After the Affair

by Miranda Lee

  Dan's gaze followed her self-conscious actions. 'Weren't you?'

  'Of course not!' Her cheeks flamed. 'We happen to have a visitor.'

  His black eyes narrowed. 'Who?'

  'My boss,' she informed, without thinking to add that he was shortly to be her stepfather as well. 'He came for Sunday lunch.'

  'You must have a close working relationship to have your boss over during the weekend.'

  Cassie thought she heard a nasty innuendo in the words. She gave a defiant toss of her head. 'Roger comes to lunch every Sunday! Not that that is any of your business, Dan McKay. What are you doing here, anyway? You weren't invited.'

  His laugh was dry. 'Something told me not to wait for an invitation.'

  She glared at him. 'I thought I told you to keep away from me.'

  Anger, hot and strong, swept his features. 'Don't be such a little fool, Cassie!' he slammed back. 'You knew I wouldn't stay away. That's my son out there!' He indicated Jason with a sharp jerk of his head.

  'For God's sake, Dan, be quiet...' Cassie darted a stricken look over his shoulder, relieved to see that Jason was fully occupied inspecting Dan's car. And what boy wouldn't be enthralled? Even Cassie could recognise a Mercedes sports coup£ when she saw one.

  Her eyes sliced back to Dan in agonised appeal. 'Please, Dan...'

  He lifted a dark eyebrow. 'Please, is it now? I thought from your attitude yesterday and just now that it was to be war between us!'

  She groaned.

  His face showed a guarded surprise. 'Not war?' he asked softly, almost seductively. His right hand lifted to lie gently against her cheek.

  Instinctively she stiffened, her head jerking back, her nostrils flaring like those of a frightened horse.

  His hand dropped, his mouth curling into a caustic grimace. 'I thought as much. I came here willing to be reasonable, willing to negotiate. But I'd be wasting my breath, wouldn't I, Cassie? You've got no intention of really sharing Jason with me. Your mind is firmly made up. I'm not to be trusted. I'm a bastard, through and through. And that's that!'

  Dan's bitter resentment fuelled a similar emotion in Cassie. 'What the hell did you expect?' she muttered at him in a low, hoarse whisper. "That you could come back after all these years and be welcomed with open arms? That you could wipe the slate clean with a few convenient half-truths?'

  'I'll tell you what I expect,' he retorted. 'I expect you to at least have the decency to listen to me. I expect to be allowed a reasonable share of Jason's life, to have the opportunity to love him as a father has a right to love his son!'

  Cassie could only stare at Dan in wide-eyed horror. The man was either mad or so consumed with his own importance that he couldn't recognise or appreciate the feelings of others. Didn't he have any concept of what he had done, seducing her with promises of love and marriage, then leaving her to find out after he had gone that he was a married man? Did he honestly think that she was going to expose her son to his brand of loving? What would happen when he tired of the experience, when he decided that being a father was hard work, when he took off back to the bright lights of Sydney?

  'You have no rights, Dan McKay!' she spat at him. 'You gave away your rights nine years ago! And I warn you, if you hurt my son I'll ‑'

  'My, son, too,' he broke in harshly.

  'Only technically!'

  He grabbed her. 'Is that my fault? How was I to know?'

  'If you'd stayed around long enough, you would have found out, you...you...'

  'Bastard?' Dan suggested.

  'If the cap fits, wear it!'

  His hands fell from her arms. He drew himself up, stiff and tall, his eyes frightening in their steel-edged resolve. 'You won't give an inch, will you?'

  Cassie looked into Dan's eyes and knew instinctively, overwhelmingly that she had made a ghastly mistake. She should have been more conciliatory, more reasonable, regardless of the circumstances. Aggression only bred aggression, and Dan was a wealthy, powerful man—a man not used to being crossed. It came to her with shocking clarity that if she kept blocking access to his son he might actually steal the boy. She had heard of fathers kidnapping their children and fleeing overseas. The very thought made her feel ill.

  'Now let me warn you, Cassie Palmer,' he ground out, his voice vibrating with deadly menace. 'If you thought I was a bastard before, that's nothing to the bastard I'm going to be. You don't want me to tell Jason I'm his father, do you?'

