‘I would have thought so.’ She watched him warily, backing slowly away from him until she felt herself come up against the bedroom wall.
He put down his empty glass on her white dressing-table, moving forward to pin her to the wall with a hand either side of her head. ‘Don’t act the innocent with me, Kate. I know exactly what you are.’ He lowered his body against hers. ‘And I think it’s my turn now.’ He bent his head to kiss her creamy throat.
She couldn’t repress her shiver of revulsion at the touch of his lips to her skin, squirming away from him but not getting very far with his hands restraining her. ‘Let go of me!’ she snapped between gritted teeth, trying to stop herself from crying out. ‘If you don’t let go of me I swear I’ll scream the house down,’ she promised vehemently.
He laughed mockingly against her throat. ‘You know you like it—your sort always do. If you like to fight, then we’ll fight. I don’t mind.’
Kate gasped her shock. ‘You’re disgusting, absolutely disgusting! I meant it about screaming. If you touch me once more I’ll let out the biggest yell you’ve ever heard!’
‘I don’t believe you.’ His lips continued their downward path.
Her scream was stifled halfway through by his hand placed roughly over her mouth. She glared her dislike of him, the gold flecks in her eyes clearly showing her hatred of him and his treatment of her.
‘So you want to play rough, do you?’ he growled at her, an ugly look of anger on his flushed face. ‘Okay, so we’ll play rough.’ He picked her up and threw her on the bed. ‘You’re the most provocative little bitch I’ve ever met, and I intend to have you!’
‘I don’t think so,’ remarked a voice Kate instantly recognised, quickly wrapping the robe about her naked body where it had come awry by Matt Strange’s rough handling of her, looking up thankfully to see Damien Savage standing just inside the room. ‘If you’re a very wise man, Strange,’ he continued, dangerously soft, ‘you’ll just leave quietly.’
The younger man looked at him challengingly. ‘And if I choose not to?’
‘Then we’ll just go outside and settle this matter another way.’
Matt Strange looked down at Kate, who was now shivering with reaction. ‘I don’t think you’re worth the bother,’ he said tauntingly. ‘Maybe I was wrong and my time hasn’t come yet.’ He looked up at Damien. ‘I can wait until you’ve finished with her.’
The next thing Kate knew he was lying at her feet, blood pouring from his nose. The look on his face could only be described as ugly and she flinched from that look. Suddenly he smiled. ‘She simply isn’t worth it, Damien. I’ll just leave before this whole thing gets out of control. See you around, Kate, Damien.’
There was a stunned silence after he had left, until Kate broke into loud choking sobs. She felt dirty and degraded, felt as if she wanted to scrub every inch of her body to erase Matt Strange’s touch. She sensed Damien standing beside her and turned to bury her face against him, his arm about her shoulders holding her close.
‘It’s all right, honey,’ he said softly. ‘It’s all over now.’
‘Oh, Damien,’ she clung to him. ‘It was awful, awful!’
He smoothed back her hair with a gentle hand, a trace of anger still burning in his green eyes. ‘I know, honey. I felt murderous when I walked in here and saw you with him. I wouldn’t have realised what was going on if I hadn’t heard your scream. I arrived a few minutes ago and Jennings went off in search of you.’
She was still shivering with fright. ‘Oh, Damien, if you hadn’t come in …’
‘But I did.’ He tilted her chin to smile down at her. ‘Now get yourself dressed and I’ll go and reassure Jennings that you’re all right.’ He gently touched her lips with his own.
Her mouth bloomed and clung to his, her arms passing up around his neck to hold him to her. He kissed her back for several long seconds before firmly putting her away from him. She looked at him with hurt bewildered eyes. ‘Damien?’
‘Get dressed, Kate,’ he told her almost harshly. ‘I’ll be waiting for you in the lounge.’
Her feelings of rejection were very acute after he had left her and the tears flowed more freely. Within the space of a few minutes she had almost been made love to against her will and then coldly rebuffed by the man she— By the man she what? By the man she loved? Surely not. She couldn’t love Damien Savage. She just couldn’t!
She was pale and composed by the time she entered the lounge fifteen minutes later, freshly showered and dressed in lime green trousers and matching vest-top. Damien stood up at her entrance, searching her pale features sympathetically.
‘Feeling better?’ he asked softly.
‘Yes, thank you.’ She helped herself to a cup of coffee he had ordered. ‘Thank you for your help earlier on,’ she added primly.
‘You already thanked me, with deeds rather than words. I prefer those sort of thanks.’
She looked at him uncertainly. ‘I don’t understand …’
‘Come here and kiss me and you will.’
‘Come over there and kiss you?’ she repeated breathlessly, feeling weak at the suggestion.
‘Yes,’ he said shortly. ‘Is that so hard to do?’
‘No, I—It isn’t hard at all.’ She went to him willingly, putting her arms about his waist, her head resting on his chest, hearing the steady beat of his heart. She sighed her pleasure, feeling strangely safe in his arms, even though she knew he wanted her as much as Matt Strange had, maybe even more. She didn’t feel repulsion in Damien’s arms, only a longing she didn’t wholly understand.
He reached up to free her hair and smooth it down about her shoulders. ‘Always leave your hair loose when you’re with me,’ he ordered. ‘I can’t stand to see such glorious hair hidden
