A Physical Affair

CHAPTER TEN

HE held her fast for long seconds, then he gave a shuddering sigh and released her, his hands sliding over her shoulders to settle on her waist.

‘Yes,’ he repeated thickly. ‘Oh, yes.’

With infinite slowness he lowered his head and softly kissed one corner of her mouth.

Then eons later his tongue-tip teased lingeringly across her top lip and he kissed the other corner of her mouth.

He took her full bottom lip gently between his teeth, released it, nibbled again.

Somewhere in the depths of her something began to grow, expand, until Keira thought she’d die with the desire for release. And when his lips covered hers at last a million shards of colour exploded in a starburst within her. Her arms wound themselves around his neck, her fingers sliding sensually over the silky material of his shirt, probing the play of muscles in his back.

With expert ease he untied the cord of her robe, pushed it open, his fingers splayed out now on her midriff, his thumbs resting on the beginning of the swell of her full breasts. Without Keira being conscious of their movements her own hands had slid upwards, over his broad shoulders, her fingers burying themselves in the rich thickness of his dark hair.

His lips touched her eyelids, her nose, every section of her face until her mouth burned irrepressibly for him to kiss her once more. Keira moaned, lips seeking his again. And when she found them she slid her tongue inside to taste the nectar waiting within.

As they drank deeply of each other Eden’s hands moved upwards, cupping the curve of her breasts, his fingers not quite touching her throbbing nipples. When at last his palms slid over them as they strained against the soft material of her nightshirt Keira’s knees almost gave out on her. She shifted her weight, moving her legs against his taut thighs, and she felt him draw a sharp breath.

‘Do you know what you’re doing to me?’ he whispered hoarsely into her throat, and Keira’s teeth teased his earlobe.

‘Something like what you’re doing to me, I should imagine,’ she said breathlessly, and he gave a soft, intimately erotic laugh.

His hands slid downwards over her rounded hips to cup her buttocks, holding her firmly against him, leaving her in no doubt of his arousal. Then he kissed her again and they strained, melted against each other, thigh to thigh, stomach to stomach, breast to breast, lips locked in heated desire.

Somehow they were in Keira’s bedroom and her robe was slipping from her shoulders. His hands then lifted her nightshirt over her head. Not that she noticed that particularly. The feel of the material being pulled gently from her body was only a peripheral sensation. She was more intent on unbuttoning his shirt, luxuriating in the intoxicating texture of the fine silky hair on his chest, his hard hot skin beneath her hands.

She fumbled with his belt buckle, undid his zip, the sound rasping into the tense stillness around them. Her fingers were shaking so badly she couldn’t seem to summon enough strength to remove his trousers.

‘Help me,’ she implored unsteadily, and in one swift movement he stood naked before her.

His hands gently cupped her face and he looked into her eyes. ‘You’re just as beautiful as I’ve imagined thousands of times that you would be,’ he said huskily, and Keira drew a shallow breath.

‘You’re beautiful, too,’ she managed, her hands sliding over the expanse of his chest, to the curve of his hips, her fingers settling in the indentation of his backbone as he slowly, excruciatingly slowly, drew her against him.

Her breasts slid against the light mat of fine dark hair on his chest and her nipples contracted, aching where they touched him, and she caught her breath as her body seemed to drown in the tide of craving desire that gripped her.

Eden pulled back the duvet and laid her on the bed, stretching his long body beside her.

Only then did Keira tense slightly as reality took over, bringing the realisation that there was no going back now. She had committed herself to their lovemaking. And she knew a moment of chilling apprehension. Would she freeze up as she always had when Dennis made love to her? But Dennis had never made her feel the way Eden did, filled her with this compelling intense impatience for physical gratification.

Her eyes rose to meet Eden’s and he smiled just slightly, lifting her hand to his lips, placing a smouldering kiss in her soft palm, then slowly taking each fingertip in turn into his mouth.

His burning gaze seduced her, tempted her, pushed her momentary doubts out of her mind and replaced them with that same overwhelming hunger, that thirst for fulfilment.

