I2C Comms Interruptable?

Further in the series of dumb questions I am too embarrased to identify myself as having publicly asked, is the following:

Should my boiler plate bit-banger I2C C code be able to be temporarily interrupted by other tasks at any point during communication?

Does the I2C standard permit brief pauses in bus activity, whilst the processor attends to more pressing duties?

Boz.

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