Raffa.’
‘Of course I could stop.’ He frowned. ‘I can’t imagine why that should surprise you.’
Unless...
‘Perhaps we both have issues from the past we’re still working through,’ she said, confirming his worst suspicions. ‘I wanted you with a madness that drove everything else from my mind, and I think you wanted me.’
‘You only think?’
‘But you realised it wasn’t the right time for either of us, and so you stopped.’
‘Of course I stopped.’ He shook his head, trying to make sense of something that made no sense. He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. ‘I had to stop.’
His world might be very different from Leila’s, according to her, but trust between a man and a woman when they were having sex was a given. He wondered now what she was hiding, and suddenly he dreaded hearing her answer to the question he had to ask. ‘Have you been assaulted, Leila?’
‘No.’
She spoke so quickly he believed her, but there was still a haunted look in her eyes.
‘But there is something?’
He waited, but she said nothing more.
‘I would never hurt you. I hope you know that.’
She didn’t answer. She wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. He knew something of Leila’s family history from the press reports, and now his imagination was working overtime. The thought of what she might have seen at home chilled him. ‘Can you tell me what’s wrong?’ he pressed gently.
‘Not now, Raffa.’
She would tell him, he hoped, but it would be in her own time. ‘Will you be all right in here if I leave you for a while?’ He sensed she needed space; he did too.
‘Of course I’ll be all right, Raffa.’
There was such a mix of emotion in her eyes when she looked up at him, he guessed neither of them had an answer for the heat that had flared between them.
‘Come and find me when you’re ready,’ he suggested. ‘Have a rest—or don’t have a rest. Do whatever you think best.’
‘Thank you. I will,’ she assured him quietly.
* * *
She waited until all the rattling atoms in the room had settled like dust, and then, standing up, she brushed herself down as if brushing away the ghosts of the past. It was time to tell Raffa everything. She wanted to help him, and if she confided in him perhaps they could rebuild their trust. It was time to open up in the hope that he would do the same.
She guessed she’d find him in the courtyard. He was chatting with some of the older men who had come along to help him organise the fair. Sensing her arrival, he turned to look at her long before she reached him.
‘Good—you’re here,’ he said. ‘Let’s go for that walk.’ He introduced her and then explained their intentions in Spanish to the group of elderly men, who smiled broadly at her and, like everyone else on the island, instantly made her feel a very welcome part of their community.
‘The gardens?’ Raffa suggested as he escorted her through the line of stalls.
‘Perfect,’ Leila agreed.
The gardens surrounding the castle were ordered and tranquil, and she couldn’t think of anywhere better to say the words she had never shared with anyone, not even her sisters or her brother, Tyr.
The scent of the recently watered grass combined with the heady scent of the roses in the flower beds was both intoxicating and soothing, and when they stopped beside a fountain she dabbled her fingertips in the cooling pool.
‘My father beat my mother. Not once, but many times.’ Her voice was flat, devoid of expression.
‘ Dios, Leila.’
‘My mother knew I’d seen what had happened,’ she continued without looking at Raffa. ‘It was our unspoken pact. We both knew my father would never dare to touch her in front of my sisters, let alone in front of Tyr. She explained away the bumps and bruises as her own clumsy fault. I suppose that’s why my mother’s last wish was that I didn’t live scared because of what I’d seen.’
Gathering Leila into his arms, he held her close. ‘You are
‘Of course I could stop.’ He frowned. ‘I can’t imagine why that should surprise you.’
Unless...
‘Perhaps we both have issues from the past we’re still working through,’ she said, confirming his worst suspicions. ‘I wanted you with a madness that drove everything else from my mind, and I think you wanted me.’
‘You only think?’
‘But you realised it wasn’t the right time for either of us, and so you stopped.’
‘Of course I stopped.’ He shook his head, trying to make sense of something that made no sense. He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. ‘I had to stop.’
His world might be very different from Leila’s, according to her, but trust between a man and a woman when they were having sex was a given. He wondered now what she was hiding, and suddenly he dreaded hearing her answer to the question he had to ask. ‘Have you been assaulted, Leila?’
‘No.’
She spoke so quickly he believed her, but there was still a haunted look in her eyes.
‘But there is something?’
He waited, but she said nothing more.
‘I would never hurt you. I hope you know that.’
She didn’t answer. She wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. He knew something of Leila’s family history from the press reports, and now his imagination was working overtime. The thought of what she might have seen at home chilled him. ‘Can you tell me what’s wrong?’ he pressed gently.
‘Not now, Raffa.’
She would tell him, he hoped, but it would be in her own time. ‘Will you be all right in here if I leave you for a while?’ He sensed she needed space; he did too.
‘Of course I’ll be all right, Raffa.’
There was such a mix of emotion in her eyes when she looked up at him, he guessed neither of them had an answer for the heat that had flared between them.
‘Come and find me when you’re ready,’ he suggested. ‘Have a rest—or don’t have a rest. Do whatever you think best.’
‘Thank you. I will,’ she assured him quietly.
* * *
She waited until all the rattling atoms in the room had settled like dust, and then, standing up, she brushed herself down as if brushing away the ghosts of the past. It was time to tell Raffa everything. She wanted to help him, and if she confided in him perhaps they could rebuild their trust. It was time to open up in the hope that he would do the same.
She guessed she’d find him in the courtyard. He was chatting with some of the older men who had come along to help him organise the fair. Sensing her arrival, he turned to look at her long before she reached him.
‘Good—you’re here,’ he said. ‘Let’s go for that walk.’ He introduced her and then explained their intentions in Spanish to the group of elderly men, who smiled broadly at her and, like everyone else on the island, instantly made her feel a very welcome part of their community.
‘The gardens?’ Raffa suggested as he escorted her through the line of stalls.
‘Perfect,’ Leila agreed.
The gardens surrounding the castle were ordered and tranquil, and she couldn’t think of anywhere better to say the words she had never shared with anyone, not even her sisters or her brother, Tyr.
The scent of the recently watered grass combined with the heady scent of the roses in the flower beds was both intoxicating and soothing, and when they stopped beside a fountain she dabbled her fingertips in the cooling pool.
‘My father beat my mother. Not once, but many times.’ Her voice was flat, devoid of expression.
‘ Dios, Leila.’
‘My mother knew I’d seen what had happened,’ she continued without looking at Raffa. ‘It was our unspoken pact. We both knew my father would never dare to touch her in front of my sisters, let alone in front of Tyr. She explained away the bumps and bruises as her own clumsy fault. I suppose that’s why my mother’s last wish was that I didn’t live scared because of what I’d seen.’
Gathering Leila into his arms, he held her close. ‘You are
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