Burned by Passion(19)
“Very well, Blake. I’ll explain what I mean,” his father snarled, added bluntly, “I want to know if you raped my secretary, Kira in this very room?”
Blake went cold, too shocked to reply.
“And don’t bother denying it,” Bretton said harshly. “I know she went after you. What I’m not sure about is what happened next but I have a good guess. She followed you into the library obviously to confront you about your horrible behavior during dinner. One thing led to another and you forced yourself on her.”
“Wait...what? That’s not how it happened at all,” Blake gritted out, jumping to his feet. Father and son stood face to face; both their expressions were darkened with fury.
“Then you better explain to me what you did. Or by God I’m calling the police right now to have you thrown in jail, but not before I teach you a thing or two that’ll knock some sense back into you.”
Blake stared at his father, showing in his dark scowl that he didn’t like being threatened. But then he saw the true anger and dismay in the man’s face and calmed down enough to say after a deep sigh, “Believe me when I say Dad, that I did not rape Kira.”
“Then how do you explain this?”
His father withdrew his hand from behind his back and in it were a ripped pair of white bikini panties.
Blake closed his eyes briefly. Shit. Shit. Shit. Just what he f*cking needed. “Damn,” was all he could mutter.
“Yes,” Bretton growled. “Now tell me you deny what must’ve happened.”
Blake sank back into his seat, pushing his fingers through his hair as he let out a sigh. “Okay, I admit that I made love to Kira last night. That much is true. I won’t deny it. But it wasn’t rape! Jesus! How could you think I would be capable of such a thing?”
At his father’s enraged intake of breath, Blake added bleakly, “Dad, it just...happened. One minute we were snapping at each other and the next we were...” He paused, shook his head and exhaled harshly. “We couldn’t help ourselves.”
“You mean you couldn’t help yourself,” Bretton accused, shaking his head in amazement.
Blake looked up squarely at his father and nodded. “I’m prepared to take the blame for what occurred. I started it, and now that I think about it I’m not sure I gave her a fair chance to refuse.”
His eyes darkened with defiance as he added, “I’m not ashamed of what happened. It’s too late for that. I’m only sorry she ended up regretting it. She left immediately, probably hating me and never wanting to see me again.” There’s no probably about it, he added to himself cynically.
“Well, that certainly makes me feel better,” was his father’s sarcastic reply before he turned and began pacing the room. “I’m not sure what to think or say. Kira has always been such a well-behaved, sensible girl. A good girl in every sense. It’s almost impossible to believe she let you seduce her like that. But I guess it isn’t her fault. She can’t be used to men like you. I’m sure you were far more than she could handle,” Bretton said grimly, swiveling to glare at Blake. “Well thank you Blake, for bedding my secretary. I hope she isn’t the first in the long line of women you’re likely to ravish during your stay. Please keep your hands off the maid, and the cook if you can.”
Blake flinched, looking down at his clenched hands. He wondered how much angrier his father would be if he knew Kira had been a virgin. Blake didn’t regret anything that happened last night; he’d only hated that she’d felt bad about it. They’d shared something out of this world that even he couldn’t explain. He’d never have guessed she was a virgin, though there’d been a telling innocence in the sweet way she’d succumbed to him from the start. None of it had been planned. The only way he could explain it was that it had happened because it was meant to be. And he’d never forget one second of it. Ever.
“Now look here, Blake,” his father snapped suddenly in a granite hard tone that had Blake glancing up at him. “This is one time I’ll definitely interfere in your life. If I find that you come near that girl again without honorable intentions, then I’ll see to it myself that you get kicked back to England without prospect of return. I don’t give a damn if you’re my son. Believe me, if I have to choose between you and a very dear young woman who’s been like a daughter to me...”
“You don’t have to threaten me Dad,” Blake said calmly. “I’ll never do anything to hurt her. Not again.”
And Blake had meant it. Now turning away from his bedroom window he sighed raggedly. He’d been attracted to her from the start, but he’d never planned on taking advantage of her and it bothered him that his father or even Kira would think that. Blake had never acted so spontaneously and even now, a fire raged on in his loins just for her. But he had to prove to her that this was more than just physical desire. She’d touched something deep inside him. He hated that she’d felt cheapened for giving herself to him. He’d make her understand that this was something special. They’d both felt the same triggering passion that no one else had been able to invoke within them.
Speaking with her minutes ago had brought that same rampant ache right where he lived. He’d heard of people meeting and sparks flying, but with Kira it had been like fireworks erupting. Her earthy, vivacious beauty, her strength of character, had shone through even in that brief moment and the chemistry they shared was beyond compare. He wasn’t ready to walk away from all that until he found out exactly what it could mean for them both. He needed to show Kira there could be so much more.