Savage Interlude

by Carole Mortimer

  ‘But …?’

  ‘But you didn’t have to marry him,’ Sheri finished bluntly.

  Kate shrugged. ‘You married James, and as I remember he was just as much of a rake as Damien’s ever been.’

  Sheri nodded. ‘I think he would be the first to admit it. But I also think I’m right in saying he would have preferred you to have an affair with Damien rather than have you marry him.’

  ‘James would?’

  ‘He doesn’t want you to be hurt, Kate.’

  ‘And you don’t think having an affair with Damien would hurt me?’ Kate slipped on the black velvet suit and cream blouse.

  ‘But I thought you— We both thought—’

  ‘No,’ Kate answered firmly, ‘we haven’t.’

  ‘I see.’ Sheri bit her lip. ‘And you love him very much, don’t you?’

  ‘Very much.’

  ‘Then I won’t say another word. How do you get on with Damien’s mother?’ she added. ‘She seems very nice.’

  For the first time that day Kate gave what she felt to be a natural smile. She had liked Sarah Savage at their first meeting and that liking had blossomed into real affection, on both sides. This tiny, still very attractive woman was the only person that Damien seemed to listen to and take notice of. In fact on a couple of occasions Kate had witnessed him getting a sharp reprimand from this fiery lady, reprimands he seemed to take notice of too.

  ‘She is,’ Kate confirmed without hesitation.

  ‘How does she feel about the marriage?’

  ‘She approves. Wholeheartedly.’

  Sheri moved forward to hug her. ‘I really hope you’ll be happy, Kate. And I know James hopes the same. Forgive him for being slightly reserved, he’s just frightened for your happiness.’

  Kate turned to close her suitcase, not wanting Sheri to see her own doubts concerning that. ‘Damien will be getting impatient.’

  ‘Mm, and you don’t want to upset him before your marriage even gets off the ground.’

  ‘That’s right,’ laughed Kate, fearing that it was already doomed to failure.

  Damien was nowhere to be seen when she finally reappeared and this gave her time to say goodbye to her brother privately.

  ‘Don’t ever be scared to tell me if you need me,’ he told her warmly.

  ‘I won’t.’ She hugged him tightly to her. Marriage was such a giant step for anyone to take, but for her it could prove the disaster of her lifetime.

  This was all she had time to say to James before Damien suddenly appeared at her side, his light grip on her arm telling her of his presence. ‘No need to go back in there,’ he nodded towards the reception room. ‘Mother will say our goodbyes.’

  She couldn’t look at him, suddenly feeling extraordinarily shy. ‘Should I say goodbye to your mother?’

  ‘I already said it for you. Besides, you’ll be seeing her again in a few days’ time.’ He turned to look coolly at James. ‘I can see you’ve already said goodbye to everyone that you find important.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said dully.

  Surprisingly Damien put out his hand for James to shake. ‘Thanks for your moral support during the ceremony.’

  ‘It was a pleasure,’ James replied gruffly.

  ‘Right,’ Damien said brusquely. ‘We’ll be off, then.’

  The drive to the apartment only took ten minutes and yet it seemed much longer, neither of them saying a word throughout the journey. Kate was silent because each passing second her tense nervousness increased, and Damien just seemed to be preoccupied—something else that made her uneasy.

  What was he thinking about behind that composed cynical face of his? Why didn’t he speak to her, smile even—anything to show he still wanted her. But there was nothing, just a cold politeness that could have been applied to anyone. But she was his wife now, not just anyone, and he had no right to treat her so casually.

  Her resentment towards him grew with each passing second, and she had almost reached boiling point by the time they entered his apartment—no, it was their apartment now, the home they were to share until they went to America at the end of making this film. If they were still together then!

  Damien went straight to the tray of drinks and helped himself to a tumblerful of whisky. ‘God,’ he sighed, ‘I needed that. I never realised before that weddings could be so nerve-racking!’

  Kate stood just inside the room, unwilling to go any further. She felt as if she were married to a stranger, as if she had never known Damien at all. ‘Especially when the person you’ve just married spends most of the day ignoring you,’ she said resentfully.

