‘On holiday right here—a holiday she had insisted on taking, and one that started so happily, where she could not have been a more attentive and loving wife—she told me that she was pregnant. And, although I had not wanted to start a family so soon, I could not deny that the thought of being a father gave me great pleasure.’
He was silent for a moment and Kara could see the turmoil in his eyes, the wretchedness and the hurt, and she almost wished that they had not started this conversation.
Another sigh shifted through him, causing his eyes to grow hard and his jaw to tighten. Finally he spoke again. ‘It was not until we got back to England that I discovered through a well-meaning friend that Melanie had been seeing another man. At first I was totally disbelieving, declaring that my wife would never do anything like that, but once the thought had been introduced into my mind I began to see that there could very well be some truth behind the accusation. Her behaviour was often erratic, and she would stay out much later than I had ever really noticed before. She would end phone calls as soon as I walked into a room, and she had started to spend a lot more money on seemingly quite trivial things. I knew I had to confront her and give her the opportunity to explain.’
Kara knew how hard it was for Blake to talk to her like this, and she was afraid to say anything for fear that he would close up and not finish his story. So she simply sat there looking at him, waiting, wondering.
‘Initially she denied that she had been having an affair, and was angry with me for accusing her. I felt torn, but my suspicions would not go away, I knew by now that there was definitely something going on. Eventually, after another of her late-night parties, the truth came out. I think she had argued with her lover and was scared he might reveal her secret to me. Finally she broke down and told me that the baby was not mine but this other man’s. Apparently he had told her he did not want to be a father, and once he had found out that she was pregnant had told her that their relationship was over.’
By the time Blake had finished his lips were grim and his eyes stone-hard. Kara almost wished that he hadn’t told her. It was scary, seeing Blake like this. ‘So she thought she would pass it off as yours?’
She felt for Blake. She felt his fury, his anger, his disappointment that his wife had cheated on him. And she wanted to throw herself into his arms and comfort him.
‘I was so furiously angry. I could not believe that I had actually been sucked in by her lies. Her apologies afterwards meant nothing. I cast her out of my life and began divorce proceedings immediately. But it made me wary. I’ve trusted no woman since, and I’m definitely never going to get married again.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Kara did not know what else to say. What was there to say in the face of such duplicity? She did not know how Melanie had had the nerve to try and deceive him. She must have known that the truth would come out sometime.
‘So you see,’ he said finally, after a long silence when they were each deep in their own thoughts, ‘we really are two of a kind.’
Never in a million years would she be like him, thought Kara. She did not have that hard edge that he hid behind. Her emotions came too easily to the surface. ‘Have you seen her since?’ She could not help asking the question.
‘No. Nor do I want to,’ he answered curtly. ‘I’m sorry I’ve told you, I did not want anything to spoil our day.’
‘I’m actually glad that you have,’ she said softly.
‘And I think it’s about time we set off again.’ He visibly shrugged off his mantle of discontent. Nevertheless he was silent for a while—until he found a secluded spot where he switched off the engine and tied up the cruiser. And Kara found out exactly what he had in mind when his dark gaze met hers, when she saw the searing hunger in his eyes.
‘I need this, Kara. I’ve been wanting to do it all day.’ His voice was no more than a low growl now, a growl deep in his throat, vibrating through her nerves, making her shiver with anticipation. At one time she would have felt fear if any man had approached her like this, but not so with Blake.
Although her body quivered her mind was open to him, and when his hands slid around her and she felt herself urged against his lean hardness, when she felt the full force of his arousal, hunger raced through her like quicksilver and there was no way on this earth that she could have resisted.
He had turned her into someone she did not recognise—and yet she did not hate herself for being weak. She could not. The pleasure was too intense. Simply being here and feeling the heated emotions spinning from one to the other was sufficient to capture her mind as well as her body.
Her eyes were on his mouth as it drew closer to hers, on his intensely sensual lips that could cause such devastating excitement. Unconsciously she touched her tongue to her own lips, moistening them in readiness, and she saw Blake’s eyes narrow, the way he drew in his breath and became motionless.
What began as a gentle kiss grew swiftly into something hard and demanding. They each fed from the other, their bodies melding together as though this was where they rightly belonged.
Kara felt as if she was drowning in the waters of the lake, as if she was being swallowed up by the silky warmth that swam through her limbs and caused her head to spin. The mere taste of his lips was like an aphrodisiac, inciting her to return his kiss with a passion that both shocked and thrilled her.
Somewhere—somewhere in the back of her mind—rang a warning bell. Don’t get into this too deeply, it said, or you might be sorry. But she did not listen. She liked what was happening. She wanted more of it. She was like a child who had been let loose in a sweet shop. She wanted to taste everything.
Heat gathered and swirled between her legs, her heart thundered, and when Blake took her hand and led her down to the cabin she made no demur. Urgently now, he stripped off his clothes, and Kara did the same. She felt no inhibition, though had anyone asked her a few days ago if she would strip off in front of a man she would have told them they had to be joking.
He feathered her skin with tiny kisses, causing her to buck and wriggle. Kara had never realised before how many sensitive areas she had. He was opening up a whole new world, and her enjoyment went beyond anything she had ever experienced.
