As if Joe was something more than that!
‘Okay, then.’
‘There’s Daisy to consider,’ she said, realising belatedly that she could have used Paul as an excuse.
‘Does that mean, if you didn’t have Daisy to consider, you’d have no objections?’ he queried, and when she didn’t respond, ‘They settle Daisy down for the night before nine o’clock. I could pick you up outside.’
Rachel sighed. ‘Why?’
‘Why?’ Joe’s hand fell to his side. ‘You need to ask?’ His eyes were suddenly dark and intense. ‘Rachel, you know why.’
She shifted uneasily. ‘I can’t believe there isn’t some other woman waiting for you to ask her out.’
Joe scowled. ‘Okay, maybe I would have no difficulty in getting a date for this evening, but I don’t want anyone else, I want you.’
Rachel bit her lip. ‘If you feel guilty about what happened just now,’ she began and Joe uttered a strangled oath.
‘I don’t feel guilty!’ he snarled, wondering if he’d ever had to beg for a date before. ‘I just want to spend time with someone who doesn’t care about getting their picture in the papers or how much money I have in the bank. But okay, yeah, I want to sleep with you. And despite your reaction, I think you want to sleep with me.’
Rachel took a step backward. ‘And you assume I’ll go out with you after that?’
‘Why not?’ Joe’s eyes rested sensually on her mouth. ‘Come on, Rachel. Live dangerously for once. I’ve read one of your books, and I know your heroines don’t get freaked out when a man tells them he’s attracted to them.’ ‘My heroes don’t expect sex on a first date,’ she retorted indignantly, and Joe spread his hands in a gesture of defeat.
‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Just dinner, then. How’s that? I promise I won’t try to jump you in the restaurant.’
Rachel shook her head. The temptation to do as he said and live dangerously was strong, but for the last few years she’d avoided any kind of emotional entanglement. She had no intention of allowing herself to be hurt again, and something told her any pain Joe inflicted would not be easily repaired.
Still …
‘Just dinner?’ She lifted her head, and Joe made a sign of assent. ‘All right,’ she said. ‘But I have to warn you, I didn’t bring any special clothes with me.’
Joe’s grin was smug. ‘Come as you are,’ he said drily. ‘Nine o’clock downstairs, right?’
Rachel’s tongue circled her lower lip. ‘Right.’
‘Good.’ Joe’s voice was husky, and before she could stop him he’d wiped her lip with his finger and brought the moisture he’d collected to his lips.
Daisy wasn’t very impressed when Rachel recovered herself sufficiently to enter her daughter’s room again. ‘What have you been doing?’ she grumbled. ‘I thought you came to see me, not spend time arguing with Mr Mendez.’
Arguing? Rachel felt a hysterical desire to laugh. ‘Oh, it was nothing important,’ she said. ‘And you needn’t worry, you can keep the video iPod as long as you’re in here.’
‘Yes.’ Daisy made a fist, but then she sobered. ‘Come and sit down.’ She patted the bed beside her. ‘I have something to tell you.’
Rachel was wary, but she seated herself on the side of Daisy’s bed. ‘What?’
Daisy offered her a chocolate from the box before saying, ‘Dad and Lauren came to see me last night.’
‘They did?’ Rachel refused the chocolate before adding, ‘It’s just as well I didn’t come back, then, isn’t it?’
‘Well, no, actually.’ Daisy popped the rejected chocolate into her mouth. ‘I think he expected you to be here.’ She paused again, examining the contents of the box. ‘I think that’s why he brought Lauren.’
‘Really?’ Rachel realised that, apart from caring about Steve’s treatment of Daisy, she couldn’t care less about him or Lauren. ‘I thought you said she didn’t like hospitals.’
‘She doesn’t.’ Daisy shrugged. ‘Maybe she didn’t trust Dad to be alone with you.’
‘Oh, please.’ Rachel stared at her. ‘I don’t think that’s likely, do you?’
‘You never know.’ Daisy regarded her critically for a moment. ‘You’ve changed, Mum. You look really pretty these days. If you could just get used to wearing more trendy gear, I think you’d be surprised at how good you look.’
‘Gee, thanks.’ Rachel didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had paid her such a nice compliment. Except when Joe had said she was beautiful, of course. But he’d had his own reasons for saying that.
‘Anyway …’ Rachel was eager to leave the subject of her appearance. ‘How are you feeling this morning?’ She studied the girl’s face intently. ‘You know, I do believe the swelling round your eye is going down.’
Daisy pulled a face. ‘I still look like Frankenstein’s sister,’ she grumbled. ‘Dr Gonzales says I’ve been very lucky, but I don’t know. Do you think my face will ever look normal again?’
‘Of course it will.’ Rachel was optimistic. ‘And you always look good to me, baby.’ She sighed. ‘Which reminds me, I didn’t get to speak to Dr Gonzales last night, either. I hope he’ll forgive me for wasting his time.’
‘Gonzales is okay, I guess.’ Daisy was resigned.
‘Well, Joe—Mr Mendez, that is—thinks so. When he toldme you’d had to have an operation, he assured me you’d received the best treatment there is.’
Daisy frowned then. ‘But Dad had already told you that, hadn’t he?’
Rachel stifled a groan. ‘He said you’d had an accident,’ she said, prevaricating. ‘I dare say he didn’t want to worry me.’
Daisy didn’t look as if she believed her. ‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘when you do talk to Dr Gonzales, could you ask him when I can get out of here and go home?’
Rachel considered. ‘Well, I should think that’s up to your father,’ she said. ‘You’ve still got a week of your holiday left.’
Daisy pouted. ‘But I don’t want to finish my holiday,’ she protested. ‘I want to go home. Back to England. With you.’
‘Oh, Daisy …’ This was an eventuality Rachel hadn’t anticipated. ‘I don’t know whether you’ll be allowed to fly straight after a—Well, after an operation.’ She tucked a strand of Daisy’s hair behind her ear and drew back. ‘Besides, your father will want you to stay.’
‘You think?’ Daisy spoke surprisingly cynically for a girl of her age. ‘Now that he’s done his duty, I don’t think he can wait to get rid of me. I know Lauren can’t.’
‘Daisy!’
‘Well, it’s true. They were talking about going to New York next weekend, and I’m not included in that.’
Rachel bit her lip. ‘Well, let me talk to Dr Gonzales.’ And your father, she thought grimly. ‘Then I’ll let you know what he says, right?’
‘All right.’ Daisy managed a small smile. ‘I do love you, Mum.’
‘And I love you,’ said Rachel fiercely as a nurse came into the room. She got to her feet. ‘Now, I’ll go and see if I can get some answers.’
As it turned out, Dr Gonzales wasn’t available to speak to her that