Gerhard stood up as she got to him, kissed her on both cheeks gravely.

'Thank you for joining me. All the men are going to envy me tonight, having you for a partner. That dress is very sexy and you look breathtaking in it'.

'Thank you, Gerhard', she said sitting down, brushing down her filmy skirts as they hissed silkily around her legs.

'Ehat would you have to drink?' he asked summoning the waiter.

Remembering what happened with Bryan the previous evening, Sharon ordered a mixture of orange juice and mineral water and stayed off wine all evening.

The meal was superb and Gerhard kept her continuously amused and it would have been a wonderful evening had she been unable to see Bryan's face from where she was sitting.

By some stroke of bad luck, however, he was seated facing her, on the next table. She had to avoid letting her eyes wander that way or she found herself all too often looking straight at him.

Everytime it happened, she felt a strange dizzying lurch, as though her sense of balance had just abandoned her and that at any moment, she might fall over.

It was very disconcerting and disturbing. She became more and more afraid of the sensation because she had expected it to lessen after a while but the more she kept seeing Bryan, the stronger the sensation and the linger it lasted.

She would catch a glimpse of him and feel the clutch of vertigo, her pulses hammering, her mouth dry, her head spinning.

Hurriedly, She would look away but that strange sensation went on and on, making it almost impossible to keep up a polite conversation with Gerhard or at least keep up a polite pretense of interest in what Gerhard was saying.

She kept feeling the need to hold something solid, anything, be a chair or a table to give her some firm of stability, stop this whirling if the senses.

She was relieved when the meal was over and they all drifted out to the bar again.

Gerhard found a table and they had some more drinks and then the delegates from the biggest bank in Germany joined them and they started discussing banking, forgetting that Sharon was even there. She did not mind because she just did not want to talk about that boring topic. Not that night anyways.

Most if the time, they spoke German and Sharon was glad to go to the background because though she knew a little German, she did not know enough to follow their rapid speech.

At half past eleven, Bryan appeared beside their table. Sharon stiffened when she saw him. The delegates looked round, breaking into smiles and began chattering away to him in German in a way that made it clear that they knew him.

Sharon picked up some phrase she interpreted as a question they posed to him asking him why he left the Swizz bank for London and whatever response he gave them in German, made them all laugh.

He glanced coolly across their heads at her. 'Our car's here, ready?'

Gerhard stirred, 'Darling, I can see you home in a taxi later, you don't want to leave yet, do you?'

Before she could say anything, Bryan answered, 'We all have to be up early, tomorrow is going to be a demanding day. Hurry up Sharon,we don't want to keep our driver waiting'.

She stumbled on her feet, very flushed, murmured something apologetic to Gerhard who made a face but bent to kiss her.

'Your spoilsport friend is right. We do have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. I'll be seeing you at lunch, perhaps, if we are both free?'

She followed Bryan out of the hotel, into the waiting car, secretly relieved to be leaving because she had been bored with all the banking talk, especially in a language she found hard to follow and yet at the same time irritated because Bryan was ordering her a out, making decisions for her, answering for her.

As they drove through the warm Rome night, she muttered to him, 'Will you stop giving me orders as if I were your secretary? I'm David's personal assistant, not yours. He never pushes me around, he treats me with respect and I'd like you to do the same, please'.

'If I hadn't interrupted your little party, you would have been there all night and then you wouldn't have been in any fit shape to take part in the conference tomorrow', he said coldly. 'I am delivering David's speech at ten, remember? You ought to be there in case there are questions. I might have to consult you on what David's views might be on some issues. I am simply his mouth piece as far as the speech is concerned and I may not know all the answers to all the questions I am asked,whereas I imagine you will. You make it your business to know everything there is to know about David and his opinions'.

'Don't use that sarcastic tone tp me', Sharon said, her body tense and her face flushed.

'I am merely staying the facts', he drawled. 'If you don't like them, it's because you prefer not to face up to the truth'.

The car stopped in front of their hotel and she walked into the lifts.

Bryan caught up with her there but she ignored him, turning her head away.

The lift took them straight to their floor and they walked to their rooms, with Sharon walking ahead and Bryan following behind.

She got to her room and opened the door but before she could shut it, Bryan's foot jammed it open.

Tensing, Sharon swung round to face him. 'What....?

'We need to talk. I suggest we have breakfast together downstairs at a quarter to right'.

'I prefer to breakfast my room!'

His eyes glittered angrily. 'A quarter to eight, downstairs', he said. 'be there or I'll come and drag you down if I have to'.

