other. That without his mouth and body pressed against hers, she
would wither and die in some strange never-known way.
As if she was in a dream, she felt the buttons at the back of her blouse give
way under his fingers, shivering as he caressed her bared flesh, his hands
lingering over her shoulders and the base of her throat as he eased the soft
silk away.
She clung to him still, trembling at the sensations he was so knowingly
arousing, yet wanting him to go on touching her. With a sound that was half
a sigh, half a groan he lifted his mouth from hers and stared down into her
flushed face. He raised his hand and gently traced the lines of her jaw to the
pulse in her throat, then followed the slender line of her neck to the
vulnerable hollows at its base. And paused.
Catriona glanced down and saw his fingers curving round the silver chain
that held Jeremy's ring.
Their eyes met, his puzzled and with the first stirring of anger in their
depths.
'You can't still be hoping,' he began. 'Not even you with that incredible
optimism of yours . ..'
She tore herself out of his arms, her hand closing protectively over the ring.
'I suppose to—a man of the world like you'—she made the phrase sound
like an insult—'a word like fidelity or loyalty has little meaning.'
'Applied to Jeremy, they're practically meaningless,' he said slowly.
'Applied to yourself. . He looked her over and his lips curled sardonically.
Crimson with anger as well as shame, she pulled her loosened blouse up
over her shoulders. How could she have let him— him of all people behave
like that? No one, not even Jeremy, had ever been permitted to kiss or touch
her in that way. She had always had too much self-respect—Aunt Jessie had
seen to that. Now she felt confused, as if her whole scale of values had been
turned upside down by this witchcraft he had worked on her body.
Her eyes filled with tears, as she struggled vainly with her fastenings.
'Let me,' Jason spoke quietly.
'Don't touch me!' she breathed, her temper fighting for precedence over
guilt and confusion. He bent his head and turned abruptly away, thrusting
his hands into his pockets.
After a moment's hesitation, she pulled off the blouse altogether and
snatched up the black sweater she had worn earlier, tugging it over her head
with shaking hands. She could not look at him, and did not even want to
know if he was .looking at her. She still could not understand how she had
come so near to betraying all her carefully held principles—and with a man
like him. He must think that her feelings were as shallow as his own. He had
a low opinion of women anyway and she was forced to admit that it would
be difficult for anyone—even someone less cynical than himself —to
believe that she could still carry an aching heart for Jeremy and yet allow
another man to make passionate love to her.
She was suddenly afraid she was going to burst into tears, and she sank
down on the edge of the bed, covering her face with her hands. Her whole
body was still in turmoil from his caresses and the treacherous physical
weakness he had engendered was also affecting her emotions.
'Catriona,' he came and squatted in front of her, 'if you won't look at me, at
least listen.'
'You have nothing to say to me that I want to hear.' Her hands were pressed
so tightly over her eyes that little scarlet flames seemed to be flickering
inside her lids. 'And I hope I never have to set eyes on you again either!'
He gave an exasperated sigh. 'You can't forgive me for making you see the
truth about Jeremy, you stubborn little fool. You must have your illusion to
cling to despite all the evidence.'
'What do you know about truth?' Her voice trembled. 'At least what Jeremy
and I felt for each other was fine and clean, not like . . .'
Jason swore suddenly and violently, gripping her hands and dragging them
away from her face. Dazedly, she stared at him.
'Tonight,' he said, and his voice was
would wither and die in some strange never-known way.
As if she was in a dream, she felt the buttons at the back of her blouse give
way under his fingers, shivering as he caressed her bared flesh, his hands
lingering over her shoulders and the base of her throat as he eased the soft
silk away.
She clung to him still, trembling at the sensations he was so knowingly
arousing, yet wanting him to go on touching her. With a sound that was half
a sigh, half a groan he lifted his mouth from hers and stared down into her
flushed face. He raised his hand and gently traced the lines of her jaw to the
pulse in her throat, then followed the slender line of her neck to the
vulnerable hollows at its base. And paused.
Catriona glanced down and saw his fingers curving round the silver chain
that held Jeremy's ring.
Their eyes met, his puzzled and with the first stirring of anger in their
depths.
'You can't still be hoping,' he began. 'Not even you with that incredible
optimism of yours . ..'
She tore herself out of his arms, her hand closing protectively over the ring.
'I suppose to—a man of the world like you'—she made the phrase sound
like an insult—'a word like fidelity or loyalty has little meaning.'
'Applied to Jeremy, they're practically meaningless,' he said slowly.
'Applied to yourself. . He looked her over and his lips curled sardonically.
Crimson with anger as well as shame, she pulled her loosened blouse up
over her shoulders. How could she have let him— him of all people behave
like that? No one, not even Jeremy, had ever been permitted to kiss or touch
her in that way. She had always had too much self-respect—Aunt Jessie had
seen to that. Now she felt confused, as if her whole scale of values had been
turned upside down by this witchcraft he had worked on her body.
Her eyes filled with tears, as she struggled vainly with her fastenings.
'Let me,' Jason spoke quietly.
'Don't touch me!' she breathed, her temper fighting for precedence over
guilt and confusion. He bent his head and turned abruptly away, thrusting
his hands into his pockets.
After a moment's hesitation, she pulled off the blouse altogether and
snatched up the black sweater she had worn earlier, tugging it over her head
with shaking hands. She could not look at him, and did not even want to
know if he was .looking at her. She still could not understand how she had
come so near to betraying all her carefully held principles—and with a man
like him. He must think that her feelings were as shallow as his own. He had
a low opinion of women anyway and she was forced to admit that it would
be difficult for anyone—even someone less cynical than himself —to
believe that she could still carry an aching heart for Jeremy and yet allow
another man to make passionate love to her.
She was suddenly afraid she was going to burst into tears, and she sank
down on the edge of the bed, covering her face with her hands. Her whole
body was still in turmoil from his caresses and the treacherous physical
weakness he had engendered was also affecting her emotions.
'Catriona,' he came and squatted in front of her, 'if you won't look at me, at
least listen.'
'You have nothing to say to me that I want to hear.' Her hands were pressed
so tightly over her eyes that little scarlet flames seemed to be flickering
inside her lids. 'And I hope I never have to set eyes on you again either!'
He gave an exasperated sigh. 'You can't forgive me for making you see the
truth about Jeremy, you stubborn little fool. You must have your illusion to
cling to despite all the evidence.'
'What do you know about truth?' Her voice trembled. 'At least what Jeremy
and I felt for each other was fine and clean, not like . . .'
Jason swore suddenly and violently, gripping her hands and dragging them
away from her face. Dazedly, she stared at him.
'Tonight,' he said, and his voice was
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