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his arm encircling her like a steel rope, bringing her protesting body close to
his. The next moment she was valiantly struggling with him, twisting herself
about in a desperate endeavour to reach out and grab the vase. A low laugh
escaped him, the laugh of the devil, she thought, squirming and struggling to
prevent his lips from taking hers. But it was a vain endeavour; his strength
overcame hers without the slightest effort and she was brought completely
under his domination as, with the lack of respect he would have shown to
any woman he might have picked up on the streets of Athens, he took her
face in his hand and, jerking it up, pressed his lips to hers.
'Let me go oh, let me go!' The words were silent, for his demanding mouth
crushed hers, forcing her lips apart. She felt the searing pain in her head
increase to a fearful depth, causing her to experience an actual physical
sickness. A little moan went unheard in the heat of Charon's passion. His
hand came round the back to unzip her dress even while his mouth still held
hers, captured and submissive, for there was no fight left in her. The zip was
drawn smoothly to her waist; she felt his cool hand on her bare flesh, and
then she went limp in his arms and would have fallen had he not been
supporting her.
'My my head,' she gasped when, realizing something was wrong, Charon
released her. 'It's excruciating& ' Darkness came across her eyes; vaguely
she remembered lifting a feeble hand to push Charon away from her so that
she could lie down on the bed. And then she remembered no more until,
opening her eyes to the unfamiliar objects around her, she muttered to
herself, 'Where am I?'
Charon! She saw his silent figure and full memory returned with devastating
impact.
'What ... I mean...' She knew she was naked beneath the covers and hot
colour stained her cheeks. 'How how long have I been unconscious?'
'About an hour.' He looked at her in a clinical all-examining way. 'Don't
worry,' came the quiet assurance, 'I merely made you more comfortable.'
She turned from his gaze, trying not to picture him undressing her. Only one
hour--
'Why didn't I stay out longer?' she cried in tones which might have come
from a fractious child.
'Don't fret,' he said in some amusement. 'I'm no longer in the mood for
romance. You're quite safe for a while.'
So there might yet be an opportunity of escape!
'What happened?' she asked, trying to pinpoint a time when first the
headache had come to her. 'I've never felt like that before in my life.'
'Nerves,' he told her briefly, and ill as she was her eyes flashed at this.
'I've never suffered from nerves!'
'How are you now?' he inquired, ignoring this spurt of anger. 'I didn't send
for a doctor because I knew it wasn't anything really serious.'
She said perceptively, 'Too risky for you to send for a doctor, wasn't it?'
'No such thing. I happen to be a great friend of the doctor here.'
'So he knows of your reputation?'
Charon gave a slight exclamation of impatience. Sarah looked up into his
face and wondered that he showed no sign of disappointment or frustration
at being thwarted, after all.
'I've asked how you are feeling now,' he reminded her brusquely. 'Is the head
any better?'
'Much, although I can still feel it.'
'Soreness. I believed you were trying to hood-wink me when you talked of
not feeling well.'
'Is that supposed to be an apology?' she could not help saying, and he
immediately shook his head.
'I never apologise to anyone.'
'That's nothing to brag about!'
He drew a breath, glancing at her with censure in his eyes.
'Would you like a drink?' he asked.
'Yes, please. Water, if you don't mind?'
He went out, returning a few moments later carrying a glass.
'There are some tablets here; they'll take away the slight pains you have.'
Sarah, eyed them suspiciously.
'I'll be all right without them,' she said, trying to hold the cover to her body
as she sat up.
'You can swallow them with an easy mind,' he assured her with a hint of
mockery. 'I wouldn't give you a love potion, or anything like that. I've no
need to,' he added, just as if he could not resist it. 'My persuasive powers
have never failed me yet.'
Sarah gritted her teeth.
'I've called you pompous--'
'Twice three times now. It's becoming monotonous.' He held out the glass,
his eyes moving from her face to her neck, and then to the delicate shape
beneath the thin cover she was holding up. 'Here's your drink. And here are
the tablets.'
She took the glass, but of course could not take the tablets without leaving
go of the cover.
'I--'
'Open your mouth.' An order. Sarah kept her mouth firmly closed. Charon
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