A Christmas Affair

by Carole Mortimer

  The opportunity for David to talk to Cathy alone again didn't come later. He and Jade wandered off alone somewhere, for which Cathy was very grateful.

  Dominic had continued to act out of char­acter all evening, pleasant but very quiet. The two of them were suddenly left alone for a while when Penny and Simon went upstairs to say goodnight to the boys at the end of a very full day.

  'You have a very nice family,' Dominic told her softly.

  She felt a little uncomfortable, being alone with him after all that had gone before. 'I think so,' she replied awkwardly.

  Dominic stood up to move about the room with restless movements. 'I want—' He broke off, frowning, suddenly looking unsure of himself.

  'Yes?' Cathy prompted sharply, slightly un­nerved by his manner; she had never seen him quite like this before.

  He drew in a deep breath. 'I want to—thank you,' he said tightly.

  She looked at him dazedly. Thank her? But for what?

  'For today.' He couldn't quite meet her gaze as he explained himself, seeming embarrassed by his own words. 'For letting me share it with you,' he added stiffly as she continued to stare at him.

  Her brow cleared a little. 'Penny and Simon—'

  'Were kind enough to invite me initially.' He nodded abruptly. 'But I'm thanking you for letting me share your family Christmas.'

  'I don't know what you mean.' She shook her head dismissively.

  He gave a rueful smile. 'I think you do. A little.'

  His reaction to Ann. The realisation she had come to at that reaction. But there was more. So much more.

  'Today meant a lot to me,' he told her softly. 'More than I can say.'

  Oh, God, she didn't like to see him like this; it wasn't the Dominic she knew. Even his ar­rogance would have been welcome at that moment.

  He laughed softly at her expression, pulling her gently to her feet. 'Don't look so worried, Cathy, I haven't "gone over the edge"!'

  She wasn't so sure. She hardly recognised this man. Not that she didn't like him—she just didn't know him very well! But then, she had a feeling that Dominic didn't either, which was probably adding to his own strange mood.

  'You're a very special lady, Cathy,' he mur­mured huskily, his gaze searching her face. 'I always thought so, but I hadn't realised just how special you are. But then, in a way, I don't think I wanted to.' He frowned.

  'Dominic—'

  'I don't think I can really talk about this any more just now, Cathy,' he said without any of his usual cold aggression. 'I have a lot of things to think about, a lot of prejudices to-Well, I can't explain it very well just now.' He cradled each side of her face with warm hands. 'My world is shaking on its foundations, Cathy,' he explained huskily. 'And it isn't a feeling I'm comfortable with.'

  Tears filled the dark, smoky grey depths of her eyes. 'I wish I could do something to help you,' she choked, knowing even as she said it that she couldn't.

  'You already have.' He rested his forehead on hers, looking deeply into her eyes. 'More than I can tell you.'

  'Dominic?' She looked up at him concernedly.

  'I told you,' he chided softly. 'Don't worry.'

  'But—'

  'Don't—worry.' He tapped her lightly on the nose.

  'But I don't like to see you unhappy.' She shook her head.

  'I know, and that's one of the things I have to think about.' He smiled gently to take any sting out of his words. 'But I'm less unhappy now than I have been for a very long time,' he reassured her.

  He was different, she could see that, although it was difficult to pin-point in quite what way. Perhaps there was a vulnerability about him that had never been there before. If that was so, she was sure that was what he was having the problem with. Vulnerability was not an emotion she would ever have associated with Dominic, and she was sure it was one he had eradicated from his life at an early age.

  She looked at him searchingly, but he just continued to smile at her in that gentle way, giving nothing more of his emotions away.

  'You're leaving, aren't you?' she realised suddenly, slightly panicked at the thought.

  'In the morning,' he confirmed softly. 'You know me so well,' he murmured apprecia­tively. 'I wonder why I never realised that before.'

  She didn't know him that well, really, although she had to admit she probably knew him better than most people—but then, that wasn't saying much? But she had at least tried to understand him even if she hadn't com­pletely succeeded. Maybe that was the dif­ference; most people didn't even try.

