The Knapthorne Conspiracy by Malcolm Ballard (best english novels for beginners txt) 📕

way of putting things, if I may say so.” Bella put an elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand. A matter of inches separated their faces and she could feel the heat from his body, see the line of small, glistening black curly hairs at his throat, escaping from the neck of his t-shirt. There was a compelling physical attraction to the man and she fought an urge to reach out and touch him.

“Don’t try and avoid the issue. Come on!” Their eyes locked, transmitting unspoken messages, each of them seeking a response from the other. For an instant in time the rest of the world was excluded as a powerful emotion gripped them, divorcing them from the reality of their surroundings and Kyle reached across to take Bella’s hand. The sensation of his touch triggered something deep within her and suddenly she wanted him to take her in his arms and hold her and her doe-like eyes mirrored her longing. An overwhelming desire to be loved, to be needed, and to give love in return. Unknowingly he had touched the raw nerve of her loneliness that echoed his own feelings but something much more basic, more intense, had passed between them seconds earlier. More than anything else, Kyle wished that they were somewhere private where he could take advantage of the situation, say the words she wanted to hear as her body responded to his touch and he brought her, breathless and pleading, to the point of no return.

“Bella…” He said her name so quietly it was almost lost on the breeze but her senses were so acute, so finely tuned to the situation that she heard it clearly. “I’m not very good with words at a time like this but I’ve got to say something.” He pressed on, lest she should interrupt. “I don’t think I’m wrong when I say that I saw something in your eyes just now…something that said you feel as I do…” She squeezed his hand, a gentle smile compressing her lips. “I hardly know you, it’s true but, in some inexplicable way, I feel that our meeting was no accident…”

“Not for you, maybe,” she interjected with a grin, trying to put a little humour into the situation, feeling that things were perhaps moving a little too fast. Not long ago she would have ridden the emotional tidal wave, happy to go where the current took her but now she was more reticent. An image of a bug-sized Jane standing on her shoulder saying ‘Go on, darling, let him get his hands on you. A good bonk is what you need!’ almost made her laugh and she had to fight for self-control. The moment had passed and he took her hand in both of his now, a look of frustration and disappointment on his face. Bella couldn’t ignore what she had felt either and it unsettled her. It was altogether different from what she had experienced with Ben. There was no denying the sexual attraction but whereas Ben was open and up front about his situation there was a brooding, mysterious aura to Kyle that both excited and worried her. One half of her, lonely and deprived, cried out to get involved, no matter what. The other half, enjoying her current freedom and the emotional vacuum in which she lived, advised non-involvement or, at the barest minimum, extreme caution. Abruptly, Kyle stood up, feeling the need to get away before frustration turned to anger.

“I’ll go and see what’s happened to the food.” There was a note of exasperation in his voice.

“There’s no rush,” Bella commented. “Sit down and relax. We’ve got all afternoon.” Was it her imagination, or had he briefly looked annoyed?

“No, I need another drink. How about you?”

“Oh, alright, if you’re going anyway.” She drank up and handed him her glass. “I’ll just sit here and enjoy the view ‘til you get back.” A cheerful smile accompanied the remark but it masked her true feelings. Thoughtfully, she watched Kyle walk away then closed her eyes, leaned back in the chair, and gave herself up to the sun. It was too nice a day altogether to try and understand the complexities of human nature. All the same, she couldn’t help wondering exactly what the real Kyle Lucas was like, if and when she got to know him.

“I’d always been excited by the medium of television but it wasn’t until I began working in London that I seriously considered it as a career.” If she had seen or imagined him to be put out in some way when he had gone off, there was no sign of it on his return. Kyle had come back with their drinks and lunch, together on a tray, and Bella had to admit she was pleased to see the food. As he had sat down, he commented that someone in the bar reminded him of one of his old tutors from university in Bristol. From that point on the conversation had flowed along the water-course of his life from his early days in Yeovil, where he was born, to the point where he had moved to London, after working as a journalist in the provinces.

“It wasn’t difficult making the switch from print to an electronic medium. A deadline’s a deadline whichever way you look at it. I got a job as part of a current affairs team but it wasn’t long before I became interested in production.”

“Bit unusual for a journalist, isn’t it?”

“Maybe. But you’re more closely involved with the production in television, especially as a presenter. I’ve always been fascinated with technical things and I’m a good organiser. I work well with a team.” A change had come over him, Bella had noticed. An intensity had crept into his conversation indicating his passion for the subject and his eyes had come alive. If she were any judge of the man it would be difficult to stop him talking now. This was