Bryan refused to let go off her. 'You are not running away again', he said darkly holding her still against all her struggles.
Sharon glared at him with wild bitter eyes. 'I am going home now. I've had enough of this damned pretense'.
Bryan smiled lazily, though his eyes were dark and cold. 'Really? You surprise me', he drawled softly.
'I don't know what you mean', she said frightened by the quiet menace in his voice, by the punishing grip that shackled her in this deserted conservatory.
'So sweet, so innocent. I could almost believe you -- if I didn't know you better', his contempt flayed her.
'You don't know me at all', she bit out.'And if you don't let me go, I'll scream'.
Bryan laughed, derision glittering in his eyes. 'You'd better know it now that I have no intention of letting you go. You belong to me-- you always have, you always will. And you can run and hide from the fact all you want but it won't change a thing. Have you noticed how you tremble with desire when I come close to you? Was that the way you felt when your late husband came close to you? Has any other man made you feel such intense and uncontrollable desire before? Why do you keep running away from what can never change?'
Sharon was angry at the way he had spoken about Gerhard. Gerhard was no less a man than he was. The only difference was that she had not loved him else she knew she would have felt the same way.
She was filled with panic though and she struggled to get away from him but his hold tightened and using his vastly superior strength, he lifted and turned her trapped hand His eyes held hers in a long hard glance before he bent his head, his mouth brushing her palm again and again.
Sharon shuddered, her heart pounding as she watched him. The touch of his mouth was setting her blood on fire, filling her with a desire so powerful, it made her gasp.
When Bryan finally lifted his head, she quickly veiled her eyes, desperate to hide from him the way she really felt, her love and her hate inextricably mixed.
Without releasing her, he reached out, his fingers touching her throat, resting lightly on the hurried pulse that beat beneath her pale skin. She did not move. She knew that her racing heart was giving her away and she needed to defend herself.
'You insult me', she said quietly. 'And I hate you for that'.
Bryan's mouth hardened, his eyes becoming curiously blank. 'You insult your own intelligence by denying what you feel. Did Gerhard make you feel like this?'
And when she turned her head away, he tilted it back, forcing her to meet his icy black depths of his eyes. 'How was he in bed? Did he satisfy you? You were always so wild, so abandoned'.
Humiliated colour poured into Sharon's face and his words brought on an anger so fierce that she flew at him,her nails ready to claw his face. 'You have no right to talk about Gerhard that way. And you have no right to talk about me', she hissed. 'How dare you? How dare you!'
Bryan caught her hands before they reached him, twisting them easily behind her back. 'You'll be surprised what I dare', he said with a coolly mocking smile. Dredging all her scattered reserve if courage, Sharon looked him straight in the eye. 'I doubt it's, she retorted evenly. 'There is nothing that you could do that could surprise me. You always were a cold hearted swine'.
'Another challenge, Sharon? Bryan's dark brows lifted.
'Don't touch me'. Her hard going courage melted away before the soft menace in his voice.'I couldn't stand it. I hate you'.
Bryan pulled her closer.until their bodies were only inches apart. He stared down at her with narrowed eyes. 'Perhaps that would make it perfect', he said very softly. 'Hadn't you thought of that?'
'Oh, I'd thought of it', she managed through numb lips. 'You get your kicks from hurting people now, do you?'
She knew that she had angered him, that her insult had found its target. His grip tightened painfully, arching her even closer and she could feel the coolness of his breath on her skin.
'Don't make me angry, Sharon, otherwise I think that I might just enjoy hurting you'.
'You've already proven that', she shot back. 'I don't need another lesson, thank you'.
His mouth curved upwards. 'Your eyes tell me a different story, my love'.The murmured endearment held mockery. 'I want to know what Gerhard taught you. I have waited a long time to find out'.
'Bryan, Please...', she struggled against him, pleading suddenly.
'Oh no, Sharon', he lowered his dark head and his mouth found hers in a kiss that was deep and savage and punishing.
Sharon fought him but again, she was powerless against his sheer strength, then suddenly, that didn't matter because suddenly, her body was yielding against his, long -- denied, hidden emotions and desires flooding through the careful barriers she had erected against her heart. Hadn't she sched for this moment for three long years? Hadn't she longed for the powerful sensual touch of his mouth for three long years?
She stopped struggling, her lips parted against the pressure of his own.
Bryan felt her softness, her response and his mouth became gentle. He brushed her parted lips again with an aching tenderness until she moaned, her hands coming up round his neck, her fingers angling in his black hair to pull his head down.
The kiss deepened, raw need flaring between them out of control. Bryan's powerful hands held her aching body tightly, his hands slowly caressing her bare spine.
'Oh Hod', he muttered into her throat, his breath coming unevenly. Their mouth fused in desperate passion and Sharon was drowning, her body aching with desire.
Approaching footsteps on the old stone broke them apart. In the quiet conservatory, their glances held, locking.
Sharon stared into the dark liquid depths of Bryan's eyes and saw hunger. She didn't even know where she was for a moment. Nothing else mattered except being here with him in this moment in time. She wanted him with a burning urgency that she had never known before and in his face,she saw that his own need equalled hers.
The sing song voice of the beautiful lady that had held him possessively earlier fell into the heavy silence
'Bryan darling, I have been looking for you everywhere', moving towards them.
'Oh hello, how are you? she greeted but she did not bother to hide her malice.
The spell was broken and Sharon felt as though she had been doused from head to foot in cold water.
She had forgotten about the lady. In Bryan's arms,she had forgotten everything.
'Excuse me', without even looking at Bryan, she began to walk away. Terrible pain lanced through her as she realised what she had done.Hiw could she have let him kiss her like that? How could she have forgotten his mistress and the others that he may have, afterall he was in an accident with a different one.
With a lake determined face, she faced Gabriel her cousin, 'I want to leave', in a flat expressionless voice. 'I want to leave now'.
She was really angry and not once had he asked about his daughter, okay he didn't know she was his but he hadn't asked of her child at all and she had forgotten everything as well in his arms.
Before leaving, she found David and gave him the present she bought him and he was ecstatic.
'Thank you so much, Sharon. I didn't expect such a priceless gift from you. I saw you go out with Bryan, hope you are on your way to reconciliation? That angel needs her father and you are not doing well denying her the love of her biological father'.
This was not what she wanted to hear.
'David, I have to go see her. We shall talk about this some other time'.
David knew when he had been dismissed and also knew that nothing had been resolved yet between her and Bryan.
Those two were just too stubborn to see that they were meant for each other. He knew what depths Bryan sank to when Sharon went away. He went insane and that was when he knew that the guy had it really bad fir her but she had had her own troubles too and he had not wanted to trouble her with that especially when she refused to hear anything about him.
He kissed her.
'Goodnight, Sharon, Gabriel'.
'Good night, David', they both chorused.