They kissed again, fingers exploring each other’s bodies, lingering lightly over each contour, seeking and finding each erotic place, murmuring to each other as their passion rose. When he took her nipple in his mouth Keira gasped, her head going back as she arched towards him.

His mouth slid up to the base of her throat where her pulse beat an erratic tattoo, then returned to caress her other breast, teasing her until she thought she’d go mad with wanting him.

‘Eden, please,’ she heard someone plead in a voice raw with heightened passion, and some small part of her was shocked to recognise that voice as her own.

But he allowed her no time for recriminatory thoughts as his fingers moved downwards, intimately caressing her, setting her on fire, so that she writhed against him, crying out his name as waves of pleasure clutched her, wrapped themselves about her, rippled along every inch of her body.

Only then did he move over her, entering her, lifting her senses again until the world exploded once more.

Keira gradually floated back to earth, feeling the coolness of tears on her cheeks, and she turned to him.

‘Eden?’ she said softly and he kissed her forehead.

‘Mmm.’

‘Thank you,’ she murmured against him as she snuggled contentedly into the curve of his arm, and she was immediately asleep.

When she awoke it was well into the morning and Eden had gone. As she struggled into a sitting position she saw that he had carefully folded her discarded clothing over the chair by her wardrobe.

Keira clutched the duvet to her nakedness, momentarily embarrassed by her memories, and then she smiled as her skin tingled at her sensual recollections. She climbed from the bed, stretched languidly and crossed to the shower, humming as she washed and dressed in faded denims and a loose sweatshirt.

In the kitchen she found her telephone notepad propped against the toaster, and written in bold black script was the message, ‘No. I, thank you.’

Keira’s mouth curved into an inane smile and only the insistent push of the cat against her legs brought her out of her reverie.

‘Isn’t it a wonderful day, Roger?’ She beamed down at him and he strolled over to his empty food bowl and looked eloquently from it to Keira.

There was a fresh, opened tin of cat food on the bench so Eden had obviously fed the cat before he left not long ago, and Keira put her hands on her hips.

‘That’s not playing fair, Roger, you con artist.’

Cutting his losses, the cat sprang on to one of the bar stools and nonchalantly began to clean one paw, his expression telling Keira he hadn’t wanted the food anyway.

Keira laughed and picked him up, hugging him tightly, which he endured with a miaow of forbearance.

‘So what did you think of our visitor this morning? A most attractive man, wouldn’t you agree? I certainly hope you’ll show well-bred discretion and keep this morning’s events to yourself. And, since you’re dying to ask, I had a wonderful time,’ Keira told him as he gave a wriggle and she deposited him back on the stool. ‘What do you think of that?’

Roger purred, yawned, and looked pointedly bored as he headed for the sofa.

‘And if you say anything about a man only doing what a man has to do, then I’m going to have to say, he did it so wonderfully.’

Realising what she was saying, Keira felt herself flush with embarrassment. ‘Remember, not a word to a soul, Roger,’ she added as she set about preparing a snack.

Keira spent the remainder of the day wandering around the house beginning small tasks and failing to finish them. She’d suddenly find herself pausing halfway through doing something, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. Or she’d begin to hum a favourite tune.

By dinnertime she had irritated herself beyond endurance. Anyone would think she was a frustrated widow who had been saved by a wanton romp in the hay, she admonished herself.

A very enjoyable romp, she reminded herself, and giggled. Then she just as suddenly sobered.

In all honesty she couldn’t say she had ever been impressed with the sexual side of her marriage, and since her separation from Dennis she hadn’t really missed having a physical relationship. Her career had more than compensated.

Dennis hadn’t been the type to encourage any closeness of any kind during the few years of their marriage. As long as she’d been there to listen when he talked, to bolster his ego when he felt he’d been slighted, to be available when he turned to her in bed, then her life had had some semblance of calm. Only when she didn’t comply had he become petulant and spiteful.

Quite early in her marriage she’d learned to pander to him simply because it was the easiest way out. And she was scarcely proud of herself for what she now felt was total spinelessness on her part. Today she would have confronted the intolerable situation.

Of course, she’d come to realise that Dennis’s idea of lovemaking had been selfish at least. The books she’d begun to read in desperation in an attempt to save their crumbling marriage had opened her eyes to that much.

