There was just something in his tone that stung, in spite of his apparent kindness. Maybe he just didn't like women? She was stuck with him anyway—a tough, golden stranger, and she felt so awfully ill. A bit of self-pity flared up and her green eyes filled with tears, a fact he didn't miss.
'It's all right.' He looked down at her with amused compassion. 'I've got a baby sister of my own, not much older than you. I'll treat you accordingly.'
The dark glance seemed to glitter right over her and she felt some shiver of reaction, almost primeval. It was humiliating to have to lie there with no strength to take evasive action. He looked dangerously male, an ironic quirk to those carved lips, and a flush ran over her skin even though she felt so ill.
'I won't need looking after,' she managed shakily, but all she got was a peculiar stare that went right through her.
'You'll always need looking after. Whoever gets the pleasure had better not mistake your tough attitude. I don't think there's a lot to back it up, Miss West.'
The doctor was old, his wrinkled skin the colour of walnut, the sort of Englishman who had spent his life in Africa and would never leave.
'Virus,' he said with every appearance of satisfaction. 'Two or three days and it will burn itself out.' He did not speak to Natalie. His remarks were addressed to Kip Forsythe as if Natalie were an inanimate object; he was another 'man's man' apparently. 'Get her to bed and keep her there. Plenty to drink, no upsets and give her these.' He handed over some tablets and made for the door, stopping as an afterthought came to him. 'Oh, yes, just keep a careful eye on her this evening. That bang on the head may be a trouble. There's a very nice lump there so I don't expect she'll suffer more than a bad head but watch her. Gall me if you need me.'
He just walked out and Natalie watched with dazed eyes, biting her lip when she saw Kip Forsythe come back into the room and look at her determinedly.
'Two or three days? I've got work to do!'
'Not at the moment. As things stand you'll be lucky to get anything done for a week. It's fortunate we flew
in. A long drive here would have just about finished you off and you would have been stuck across country in a hotel with no help at all.'
'I'm stuck now,' she protested feebly, but all she got was a wry look.
'No, you're not. Help is right here, just about to follow the doctor's orders and put you to bed.'
He lifted her like a child, her slender height nothing to him at all as he walked determinedly from the room.
'I can't stay here—with you? Her shocked whisper amused him, the hard planes of his face softening into laughter as he glanced down at her.
'I have more than one bed, I assure you. Even if I hadn't I would certainly give it up for you. I'm a gentleman of the old school. Ladies in distress and sick children a speciality—dragons killed to order.'
'But people will...' Her anxious words died away at his wry expression, faint colour flooding into her face as wicked laughter flashed in his dark eyes.
'The house is pretty isolated,' he told her in a conspiratorial murmur. 'I'll keep you tucked up here and nobody will even know I've got you.'
Natalie was too weak to struggle and in any case she knew he was simply taunting her. She had never felt so helpless before and tears glazed her green eyes again. It was hateful of him to be like this when she was in no condition to retaliate. She had known what he would be like the moment she had seen him at the airport.
'You're not very nice.' Her voice trembled and he looked down at her quickly, his amusement dying at once. -
'I'm nice when the need arises.' His eyes held hers as he shouldered his way into a lamplit room. 'Don't go
tearful on me, Natalie. You're a brisk television lady, remember? We'll bear that in mind and all will be well.'
'l feel awful!' There was a catch in her voice and she despised the self-pity but it came out all the same.
'I know.' His arms just tightened slightly, an odd feeling of warmth flowing into her as if he was giving her some of his superb strength. He lowered her to a soft bed. 'We'll get you into bed and then give you a couple of the tablets. A good sleep will help quite a lot.'
'How do you know my name?' Irrelevant thoughts seemed to be floating to the top of her mind. She felt dizzy, ridiculously helpless.
'If you remember, you introduced yourself. In any case, I had your name when I came to collect you. No description, though.' He frowned slightly. 'That seemed to be a State secret.' She could see that the thought annoyed him and she gasped and tried to move away as he began to 'get her into bed', his strong lean hands on her ankles as he slipped off her sandals.
'I can manage!'
Her anxious assertion brought dark eyes back to hers as he leaned over and looked at her with some exasperation.
'Right! Go ahead!' He stood back and she looked up at Mm from her almost collapsed position on the bed.
'Well, you'll have to go out,' she managed breathlessly.
'Well, I will,' he countered. 'Just try to call out before you hit the floor again. I'm not quite sure how many bangs a head like yours can take.'
He strode off to the door and she sat up, her head reeling, waves of nausea washing over her. Her dress fastened at the back and she ached so much that trying to reach the zip was like an Olympic effort. She lay back
and closed her eyes. She would sleep like this. It didn't much matter.
'Uncrushable or not, that dress comes off.' The determined voice made her wince and she saw him standing looking down at her, the lights catching the brilliant shine of fair hair. He must have been able to move like a panther because she had never heard him come back.
'I can't do it.'
'I didn't expect you could.' He sounded very exasperated and sat beside her, lifting her up to lean back against him, his hand on her zip.
'You—you can't...' Her protest annoyed him and the zip plunged down with a speed that showed his exasperation had turned to displeasure.
'It's either me or Josh,' he rasped. 'We're landed with you and we'll deal with you. I would imagine that a girl like you has been undressed before. Set your mind at rest. I don't attack the sick and weak.'
'I—I didn't think you did. It's just that... Ooh!'
Tears spilled down her cheeks, pain, weakness and this ridiculous situation getting the better of her. If she had been feeling all right she would have hit him at that remark about being undressed. If he couldn't see that she was fastidious then he was stupid. She tried to wipe the tears from her cheeks, giving herself away, and his hold on her gentled.