Read Online A Valentine from Harlequin by Christine Nancy u Bell Catherine u Warren Maggie u Spencer Michele u Shayne Hauf - Free Book Online Page B
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mixed up with someone else. My name is Michael Drummond.”
Why was he doing this? Pretending not to know her, calling himself by some other name.
She took a step backward as he moved closer, shaking her head in disbelief as she stepped from the shadows of the balcony into the pool of light that spilled from the party going on inside.
When she did, he froze, his gaze skimming down her body. She saw him flinch, saw the way his eyes widened only slightly, before he painted his face again with that blank disinterested stare.
“Oh, this is just great!” the blonde said, because she could see her clearly for the first time now as well. She downed her champagne in one gulp and stomped between them and through the French doors back inside to the party.
Johnny stood there staring, facing her.
“I haven’t seen you since May first. The day we were supposed to get married,” Charlotte said. She hated her voice for shaking the way it was. “I suppose that’s long enough that you might forget a woman who obviously meant so little to you. But how did you manage to forget your own name?”
He stared at her, and she could see the battle going on inside him. He parted his lips as if to say something, but then closed them again, his sharp eyes looking past her as another couple stepped out onto the balcony. “I’m sorry,” he said, speaking very softly now, clearly not wanting the conversation to be overheard. “You’re mistaken. I don’t know you. I’ve never met you before in my life.”
She had to close her eyes to keep the tears from spilling over. But she managed to nod her head. “Fine. If that’s the way you want to do this.”
She started to turn away, but his hand closed on her shoulder. “Charlotte…”
She went still at his touch. God when he touched her it all came back, the passion, the love. She’d loved him with everything in her. “I thought I would die when you did,” she said, and though the words emerged as if wrenched from the very depths of her, she managed to keep her voice low. “I lay on your grave and cried until someone came and carried me away. I don’t even remember who… But what do you care? You don’t know me.”
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I’m not who you think I am.” He took his hand away.
“No. You’re not even close to the man I thought you were, are you?” Stiffening her spine, lifting her chin, she walked to the French doors.
“Are you going to be all right?”
She paused with her hand on the door. “That’s really not your concern anymore, is it?”
Then she stepped back into the party. Someone started the countdown to the New Year. By they time they got to seven, she had her coat in her hand and was heading out the door, into the hallway, and poking the elevator button. The doors opened instantly. No lines, no waiting. But why would there be? No one else would be coming or going at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Everyone was with the person they loved, sharing that special moment, that special kiss, beginning the New Year wrapped up in each other’s arms.
Just the way she had thought she would be starting this New Year. With her husband in her arms, kissing as they welcomed the future together.
She couldn’t hold the emotions in check any longer. As she ran through the lobby and into the street outside, the dam burst. Tears flooded so thickly she couldn’t see where she was going as she stumbled along the sidewalk. Her body shook with the force of the storm going on inside her, and her mind raced with questions. Who had really been in Johnny’s car when it went off the road and burst into flames that beautiful spring day? And what the hell was this all about, anyway? Some kind of insurance scam? Was he a con artist, a criminal?
Had he realized that she’d been at the church, wearing her wedding gown when the police had come to tell her that he’d been killed on the way to the wedding? Had that been a part of his plan?
She sobbed so hard she
Why was he doing this? Pretending not to know her, calling himself by some other name.
She took a step backward as he moved closer, shaking her head in disbelief as she stepped from the shadows of the balcony into the pool of light that spilled from the party going on inside.
When she did, he froze, his gaze skimming down her body. She saw him flinch, saw the way his eyes widened only slightly, before he painted his face again with that blank disinterested stare.
“Oh, this is just great!” the blonde said, because she could see her clearly for the first time now as well. She downed her champagne in one gulp and stomped between them and through the French doors back inside to the party.
Johnny stood there staring, facing her.
“I haven’t seen you since May first. The day we were supposed to get married,” Charlotte said. She hated her voice for shaking the way it was. “I suppose that’s long enough that you might forget a woman who obviously meant so little to you. But how did you manage to forget your own name?”
He stared at her, and she could see the battle going on inside him. He parted his lips as if to say something, but then closed them again, his sharp eyes looking past her as another couple stepped out onto the balcony. “I’m sorry,” he said, speaking very softly now, clearly not wanting the conversation to be overheard. “You’re mistaken. I don’t know you. I’ve never met you before in my life.”
She had to close her eyes to keep the tears from spilling over. But she managed to nod her head. “Fine. If that’s the way you want to do this.”
She started to turn away, but his hand closed on her shoulder. “Charlotte…”
She went still at his touch. God when he touched her it all came back, the passion, the love. She’d loved him with everything in her. “I thought I would die when you did,” she said, and though the words emerged as if wrenched from the very depths of her, she managed to keep her voice low. “I lay on your grave and cried until someone came and carried me away. I don’t even remember who… But what do you care? You don’t know me.”
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I’m not who you think I am.” He took his hand away.
“No. You’re not even close to the man I thought you were, are you?” Stiffening her spine, lifting her chin, she walked to the French doors.
“Are you going to be all right?”
She paused with her hand on the door. “That’s really not your concern anymore, is it?”
Then she stepped back into the party. Someone started the countdown to the New Year. By they time they got to seven, she had her coat in her hand and was heading out the door, into the hallway, and poking the elevator button. The doors opened instantly. No lines, no waiting. But why would there be? No one else would be coming or going at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Everyone was with the person they loved, sharing that special moment, that special kiss, beginning the New Year wrapped up in each other’s arms.
Just the way she had thought she would be starting this New Year. With her husband in her arms, kissing as they welcomed the future together.
She couldn’t hold the emotions in check any longer. As she ran through the lobby and into the street outside, the dam burst. Tears flooded so thickly she couldn’t see where she was going as she stumbled along the sidewalk. Her body shook with the force of the storm going on inside her, and her mind raced with questions. Who had really been in Johnny’s car when it went off the road and burst into flames that beautiful spring day? And what the hell was this all about, anyway? Some kind of insurance scam? Was he a con artist, a criminal?
Had he realized that she’d been at the church, wearing her wedding gown when the police had come to tell her that he’d been killed on the way to the wedding? Had that been a part of his plan?
She sobbed so hard she
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