The basis of their problem had been Dennis’s fault and not hers. There had been no emotional coming together, no tenderness between them. She’d known instinctively that she wasn’t frigid, an accusation with which he had so often taunted her. Yet he had almost convinced her that her lack of response was the sole reason for their incompatibility.

No, she wasn’t passionless. Eden Cassidy had more than dispelled that allegation.

Keira sighed. How different it had been this morning with Eden.

Her fingers went to her mouth, and it tingled anew at her evocative memories. She could almost feel the way his lips had teased, the way his tongue-tip had…

Resolutely Keira pushed her titillating thoughts from her mind and walked into the kitchen to prepare a snack for her dinner.

Roxie was right. There was no comparison between Dennis and Eden Cassidy. Dennis had been all show, a handsome face with no character, while Eden was all that any woman could admire. Attractive. Self-possessed. Strong in personality and body. And incredibly sexy.

Everything a woman could want. Everything a woman could fall hopelessly in love with…

Keira pulled her fanciful reflections to a dead halt. Love. She swallowed as a surge of heat raced over her skin. In love with Eden Cassidy.

‘Oh, no!’ she groaned softly, and the cat was instantly alert to her desperate tone.

He uncurled himself from the sofa and sprang up on to the breakfast bar to sit in front of her, gazing at her with unprecedented attention.

For once Keira forgot to reprimand him for climbing on to what was usually a restricted area, and she stroked his sleek coat.

‘Tell me I couldn’t be so foolish as to fall in love with Eden Cassidy, Roger,’ she beseeched him, and the cat blinked cryptically. ‘Eden Cassidy, of all people.’

But what if her feelings for him were reciprocated? Her heart swelled at the thought. Perhaps his attraction to her, an attraction he hadn’t denied, meant…

Just as suddenly Keira quelled the wild torrent of delight. She was allowing her imagination to be fuelled by simply wishing something were so. It was all a flight of fancy. It couldn’t be anything else, Eden Cassidy had his pick of any number of beautiful women, so why would he choose someone as ordinary as Keira Strong?

‘Oh, Roger. What am I going to do?’ Keira asked into the cat’s warm brown fur.

And she spent what remained of the evening dwelling on that very subject.

Well into the night she tossed and turned, alternately chiding herself and then sanctioning her brief loss of control. As Roxie had said, it had been a long time since she had so much as thought about the libidinous side of her life. She was a normal healthy adult, she justified as she tried unsuccessfully to force her sybaritic reminiscences to the furthermost reaches of her mind.

She finally dozed off in the early hours of the morning only to sleep through her alarm, and for the first time in her life she was late for work.

‘Heavy traffic?’ Daniel asked as he followed her into her office with the morning’s mail.

‘Something like that,’ she replied, slipping off the jacket of her suit.

‘Must be everyone rushing out to buy a copy of Natural Life.’

Reluctantly Keira smiled. ‘We live in hope.’

‘No worries. It’ll sell like hot cakes. Eden thinks so too.’

‘Oh.’ Keira fought to keep her expression non-committal, when just the mention of his name made her pulse beat so erratically.

‘Yes. I only saw him for a few minutes yesterday when he arrived at the apartment to change. He had an appointment with Cat’s father but ended up having to leave the final negotiations to Denver. He’s on his way to the States.’

Keira blinked at this last piece of information. Eden hadn’t said-She stopped her train of thought. There hadn’t been time yesterday morning for him to tell her anything. If he had wanted to, she rebuked herself harshly.

‘Megan rang,’ Daniel was continuing, ‘and he was flying straight over to join her. He said he didn’t know when he’d be back.’

An icy hand wrapped chilling fingers around Keira’s heart and began to squeeze painfully. Eden and Megan Donnelly. How could she have forgotten again? Their relationship was supposed to be more than a business one. Even Daniel had hinted as much.

‘Well, I guess I should leave you to it.’ Daniel’s voice filtered through her anguish.

‘Yes.’ Keira found her voice and made a show of sorting the mail until Daniel had left.

