‘That was Sue,’ he told her laconically. ‘She was worried about you, but I told her I was staying here.’
Kate could feel the colour rising up under her skin. What on earth must Sue be thinking?
‘We are living in the twentieth century, you know,’ he drawled, watching her. ‘It’s quite permissible for a woman to have a lover.’
‘You’re not my lover!’ Kate said it more violently than she had intended, her eyes widening as the amusement left his face to be replaced by anger.
‘But I have been,’ he reminded her softly. ‘What is it that frightens you so much that you can’t admit the pleasure we gave one another, Kate?’ he asked her soberly, reaching out to hold her lightly, his fingers encircling her wrists.
This complete change of tack bemused her, and her eyes lifted to his, her breath coming sharply as she recognised the glitter in his. He still wanted her. Instinctively she moved towards him, checking suddenly. What was she doing?
Quickly she pulled away from him, mutteri
ng that she had to make the supper. He let her go, but Kate was conscious of him watching her and her body shook so much she could hardly stand up.
She made them both an omelette and served it with a crisp salad, but it seemed neither of them had much appetite. She watched Dominic covertly while pushing her food round her plate. He was making a pretence of eating, but he was no more enthusiastic than she was herself.
‘I’d better ring Vera,’ he said abruptly at last. ‘I told her I was coming over here and that I intended to stay the night, but I’d better just confirm it.’
While he made his call Kate cleared away their plates and started to make some coffee, which she carried through into the drawing-room. Dominic was standing in the middle of the room, frowning as he listened to a news bulletin on the television.
Kate froze as she heard their village mentioned.
‘The police are warning everyone to stay inside,’ he told her unnecessarily when the bulletin was over. ‘It seems the men are armed and they don’t want any members of the public taking chances.’
She shivered, folding her arms protectively around her body. How would she be feeling now if Dominic was not with her? She would have returned from the cottage totally unprepared for the news bulletin, and although she would not have described herself as particularly nervous, even with Dominic here she was having great difficulty in suppressing her memories of the newspaper reports of the incident Dominic had referred to earlier.
‘Cold?’
She watched Dominic frown and shook her head, admitting huskily, ‘No—scared, but not half as much as I would be if you weren’t here.’
Dominic raised his head and looked at her, his gold eyes suddenly gleaming.
‘Do you realise that’s the first compliment you’ve ever paid me?’ he asked silkily.
He was still watching her, his eyes narrowed, his face a mask of tension.
Inside her something kicked sharply to life, an intense pulsing heat burning through her body. He was wrong. She had already complimented him in the most intimate way possible in abandoning herself to his lovemaking. He was watching her face and she felt as though her thoughts had suddenly become printed on her forehead for him to read. She saw his eyes glitter as he studied the slow crawl of colour up over her skin, his mouth stretching tightly into a mockery of a smile as he asked,
‘Now what are you thinking?’
‘Not about you!’
It was a childish and dangerous denial, as foolish as the instinctive fear that made her turn and run towards the door. The drawing-room was a comfortable size, but with Dominic in it with her the air inside the room had suddenly become impossible to breathe.
He caught her by the door, turning her and slamming her hard against his body, his face a mask of sexual excitement and anger.
‘You’re lying to me, Kate. You were thinking about me…about this!’ he told her fiercely, claiming her mouth before she could speak, thrusting his fingers into her hair and clamping her head so that she could not avoid the punishing, drugging force of his kisses.
When she refused to open her mouth he tugged painfully on her hair, making ruthless use of her sharp cry of protest.
He was like a man possessed, she thought feverishly, unstoppable, determined to take what he wanted with or without her consent. She should have hated and despised him, but she didn’t. Her body was shaking against his, but not with shock. The fierce intensity of her answering desire totally engulfed her. She wanted to be here like this with him for ever, her mouth dominated by the hunger of his, all her senses alive. He leaned further into her and she shuddered as she felt the intimate contact of his body against her own.
He moved slightly, and she moaned primitively deep in her throat, frustration shimmering in her eyes as she was robbed of the contact with his body, her head moving tormentedly from side to side as his mouth lifted from hers, leaving her bereft.
‘Shush…shush… It’s all right.’
The thick whisper was meant to comfort, but it only aroused her more, and her flesh quivered in mute pleasure as his hand found her breast.