  Cassie caught her breath, once again glancing anxiously at her son. He was sitting behind the wheel of the sports car, making noises with his mouth, pretending to drive.

  'But I will do exactly that if you don't do as I say. No one is going to keep me from my son, do you hear me? No one!'

  And with that he spun round, striding away down the path. At the back gate, he whirled, setting incredibly cold eyes upon her. But when he spoke, his voice was amazingly normal. 'So glad you can drop in for a drink this evening, Cassie...I'll be looking forward to it. Say about eight? Your visitor should be gone by then. I know you won't be late. We have so much to talk about...' He cast a meaningful glance in Jason's direction, his threat quite clear.

  Jason looked up, hearing Dan's last words. 'Can I come too, Dan?'

  'Sorry, son,' he said gently. 'Only grown-ups allowed. Besides, don't you have to go to school tomorrow?'

  Jason's face dropped. 'Yeah...' He climbed out of the car, eyes down.

  'Don't you like school?'

  'I s'pose it's all right.'

  'You can come over to my place after school tomorrow, if you like.'

  The boy's face brightened. 'That'll be super!' He ran to his mother. 'Can I, Mum?'

  She looked over his head at Dan's uncompromising expression. 'As long as you're home before dark,' she managed to get out.

  'Wow! Terrific!'

  'I'll pick you up from school, Jason,' Dan suggested smoothly. He lifted an eyebrow at Cassie. 'I'm sure he'd like a ride in my car.'

  Cassie's insides tightened. She didn't want her son left alone with Dan, but what else could she do? If she said no it might make the situation worse.

  She glared at the man whom she had once loved. He was a stranger—a dark, malevolent stranger. Hatred welled up in frightening swirls. Bitter, hot hatred.

  His mouth pulled back into a sardonic smile, terrifying her. For he had seen her hatred. And was unmoved by it.

  'See you tonight, then,' he called nonchalantly. 'And tomorrow afternoon for you, my boy,' he added, ruffling Jason's hair before striding through the gate and round the nose of the car. He opened the driver's door, pausing to give Cassie a farewell salute before sliding behind the wheel.

  It was a mocking, almost threatening gesture, impelling Cassie to place a protective arm around Jason's slender shoulders. The engine purred into life and Cassie caught a glimpse of a harsh glance before the red car disappeared.

  Only then did she draw breath. How could she still want such an individual? What devilish fate made her respond to his touch, and no other man's?

  'Dan's real nice, isn't he, Mum?' Jason said with a happy, upturned face. 'I like him.'

  Cassie's heart contracted. What an impossible situation she was caught in! 'He likes you, too, love,' she said truthfully.

  'I can't wait till tomorrow. Hey, Gran!' He ran into the house, bursting with his news.

  Cassie felt close to despair as she watched her son run off. Nine years she had spent making life happy and secure for her son. Nine long, hard years! It had not been easy being an unmarried mother in Riversbend; it had not been easy returning to university to finish her degree. But she had done it. She had got on with her life and made a success of it. She was a respected member of the community, and Jason was a happy, well-adjusted boy.

  Dan was threatening everything she held dear.

  And, much as she hated the man and what he was doing, she had handled him very poorly. Her blatant lack of co-operation had made him resort to a type of blackmail. Of course, she could go down to Str
ath-haven tonight and apologise profusely, then beg Dan to see things her way. But would he respond to such an appeal? He was angry. No...furious! He wasn't going to listen to her. She just knew it.

  With a groan she turned round to walk back up the path, her mind still revolving. What weapon did she have, what argument could she use to sway this angry man?

  And then it came to her...slowly... insidiously.

  Cassie stopped at the base of the porch steps, her mouth suddenly dry. Could she do it? Dared she do it?

  'Cassie...'

  She blinked and looked up. Joan was frowning down at her, Roger at her elbow.

  'Jason says he's going over to Dan's tomorrow after school,' Joan said. 'Is that right?'

  Cassie swallowed. 'Yes, it is.'

  'He also said something about you going down to Strath-haven tonight.'

  Cassie could see that Roger was all ears. 'That's right. He's asked me down for a drink this evening,' she Said truthfully.