If she had needed any confirmation of her foolishness then Daniel’s revelations were proof positive. Eden Cassidy didn’t intend to make her a part of his life. She had been stupid even to presume that he might. His heavy workload would only allow for brief episodes like the interlude this morning.

And she had her own career to consider, hadn’t she? Maintaining a career and a relationship would be like walking a tightrope.

What relationship? she asked herself mercilessly. She’d been there in his hour of need. That was all it had been.

And he’d been there to assuage her own undeniable desire, she reminded herself honestly. He’d certainly made no commitment to her. Her anger stirred at her folly, for she knew a part of her had been weaving just such romantic dreams.

The first issue of the magazine had all but sold out, far exceeding their forecast sales. But Keira could glean no joy from knowing she had excelled at combining the right ingredients to achieve such success or that it seemed she had justified Eden’s faith in her.

The week had passed with painful slowness and each day she seemed to grow more and more despondent. With Roxie away on an assignment she couldn’t even depend on the other girl’s bright humour to cheer her up. And stubbornly she refused to admit to herself that Eden’s silence was the reason for her lack of enthusiasm for anything.

Yet this morning, when Daniel had casually mentioned that Eden’s flight was arriving at one o’clock, her heart had leapt in her breast before she could quell her sudden excitement.

Perhaps he would ring…? Keira mocked her optimism. She had to learn to put him out of her mind. And she valiantly tried to lose herself in the pile of paperwork on her desk.

But she clock-watched until she knew his plane had touched down. Then she set her nerves on edge waiting for the phone to ring.

Thoroughly disgusted with herself, she picked up the list of articles that were to appear in the second issue of the magazine and checked them off. Then she paused, going through the list again. One of the articles was missing.

With a grimace she headed across the floor to knock on the door to Denver Clarkson’s office.

‘Mrs Strong. Come in. Come in.’ Denver stood up and hurried around his desk to pull up a chair for her. ‘Make yourself comfortable. Would you like some coffee? Or maybe a cup of tea?’

‘No, thank you. I’m fine.’ Keira sat down tentatively, wondering why she disliked Denver Clarkson. To all outward appearances he was quite innocuous but there was something about him that set Keira’s teeth on edge.

Denver returned to his chair. ‘I’ve just received some up-to-date feedback on sales of the first issue of Natural Life, and they’re exceptionally good,’ he said quickly, resting his elbows on his desk and clasping his hands together.

‘Yes. I saw the figures too. Far better than we’d hoped,’ Keira replied, unable to relax, and she made herself sit back in her seat.

‘However, it’s early days yet and we’ve a long way to go. I know you realise one good issue doesn’t necessarily mean a thing in today’s publishing climate.’

Keira nodded and opened her mouth to ask him about the missing article, but he was continuing.

‘We have to keep producing the goods, so to speak. This is a big responsibility for you, my dear, your first magazine, and I know you want to succeed.’ He raised his sandy eyebrows and Keira had to refrain from informing him that the magazine, her original magazine, had already been a success in its own right five years ago, although admittedly the circulation had been smaller.

‘Of course,’ she replied flatly. ‘I’m sure we needn’t worry, Mr Clarkson. I think you’ll find the second issue will be even better than the first.’

Denver picked up some papers he’d set before him. ‘Yes. The second issue. I’ve just been perusing some of the proposed articles. Most of them are outstanding.’

‘That’s what I wanted to discuss,’ Keira got in promptly. ‘One of the articles we’d planned to use seems to have been omitted.’

He adjusted his glasses on his nose. ‘I did have a slight problem with one of them. Let me see, the piece on pollution in the state’s rivers submitted by your friend, Gail Rosten.’

Keira sat up in her chair. ‘That’s the one I’m talking about and I thought it was absolutely wonderful.’

Gail’s passion had always been to right wrongs and she was an objective and reliable investigative reporter. Keira knew Gail had been working on that particular article for months before anyone had considered reissuing Natural Life, and she hadn’t hesitated about including it in this month’s issue.

‘Did you authorise its withdrawal?’ she demanded.

‘Well, yes, I did. Oh, it’s well written,’ Denver was quick to assure her. ‘But I thought it was just a little too provocative for our trial period. We need to step lightly in the initial stages. Maybe we could use it later.’

