The Most Precious Thing Read Online Free PDF Page B

was going to walk her home. The words had the magic ring of dreams about them. She stared at him as he sat down and gestured for her to place the mugs on the table. ‘I . . . I don’t want any more.’
     
    ‘Course you do.’
     
    As he poured two more measures into the mugs Carrie wanted to make a protest, but the tone of his voice and his manner had been so friendly and warm she didn’t like to. She watched him as he drained the contents of his mug but made no attempt to lift her own. This was her moment, her opportunity, and nothing like it would happen again. What could she say, what could she do to make him really notice her?
     
    When he reached out and lifted her chin she felt her heart jump with the thrill of his touch, and then he whispered, ‘You’re beautiful, lass. Do you know that? Got a lad, have you?’
     
    ‘No.’
     
    She was looking right into his eyes and it made her dizzy, along with the wonder bursting from her heart. He was going to kiss her, she knew he was, even before he whispered, ‘You should have,’ and bent forward, putting his mouth on hers.
     
    He smelt faintly of smoke but overriding this was a nice smell, like the eau de Cologne Renee bought but sharper. She had never been close to a man wearing aftershave before - her father and Billy and the other miners she knew would have scorned what they saw as womanly titivation - and it added to the trembling that was spiralling through her body. His lips were warm and firm, and when he stood up, drawing her with him, she didn’t object.
     
    ‘You’re lovely, Carrie.’ He was holding her in the circle of his arms now, so close she could feel the pounding of his heart under his shirt, and she felt engulfed in the height and breadth of him. She shivered, and as he stroked her hair from her brow his voice was thick as he murmured, ‘You’re cold. Let me warm you, lass,’ and then he was kissing her again.
     
    Carrie knew she was being kissed, really kissed for the first time in her life, and at first the floating, dizzy feeling was all that registered. It was some moments before she became aware that his hands were moving all over her body and now the kissing was of such an intensity that it frightened her. ‘No . . .’ She tried to pull away a little. ‘Don’t, Alec, please. I don’t want--’ Her breath was cut off by his mouth which had become hard, grinding, and his leg was behind her knees as he twisted his body and brought her falling to the floor with him on top of her.
     
    For his part Alec was conscious of her struggling beneath him and of hands beating against his chest, but the quantity of alcohol in his system and not least Madge Patterson’s provocative teasing earlier had inflamed him to the point where he only knew he wanted release from the burning in his groin. He pressed one hand across her mouth and with the other fumbled for the hem of her dress. When it was up round her thighs he wrenched at her knickers with such force that they tore away from one leg.
     
    ‘It’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right.’
     
    His voice was like a chant, and in spite of her blind panic and fear Carrie could make no impression against the strength of the hard male body crushing her against the floor.
     
    ‘It’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right . . .’
     
    But it wasn’t, for she was suddenly pierced through with pain, ravaged by it as he pounded away at her with hoarse groaning until, with one final convulsive thrust, everything became very still.
     
     
    Carrie wasn’t crying, the shock was too great. She lay wide-eyed, staring up at Lillian’s mam’s whitewashed ceiling, her mind numb but her body hurting. And then, as the head which had dropped to nestle in her shoulder moved, she came to life, pushing at Alec with shaking hands as she tried to hotch back away from him.
     
    He stirred again with a low groan, levering himself up on to his knees to adjust his clothing. When her legs were