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She shivered as his words sunk in. Why was he leaving her? Hadn’t she got through to him at all? Conscious thought became harder and harder as they made love, and finally, she simply surrendered to the pleasure and thrill that being together always gave her. Unlike before, this was fast, passionate, desperate. The joining of two people who would drown without one another’s bodies to revel in.
She straddled him, her slender legs caressing his body as he exploded inside her, and she watched him, knowing this might be the last time they felt that joining. Her heart felt so heavy she wondered she could hold herself upright.
Somewhere before dawn, Benedict woke, and wrapped his arms tighter around the sleeping Cass curled into him. That coconut shampoo teased his nostrils, and he felt his body stir again. Her effect on him was as predictable as the sun’s rise. They’d made love only hours before, then shared a slow picnic feast in bed. By silent but mutual agreement, conversation had been kept to lighter ground. It hadn’t helped. Everything she said gave him doubt about his convictions.
Wasn’t that the point?
He couldn’t trust her. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake his mother had made and give his love to someone so unsuitable. Cassandra might be more trustworthy than he gave her credit for, but he would never know. Though he’d made his fortune gambling, he wasn’t going to risk it in his personal life. It had to end. He had to end it.
* * *
The pale green dress she’d chosen for her last dinner with her father and Alyssia rustled a little as Cassandra entered the open plan lounge area.
Benedict was at the table, typing into his laptop, his brow furrowed as he concentrated on the screen. They’d only come back from the boat a couple of hours earlier, but he’d showered and changed into his business clothes, affecting an instant transformation to the closed off tycoon she didn’t really know. The boat had been bliss, and as daylight had crept upon them, both had seemed to resist the idea of returning to the marina.
He looked up as she entered, sweeping his gaze over her in an appraising way that made her tummy knot a little.
“You’re off to dinner?” He asked in a gravelly voice.
She nodded, then cleared her throat. “Are you sure you won’t join us?”
His grin made her heart pound. “Stop trying to avoid being alone with him. It will be good for you.” Peter had called only a little while earlier to say that Alyssia was still too ill to join them.
“Says you,” she commented sarcastically.
“I have to go into the office.” He snapped the lid of his laptop down. “I have meetings with some government officials regarding our permits for construction.”
She nodded tightly. Hating this. Hating that every goodbye was edging them nearer to their last goodbye.
“I’ll... I’ll see you later then.”
If he felt anything like she did, he was adept at hiding it. “No worries. Have fun. Be good.”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and started walking towards the front door.
“Cassandra?” He called as she reached it and she paused, palm on the cold steel handle. “Ask your father why he sent you to boarding school. For me.”
Her nod was small, but he knew she would. He frowned. He trusted she would. With a shake of his head at being such a mug, he returned his focus to the figures in front of him.
When Cassandra had pushed her entree of prawn salad around on her plate for long enough to seem that she’d eaten some, she turned wary eyes on her father. “Dad, why did you send me to Flagmead?” She asked, referring to the prestigious Academy he’d enrolled her in.
His eyes flashed. “I see you’ve been speaking to Benedict.”
She chewed on her lower lip. “Not really. He just suggested I ask, that’s all.”
Very carefully, aware of how his daughter had idolised Miranda, he told her the truth. He saw the way her clever, b
right, beautiful face absorbed the information, and he was impressed by her fortitude in not reacting.
“I had no idea, daddy,” she whispered, and her hands shook a little as she lifted her mineral water to her lips and sipped it.
“Why would you? It wasn’t your fault. I would never have wanted to burden you with something like that. Besides, for most of our marriage, your mother and I were wonderfully happy. I did not want you to remember her in that light alone, when she’d loved you, and loved me, for so long.”
Cassandra’s eyes showed her compassion. “I thought you didn’t love me. Because I look so much like her.”
“My darling girl, I will always love you. And I love your mum, too. I was angry for a long time. I couldn’t bear to look at her. But I’ve made my peace with it. I wasn’t blameless. I could have worked harder at our marriage. I made it easy for her to leave.”
Cassandra reached over and took his hand in hers. “I’m so sorry, daddy. I am sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I wasn’t more welcoming of Alyssia. I’m ashamed of my behaviour.”