‘I would have thought we’d be far better off displaying our integrity in our inaugural issues,’ Keira put in. ‘The aim of the magazine is to inform.’

‘So it is. So it is. However, this article could tread on some very important and influential toes.’ Denver paused and gave a nervous cough. ‘A lot of Eden’s contemporaries-well, it may not look good…’

Keira fumed at his implication and the words tumbled out before she could diplomatically rephrase them. ‘You mean we can’t run the article for fear of offending members of Eden Cassidy’s exclusive club?’

‘Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that.’

‘What you’re saying is we can go so far and no further,’ Keira finished for him, throwing discretion to the wind, and Denver sat back and smiled.

‘I see no problem with that.’

‘I’m afraid I do,’ Keira stood up as the smile faded from Denver Clarkson’s face. ‘I’m not sure what you’ve been told, but when I accepted this position I did so on the condition that I had editorial independence. That doesn’t mean my decisions on the content of the magazine can be vetoed.’

‘I think you’re over-reacting. Life is unfortunately made up of compromises. I’m simply trying to point out some small pitfalls you may, in your inexperience, be unaware of, Mrs Strong.’

‘Pitfalls? Meaning don’t antagonise anyone considered to be above scrutiny? That’s censorship. And apart from that I would have thought it was common courtesy for you to come and discuss it with us.’

‘And so I intended to do, Mrs Strong. But you preempted me,’ he said appeasingly.

‘Your orders to have this, or any other article for that matter, dropped from the magazine were high-handed in the extreme and entirely without justification,’ Keira persisted.

‘You may not be aware that one of the companies referred to in that article buys a considerable amount of advertising in our publications. And not just in Natural Life,’ he added self-importantly.

‘No company was mentioned by name,’ Keira told him tersely. ‘If there are any complaints it will be because someone has a guilty conscience.’

‘I still feel the article is too inflammatory.’

‘The subject matter dictates that it should be provocative. It’s designed to make the readers aware and perhaps encourage them to demand action.’

‘Mrs Strong,’ Denver appealed with his hands held palms upwards. ‘You’re new to this and, if you’ll forgive me saying so, just a little naive. There are some matters better left to those of us who have more experience.’

Keira drew a deeply steadying breath at his condescending tone. ‘I followed regulations. The article has already been passed by the legal eagles.’

‘Yes. Well, I feel I must pull rank here.’ Denver smiled with feigned obsequiousness and Keira turned angrily on her heel.

‘Then I think I’ll have to take this one step higher and consult Mr Cassidy about this personally.’

Denver stood up and hurried around his desk. ‘Now, don’t you think you’re being a trifle hasty? I don’t think you need to bother Eden with this, Mrs Strong. And it may not be advisable to, shall we say, pester him just yet.’

‘Just yet?’ Keira stopped and turned back to him, her eyebrows raised. ‘What exactly do you mean?’

He shrugged. ‘As I said before, one good issue doesn’t mean the magazine is out of the wood. And even though you may feel Eden has made you his-’ Denver paused ‘-protégée…’

A dull flush coloured Keira’s cheeks as her anger surged. ‘Look, Mr Clarkson, I’m getting more than a little tired of defending my integrity. There is nothing professionally untoward between Eden Cassidy and myself,’ she said between clenched teeth, and he rushed to reassure her.

‘No, of course there isn’t. But there have been certain rumours…’ He let the word hang momentarily. ‘I don’t think it would be sensible to bother Eden with this. If you go running to him, especially at this early stage, well, people may be inclined to talk.’

Keira’s stormy grey eyes held his. ‘People, it appears, are going to talk anyway,’ she said cynically as she left him.

Keira returned to her office to regather her composure, but her anger at Denver refused to abate. His actions meant she was caught between a rock and a hard place. She knew her staff would expect her to deal with Denver’s unwarranted interference. But her only option was, for her, even more unacceptable. She would have to face Eden Cassidy.

Unless Eden had instructed Denver Clarkson to keep close tabs on her. Perhaps he was just covering his bets.

