Scandals and Secrets

'Very safe,' she said drily, thinking that not doing it at all was the safest sex she knew of.

'I'm not talking about just being on the Pill,' he muttered.

'I'm not on the Pill.'

Every muscle in his body froze. 'Isn't that rather dangerous? I'm not too old to become a father, you know. Neither are you too old to become a mother.'

Celeste slipped out of Byron's arms and sat up. 'I can't have any .. .' She broke off before the word more slipped out. 'I can't have any children,' she said tautly, then stood up. 'I'm going to have a shower.'

She was under the hot jets of water when Byron slid back the glass door. 'How long have you known that?' he asked brusquely.

Not looking at him, she closed her eyes and tipped her face up into the water. 'Quite a while.' There was no way he could see her tears with the water beating into her eyes.

He swore, and when she finally opened her eyes he was gone. Five minutes later, she returned to the room, wrapped in a towel. Byron was lying under the sheet on the bed, looking pensive.

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'Why should I?' She dropped the towel and slipped under the sheet next to him. When he gathered her in close, she shivered.

'Because it explains so much,' he rasped. 'A woman who can't have children can do strange things. How did it happen, Celeste? Did you have an abortion and it went wrong? Was that it? Don't be afraid to tell me. I'll try to understand. Really I will.'

Something inside Celeste shattered. Everything she'd vowed, she started to weep.

'God, Celeste,' Byron groaned, and held her close, stroking her back. 'Don't. Please don't. I. . .I can't handle it. It's not like you to cry.'

Rolling her over, he cupped her face and began kissing the tears from her eyes and then her cheeks till, with a muffled moan, he took her mouth with his, drinking in her sobs, biting at her lips and sucking on her tongue with a wildness that stunned her. Clinging to him, she begged silently for his compassion, not passion, but instead he surged deep into her body, surged till she was forced to forget, to think of nothing but his flesh filling hers, till her cries were the cries of a pained release, her moans the moans of despair.

Afterwards, she refused to say any more on the subject of her barren state, no matter how often he asked, dressing quietly and going back to work. If Luke looked at her oddly a couple of times when they met later in the afternoon, at least he had the sense to say nothing.

At five, Celeste had been about to pack up for the day and call a taxi, when Byron telephoned.

'Have dinner with me tonight,' he urged.

Celeste's eyes squeezed tightly shut as her heart skipped a beat. 'Aren't you afraid of being seen with me in public?' she returned, an edge in her voice.

'We could have Room Service up in the suite again.' Like hell, she thought.

'I'm sorry, Byron, I can't,' she said crisply, almost as though she was turning down a business dinner and not another assignation with her lover.

'Why not?'

'I have things I have to do at home tonight,' she said firmly.

'What? Wash your hair? I'll wash it for you. I'll do anything you want. I'll even paint your toenails if they need painting.'

Celeste groaned silently. What a fool she'd' been to surrender her body again to Byron. She should have known what would happen. The man had always been a predator. Now that he was a widower, there was nothing to stop him reverting to type. No guilt. No moral constraints. No nothing.

'I'm having friends for dinner at home' she said thinking to herself that if Damian brought Gemma home as he said he would then it was close to the truth.

'When are they leaving? I'll come over after they've gone.'

Celeste gritted her teeth. 'Byron, I said no. If you wish to continue to see me then you have to learn to take no for an answer.'

'I'm better at yes,' he growled.

'Aren't we all?'

'When am I going to see you again?'

'I'll call you tomorrow at your office. We'll make plans then.'

'I don't trust you to call. I'll call you.'

'Whatever you like.'

'I'd like to come over later.'

'Byron, for pity's sake!'

'If you had any pity you'd let me come over. God, I think I'm going crazy, Celeste. I can't think of anything else but being with you. You've bewitched me, woman.'

'I'm glad to hear that, Byron. The boot's on the other foot at last.'

She heard his sucked-in breath. 'You're a real bitch, aren't you?'