Knife Edge Read Online Free Page A

could only stare at him blankly.
    How was she meant to respond to this? Where did she even begin?
    He nodded and looked down.
    ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to …’ He trailed off, his hand drifting up to rub absently at his jaw.
    Kim blinked and breathed. His silence cried out for her to say something.
    ‘Are you going to tell me … what happened?’ she managed.
    His eyes flickered up to hers for a second, then down again.
    ‘I don’t want to lie to you, Kim.’ It was strange to hear that tentative note in his voice, as though he was wary of each word. ‘I want you to know, I need you to
understand
, but …’
    He shook his head, frowning, considering how to proceed.
    ‘… not details. Not yet, anyway.’ His eyes found hers. ‘Let me tell you about that in my own time, OK?’
    She found herself nodding. There was an unfamiliar vulnerability in his expression that touched something inside her – his determination to share something so secret with her spoke of profound closeness and staggering trust. For a moment, she was overwhelmed by how hard it must be for him, and what it meant. And yet, it was impossible not to ask him.
    ‘Can you tell me why?’
    She watched as he wrestled with the question, his brows tightening to a pained frown. Finally, his shoulders dropped and he sighed.
    ‘It’s … complicated. I want to share everything with you, really, but it’s not easy to explain …’
    He looked at her for a moment, frustration tugging the corner of his mouth down, then lapsed into silence.
    Kim nodded again, sensing the turmoil that he was in, but more desperate than ever to know something, anything. Anything that could help her to try and make sense of things. She had to ask him a question that he could answer. Nothing too specific, not yet, but something that would open the door a little wider.
    ‘Rob …?’
    He waited, staring down at his glass, one finger tracing a slow circuit around the rim. She hesitated, then spoke the words.
    ‘What was it like?’
    Now it was his turn to be caught off balance. Something in his expression seemed to come alive as he looked at her, took a deep breath, then turned his head towards the sea. When he finally spoke, his voice had a soft, almost reverent tone.
    ‘It’s … incredible. You have no idea.’
    She watched him, fascinated, unable to look away as that light came into his eyes. What was he reliving? In that moment, for the first time, she wondered if she should be afraid of him – properly afraid. How strange that the idea hadn’t occurred to her before. But as he turned back to her, his face softened, intensity giving way to peace. He wasn’t going to hurt her.
    As if by some unspoken agreement, they slid closer together, moving simultaneously like a normal couple would. He put his arm around her shoulder, nuzzling her hair as she rested her head against him, and stared out at the sea. His chest felt warm against her cheek, and she could hear his heartbeat, steady and calm, as his hand stroked her arm.
    He cared for her. She mustn’t lose him.
    Anything was better than being alone. Even this.
    She came out of the bathroom and padded through to the bedroom. He was already in bed, his broad chest bare above the duvet. His eyes followed her for a moment, then turned away as she made her way across to the tiny dressing table.
    From the beginning, he’d always encouraged her to sleep without clothes. He’d ignored her self-conscious nature, seeming to delight in her naked form. At first, she’d felt terribly exposed, though in time she began to find his attention gratifying and there was a strange thrill in submitting to him. But tonight, she felt different, oddly uncomfortable, as she had done back when they’d first met.
    She placed her make-up bag on the table, looking at her reflection in the mirror – so ordinary, so
plain
. Was he watching her now, his eyes on her back as she hesitated? She bit her lip and her shoulders dropped a little. She found