  But he was leaving, she had guessed that from the things he had said, the way he had looked. Was he going out of her life forever, or would she see him again?

  'I'll be in touch,' he promised, reading the question in her eyes.

  It wasn't much to cling on to, but it was more than he had ever given her before. And she dared not push him for any more of an answer than that; he was too unpredictable at the moment.

  'Today was—nice,' she told him huskily.

  Dominic nodded. 'Today was very nice. But it all only adds to my confusion.'

  Confused? Dominic? It wasn't an emotion she would once have thought him capable of.

  He gave a wry smile. 'Incredible, isn't it?' he acknowledged self-derisively.

  'I didn't—'

  'I did.' He put silencing fingertips on her lips, laughing softly. ' "How are the mighty fallen", hm?' he mused. 'But I have a feeling it was long overdue.'

  Cathy looked at him searchingly; this really was a Dominic she had never seen before.

  'I—'

  'Oops, are we interrupting something?' an overly innocent-looking David stood in the doorway, an embarrassed Jade at his side.

  Dominic turned slowly, keeping one arm about Cathy's shoulders. 'Not at all,' he an­swered smoothly for both of them.

  'Sure?' David persisted mischievously—to Jade's increasing discomfort.

  'Very,' Dominic drawled ruefully, not at all perturbed by the other man's behaviour.

  'That's OK, then,' David answered lightly, although it was obvious by the slight irritation in his eyes that he would have liked more of a reaction. 'Jade and I were just about to have a drink. Care to join us?' He came into the room.

  It wasn't the easiest of times, with David doing his best to be annoying, and Dominic fending him off with lazy amusement, but the rest of the evening did pass, and all too quickly for Cathy when she was so aware of Dominic leaving in the morning. It was bittersweet torment being with him like this, and in the end she couldn't stand it any more and excused herself on the pretext of being tired; she had never felt less tired in her life!

  She hadn't been in her room long, only time enough to have showered and put on a nightgown, when there was a gentle knock on her door. She didn't feel in the mood for sharing any more confidences with Jade to­night, much as she loved her.

  It was Dominic who stood outside her bedroom doorway.

  Cathy just blinked at him, too surprised to speak, her peach-coloured nightgown clinging to her lovingly in the lamp's glow.

  'I wanted to say my goodbye to you in private,' he told her huskily. 'The ever-watchful David will be observing us tomorrow,' he ex­plained drily.

  She grimaced. 'I'm sorry about that; it's his idea of humour.'

  Dominic nodded. 'I got to know him reasonably well a couple of years ago. Cathy,' he added seriously, 'there's something else I need to say to you before I go.'

  She stiffened defensively. 'Yes?'

  He glanced around at their lack of privacy with him still standing out in the hallway. 'Could I come inside for a few minutes?'

  Cathy frowned; what could they possibly have left to say to one another? And then she realised.

  'Yes, come in,' she invited abruptly, pre­ceding him into the room, turning sharply as she heard him close the door. 'I told you the possibility of my being pregnant is very remote, and I meant it, so I don't want you to think about it any more,' she bit out with hurt anger. 'I wouldn't bothe
r you with it even if—even if something did happen!' Her head went back defensively.

  'You damn well would!' His eyes glittered angrily.

  'No, I—'

  'Cathy, I didn't come here to argue with you,' he cut in disgustedly.

  'Then what do you want?' she challenged.

  'To thank you!' His voice was raised almost to a shout.

  She frowned. 'For what?'

  'For the greatest gift any woman can ever give a man!' he returned hardly. 'Oh, God,' he groaned, shaking his head, 'this conversation wasn't supposed to be like this. Cathy, we haven't really talked about the other night, except in the vaguest of terms, but I—'

  'Don't,' she choked, her cheeks fiery red. 'I can't talk about that.'

  'Can't, or won't?' he prompted softly, crossing the room to her side. 'Cathy, I couldn't believe it when—'

  'I said don't!' she ordered shakily, turning away from him.

  'Cathy—'

  'Please don't,' she quivered against him as he turned her towards him. 'Please!'

