‘Yes.’
Natalie fought against tensing up. What was done was done. It would be different after this morning.
‘I had the crazy idea I could win her back,’ Damien went on in a light, self-mocking tone. ‘It was soon after the divorce. Lyn indulged me. She liked the power.’
Relief poured through Natalie. She had nothing to worry about. Damien was talking about years ago. Before they’d ever met. Yet his words stirred her curiosity about the woman who’d caused her so much concern.
‘You mean she used you to boost her ego?’
‘Something like that,’ he said carelessly. ‘She relished having me run after her, but had no intention of meeting me halfway. Once I realised that, I let go.’ His fingers trailed down the curve of her spine. ‘It’s not easy to accept failure when you’ve been fully committed. Is that why you never showed you knew about Brett’s infidelities, Natalie?’
‘Pride,’ she answered. ‘We had a lot of arguments about it. He’d promise me...’ She sighed. ‘If it hadn’t been for Ryan...but it doesn’t matter now.’
She thought of the baby she had conceived, their child, Damien’s and hers, then decided there were other things she wanted to tell Damien first, the feelings she had denied for most of the years they had known each other.
‘I used to wonder how it might be with you,’ she confessed, luxuriating in the freedom from all inhibitions.
Damien pressed a kiss on her forehead. ‘You remember actually thinking that?’
‘Yes. Sometimes it hurt to watch you with other women. I hated feeling so...affected by you.’
‘You hid it extremely well,’ he said with a dry touch of irony.
She hitched herself up, wanting him to see the truth in her eyes. ‘I saw you as being like Brett. I know that’s not true, Damien, and never was. I think it was some kind of defence to shut off the feelings you stirred. I was ashamed of having them. I blamed you for things I had no right to blame you for, because it helped me to push away thoughts I didn’t want to have.’
‘There was always a current of attraction between us, Natalie. You buried it so deep I began to despair of your ever acknowledging it. I did not think you could ever be mine.’
‘I acknowledge it now. It was there all the time. That polarity. That pull.’
He smiled. His eyes glinted deep satisfaction. ‘I think we just proved that.’ The smile widened. ‘Of course, we could try improving the proof.’
She laughed and rolled on to her back, stretching her body provocatively. ‘I’m a limp rag,’ she declared, her eyes teasing. ‘The energy will have to come from you.’
‘I’ve suddenly discovered vast reserves of it.’
As he was poising his body to demonstrate his rejuvenation, the telephone rang. Damien did not so much as glance at the handset on the bedside table. Natalie was very much inclined to ignore it, as well. She held her breath and focused all her concentration on feeling the marvellous sensation of Damien entering her once again. He did it very slowly, with a sensual roll that was exquisitely exciting.
The telephone stopped ringing.
Natalie sighed with ecstatic pleasure as she felt Damien’s full length pushed past the edge of her womb.
The telephone nagged again with a persistent buzzing.
‘It might be important,’ Damien said with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. ‘I think you should answer it.’ Holding himself deep within her, he reached out, picked up the receiver, and handed it to her. Then he continued moving them both in a highly erotic rhythm.
‘...Kippax.’
The name spoken from the receiver filtered through the delicious bombardment of tingling sensations, snapping Natalie’s mind into some alertness.
‘Sharon! Help. I mean, hello,’ she managed somewhat breathlessly.
‘I’m glad you’re home.’ The friendly voice was warm with relief. ‘I’ve called a few times, but no answer. I was beginning to worry about you. What have you been up to?’
‘Many things,’ she gasped. Damien was building a momentum that was far too distracting for her to put two thoughts together. ‘Stop it!’ she hissed. ‘It’s my editor!’
‘Tell her you’re receiving inspiration.’
He was an absolute devil but she loved him. She loved what he was doing to her, too. She took a deep breath and tried to be sane.