  'Well, well,' Roger beamed. 'And what did you say?'

  'Yes, of course.'

  If Cassie hadn't been so distracted she might have laughed at Roger's surprise, for it had been years since she'd accepted a date with a man.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Cassie stepped over to the full-length mirror behind her bedroom door and stared into it. She turned sideways to inspect a rear view, and groaned.

  'Dear God, I can't wear this,' she muttered. 'It's disgusting!'

  She turned back to face the front, her eyes travelling once again over the figure-hugging red woollen sheath. It had been bought several years ago when she had been very thin, and the material now had to stretch to fit, so that, while the neck-to-knee, long-sleeved style was quite modest, the effect once it was moulded to her shapely body was suggestive in the extreme.

  Cassie had merely wanted to look attractive, not like a scarlet woman. Her mother had suggested the dress, and the colour did look well on her, but its present effect was far too obvious, much too sexy!

  But isn't that what you need to look like? an inner voice taunted.

  A fluttering spasm claimed Cassie's stomach at the thought of trying to vamp Dan McKay. She hoped and prayed that such a drastic solution would not be necessary. It worried her terribly what might happen to her if she did follow that course. What if things got out of hand? She might become the victim, not him, for much as she hated him she couldn't deny that she wanted him, too. And he made love so very very well...

  Cassie spun away from the mirror and began to pace the room, talking to herself all the while. She would definitely try eating humble pie first. She would tell him that he could see Jason as much as he wished, provided he didn't reveal his parentage. She would explain the difference between life in a country area and the vast, impersonal nature of a city existence. The man was not heartless, surely? Even if he didn't give a damn for her feelings, he would probably listen to reason over matters relating to Jason.

  She could point out how their son would be terribly hurt by the comments of unthinking people, not to mention those made by the other children at school. Kids could be very cruel.

  Yes, she would try to reason with the man...at first.

  And if that didn't work?

  Cassie stopped pacing.

  If reason didn't work, she decided with a surge of grim determination, she would try to capitalise on the sexual attraction between them. She didn't have to sleep with the man, merely string him along a little—anything to diffuse the situation, to give her some power over him, some weapon to wield. Maybe it was wrong to promise and then not deliver, but...

  She firmly pushed aside any feelings of guilt. Dan should have known better than to threaten the security of her child. Cassie was prepared to do anything to protect Jason's happiness, even if it meant swallowing her pride, throwing away her personal dignity; even if it meant putting herself fairly and squarely into the lion's den.

  A knock at her door interrupted the silent tirade of resolutions.

  'Cassie? Can I come in?'

  'Just a moment.' She pulled out a black thigh-length cardigan, dragging it over the sexy red dress. She didn't want her mother to jump to conclusions, even right ones. 'Come in,' she called, her heart racing.

  'Cassie, I...' Her mother stopped and frowned. 'Won't you be hot in that cardigan?'

  Cassie picked up a hairbrush and gave a good imitation of nonchalance, talking and brushing at the same time. 'It's going to be chilly in the jeep.' She flicked back her fringe and smoothed the rest into its natural pageboy style, deliberately not looking at her face. She didn't want her to see the over-bright blue eyes, or the parted lips, trembling in scarlet gloss. 'I'll take the cardigan off once I get there,' she added, swallowing a lump of panic at the thought.

  Her mother was staring down at her stockinged feet. 'What shoes are you going to wear?'

  Cassie had pulled out a pair of outrageously high red sandals which she'd bought one year at a sale. But after putting the dress on she'd changed her mind. 'My black flatties, I guess.'

  'Your black flatties?' her mother repeated. 'In that dress?' She spied the red sandals near the bed and picked them up. 'What's wrong with these? I mean...it's not as if you're a tall girl, Cassie. Though it wouldn't matter next to a man like Dan.'

  Cassie said nothing. But she knew better than to argue with her mother over matters of dress. She put down the hairbrush and reluctantly slipped on the shoes.

  Joan smiled smugly at her daughter. 'You'll knock him dead, darling.'

  Cassie's sigh betrayed her jagged nerves. 'Mum...you know I'm only going down to talk to the man.'