  He looked at her searchingly, her eyes swimming with unshed tears, her mouth trem­bling. 'Dear lord, you are the most incredibly beautiful woman! Cathy…'

  She wanted him so badly, knew the need was echoed in his own eyes as their lips met and fused, hurting her in their fierceness at first, and then becoming more sensuously de­manding as passion claimed them both.

  Her nightgown rustled silkily to the floor at her feet, Dominic's clothed body abrasive against hers. He shrugged out of his own clothes with impatient movements, all the time their lips still fused in melting passion.

  And then there were no more barriers between them, burning flesh melding into burning flesh, everything but each other for­gotten as they were pounded with the tides of passion.

  Cathy lay replete in his arms, her head on the warmth of his shoulder. Their lovemaking had been even better than before, more des­perate on her part, more warm and giving on Dominic's.

  This unexpected closeness had been such a surprise that Cathy couldn't help cherishing the memory of it.

  'I shouldn't have done that,' Dominic fi­nally said grimly.

  She couldn't look up at him, had already known that what had just happened changed nothing between them.

  He looked down at her, raising her chin with gentle fingers. 'I wasn't being fair to you.' He grimaced with self-disgust.

  Tears filled her eyes. 'It didn't matter.'

  'Of course it mattered.' He kissed her brow. 'I'm sorry, Cathy,' he sighed heavily. 'Really sorry.'

  'But it was what I wanted too,' she protested awkwardly.

  He shook his head, pulling gently away from her to get out of bed. 'I have to go.' He pulled on his clothes.

  'Dominic—'

  'Try not to think too badly of me.' He paused at the door.

  Think too badly of him? She loved him, damn it! But if he couldn't see that—or didn't want to see it—there was nothing she could do now to convince him to stay.

  Tears squeezed through her closed lids as she heard him leave, and her body soon ached from the shuddering sobs she was determined to suppress.

  When she came downstairs in the morning it was to find he had already left.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  'HEARD from him yet?'

  Cathy gave David a reproving look. 'This is supposed to be a party, David.'

  'I know that,' he derided. 'Jade and I are the ones giving it!'

  'Then as host you should be on your best behaviour,' she scolded.

  'I merely made a polite enquiry of one of my guests,' he claimed indignantly.

  Only they both knew it hadn't just been a polite enquiry.

  It had been five days since she had gone downstairs to find Dominic had left her sister's house, and as far as she knew none of them had seen or heard from him since.

  As David very well knew!

  Cathy hadn't particularly wanted to come to this New Year's Eve party of David and Jade's, but Jade had so much wanted her to come, and as it was the first joint function the other couple had hosted, and as she knew how nervous her friend was about it, she hadn't liked to let her down.

  But David's flat was crowded and noisy, and she couldn't help wishing she hadn't come, despite the fact that she knew most of the people here. She had escaped to the kitchen a few minutes ago, but she should have known David wouldn't let her get away with that.

  'No,' she answered wearily. 'I haven't heard from Dominic'

  David shook his head. 'I don't understand it.'

  'I do,' she sighed. 'Only too well!'

  'I doubt it, Cathy,' David denied gently, still frowning.

  Dominic's behaviour was only what she had expected; she shouldn't have been hurt by it. And yet she was. She had been expecting too much, she knew that, and yet a tiny part of her had continued to hope.

  'Oh, but I do,' she said dully, turning away so that David shouldn't see her tears. She had cried a lot during the last five days. It didn't do any good, she knew that only too well, and yet she couldn't seem to help herself.

  'Cathy.' David spoke softly behind her. 'The night before Dominic left Penny's and Simon's he and I had—a long conversation.'

  She spun around at that, a frown on her face. 'But you couldn't have done! I mean—' She broke off, a blush rising to her cheeks. 'He was with me that night,' she finished quietly.

  David nodded, as if he had already known that. 'But not all of it.'

  Her cheeks were still fiery red. 'But—'

  'Dominic didn't go to bed at all that night, Cathy,' David told her gently. 'He and I sat up drinking whisky and talking all night.'

