holding back the emotional tide that swamped her. ‘Both my husband and his father made it impossible for me to turn to anyone for help—even my brother. They blocked every avenue I could take. They didn’t want me to talk to anyone. My father-in-law feared losing his reputation if anyone found out the truth about what was going on, and my husband was terrified he’d lose his inheritance. His debts escalated wildly—as I found out when he died. Because of their threats, because of my terrible fear that somehow they would snatch Charlie away from me if I did manage to escape—that was why I stayed in the marriage longer than I should have … Not because I wanted to, or because I had no self-respect, but because I honestly believed I had no choice.’
‘You should have gone to the police … told them everything.’
‘If I’d filed a report then they would have conducted an investigation. If Tom hadn’t hurt me even more because I’d dared to do such a thing, then I’ve no doubt that his father would have done everything in his power to take Charlie away from me and make me pay for disgracing him and his son. Can you see why I couldn’t do that? My son means everything to me … everything!’
‘Don’t cry, sweetheart … please don’t cry.’
On his feet, Jarrett was by her side in an instant. Enfolding her in his arms, he pulled her head down onto his broad muscular chest. In the midst of her distress, a jolt of surprise ricocheted through Sophia. The wonderful sensation of being held so tenderly instantly made her feel warm and protected. She hadn’t experienced such a feeling since she’d lived at home with her dad—before she’d met and married Tom Abingdon. But what surprised her most of all was the realisation that Jarrett’s heart was beating as wild and as fast as her own beneath the soft wool of his luxurious cashmere sweater.
She lifted her face up towards him. ‘Before my husband died I vowed to myself that I would find a way to get Charlie and me out of that horrendous situation. I’d even started making discreet enquiries about going abroad … somewhere far-flung where Tom’s father’s influence carried no weight. But then Tom died in his sleep … just like that. When I found him he looked almost peaceful. It doesn’t seem right somehow, does it? That a man can put his family through such hell and then abdicate all responsibility by simply dying?’
‘I don’t want to make you feel even more upset—but why did you marry such a man in the first place?’
Jarrett’s big warm hand cupped her cheek as he glanced intently down into her eyes. The guilt she still suffered made Sophia struggle to find adequate words to explain. ‘I was young and naive and flattered by his attention. He was good-looking, funny and clever, and because he’d been given everything on a silver spoon he was supremely confident too. When it came to getting what he wanted he knew exactly how to go about it, and when he decided that he wanted me I was too young and stupid to see that I might be walking into a trap. I was so dazzled by him that I relinquished every ounce of common sense I may have had. When he asked me to marry him I didn’t even hesitate. Even when I started to hear rumours about his drinking and chasing women I told myself not to worry … that he would soon learn he’d made the right choice in making me his lifelong partner. I thought I could reform him, make him change some of his less attractive qualities when he saw what a good life we could have together.’
‘How did you meet him?’
‘I went to school with his younger cousin, and I met him at a party at her house.’ Feeling suddenly uncomfortable beneath Jarrett’s intense scrutiny, she removed his hand from her cheek and glanced away. ‘No doubt I was easy prey. I was only eighteen—hardly a woman of the world. I’d just got into studying photography, and I wanted to go on to university. Meeting Tom put a stop to all that. It wasn’t as though nobody warned me. My dad told me early on to cool things off and not rush into anything. But I was deaf to his advice. My husband-to-be even managed to fool him into thinking his intentions were good … that he loved me and wanted to take care of me. In the beginning I believed it, too. But it didn’t take long for my fiancé’s true nature to surface. I thank God that my dad didn’t live to see what he put me through.’
The silence that pervaded the room after she’d finished speaking felt like a smothering blanket, and Sophia wanted to escape into the open air. Moving out of the intimate circle of Jarrett’s protection, she lifted her glance to stare forlornly out of the window at the still pounding rain. She shivered.
‘I’d better go. I’m trying to convert one of the downstairs rooms into a darkroom, and there’s a lot to do. I have to get on. Thanks for the tea … and for listening.’
‘Don’t go. It can’t have been easy to share what you’ve just told me. It was very brave. It’s only natural that you might be feeling vulnerable and exposed. I made you a promise that I wouldn’t share your confidences with anyone, remember? I want you to know that you can trust me, Sophia. I would never harm you or Charlie.’ Catching her hand, Jarrett gently impelled her towards him. ‘You’ve been through a terrible ordeal,’ he acknowledged huskily, ‘but given time things will slowly but surely get better—believe me. This is a new start for you and your son. Your husband is dead, Sophia … he can’t hurt you or Charlie any more.’
‘What about his father? Why do you think I reacted the way I did when you came up to me that day by the stream? After Tom died I had to sell the house to pay off his debts, and his father suggested that Charlie and I move in with him instead of finding somewhere else to live. Can you imagine it? The thought filled me with absolute horror. I had to run away so that he wouldn’t try and force me. That day, when you first saw me, I thought you were someone he’d hired to come and find me and snatch Charlie. If he ever finds out where I am he could—he might—’
‘Hey …’
Jarrett drew the pad of his thumb down over her cheek, and the look in his intense blue eyes along with the enticing flare of heat that his touch instigated inside her made Sophia sway a little closer towards him.
‘Stop scaring yourself. You and Charlie are safe now,’ he told her. ‘I’ll do everything in my power to make sure of that.’
‘Why? Why would you do that for me?’ The lid she’d tried so hard to keep firmly shut down on her emotions when she was with other people suddenly flew open, and she couldn’t stop the slow track of scalding tears that started to spill down her face.
‘You don’t really need to ask me that … do you?’
His carved masculine mouth formed a knee-trembling smile that could melt a heart of stone, and although bruised and battered Sophia’s heart was neither stony nor hard. She was ripe for a little tenderness, even though she’d sought to arm herself against it.
No further reflection was necessary as Jarrett laid his lips over hers in a kiss that started off on a slow-burning simmer and then quickly turned into a conflagration of passion and need. Again and again she gasped breathlessly into his mouth, needing to taste him, needing to feel the ravenous demand of his warm lips and hot tongue, meeting it with her own helpless craving, almost swooning with pleasure as his big hands dived into her hair and freed her still damp plaits. In response, her arms wound themselves round his lean hard middle to keep her steady.
The realisation that hit her like a tidal wave was that her sexual need hadn’t been completely deadened by her husband’s cruel behaviour, as she’d believed. His cutting taunts and profligate behaviour had killed her desire very quickly once they were married. By the time she’d learned she was pregnant with Charlie the mere idea of her husband’s hands coming anywhere near her body had been like agreeing to imbibe poison. Now, with Jarrett, she felt like a neglected flower in a shaded part of the garden that had unexpectedly caught a shower of glorious summer rain just in the nick of time. If he had wanted to become more intimate with her there and then Sophia would have let him. Her usually highly maintained defences had been demolished by that first exquisite contact with his lips and the sensation of his body pressing hungrily against hers. He made her feel like a real woman again.
It was Jarrett who poured the first drops of ice-cool water on the fire they’d made.