Sharon looked at him with disgust. He's really got guts. Coming to drag her down for breakfast but she did not doubt that he would do it too. His arrogance was becoming intolerable.

'Get your foot out of my door!'

'Are you trying to get me to lose my temper? Bryan ground out between his teeth.

'What happens if you do?' she asked. ' Ate you going to turn into a monster and tear us into pieces?'

He wasn't amused, a dark colour went round his face as he said coldly, 'Very funny'.

On an impulse, she said, ' You were wrong about Gerhard you know. He was a gentleman all through the evening unlike some people I know'.

Bryan laughed without humour. 'But that was because I got you out of there before the evening ended'. His gaze slid from her face to her neck, her shoulders and her breasts.

His eyes flared with rage, 'If you had come back here with him in a taxi late at night, looking like that, he wouldn't have just seen you off to your door and said goodnight. That dress is an invitation to do more than dance and he would have expected to be asked to spend the night'.

His insulting stare had made her turn red, hating him. 'I ought to slap you', she said furiously.

'Try it's, his teeth showing in a mocking smile. 'And by the way', he continued, 'I asked around and found out that Gerhard is from an old German family and the next in line for the Bundesbank but he does not have much money, not as David has. I should go on hoping that David would eventually propose, if I were you. The other guy is closer to your age but hasn't got much to offer'.

That was the final straw. Sharon was tired. It had been a long day. She shot her hand up to slap his face, Bryan was quicker and caught her wrist, dragged her hand down and Sharon fell forward. She found her face buried in his shirt inhaling his scent and went into a mindless state of panic, making muffling sounds of gear as she fought to get away.

Bryan held her shoulders, she struggled, there was a tearing sound and she felt the black chiffon over her shoulders tripping and she cried wordlessly as one part of her dress tumble down leaving a part of her breast open.

Along the corridor, a door opened perhaps because of the noise Sharon was making and Bryan quickly Shut the door with his foot and gently pushed the both of them away from the door.

'Get out!' she said hoarsely, holding her torn dress up to cover her naked body.

'Sharon....? he began but she did not want to listen.

'If you do not get out of here, right now, I'll start screaming!'

'You are over reacting', he said and Sharon opened her mouth to scream but Bryan quickly held a hand over her mouth and he was pushing her backwards. She had not yet put on the light, she couldn't see him and fought him wildly like a trapped animal.

Her foot caught the leg of a chair, suddenly and she stumbled and fell, unable to save herself. Bryan we t with her, on the carpet, knocking all the breath out of her.

Sharon's auburn hair had fallen down and had tumbled around her face, long silky strands, blinding her. She was gasping,shaking, and fiercely away of Bryan's weight holding her down, of the power of that male body as it lay on her.

There was a thick silence. She looked through her hair and saw his face dimly, his black eyes staring down at her, glittering in the dark like torch light, setting her on fire.

He made a rough sound in his throat, then his head came down and his mouth was on hers, ruthlessly forcing her lips apart and invading between them, his hands on her face, holding her head so that she wouldn't escape the probing intimacy of the kiss.

Sharon struggled helplessly, briefly, half fainting, feeling he would suffocate her at any moment.

Her pulse was hammering at her neck, wrist and breasts, she closed her eyes as a little moan escaped her as she stopped fighting.

Ever since the day they got to Rome, she had been fighting an erotic awareness of him. She didn't understand it but she couldn't silence it, this beating sensation whenever Bryan came near her.

Everytime she saw him, she caught herself staring, she was hot one minute, cold the next, locked in feverish response to him.

I don't like him, why do I fell like this? I don't trust him, I don't understand him and now neither do I understand myself as well. She told herself.

And then as his mouth skid hotly to her throat, making her shudder with aroused excitement, 'Oh God, but I want him.

He pushed aside the torn fragments of her bodice and she groaned as he kissed her naked breast. Her hand went up to clasp the back of his head and she twisted restlessly under him.

Bryan lifted his head, breathing raggedly, his fingers sprayed warmly on her body.

'If you don't want this, say so now, while I can still stop', he whispered in a voice so husky that she could barely make put what he had said.

At the same time,his hand was softly moving up her thigh, the intimate brush of his skin against hers making her quiver in hungry response.

Say something' he murmured, his voice being even more husky as she kept her eyes closed, groaning.

He made a sound like breathless laughter, Don't say that I didn't give you a chance to say no', he said as his hand slipped underneath her.

'No', she said getting up, stumbling across the room away from him. 'I must have been out of my mind... I can't....'

The erotic shock of feeling his fingers in her wet self caused her to get away from him.