It would be time to take a step backwards when they returned to London, when he would once again become her boss and she would be his perfect PA. There was no reason for her to believe that this would carry on. His affairs never did. But at least he had said that she would not be thrown out of her job. Not in so many words, but he had said that he never wanted to lose her—which amounted to the same thing, didn’t it?
‘I love the paleness of your skin,’ he muttered, as his mouth moved from her breasts to trace a path over her stomach and towards his ultimate goal. ‘Too many women think a tan makes them look healthier and more beautiful, but you are simply perfection.’
Kara loved the compliment he had paid her. And when his hungry mouth finally reached the soft whorls of hair at the apex of her thighs neither of them wanted to speak. The only sounds they made were of pleasure. The only movements they made were purely instinctive.
Kara could not believe how easily or how swiftly Blake brought her to her climax. It seemed that he had only just touched her and her world exploded. Again! As it had last night! What must he be thinking? It couldn’t be very much fun for him.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, her voice low and hoarse.
‘Sorry?’ he growled. ‘Don’t be. It’s a compliment. Would you like to return the favour?’
What? Kiss him? There? Kara felt the blood rush to her face. He was asking too much. How could she? But within minutes she found herself teasing Blake in the same way as he had teased her. And whatever she was doing she must have been doing it right, because with the deepest groan she had ever heard he suddenly swung her onto her back and within seconds of protecting himself had entered her.
Kara lifted her hips to accommodate him and they both rode the storm together. She thought that she was going to
black out, so intense was her pleasure, so many waves washing over her time and time again, and afterwards they both lay sated, unable to move, no strength left in their bodies.
Blake watched Kara, lying perfectly still with her eyes closed, and she lay there for so long that he wondered whether she was hating him now, whether he had overstepped the mark. There was a stillness about her that was scary. He felt sick to the bottom of his heart—until her eyelids fluttered open and she smiled. ‘I think I have gone to heaven.’
Relief flooded through him. ‘I was beginning to think that you thought badly of me.’
‘How could I?’ she asked, sitting up. ‘I never knew that making love could be so beautiful. My mother always said—’ She stopped abruptly and shook her head. ‘Please forget I said that. I love my mother dearly. I would never say anything against her.’
Blake guessed that her mother’s opinion on sex would have been based on the man she had married. The man who sounded like a complete monster. He forced himself to smile. ‘We’re not all the same. Myself and many other men besides me see women as objects of beauty, to be treated with respect and fairness. We would never demand anything they do not want to give. One day, Kara, you will find a man to love, and you will see that I am right.’
Kara felt as though he had just thrown her into the lake and left her to drown. He had just confirmed her suspicions that this was nothing more than a fling as far as he was concerned. A holiday romance! Something she would remember for the rest of her life but he would not.
How she managed to give the impression that there was nothing wrong she did not know. She glanced at her watch and pretended to be surprised at the time. ‘We should be getting back.’
Despite what he had said, however, Kara still managed to feel total awareness, and she knew that if he wanted to make love to her again she would let him. He was in her bloodstream now; she could not get rid of him. He was a part of her and she was a part of him.
CHAPTER SIX
KARA and Blake had finished their dinner, and were seated outside on the terrace watching the sun slide slowly down behind one of the mountains. This surely had to be the most perfect place in the world, she thought, and felt sad that they had only one more day left.
She wondered whether she dared ask Blake if they could stay a little longer, but then remembered the fuss she had kicked up in the first place. And of course her mother would be expecting her! She suddenly sat up straight. How could she have forgotten her mother? How could she have spent a whole day without even thinking about her?
‘Is something wrong?’
‘I was thinking about my mother, wondering whether she’s all right. I feel guilty now for—for enjoying myself.’ Enjoying was too feeble a word to describe the emotions that had set her body on fire. It should have been something like seventh heaven or paradise, and she was glad that the darkening sky hid the hot colour that now flooded her cheeks.
‘Then why don’t you ring her?’ And he tossed her his phone.
Even as he spoke her own phone rang, and as soon as she heard the panic in her mother’s voice Kara knew that something was wrong—very, very wrong—and she moved away so that Blake would not overhear.
‘You need to come home,’ said Lynne urgently. ‘He’s found out where I am. He was here just now, demanding money. I’m scared, Kara. He was really nasty. I’ve never seen him quite like that before.’
Kara felt her blood run cold. She had never heard her mother sound so worried. She was usually resigned to their lot in life. But she knew that she must not panic—even though she wanted to! She drew in a long breath and spoke as steadily as she could. ‘Of course I’ll come. Try not to worry. I’ll speak to Blake. I’ll be there as soon as I can.’
She spent a further few minutes trying to pacify her mother, who had a weak heart. Kara knew how dangerous it was for her to get worked up like this. And she needed to draw in a few more deep breaths herself before returning to Blake’s side. Her heart was racing all over the place.
His dark eyes were questioning as he looked at her. ‘Is something wrong? You’ve gone very pale.’
