm afraid you took me by surprise. I wasn't quite fast enough and you banged your head considerably. That's not going to help.'
'I've never fainted before.' Natalie looked at him wonderingly. She felt too ill to worry about her own vulnerability now, sick and aching, this far place not home, no help to hand. If he hadn't been so uncompromisingly masculine she would have had a little weep.
'There's always a first time.' He stood up and looked down at her, dark eyes slipping over her face, seeing far too much. 'Close your eyes for a minute and the doctor will be here when you open them.'
'I don't think I need a doctor...'
'Stick to your own profession and leave him to his. I would guess that if you move at all you'll faint again so there's not a lot we can do about it. We'll wait and see what happens, shall we?'
A suave question that sounded like an order. She was beginning to understand why he looked so commanding. He was used to being obeyed. Right now she was almost grateful but later she would resent it, she knew that for sure.
'I've been a lot of trouble,' she began apologetically.
'I expect nothing else from a beautiful woman. Stop worrying.' His voice held a mixture of amusement and impatience. 'You look extremely vulnerable, lying there. Nothing could touch the male heart-strings more. If you could manage to control that sharp tongue, I'd be fascinated.'