Chapter 26

KATHRYN couldn't control the convulsive shivers that kept running through her. Her mind was still trying to grapple with the shock of Jeremy's virulence when she'd denied him any chance of a reconciliation.

Why he'd thought Gary Chappel's death would make any difference…it was all so unbelievable! No appreciation—no understanding—of what he'd revealed about himself or how she felt about it. His ego blinded him to any fault in his own attitude.

She was the unreasonable one.

Then his linking of her rejection of him to seeing her come home with another man, and the monstrous possessiveness that had ignored her right to say no…

If Mitch hadn't come back… Thank God he had! Thank God!

All those assertions that she could take care of herself…impossible against a man intent on having his own way, taking it against all reason, forcing it. And the shock of it happening—the sheer disbelief—so paralysing.

Mitch had rescued her from…her mind shied away from the memory of Jeremy's forcing hands, his horribly marauding mouth.

She almost gagged.

It's over, over, over, she fiercely recited to herself.

And Mitch was in her kitchenette, filling the electric kettle with water, preparing to make her a hot drink, looking after her. He'd been so gentle with her, bringing her the quilt from her bed, caring…yet he was so immensely strong…strong enough to knock Jeremy right off his feet, drag him out of the apartment, force him into his car and make him drive away.

Which definitely meant it was over. Jeremy wouldn't return to this apartment. He'd been beaten here, hauled away legless. He would hate any reminder of that humiliation. She was safe. Mitch had made her safe.

Strange that she didn't feel revolted by his act of violence…blood spurting from Jeremy's nose. Normally she would hate witnessing such a thing. It had shocked her, yet it had also been an enormous relief to have the whole ghastly situation ended in virtually a moment. Maybe there was a time and place for such primitive action. A slap to stop hysteria. A punch to stop aggression. Especially when the aggressor was taking rights that weren't his to take.

Anyway, she certainly didn't think any less of Mitch Tyler for doing it. In fact, she was intensely grateful to him for stepping in and taking Jeremy out. As for the rough handling of her ex-fiancé…good that Jeremy had a taste of that himself, having dealt it out to her.

Justice…

Though it was bitter.

How could she have been so blind about Jeremy? To even believe she loved a man who had no respect for the person she was! What did it say about her to Mitch Tyler? He must think her a fool, completely lacking in any judgement of character.

She was consumed with shame, unable to look him in the eye when he brought her a cup of tea, setting it on the coffee table along with milk and sugar. It was an effort to even utter the words, 'Thank you.' She stayed huddled under the quilt, feeling too raw and exposed to move.

He settled on the armchair adjacent to the sofa. She felt his gaze on her, yet couldn't bring herself to look at his face, the expression in his eyes. The silence tore at her nerves. She was with a man whose good opinion she desperately wanted and her mind was a total mess, unable to function in any kind of positive frame. At least the warmth of the quilt had stopped the shivers but there was a cold empty place in her heart that yearned to be warmed by other means.

'Have I frightened you, Kathryn?'

The quiet question startled her into answering, 'No!'

A quick glance at him picked up his tension, the worried look that stabbed concern at her. It stirred confusion. Why would he think she was frightened of him?

'I'm not normally a violent man,' he explained, one of his hands lifting, opening in a gesture of appeal.

The hand that had punched Jeremy. Of course.

What had gone down here tonight had to worry him.

He was a barrister, sworn to uphold the law, and hitting Jeremy could possibly get him disbarred. He'd put his professional career at risk for her sake, and here she was, totally focused on herself and how he must view her. At least she could help him on that point.

'I'll swear Jeremy was assaulting me if he goes to the police, Mitch,' she said with determined vigour, pushing her own misery aside. 'But I don't think he will. It would show him up as a loser and obviously—' she grimaced '—he'd do anything not to lose.'

'I wasn't thinking of him. Though I appreciate your offer to stand by my action. I meant…' He paused, his eyes searching hers with riveting intensity. 'My sister was raped a long time ago. It affected her…very deeply.'

'It didn't get that far,' Kathryn quickly assured him.

He nodded. 'Seeing you on the floor… I was remembering Jenny when I hit him. I know I lost control. It must have looked…savage to you. I felt… savage. But I want you to know…I don't go around bashing people on the spur of the moment.'

'I didn't imagine you did.'

'Violence is usually anathema to me,' he pressed on, clearly anxious to emphasise that point. 'I hate it in other people. I fight against it in court.

Any form of abuse…' 'I'm sure you do.'

His eyes locked onto hers, driving home his point. 'I don't want you to be frightened of me.'

'I'm not,' she insisted. It was the absolute truth.

His relief was patent. 'I sensed you were withdrawing from me. I thought…'

'Not from fear.' She took a deep breath and unloaded the burden on her heart. 'I'm just so ashamed…'

'There's no reason for you to be,' he shot back at her. 'It wasn't your fault.'

'But I chose him. I was going to marry him,' she burst out, shaking her head in anguish at the terrible mistake she'd made.

'Most of the time, people only let you see what they want you to see,' he argued. 'You were taken in by him, Kathryn, just as I was taken in by Harriet. Both of them very clever people.' His mouth relaxed, tilting into a wry smile. 'And both of them very attractive on the surface. A lot going for them.'