‘My mother’s not well. I need to go home.’ She couldn’t tell Blake the truth because it would to be embarrassing to admit to this man that her father had tricked them in such a blatant way. And, knowing Blake as she now did, he might want to do something about it. They would then be in his debt. And did she really want that?
The answer was a resounding no. Besides, once they got back to England their intimate relationship would be over. She was sure of it—convinced of it. He hadn’t made her any promises. Far from it! Kara was certain that Blake wouldn’t want to carry on their affair under the noses of his staff. No, a line would be drawn under the whole affair. It would be back to business as usual. Telling him about their debt would be a huge mistake!
She would need to treat these last few days as nothing more than a pleasant interlude. An overwhelming interlude! More than overwhelming, actually, but she could think of no other superlatives to describe what had happened to her. At least she would have memories. Totally amazing memories that she would hold for the rest of her life.
‘I am sorry. Of course you must go.’ Even as he spoke he was on the phone, and in what seemed like no time at all they were on their way to the airport.
The good thing about being with Blake was that he got things done, thought Kara. Money talked.
‘What’s happened to your mother?’ he asked her now, genuine concern on his face. ‘Is she in hospital?’
Kara shook her head, unaware that her eyes were shadowed and her face so drained of blood that she looked ill. ‘She has a weak heart and amongst other things she suffers panic attacks—really bad ones. A legacy from my father, I’m afraid.’ None of this was a lie; she was not making excuses to avoid the truth. ‘She needs me. I should never have come away. I blame myself for this. I—’
‘Kara!’ Blake took her icy cold hands into his. ‘You mustn’t blame yourself. Everyone needs a break at some time. Perhaps you should get someone in to help with your mother? I’d be willing to—’
‘No!’ Kara almost shouted in her need to stop what he was saying. Involving Blake in their family affairs was the last thing she wanted. Both she and her mother were too embarrassed by what they saw as their failings to want anyone to witness it—let alone the man who paid her wages!
If they had stood up to her father all those years ago, been brave enough to walk out on him, then none of this would have happened. But they hadn’t, and now they were forced to face the consequences.
And the man they owed money to was becoming more and more demanding, more frightening with every visit. Kara was giving him practically every penny of her salary and it still wasn’t enough. It was hard to believe that he had found out where her mother had gone.
If she hadn’t thought her parent would be safe with Aunt Susan she would never have agreed to go to Italy in the first place. Even if it had cost her her job! The man had no conscience. He didn’t care who he frightened so long as he had enough cash to fund his extravagant lifestyle.
During the flight Blake respected Kara’s wish to remain silent, even though he didn’t understand it. His attempts to talk to her had led to nothing, and he hated to see her so deeply troubled. He would be worried, too, if it was his mother, and he could understand her distress—but he did wish that she would let him in so that he could talk her fears through with her.
Instead she sat bolt upright, her eyes staring into space, her mind on whatever lay ahead. He would be there for her, he determined. He would give her any help she needed. If her mother needed hospital treatment then he would arrange it—pay for it, even.
Although he hadn’t wanted it to happen, Kara had got through to him like no other woman ever had. He hadn’t planned, didn’t even want a permanent relationship, but something had happened. She had opened a tiny crack in his heart. And her pain was now his pain.
‘Are you sure there is nothing I
can do, Kara? I could phone ahead and arrange for—’
‘No!’ The word was immediate and loud, and then she said, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. But I’m used to my mother’s—attacks. She’ll be all right once I’m there.’
‘If you’re sure? Because—’
‘I’m sure,’ she reiterated, her eyes flashing a vivid blue.
Blake felt sad at the loss of the beautiful woman he had found, the woman who had given herself so willingly. Who had transformed herself from someone plain and introverted into someone beautiful and outgoing. She had retreated back into her shell and he had no way of knowing what was going through her mind. ‘If there is anything I can do,’ he said again, ‘you know you have only to ask.’
‘I know.’ Her voice was quiet once more. ‘And, thank you, but we’ll be all right.’
It was as though she didn’t trust him, as though she wanted to compartmentalise the two sides of her life, and he could not understand why. He would have expected her to welcome his help after the time they had spent together, the closeness they had shared and enjoyed.
When the plane touched down he heard her on her phone, calling a taxi. ‘Kara, please—let me take you. It will be so much easier. I have a car waiting.’
But she vehemently shook her head. ‘I need to cope with this on my own, Blake.’
Kara saw the shock on his face but she had to do this. She did not want him knowing anything else about her private life. She refused even to think about the word help, as it brought with it feelings of both shame and hope.
When she got to her aunt’s house and saw the state her mother was in she was glad that she had not let Blake bring her.
Her aunt Susan was all for them going to the police, but her mother was adamant. ‘I’ll be all right now Kara’s home,’ she kept saying. And when later that same day they returned to their own house she did indeed begin to look well again.
Kara knew that her mother was frightened, but she wondered whether part of her reaction was simply because Kara had not been around to rely on. An ache filled Kara’s heart. For the first time ever she felt that she was being held back from a life that could be a whole lot better. She had experienced that life, had tasted a little bit of heaven—and unfortunately that was all it was ever going to be. One taste! A taste that would have to last her a lifetime.
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