'I must have been out if my mind', She said, ' I can't.....'

She made for the light switch but Bryan caught up with her before she could reach it.

'Don't run away from it now, Sharon', he said in a smoky voice, 'Not now that we've got this far. His arms went round her from behind, pulling her back against his half naked body and she shuddered as their flesh touched, skin to skin, the roughness of his hair, the masculinity of bone and muscle imposing themselves, making her conscious of her own femininity.

'I should never have let you touch me', she said, as much to herself as to him, hating herself because she felt the undeniable rise of desire again.

'You're not a virgin?' he murmured, kissing her neck, pressing himself against her.

'What's that got to do with it? I don't just sleep with anyone....'

'I never supposed you did. I wouldn't want you if I thought that you had', he said and his hands covered her breasts, making her tremble with passion.

'But why...? she cried out, trying to think clearly,to work out what she really felt.

'Why do I want you?', he sighed, his long naked thighs pushing softly against her, his hands wandering, exploring, making her so weak that she was shaking violently. 'You're beautiful. The minute I saw you, I knew I had to have you'.

She had felt the same, she knew that at that instant. When they were jammed in that revolving door together, she had felt his body against hers and a heat had begun deep inside her, a heat which had been growing ever since and which just the sight of him could start into life.

She was torn between an aching need and fear.

'I...I haven't taken any precautions', she muttered.

'Don't worry, I'll take care of that', he said at once and spun her round to face him, held her lightly on the hips and drawing her closer.

She gave a groan, stood on tiptoe and kissed him passionately, her arms going round his neck, her body yielding in boneless surrender.

Bryan lifted her off her feet on to the bed. He didn't give her another chance to change her mind. While she was still catching her breath, he entered her and she arched to take him, a wordless primitive cry coming from her throat.

For months desire had been driving her towards this instant.

She had fought it, pretended it wasn't happening to her but it had been too strong and she had been helpless against it.

She didn't know even now if she was in love or obsessed but all she knew was that she couldn't fight the way she felt anymore..

Last night when they had walked along the top of the Spanish Steps, that warm autumn night and she had seen the young lovers in that shop doorway, that had been the moment she knew that she wanted Bryan like that.

She had seen those two kissing, their bodies straining against each other and suddenly she had felt heat sweet through her, her mouth had gone dry and Bryan had looked at her with the same craving in his eyes.

She had wanted to go to bed with him then. If they had been up here in her room, they would have made love.

She had known it last night, she knew it now. If she hadn't slept with him now, she would have sooner or later, because she couldn't stop thinking about it, day and night. The beat of them at erotic desire drummed in her blood, in her ears and she ached to touch him, to feel his hair under her hands, to hold his body as he moved in her, with her.

She cried out, her nails digging into his back and Bryan groaned, head flung back in passionate pleasure.

His skin was red hot, his breathing tortured, so was hers. She was caught up in a vortex of a whirlpool, irresistibly engulfed in a spiralling pleasure. She was deaf, dumb and blind to everything else in this world. Entirely taken over by desire, she had shed all inhibitions, forgotten where they were, what room, in what city, in what country.

There was only this bed, her body twisting and shuddering with his body driving into her.

She said his name, pleading, moaning. It seemed to be taking forever to reach the intense dark heart of that feeling, she was going out of her mind and she pushed her face into his warm bare shoulders, kissed his perspering skin, tasted the salt of his body on her tongue and grazed him with her teeth, bit him as the frenzy mounted and then the arching tension broke and she gave a final long moaning cry and began to fall down, down out of all control.

It was like dying, her heart pounding, her lungs tortured, her limbs trembling violently.

She heard Bryan saying her name, his voice unrecognizable, gasping in the same unbelievable ferocity and then there was silence and she lay like someone who had drowned, her hands flung out on either side, her eyes closed, her lips apart, breathing in dragging anguish.

For minutes on end, they just lay there, his body heavy on her, his head on her breast, the sweat running between them.

Then Bryan slowly slid off and Kay beside her, his breathing gradually slowing.

Sharon was too exhausted to move. She couldn't even keep her eyes open.

He got up and went into her bathroom. She winced as the light from the bathroom stabbed into the bedroom, she put her arm across her face and turned on her side, her back to the light.

He came back and got into bed again, by then she was half asleep and only stirred lightly as she felt his cooler flesh touch her when he curved his body round hers. He pulled a sheet over them both but she hardly noticed.

She was light as air, empty, drained. Moments later, she was deeply asleep.

When she woke in the morning, he was gone.