She frowned. Would Eden have done that? Keira wondered. He’d given her the job supposedly on her merits, but if he was unsure of her ability to perform he might have instructed Denver to keep an eye on her. Keira’s anger simmered again, stretching to encompass Eden with Denver Clarkson.

Well, she’d simply have to find out, wouldn’t she? she told herself firmly as she collected a copy of Gail’s byline for reference. With that clutched in her hand she marched across towards the bank of lifts before she allowed herself time to think about what she was doing.

And she was left without the chance to change her mind, for the lift arrived immediately and she strode resolutely into the cubicle. The doors silently imprisoned her and in seconds she was stepping out into the wide expanse that was the plushly carpeted reception area of the head office of Cassidy-Ford Publishing.

Behind a polished wooden desk sat a perfectly groomed woman who looked up from her computer terminal as Keira approached.

The woman smiled a welcome. ‘May I help you?’

‘I’d like to see Mr Cassidy,’ Keira stated brusquely, her still-smouldering anger causing her to dispense with the pleasantries.

The woman slid graciously to her feet, her smile barely flickering. ‘May I ask if you have an appointment?’ she asked with placating ease.

That this efficient woman would know exactly who had an appointment with her boss and who didn’t Keira knew all too well, and the competent conciliation perversely fuelled her ire.

‘No. I don’t.’ Keira forced herself to be civil. ‘But it’s extremely important that I see him at once.’

‘I’m afraid Mr Cassidy is rather busy right now. Perhaps if you’d like to ring through on Monday morning and make an appointment I’m sure he’ll be able to fit you in.’

‘I’d prefer to see him right now. If you wouldn’t mind telling him I’m here.’

‘As he’s not long arrived from the airport-’

‘I know his flight was due in at one o’clock,’ Keira cut in. ‘He’s had four hours to get back into the swing of things,’ she added caustically.

‘Mr Cassidy’s plane was delayed,’ the receptionist said with just a trace of matching sarcasm. ‘He’s only just arrived at the office.’

Keira sighed heavily, knowing she was behaving badly. It wasn’t like her to take out her annoyance on a fellow employee. ‘Look, I’m sorry I’ve been giving you a hard time. Could you just tell Mr Cassidy that I’m here, that Keira Strong would like to see him?’

The woman hesitated and Keira wondered if she had imagined the slight change of expression on the receptionist’s face when she mentioned her name.

‘Mrs Strong. Well, if you’ll just wait a moment I’ll see what I can do.’ With that she crossed the room and disappeared down a wide hallway to the left, leaving Keira to fidget by the desk.

No, she hadn’t imagined the woman’s change of manner when she learned who Keira was. It would seem the rumours had even reached the upper echelons of management, Keira reflected in exasperation.

Had Eden mentioned…? No. Why would he? Unless he’d given strict instructions that Keira specifically was not to be granted an audience. If that was the case she’d placed the receptionist in an untenable position and she’d certainly set herself up to be highly embarrassed.

You’re becoming paranoid, she told herself, realising that some of her anger had been channelled away.

This wasn’t a personal visit, she reminded herself. It was strictly business and she had a valid reason to consult Eden Cassidy on a matter that was of serious importance to her, a matter related to the magazine. Although technically her supervisor, Denver Clarkson had no right to cancel her decision without consulting Keira and her editorial panel.

‘Mrs Strong.’ Eden’s receptionist interrupted her train of thought and Keira turned to face her. The woman moved back behind her desk. ‘Mr Cassidy will see you now. If you’d just like to take the second door on the right along the corridor.’

‘Thank you.’ Keira murmured as she walked in the direction the woman had indicated.

Taking a deep, steadying breath Keira knocked and opened the door.

The office was more than spacious and decorated in muted greys. Vertical blinds covered the huge picture windows without concealing the panoramic views of the city and harbour. A large highly polished desk dominated the room and a matching leather couch and easy-chairs added a pleasing touch.

However, as she stepped into the office Keira gave its décor and outlook only a cursory glance. Now that she was to come face to face with Eden again her emotions were undergoing a radical change. Anger was giving way to anticipation and outrage to a far more potent sensation. This had definitely been a mistake…

An unobtrusive door off to the left opened and before Keira could move he was in the room with her. And her nervous system came alive.