  He gave her a hard look, wordlessly pouring out another glass of whisky before coming over to her. He held the glass out towards her. ‘Drink this,’ he ordered. ‘You’ll feel better for it.’

  She ignored the proffered glass. ‘I feel fine now, thank you.’

  ‘Like hell you do. Drink it!’

  ‘No, thank you,’ she said obstinately, and walked casually into the room, looking about her with interest. It was exactly as she remembered it, he had made no concessions to having a bride in his apartment. Not even a vase of flowers to brighten the place up.

  Shrugging, Damien put the glass down and walked over to her side. He looked down at her. ‘Would you like dinner now or would you like to lie down for a while? I’m sure today has been even more tiring for you than it has for me.’

  Especially as she had lain awake into the early hours of the morning last night worrying about whether she was doing the right thing by marrying Damien, whether her love would be strong enough to take her through this, her wedding night.

  But she could tell by the deepening of Damien’s eyes that his suggestion that she might like to lie down owed nothing to thoughtfulness. He did not have sleep in mind for when she got to bed.

  ‘I’d love some dinner,’ she perversely ignored the suggestive glint in his eyes. ‘I was much too busy to eat anything at the reception and I didn’t have time before the wedding. Do you have any food in for the weekend?’ This was the one thing she hadn’t thought of during her list of pre-wedding arrangements.

  ‘And the rest,’ he said derisively. ‘My daily woman seemed to be under the impression that we weren’t going to see the light of day for weeks. I can imagine how she spent her honeymoon!’

  ‘So do most people.’

  He smiled. ‘I can’t see myself being that infatuated with your body. I may want you, but not enough to forget the rest of the world for a week or so.’

  So he still wanted her! Kate heaved an inward sigh of relief at that, she had begun to doubt even that of late. ‘The fact that you intend returning to work on Monday has already more than proved that,’ she said icily.

  He moved away from her. ‘I have a deadline to meet.’

  ‘And that must come first,’ she taunted sarcastically.

  ‘I think you’re right,’ he humoured her. ‘Dinner first. Your hunger is making you bitchy.’

  ‘I’ve always been bitchy.’

  ‘Definitely dinner!’

  She followed him into the kitchen. ‘What are we going to have?’

  He was looking at the contents of the refrigerator. ‘Steak and salad all right?’

  ‘Fine. I’ll just change and then make it for you.’ She turned away uncertainly, not sure which room they would be using or where her clothes had been put.

  ‘I’ll get dinner while you change,’ he told her. ‘I’ve had the room with the fourposter prepared for us.’

  ‘How romantic,’ she taunted. God, she was so nervous, so nervous it was making her shrewish with him. She would have to calm herself down or the whole evening would be a disaster. ‘Sorry,’ she muttered stiffly.

  Damien sighed. ‘Go and change, Kate. You know the way.’

  ‘Yes.’

  The room was just as she remembered it, except the bedclothes had been temptingly turned back—the daily woman again, she presumed. It certainly wouldn’t have been Damien. The way he
was acting they might just as well not have bothered to get married. He was treating her like any other woman he casually spent the night with.

  Because of his uncaring attitude she decided to be likewise, discarding the lovely evening dress she had been going to wear, and donning denims and a thick jumper instead. Back in the kitchen Damien had already placed the food on the table, putting her steak in front of her before sitting down beside her.

  Kate ate the steak and helped herself to a little of the salad. Damien certainly wouldn’t starve if left to his own devices, he knew how to cook steak to perfection.

  She sipped the wine he had provided with the meal. ‘Do you think we’ll still be married at Christmas?’ she asked bluntly.

  He quirked an eyebrow. ‘Wondering if you can save yourself the price of my present?’

  She shrugged. ‘I’m just curious.’

  He too sipped his wine, then sat back to look at her. ‘When is Christmas, five, six weeks away? Mm, I think we can amuse each other for a couple of months at least. Yes, I should think we’ll still be together at Christmas.’

  ‘Oh!’

  ‘You sound disappointed.’

