He had snatched the towel from around Bethany’s shoulders and tossed it away. ‘Well, come on! Get in!’ His voice was deep and rough with impatience. ‘You’re obviously cold.’ His dark brown eyes surveyed her body briefly, the firm corners of his mouth curving a little in mocking amusement as Bethany instinctively wrapped her arms protectively around her suddenly far too skimpy bikini. ‘I don’t think we’ve got a great deal of time for modesty, Miss Jones,’ he pointed out coolly. ‘The wind’s getting up and the sea is becoming choppier all the time. You do want to head back for the shore, I take it?’
‘Of course I do!’ Bethany snapped, confused by the arrogant brusqueness of the man. ‘But I’m really not a very good swimmer——’
‘Look, are you going to get in or not?’ he asked impatiently. ‘Because frankly I’ve got better things to do with my time than hang about here chatting! The sea is becoming rougher, and not only that, if we leave it much longer the path back up towards the cliff will become completely cut off.’
‘But... but... I can’t! It’s not that easy for met’ Bethany protested frantically. ‘I’ve just told you, I’m not much of a swimmer and the sea’s so strong. I’ll get caught up in the current or smashed up against the other rocks. Can’t... can’t you call the rescue services or something?’ she added, staring hopefully into the handsome face, noticing despite everything how sensationally attractive her short-tempered, totally unsympathetic rescuer was.
‘You mean you fancied a full-scale airlift? A couple of Sea King helicopters, that sort of thing?’ The firm, sensuous mouth twisted derisively. ‘Just because you were stupid enough to allow yourself to fall asleep? And I suppose you fancy a little bit of media coverage while you’re at it?’ he continued sarcastically. ‘Front-page spread of the local rag? Or perhaps that isn’t good enough, perhaps national coverage is more your style?’
Bethany pursed her lips and glared into the disapproving features. ‘There’s no need to be so unkind!’ she snapped. ‘You don’t know how long I’ve been stuck here, calling and calling, waiting for somebody to come——’
‘Well, I’m here now!’ He interrupted bluntly, not affected in the slightest by her valiant struggle to hold back the tears. ‘So you can stop getting hysterical and start listening.’
Bethany felt fierce anger rising. She couldn’t believe this man! How could he be so horrible to her? Mocking her, making her feel as though she had a brain the size of a pea... ‘I’m not sure I want to listen to someone as... as insensitive as you!’ she replied impulsively. ‘I think I’d rather drown than give your over-sized ego the satisfaction of rescuing me!’
He shrugged nonchalantly. ‘Suit yourself! I’ll swim back on my own.’ He dived back into the water. ‘See you around! Maybe.’
Bethany watched in absolute horror as he began swimming back towards the shore. ‘Wait!’ she yelled furiously. ‘Come back! What do you think you’re doing?’ She glanced down at the small patch of rock at her feet and then threw a bewildered look at Chad Alington’s infuriating figure. He surely wasn’t going to leave her here—not really! No one would do that, would they? She called again, frantically this time, as the belief that maybe this man was capable of that brand of callousness took a hold. There was certainly no hesitation in his strokes, no sign that he had even heard her calling... ‘I’m sorry!’ Bethany yelled, as a last resort. ‘I didn’t mean what I said. Please...please come back!’
He took his time, circling slowly, and then, with a sigh of relief, Bethany saw that he was returning to the rock.
‘That...that was a mean thing to do.’ Her voice was unsteady, her eyes full of reproach.
‘You said you didn’t want me to rescue you,’ he replied without the least sign of remorse. ‘There was no way I was going to risk taking an unwilling female back to shore.’ His mouth curved fluidly. ‘All that struggling and screaming—very tiresome. So, are you going to get in or are we to have a little more dithering and indecisiveness first?’
You arrogant swine! Bethany thought grimly as she lowered herself into the chilly, unwelcoming brine.
‘I’ll take you back to shore,’ he announced steadily. ‘All you have to do is relax and rely on me. What you are not to do is start struggling like an idiot as soon as some water goes over your face, or you’ll drown us both. Got it?’ Bethany bit down on her bottom lip and nodded, noting despairingly how easy it was for him to tread water—she had never, ever been able to do that properly. ‘Now, lie on your back and kick with your feet a little... yes, that’s fine. I’m going to put my hand under your chin like this...see? Good—just relax and stay like that.’
It was far, far easier than she had imagined. What had terrified her so much was simply not a problem now that Chad Alington had taken charge. His strong supporting hand never left her body and despite the fear and tension of the situation and the fact that she was totally, totally dependent on this arrogant disconcerting stranger, Bethany found, amazingly, that she was able to do as he had instructed and relax.
The sea had eaten up all of the beach now. After what felt like eternity, but was in fact less than five minutes, Bethany felt the delight of firm shingle beneath her feet and, with a gasp of relief, waded thankfully through the water towards the small ledge of rock which would lead them both to safety.
‘Here, take my hand.’ He wasn’t even out of breath. Bethany glanced upwards as she felt her fingers clasped with absolute authority, and thanked heaven that, despite his foul personality, her rescuer was someone as strong and capable as this man.
Bethany, panting from the exertion of the steep climb, snatched her hand from Chad Alington’s grasp as soon as they reached the top of the cliff.
She knew she should feel elated, or at the very least relieved and eternally grateful to him, now that the danger had subsided, but different emotions were taking the place of panic, fear and despair. Embarrassment and an awareness of herself in relation to this stunning member of the opposite sex for one. She was far too scantily clad; she had been keen to soak up as many of the sun’s rays as possible and her bikini consisted of three floral triangles of cloth which covered little except the bare minimum.
Bethany saw the dark eyes flick towards her body and rest there in slow arrogant appraisal, a lazy smile transforming the firm straight mouth. ‘I think you need a little adjustment,’ Chad drawled with unhurried ease.
‘Pardon?’ She frowned, thrown into flustered confusion by the lingering gaze that made her body burn. ‘What do you——?’
‘The sea has rearranged your clothing for you, Bethany,’ Chad delivered conversationally. ‘I’m enjoying the view, but I think maybe you would prefer it if a little more was left to the imagination.’
Bethany felt the heated flush rise from her neck and dropped her head, struggling clumsily to reposition her bikini top more decently. She had climbed all the way up the path practically topless, she thought with a pang of despair. No wonder he had been smiling!
‘I’ll be all right now!’ she replied stiffly, throwing him as frosty a look as she could muster, trying to cover her tall, slim body ineffectually with her arms.
‘Where do you live?’ He glanced around casually, not in the least perturbed, it seemed, by Bethany’s angry demeanour. ‘That large house is the only place for miles around, isn’t it?’ He indicated the grey stone building away towards the right. ‘I understood that the beach is a part of that property.’
‘Y-Yes.’ Bethany cast her eyes towards the imposing, grey-turreted edifice. ‘But I don’t live there,’ she explained a trifle stiffly. ‘It’s empty—has been for several years.’
‘Ah, I see, so you just make use of the beach.’