The rooms facing the dam had wide balconies and as Natalie stood looking up at the impressive sight two porters raced out to take her luggage. She was very glad. It gave Kip no excuse to come in and no excuse to taunt her further.
'Thank you.' She turned to face him with some reluctance, annoyed with herself to find that she hesitated to raise her eyes to his. Her heart was still thundering away, and even if she could control her voice she couldn't control her eyes.
He was leaning against the Land Rover, looking down at her with the same slight smile on his lips and he said nothing at all until she was forced to look up at him. This small surrender brought laughter to the back of his dark eyes.
'You're very welcome.' Everything about him mocked her, angered her, and she gave him a stiff half-smile before turning and walking into the hotel, very much aware that he still stood there, his eyes on her intently. It gave her the feeling that she was making an undignified retreat and her natural self-sufficiency tried to reassert itself. She looked round almost defiantly only to find that he was simply grinning widely. She felt like an idiotic child. The less she saw of Kip Forsythe, the better. It was very annoying that he was the one she would have to liaise with on this project.
After a rest and a refreshing shower it was almost time for dinner. Outside the swift African night had descended and Natalie stood on her balcony for a few minutes, breathing in the soft air, watching the lights glitter across the water, following the path of the headlights of cars that occasionally crossed the road over the dam. It was beautiful, even a place to live permanently. There was
a sort of excitement in the air, as if something momentous was about to happen. It was an irrational feeling, a feeling quite new to her, as was the wave of guilt that swept over her at the thought of Kip. She went into her room and continued to get ready.
He had no right to intrude into her mind. He had no right to speak as he had done, either. His attitude was very odd as far as she could see because he was not the sort of man who looked as if he would flirt with anyone at all. No doubt he thought she was some idiot and was acting accordingly, amusing himself. If she flirted back he would probably look at her sternly and tell her to behave herself. He had managed with little difficulty to make her feel like a very gauche schoolgirl.
She was still silently fuming as she fastened her earrings and stood back to survey the final effect. Her dress was a soft swirl of organza over satin, the colours muted orange, brown and green. The gold chains she loved looked good with it and now her earrings flashed in the lamplight, swinging from her ears beside the blue-black of her long hair. In high-heeled gold sandals she was slender, tall and very aloof-looking, exactly what she wanted to be. Any of her inner problems remained hidden as usual and she went down to dinner with no thought of conversation with other guests in her mind.
Almost the first person she saw was Kip. She was hit again by the choking feeling of alarm and she wanted to turn back to her room but it was too late; he had already seen her. Resplendent and handsome in white dinner-jacket, he came walking slowly towards her, quite spoiling the feeling she had of being tall and aloof because even before he reached her she began to feel small and agitated.
He panicked her, more every time she saw him, and she had never seen him dressed like this before. The impression of a tough, sardonic film star was overwhelming.
'Good evening, Natalie. Join us for a drink in the bar.'
In the process of staring at him almost open-mouthed she nearly missed the 'us' bit. Not for long; his partner came forward very determinedly and Natalie saw that he was not short of female companionship after all. The woman with him was much more than a companion as far as Natalie could see, and she claimed his arm with a certain determination that had more to do with possession than friendliness.
'Oh, Annette. This is Natalie West.' Kip looked across at Natalie. 'Annette Shelton. Like me, Annette works out here.'
. And that's not all she does, Natalie found herself thinking, quite cattily, forcing herself to smile at the other woman. A blonde, she was blue-eyed, well-groomed, good-looking but not beautiful, bossy and sexy, Natalie catalogued in her mind. She wondered how many nights Kip Forsythe had been 'in love' with Annette.
'What will you drink, Natalie?' Belatedly she glanced back at Kip. Damn him! Why were his eyes always smiling like that? Why did he worry her? It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. She had never met anyone like him before. Tall, bronzed, golden, his fair hair gleaming, he was one of a kind, an original.
'Natalie?'
'Er—I'll have a dry sherry.' His dark brows raised at her blushes but he said nothing although she had the nasty feeling he had been reading her mind.
The drinks had just been served when Natalie was called to the foyer. Her hire car had arrived and she was glad of the excuse to leave the happy couple. To her chagrin, Kip strolled out as she was taking delivery of the car and began to walk around it, inspecting it, throwing questions at the European driver who turned out to be the owner of the hire firm.
'Let's have the bonnet up, Bill,' he ordered, ignoring Natalie's outraged expression!
'This car's in good shape, Kip, but I'll oblige.' They both peered under the bonnet as Natalie stood feeling extremely superfluous and greatly irritated.
'Run the engine,' Kip ordered, and it was the beginning of a steady, scrupulous inspection that had Natalie fuming, her rage barely contained when Kip agreed that it was 'probably passable'.