  'Dominic doesn't drink,' she protested, more for something to say than anything else; Dominic had done nothing but drink while they were at the cottage. But she just couldn't im­agine what these two totally different men could have found to talk about all that time.

  'He doesn't usually talk, either,' David's lightly teasing comment seemed to echo her own thoughts. 'But I can assure you that on that night he did both.'

  'Oh.' What else could she say? She hadn't had any idea that the two men had sat up to­gether that night…

  'I would have thought—' David shook his head, frowning again.

  'Yes?' she prompted absently.

  He shrugged. 'Well, Dominic didn't give me the impression he intended just disappearing out of your life. He was confused, yes, needed time to sort out some things in his life, but I still had the impression—'

  'Yes?' she prompted impatiently as he slowed down again.

  'I invited him here this evening, by the way,' David sighed. 'Sent him an invitation through the post. Not that he replied, but I somehow thought he might-— Oh well,' he sighed again.

  Cathy drew in a deep, shuddering breath. 'David, do you think I should go and see him?'

  'Yes.'

  Her eyes widened at his certainty. 'Yes?' she echoed hesitantly.

  'Yes,' David repeated firmly. 'If the man is so confused that he still hasn't contacted you then he needs a push in the right direction.'

  'What is the right direction?' Cathy sighed.

  'You are,' he told her forcefully. 'I know it, Dominic knows it, you know it. Don't just stand back and let it slip through your fingers,' he added persuasively.

  'We can't all be as single-minded as you,' she protested, knowing his pursuit of Jade had been merciless.

  'Yes, you can,' he said without hesitation. 'Dominic isn't an easy man to understand, but I think I came a little closer to it that night we sat and talked.'

  'Drinking buddies,' she derided.

  He shook his head reprovingly at her levity. 'Dominic needs you, Cathy.'

  'Dominic doesn't need—' She broke off the scornful protest at the look in David's eyes. 'I don't understand.' She looked confused.

  'Need is sometimes harder to admit than love,' he said quietly. 'And when you feel both of them for the same person it can be almost impossible. Dominic is a man who has lived too long alone
without either emotion; it must be almost killing to admit to feeling both. Even to himself.'

  Cathy wanted to deny that Dominic could feel either, but she was too afraid to, in case David should agree with her! If she left the conversation like that, there was always a chance David was right.

  'I don't suppose it would do any harm if I went to his apartment and wished him a happy New Year,' she said as casually as she could.

  'I don't suppose it would,' David agreed, a knowing twinkle in his eyes as he followed her out of the room and into the hallway. 'And, while you're there, tell him the man he sent to me is working out just fine.'

  'Man?' she frowned her puzzlement. 'What man?'

  'Paul Freeman,' he supplied briskly, sig­nalling to Jade to join them so that she could say goodbye. 'I own a printing company in his area,' he explained as he helped her on with her wrap, smiling warmly at Jade as she joined them. 'It was easy enough to find a job for a qualified man like Freeman once Dominic had explained the situation to me.'

  Cathy had wondered about the Freemans often the last few days; she felt a tremendous warmth that between them these two powerful men in the business world had taken the time and trouble to think of them too.

  'Cathy is going to see Dominic to wish him a happy New Year from all of us,' David ex­plained lightly to Jade, his arm about her shoulders. 'I'd offer you some coal to take for "first footing",' he teased Cathy. 'But this is a centrally heated flat. Take some champagne instead.' He picked up a bottle that had been cooling on the drinks trolley. 'Tell him it was from us. And I hope you both enjoy it,' he added conspiratorially.

  'Good luck.' Jade kissed her warmly on the cheek.

  Good luck. The words echoed around her head again and again on the taxi drive over to Dominic's apartment.

  What if he deliberately hadn't gone to David's tonight because he had known she would be there? What if he didn't want to see her? What if—?

  Oh, damn the 'what if's! Anything had to be better than sitting in her apartment waiting for a telephone call that never came. At least after this visit she would know. Besides, she wanted to thank him for helping the Freemans. The fact that he had gone to that much trouble had to prove something—if only that he could see and accept Ann's predicament.