  ‘Surprised is more the word.’ And heartbroken. Two months—he had given their marriage a life-span of two months!

  Damien stood up. ‘Let’s go into the lounge.’

  That was a step nearer the bedroom! ‘I—I’ll just wash up the dinner things first,’ Kate said desperately.

  He took a firm hold of her arm. ‘Not just now you won’t.’ He saw her seated in the lounge. ‘Do you have anything special you want to do over the Christmas holiday?’

  She clung to her glass of wine as if it were a lifeline. She cleared her throat before answering. ‘No—er—no, I don’t think so.’ She didn’t have any plans past tonight.

  ‘Good.’ He came to sit on the arm of her chair, so close to her she was conscious of nothing else but his thigh so close to her arm.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I have plans for us.’

  ‘You—you do?’

  ‘Mm.’ His hand was gently caressing her nape. ‘I thought we could have a belated honeymoon, go away somewhere together for a week or two.’

  His hand was causing strange sensations down her spine and she had the feeling her voice wouldn’t be quite steady when she spoke. ‘Go away?’ she squeaked. ‘Where?’

  He bent his head to place his lips where his hand had so recently been and Kate quivered with pleasure. ‘I think …’ he murmured, ‘that our destination will have to be discussed between the two of us. But not right now.’ He turned her face towards him. ‘Right now I want to make love to you.’

  She flinched away from the desire no longer hidden in his eyes. ‘I—um— It’s early yet.’ She glanced nervously at her watch. ‘It’s only nine-thirty.’

  He stood up, pulling her effortlessly to her feet. ‘So we’ll have a shower, then go to bed.’

  ‘A shower,’ she latched thankfully on to the idea. ‘What a good idea.’

  ‘Mm,’ his eyes never left her face. ‘The shower is big enough for two—just.’

  ‘Big enough for …’ Panic re-entered her face. ‘Oh no, I couldn’t! I mean it—’

  Damien suddenly looked impatient. ‘You can drop the act, Kate. You have me well and truly hooked now, so you can stop the virginal bride act.’

  She shook her head, her eyes wide with distress. ‘I—It isn’t an act, Damien. I’ve never been with a man before. Truly, Damien.’

  His eyes snapped with anger and he pulled her ruthlessly after him in the direction of the bedroom. ‘Truth!’ he echoed curtly. ‘You don’t know the meaning of the word. But let me tell you here and now I have no intention of acting the nervous bridegroom to your virginal innocence. I’ve paid a high price for you—my freedom. That’s the highest price any man can pay for a woman. You’d better make me feel it was worth it or believe me, you’ll be out of here first thing in the morning.’

  Kate pulled away from him. ‘That’s all it is to you, isn’t it? A price to be paid for something you want.’

  ‘What else?’ he taunted. ‘You surely weren’t expecting any last-minute declaration of love from me?’

  She paled even more at the contempt in his voice. ‘Your sort of person doesn’t know the meaning of love. I think I should just leave now, it’s obvious you don’t even like me.’

  ‘Like you!’ he spat the words. ‘How can you like something that’s tormenting hell out of you day and night?’ He bent and swung her struggling body up into his arms. ‘I’m going to take you to my bed now and this time there will be no escape for you. I’ll have made you mine a hundred different ways before morning,’ he promised grimly. ‘And maybe then you won’t want to escape from me.’

  He dropped her down on to the bed, moving quickly to be at her side. Kate could sense the brutality in him as she fought against him for all she was worth. Her kicks and struggles were futile against his superior strength, and her final humiliation came when he openly laughed at her.

  ‘I hate you, Damien Savage!’ she cried out.

  He held her face roughly between his hands, a wild look about his eyes.

  ‘I told you that it wouldn’t matter to me if you fought me. You married me knowing what to expect today. And I’m going to see you aren’t disappointed.’

  He despatched with their clothing with consummate ease and soon their naked bodies were moulded together as if they had always been made to be that way. Kate felt dazed by the emotions clamouring for relief in her inexperienced body, felt as if she were drowning in the pleasure his hair-roughened chest was evoking against her own sensitive skin.