  Her mother's face assumed one of her innocent expressions. 'Of course you are... Here...' And she picked up the bottle of Paradise perfume lying on the dressing-table, giving Cassie a liberal spray.

  Cassie had to laugh. 'Mum, you are an incurable romantic.' And, curling an arm around her mother's elbow, Cassie shepherded her from the room.

  'Thanks for looking after Jason for me,' she said as they walked along the hallway. 'And don't let him talk you into letting him watch the Sunday movie.'

  'Would I do that?'

  'Yes! That boy can twist you around his little finger.'

  Her mother's smile faded. 'You know, Cassie, I'm going to miss the little minx when Roger and I get married.'

  'Now, Mum, don't start that. You know it's time you made a life for yourself. And it's not as if you're going to be far away. Riversbend town is less than three miles from here and you can come out any time. Besides, didn't we agree that Jason would go to your place in town after school each afternoon till I've finished work?'

  'Yes...'

  'Well, then, you'll still see plenty of each other.'

  As the two women passed the lounge doorway, Cassie popped her head inside. Jason was watching The Cosby Show and laughing with the uninhibited joy of a child.

  'I'm going now, Jason,' she called. 'Be a good boy for your Gran, and don't forget to clean your teeth.'

  He swung round from where he was sitting cross-legged on the floor and smiled at her. Cassie's heart contracted at the sight of those dancing black eyes. Never had he looked so much like his father, and it was disturbing. How long would it be before some eagle-eyed gossip made the connection? Particularly if Dan started being seen in Jason's company in public.

  The drive down to the suspension bridge gave her more time to think. And to worry.

  Suddenly she wished she had not worn the red dress. It had been a stupid thing to do. And precipitate, being too blatantly sexy. How could she mediate the situation first with an ounce of dignity and common sense looking as she did?

  The jeep reached the riverbank too quickly for Cassie's liking. She pulled up next to the bridge, sick with apprehension at what lay ahead. She prayed that Dan would be reasonable, for every tentacle of her intuition was screaming that to invite Dan to make love to her in any way at all would be to invite disaster!

  Extracting herself from behind the wheel in
the ridiculously tight skirt proved difficult, though it made Cassie all the more determined to keep the cardigan on. She reassured herself as she struggled up the steps on to the moonlit bridge that a cardigan didn't look all that strange. The evening was clear and cool, a breeze coming off the river. Time enough to remove the covering garment later—if the need arose.

  The house looked eerie in the moonlight, with only a few of the many windows showing a light. Cassie hesitated at the base of the stone steps, apprehension gnawing at her stomach. If it hadn't been for Jason she would have turned tail and run.

  She put one nervous foot forward, then froze. A Dobermann, sleek and powerful, awaited her at the top of the stone steps, growling with teeth bared. She kept very still, her thudding heart appreciative of the breed's reputation, though she had never encountered one in all her years as a country vet.

  She knew not to show fear with an animal, but the hairs on her neck were prickling ominously.

  'Sit!' she tried in her most authoritative voice.

  No change. If anything, the dracula-like teeth were bared even more.

  Cassie swore under her breath. Where was Dan? He was expecting her, wasn't he? It was already ten past eight.

  'Why don't you sit, you rotten dog?' she hissed. 'Or go away.'

  'Maybe he just wants to look at you.' A voice emerged from the blackness, along with its owner. 'Back, Hugo!' he commanded, and the dog disappeared.

  Dan stood at the edge of the veranda, his impressively male body silhouetted against the rectangle of light falling from the open front door. Cassie caught her breath. He was as sleek and dark as the dog had been, yet infinitely more dangerous, his satanic image enhanced by the clothes he was wearing. Black shoes, black trousers, a black polo-necked sweater.

  Cassie felt hopelessly intimidated, as well as a ghastly sexual awareness. Both reactions irritated her.

  'Are you coming up?' Dan drawled. 'Or do we talk out here with the mosquitoes?'

  'There are no mosquitoes in September,' she countered tartly.

  He gave a mock salute. 'I bow to your judgement, Madam Vet.'

  Cassie stiffened. 'How did you know I was a vet? Have you been questioning people about me?'