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A hand on her arm swung her around. Jake, dark eyes flashing fire, pinned her back against the wall, his lower torso thrust against her flat stomach. Katy lashed out at him with both hands, but with insulting ease he caught them and spread her arms wide either side of her head, his strong hands like manacles around her fine-boned wrists.
For a fleeting instant she feared for her life, he was so enraged. And she had mistakenly thought he looked ill, uncertain. What a joke! She saw his mouth working, but no sound came out. 'I—I'm going...' She had delayed too long in leaving. Was he now going to bodily throw her out?
'Shut up, you stupid little bitch.'
She quailed before the force of his anger, and her breast heaved against the soft wool of her sweater; fear and, to her shame, the touch of his muscular thighs, hard against her, were arousing other basic emotions.
'Monica! You dare accuse me of sleeping with your stepmother? Are you mad, woman?'
'No, but you obviously are,' Katy responded, slightly breathless. 'What's the matter, Jake, can't you stomach the fact I've always known about Monica? Makes your high moral garbage about Claude sound pretty stupid,' she said mockingly.
'I have never slept with Monica in my life, not before she married your father, when she was married, or since. If you have dared to suggest such a thing to David or anyone else I will wring your pretty neck.' His brown eyes burnt black with the intensity of his rage. 'When I think of the years I have wasted, and all because you in your childish imagining walked out on me. I could kill you. But not before I make love to you until you're senseless. How could you do that to us?' he demanded with a shake of his dark head, as though the idea was beyond his comprehension. 'How could you think I would stoop so low?'
'How could I?' she screeched. He was a great actor, but she didn't believe one word of his explosive denial. It was far too late in coming. 'I could, Jake, because I saw you with my own eyes. There's no point in your vehement denials. I might have been young but I was never stupid, except where you were concerned. I honestly believed you visited our house to see me. Until the last time when I was eighteen and left school.'
'Explain,' Jake prompted, his body moving restlessly against her.
Katy recognised the signs: his anger was abating, but the black gleam in his brown eyes was no less fierce. Her gaze slid to his mouth, his warm breath caressed her forehead, and she knew if she did not get away fast she would not be able to resist the subtle changes in his body language.
'Let go of my arms,' she requested. 'I can't think when you're towering over me like some great dinosaur.' And, to her surprise, he did.
She took a deep breath to ease the tension. She felt his glance slide to where her breasts pushed taut against the fabric of her sweater, but refused to be intimidated by the knowing smile that quirked his sensuous lips.
'Is that better?' he demanded softly.
It wasn't; although they were no longer touching, his strong hands rested against the wall either side of her head, effectively imprisoning her. His anger had definitely abated, but she had a sneaking suspicion a soft-voiced Jake was a lot more dangerous. She rubbed her hands down her jeans-clad hips in a nervous gesture.
'Get on with it, Katy, and your explanation had better be good or I might still do you an injury,' he threatened.
Katy wished she had kept her mouth shut, but, meeting and holding his gaze, she registered the speculative, almost eager gleam in his eyes, and somehow it gave her confidence.
Quickly she explained her return a day early and what she had seen and heard. As she spo
ke Jake tensed, then stood up straight, his hands falling by his sides.
'All this time... four years you have carried that opinion of me round in your head, because of a conversation you overheard. Our years of friendship you honestly thought were all a lie on my part. An excuse to bed your stepmother. Have I got that right?' he demanded hardily.
'Yes.'
His rapier-like glance raked from her head to toe as though he had never seen her before. 'And of course it never once occurred to you to ask me for an explanation?' he demanded derisively.
'No. Why should I?' she said bluntly, and with a defiant toss of her head she gave it to him straight. 'I heard Monica remind you of your wonderful weekend together when you went skiing and never left the hotel. You were in each other's arms. I might have been young and naive, but there was nothing wrong with my hearing or my eyesight,' she concluded sarcastically.
With a shrug Jake turned and strode across the room. She watched him warily for a moment. There was a defeated look to the stoop of his wide shoulders. He ran a hand distractedly through his black hair, and while his back was turned Katy took a hesitant step towards the still open door, but she must have made some sound because Jake spun round.
'Wait, Katy. I think I can explain.'
'Don't bother,' she muttered mutinously and bent to pick up her suitcase.
'Please, Katy, don't go. Hear me out; surely you owe me that much?'
She stopped, and, straightening up, lifted her head. Jake had moved and was once more standing in front of her, but this time he made no attempt to touch her. She raised suspicious green eyes to his. What was he playing at? Five minutes ago he was threatening to throw her out; now he was actually pleading with her to stay.
She hardened her heart. 'I don't owe you a thing, buster; as far as I'm concerned you have been paid in full,' she stated firmly.
'Please listen,' he demanded urgently. 'I remember that night well. How could I forget it? That was the night I formally asked David for your hand in marriage. We had dined together and naturally Monica was there. Afterwards Monica and I had some business to discuss and your father went to bed.'
'Some business!' Katy snorted derisively.
