passionately sensual, locking their mouths together in an erotic fusion totally outside any of her previous experience.
And at the same moment, his hands found her breasts, cupping them tenderly, intimately, as if the cumbersome folds of material between his warmth and hers did not exist.
As soon, she realised, they would not. One hand was already at her throat, releasing the first of the tiny buttons which fastened her dress from neck to waist.
She heard a moan rising in her throat, a moan of greed, of the necessity his kisses had forced into being.
But what echoed in her head was a scream, and then another. And another…
Rohan's hands had stilled. He lifted his mouth from hers, the hazel eyes staring down into hers in horrified enquiry.
She twisted off his lap, and ran to the bedroom where Jodie lay, her small body twisting restlessly, eyes tightly closed, as her mouth continued to utter those unearthly cries.
'Cass, what is it?' Rohan demanded tensely. He was beside her already bending towards Jodie, and she pulled at him frantically.
'No, don't touch her. She's having a nightmare. I know what to do. I can cope. Go— please.'
He went without protest, and Cass got on to the narrow bed, gathering her daughter in her arms, murmuring to her, stroking her hair, calling her the names of babyhood, until Jodie opened her eyes, shuddering, and said, 'Mummy?'
'I'm here, darling.'
'I thought—that man.' The small voice was woeful and terrified and Cass's heart contracted in pity.
'No, darling. There's no man. Everything's all right. It was just a nasty dream.'
'Just a dream,' Jodie repeated obediently. Within minutes she was asleep again, breathing softly and regularly.
Cass got up slowly and gingerly, fearful of disturbing her. In the early days, she'd stayed with Jodie all night sometimes, terrified of a recurrence, but gradually she'd realised that the nightmares, when they came, came singly.
Slowly, reluctantly, she went back to the living room, hoping against hope that Rohan might have taken her at her word and left altogether.
But he was there, waiting for her. He swung round impatiently as she entered.
He said without preamble, 'What brought that on?'
Cass began to shake up the crumpled cushions on the sofa. She didn't look at him. She said, 'At one time she used to have these nightmares quite often. Ever since her father died. She found his death—traumatic. I was told she would grow out of them, and she—seemed to be. She hasn't had one for ages. I'm afraid that—being round men for any length of time has tended to—trigger them in the past.'
'Then it's my fault?'
'It's no one's fault, although naturally, I try and protect her whenever possible,' She paused. 'It's all right, when it's just the two of us.'
'Is it now?' he came back at her grimly. 'So you're going to cut yourself off from normal human contact for the rest of your life to protect Jodie from nightmares? To hell with that. If Jodie needs help, then she must have it. But this isn't helping, Cass, although it may furnish you with a ready excuse for keeping the rest of the world out,' he added harshly.
She walked to the door, and opened it. 'Go,' she said. 'Just go. I don't need your help, Rohan, or your patronage, or your advice. It would be better for Jodie, better for both of us, if you just—kept away.'
'Is it that resemblance you once mentioned?' he asked, his eyes hard. 'Do I remind her of him, Cass? Is that the reason for tonight's trauma?'
Cass shook her head. 'I don't know. But you're not good for her, Rohan. And you're not good for me. I want my life back the way it was, and I'll have it, even if it means leaving the agency to get away from you. There must be some corner somewhere where your shadow can't touch me.'
In a shattering silence, he picked up his jerkin, shrugged it on, and walked past her, out of the door. Out of her life.
Tremblingly, she closed the door, locked it, put on the chain, then leaned against its
And at the same moment, his hands found her breasts, cupping them tenderly, intimately, as if the cumbersome folds of material between his warmth and hers did not exist.
As soon, she realised, they would not. One hand was already at her throat, releasing the first of the tiny buttons which fastened her dress from neck to waist.
She heard a moan rising in her throat, a moan of greed, of the necessity his kisses had forced into being.
But what echoed in her head was a scream, and then another. And another…
Rohan's hands had stilled. He lifted his mouth from hers, the hazel eyes staring down into hers in horrified enquiry.
She twisted off his lap, and ran to the bedroom where Jodie lay, her small body twisting restlessly, eyes tightly closed, as her mouth continued to utter those unearthly cries.
'Cass, what is it?' Rohan demanded tensely. He was beside her already bending towards Jodie, and she pulled at him frantically.
'No, don't touch her. She's having a nightmare. I know what to do. I can cope. Go— please.'
He went without protest, and Cass got on to the narrow bed, gathering her daughter in her arms, murmuring to her, stroking her hair, calling her the names of babyhood, until Jodie opened her eyes, shuddering, and said, 'Mummy?'
'I'm here, darling.'
'I thought—that man.' The small voice was woeful and terrified and Cass's heart contracted in pity.
'No, darling. There's no man. Everything's all right. It was just a nasty dream.'
'Just a dream,' Jodie repeated obediently. Within minutes she was asleep again, breathing softly and regularly.
Cass got up slowly and gingerly, fearful of disturbing her. In the early days, she'd stayed with Jodie all night sometimes, terrified of a recurrence, but gradually she'd realised that the nightmares, when they came, came singly.
Slowly, reluctantly, she went back to the living room, hoping against hope that Rohan might have taken her at her word and left altogether.
But he was there, waiting for her. He swung round impatiently as she entered.
He said without preamble, 'What brought that on?'
Cass began to shake up the crumpled cushions on the sofa. She didn't look at him. She said, 'At one time she used to have these nightmares quite often. Ever since her father died. She found his death—traumatic. I was told she would grow out of them, and she—seemed to be. She hasn't had one for ages. I'm afraid that—being round men for any length of time has tended to—trigger them in the past.'
'Then it's my fault?'
'It's no one's fault, although naturally, I try and protect her whenever possible,' She paused. 'It's all right, when it's just the two of us.'
'Is it now?' he came back at her grimly. 'So you're going to cut yourself off from normal human contact for the rest of your life to protect Jodie from nightmares? To hell with that. If Jodie needs help, then she must have it. But this isn't helping, Cass, although it may furnish you with a ready excuse for keeping the rest of the world out,' he added harshly.
She walked to the door, and opened it. 'Go,' she said. 'Just go. I don't need your help, Rohan, or your patronage, or your advice. It would be better for Jodie, better for both of us, if you just—kept away.'
'Is it that resemblance you once mentioned?' he asked, his eyes hard. 'Do I remind her of him, Cass? Is that the reason for tonight's trauma?'
Cass shook her head. 'I don't know. But you're not good for her, Rohan. And you're not good for me. I want my life back the way it was, and I'll have it, even if it means leaving the agency to get away from you. There must be some corner somewhere where your shadow can't touch me.'
In a shattering silence, he picked up his jerkin, shrugged it on, and walked past her, out of the door. Out of her life.
Tremblingly, she closed the door, locked it, put on the chain, then leaned against its
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