  His mouth roamed possessively over her throat and shoulders before his body shifted slightly and she felt his lips playing with her already roused breasts. ‘Damien,’ she groaned, remembering the last time he had held her so intimately. ‘Please be gentle,’ she pleaded.

  He lifted his head, his green eyes almost black with desire. ‘I remembered to shave first this time,’ his smile was wolfish. ‘I won’t give you cause to complain or to run away from me.’

  And he didn’t, gently coaxing her to such a pitch that she pleaded for his full possession of her fevered body. But still he didn’t take her, each kiss more drugging than the last, each caress more pleasurably exciting.

  Her eyes wild, her hair in complete disorder, she kissed him back, his flesh firm beneath her lips. ‘Now, Damien. Please, now!’

  He needed no further encouragement, his body heavy and yet curiously light on hers. The pain she had been led to expect came quickly and faded just as fast, the terror built up by girlish chatter grossly exaggerating a woman’s first union with a man. Now another emotion was taking over, a feeling of a dam about to burst.

  She could feel the tautness of her own body and knew that soon she must find release. When the ultimate of their lovemaking happened she cried out, feeling as if the whole world were revolving on a giddy axis.

  ‘Give in to it, Kate. Give in!’ Damien encouraged hotly, his own laboured breathing evidence of his own fulfilment.

  She bit softly into his shoulder as a means of stopping this floating feeling, unaware of the pain she was inflicting or the jagged teethmarks that would remain long after they had come back down to earth.

  Considering his previous harsh treatment of her Damien had been remarkably gentle with her during their lovemaking. He had made it everything a girl could wish for on her wedding night.

  They lay side by side, her body curved into his, her head resting on his chest. She felt so tired, so sleepy—and so wonderful. Her body tingled with life and she knew that she would never feel the same again. Tonight Damien had made a woman out of her, and she wanted it to happen time and time again.

  ‘Thank you, Damien,’ she murmured almost inaudibly, sleep beginning to take over.

  The arm about her shoulders moved and she felt his hand smoothing back her silky hair. ‘Sleep now, Kate,’ he said softly. ‘We’ll talk in
the morning.’

  ‘Talk?’ he yawned. ‘What about?’

  ‘I think you know, Kate,’ he replied deeply.

  No, she didn’t know at all, but she was just too tired to care about anything at the moment. She felt herself drifting and didn’t know any more until a sudden chill about her body told her she was alone in the bed. She sat up in a panic, her eyes frantically searching the gloom of the room for sign of Damien. She saw his shadowy figure moving about at the foot of the bed.

  ‘Damien?’ she queried softly. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘I’ll be back soon, angel,’ he said gruffly. ‘Just go back to sleep. I won’t be long.’

  ‘But where are you going?’ Her distress was obvious in her voice.

  He came to her side, bending down to gently kiss her lips. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ he promised. ‘Just he back and rest.’ He moved to the door.

  ‘Damien!’ she cried, her bottom lip trembling emotionally. ‘Don’t leave me.’

  ‘Rest, honey.’ He closed the door quietly behind him as he left.

  The varied emotions of the last week finally took over and she broke into loud sobs, turning her face into the pillow to cry herself out. She didn’t know where Damien had gone or why he had left her like this, but she did know that she would be here waiting for him when he returned, as she would always be here for him until he tired of her.

  Finally her crying ceased and sleep once again took over. Damien had to come back here, it was his home. Besides, he had promised her.

  It was the return of his body warmth that woke her for the second time that night, the feel of being enfolded in strong muscular arms and held firmly against his hair-roughened chest. With a sigh she cuddled against him and drifted back to sleep.

  It was daylight when she woke again, still encircled in his arms. Damien slept on, his harsh, often cynical features appearing younger in his relaxed state. Suddenly his green eyes flickered open and she found herself gazing into their sleepy depths.

  She blushed at the warmth of his gaze. ‘Good morning,’ she greeted him shyly.

  He watched her intently. ‘Is it?’

  She gave a nervous laugh. ‘Well, I can’t speak for the weather, it seems to have been raining all night.’