Chapter 57: Chapter 57

Sharon woke with a start about two hours later sure that something had woken her. She was cold and the darkness frightened her as she lay, her ears straining against the silence. The fire had gone out, the room chilled again.

She heard footsteps outside the front door. Footsteps muffled by the snow. She swallowed,unable to move, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. There was someone outside.

She couldn't see but she could hear the slight creaking of the door handle as it was being turned. Had she locked it? She couldn't remember bit she must have done it because the door couldn't open and she let out her breath on a long high - pitched sigh.

She sat up trying to pull herself together. She didn't want to be lying on the couch if there was an intruder outside. She felt vulnerable,weak and nervous and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the banging on the door.

'Who is it? she shouted shakily.

'Bryan, let me in'.

Laughing with relief, she ran to the door and opened the door. She was so relieved that she did not recall her resolution not to be fool anymore by allowing him close to her or to continue loving him. He stood outside, tall and powerful in the darkness. She wasn't surprised to see him. It was though she had known that he would come.

'You frightened me', she admitted, still smiling.

etc me in', he repeated, his eyes holding hers, unsmiling. Hard.

She stood back and he brushed past her as he came inside. His hair was wet, his coat heavy with snow, the cold dark smell of the night clung to him. She felt his anger as he spoke.

'Why the hell are you in the dark?'

'There is no power', she said, her voice breathless.

He seemed to fill the room with his presence and she felt intimidated.

'I've found some candles though'. She moved carefully across the room,finding her lighter by touch. She lit two yellow candles, their ghostly flickering bringing the room to life. She picked one up, holding it high and because her hands were shaking, burning wax spilled onto her fingers. She cried out involuntarily and Bryan was beside her in a second.

'You stupid bitch', he muttered, taking the candle from her and examining her burnt fingers. His sure touch made her tremble

She looked into his hard face. 'Don't....' she started but he cut her off

'What are you doing here anyway, you could have got yourself killed'.

'I don't know why I am here', she said defiantly. 'Why are you?'

Bryan released her hand but did not move away. 'I followed you'.

'How did you know....?'

'I rang your office, your secretary was very helpful'.

His mouth curved onto a slow smile and Sharon felt a flash of a get. She could just imagine him charming Alice, winding her round his little finger to get the information that he sought.

'That information was supposed to be confidential', she said stiffly.

Bryan laughed. 'Your secretary cannot keep a secret then'.

'How did you know that I'd come to this flat?', she asked diverting the conversation because she could feel that green eyed monster - jealousy riding to the surface.

'I guessed you'd come here', Bryan said calmly.

She turned away, hiding her eyes from him. 'How predictable I must be',

He reached out and caught her chin in his fingers, forcing her to meet his eyes. He scrutinized her face, seeing the tears barely held back. The sudden pain.

'No', he said very softly. 'Nit predictable. Never predictable'.

'I'm going back to Kendall', she said, sure that he was laughing at her. 'Now'.

Bryan smiled but his eyes were very cool. 'Don't be ridiculous. You are going nowhere'.

'You can't hold me against my will', she snapped, pulling away from him, aware that she was being melodramatic but unable to stop herself.

'Your car is completely buried', he said expressionlessly. 'It would take you hours to dig it out even if the roads were passable'.

'You could take me in your car'.

'The situation is the same', he said patiently.

'But there's not enough room here for both of us', she said desperately, looking for any possible excise for him to leave. The thought of having to spend the night alone with him here in this isolated apartment, filling her with panic. 'You can go to your own house. It is not too far from here'.

Bryan frowned irritated. 'The roads are closed, for God's sake. If you do not believe me, then go out and see for yourself. My car is in a ditch half a mile from here. So stop a ting as a child and accept the fact that we are both spending the night here tonight'.

He shrugged off his cost with easy grace and Sharon swaying with tiredness, watched dry mouthed.

'Sit down', Bryan instructed curtly. 'You look like death'.

'Thank you', huddled in the couch shivering, she reflected that he didn't need to tell her that.

'What about the bed in the other room?' his voice was cool, business - like but Sharon felt the colour pouring into her face.

'It's cold and damp. It needs airing', she said shortly, the tilt of her head defiant.

Bryan nodded smiling slightly a d while she sat, her limbs slack with exhaustion, he collected blankets, relit the fire and opened some tins of meat and fish found in the pantry. They ate in silence, washing the food down with brandy. Sharon stared into the flames of fire, warm now and strangely content. On the mantle piece, the candles flickered, their soft glow throwing a cocoon of intimacy across the room.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Bryan, aware of every slight shifting of his long powerful body. She tried but she couldn't drag her eyes away. Whenever she was with him, she couldn't stop looking at him. Her fascination, deep and soul destroying.

He turned his black head and their eyes met.

'Why did you come here?' he asked again.

'I told you, I don't know', she looked away, breaking eye contact. It was true. She really didn't know. Her feelings for him and for this place we're so deep, so complicated that she didn't dare to reach down and inspect them.. The knowledge that she had never stopped loving him, that she never would had been enough of a shock. She was still getting over it.

'Think about it', Bryan suggested mockingly.

Sharon leaned back, closing her eyes. 'Too many questions' she murmured smiling lazily.

'I've got plenty more', he moved quickly and silently.

She heard the threat in her voice and her eyes flew open. He was standing over her. The warm contentment fled, the room suddenly full of savage electric tension.