AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘One of mine, I hope,’ he said, trying to keep things light. A shadow had crossed her face.
She sent him a wistful smile. ‘No, it wasn’t. I’ve never seen any of your movies.’
He stopped dead in the sand, stunned. ‘You’ve not seen one of my movies? Seriously?’
When her smile widened, he realised how conceited he must sound.
‘Yes, seriously,’ she said. ‘I’m not a big movie-goer.’
‘Well, damn, we may have to remedy that,’ he said, although he wasn’t at all sure he wanted to. There was something refreshing about dating a woman who knew nothing of his public image. Feeling oddly humbled, he took her hand again and walked on. ‘So go on now. His name was Tony and he was an old man.’
She laughed again. ‘I never said he was an old man. He was just…older. Anyway. Candice and I wanted to get into the movie, so we got all dolled up.’She stifled a small smile. ‘Which meant tons of make-up, fishnet tights, short skirts. I don’t know what it is about being sixteen and wanting to look eighteen, but you automatically assume you should dress like a prostitute.’
He couldn’t imagine her with tons of make-up on. She’d had a little on at the wedding, but she had none on today, and she didn’t need it. The colour of her eyes, so striking against her pale skin, her high cheekbones and those plump kissable lips. It would be a crime to plaster loads of paint on such a fresh, beautiful face. She swiped her hair behind her ear in a natural, unaffected gesture, the sunlight catching the gold in her hair. Did she have any notion at all how gorgeous she was?
He gripped her hand harder. ‘Go on.’
‘Tony was there with a couple of his mates. They were all city-boy types, you know, designer suits, high spirits, full of themselves.’
He could imagine. The bastards had seen two young girls and found a way to take advantage of them. The world was full of users, and the worst were often the best dressed.
‘They offered to take us into the movie. Candice and I were really flattered. We thought we must look very sophisticated, to attract grown men. Tony bought me popcorn and Coke and put his arm round me. By the time the film was over I hadn’t seen any of it. And I was already halfway in love with him.’
She gave a self-deprecating laugh, but it sounded unbearably sad to him.
‘I gave him my phone number, because he asked. And over the next few weeks I fell for him hook, line and sinker. He took me to dinner at a swanky restaurant in Mayfair. We went for walks in the park. He bought me champagne, and flowers, and we chatted about everything. He seemed interested in what I had to say and I was pathetically pleased with all the attention. So when he asked if I wanted to go back to his place in the Barbican one Saturday, I said yes.’
Mac’s gut tightened; he didn’t want to hear the rest of this. But he had to know now. He’d happily kill the bastard, just out of principle. But he had a sick feeling in his stomach that he hadn’t heard the worst of it.
‘When we got to his place, he said all this stuff about how much he wanted me, how incredible I was, how he’d never met anyone like me before. And then, he …’ She turned to look at him and for a second he could see the anguish in her eyes before she banked it. ‘I was a virgin and it hurt. A lot. He wasn’t anywhere near as gentle as you were—and he was annoyed with me for making such a fuss. He told me to come back when I’d grown up. And that’s why I didn’t want to do it again. For quite a long time.’ She said it matter-of-factly, as if it had happened to someone else.
She shrugged and looked away, the movement so defeated, his stomach ached.
‘So now you know what a silly, naïve fool I was.’
‘Don’t say that.’ The words were tight, laced with anger.
Juno turned, stunned to see the barely leashed fury in his face. ‘What’s the matter?’
He tugged her towards him, rested his hands on her waist. ‘Don’t say that. Don’t even think it.’ His eyes searched her face, the deep blue turbulent with emotion. ‘You were a child. He knew that and he exploited it.’ He held her head, rubbing his thumb across her temple in one slow, gentle stroke. ‘Don’t ever think it was your fault.’
She shouldn’t want his sympathy. His support. His opinion didn’t matter. But his words, so forceful, so full of fury on her behalf, made the knot of shame lodged inside her for so long release. And the brutalised child she’d once been was so grateful, the tears clogged her throat.
‘Come here,’ he murmured as he laid her head against his chest. His open palm caressed her hair, rubbed her back. ‘Don’t cry, darlin’. He doesn’t deserve a single one of your tears.’
They stood together for a long time as she held on to him, breathing in the comforting scent o
f clean cotton and sea air and listening to the soft rhythmic crash of the surf on the shore and the sure, solid beat of his heart.
She had the sudden urge to tell him the rest, to tell him all of it. The real horror of what had happened six years ago. But she clenched her teeth and stifled the childish urge to confide more. She’d told him too much already.
Just because he hadn’t judged her. Just because he’d been sweet and sympathetic and surprisingly supportive. Just because he was a kinder man than she’d ever thought possible, didn’t mean he could ever be the man for her. This didn’t change a thing between them.
He lifted her chin. ‘You okay now?’
‘I’m fine.’
‘Good.’ He took her hand in his and squeezed hard. ‘So how does a chocolate sundae with hot fudge sauce sound?’
