Read Online Between the Lines by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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voice. When she did, she had a hard time keeping it even. "What about California?"
"I want to know what went wrong down there."
He knew from one or two small comments she had let slip that there had been a man in California. And Amber had a hunch her sister had dropped more than a hint or two on the brief occasions when she had met Gray. But Gray had never asked her what had happened, had never pushed past the walls of Amber's privacy. Amber had assumed he never would. His respect for her secrets was one of the many things that she'd liked about Gray; one of the things that had made her feel so comfortable in his presence. Now, for the first time, he was probing an area that she had privately labeled forbidden. Automatically she retreated, summoning up a casual smile to cover her withdrawal.
"I've always heard it's a good idea not to get involved in a big mutual confession scene with one's new husband," Amber said lightly.
"Is there a lot to confess?"
His refusal to be sidetracked by her smile annoyed Amber. Her chin lifted. "Gray, if my past was a problem for you, you should have mentioned it before you asked me to marry you."
"It's not a problem for me, but I think it is for you." His gaze was intent, faintly narrowed against the noon light. "I wasn't going to ask you about it, but recently I've started wondering if it might help to talk about it. I know there was a man. I know something went wrong and that it was bad enough to make you quit a high-paying job and head for Washington. You went north to lick your wounds and to hide, didn't you?"
"No. I went north to start over again."
"You've succeeded in doing that to a certain extent. You've got a new life, new friends, new job. But there are still a few chains binding you to the past, aren't there? You can't quite let go. Can't quite trust yourself-"
"Gray!" She cut through his words with an angry exclamation. "What's the matter with you? You've never grilled me before. I thought we had an understanding. Part of that understanding was an acceptance of each other and of the past. I certainly haven't asked you about your first marriage, have I? Damn it, you shouldn't have asked me to marry you if you had problems dealing with my background."
"I thought we could ignore whatever happened in California the same way I know we can safely ignore my first marriage. But now I'm not so sure," he said honestly.
She stared at him. "It's a little late to come to that conclusion."
His mouth curved faintly. "No, it's not. It's never too late. We've still got plenty of time."
Amber jumped to her feet, shoving her fingers into the back pocket of her jeans. She walked to the edge of the creek, turning her back to Gray. "I don't know what you want or expect from me, Gray," she said quietly. "There's no big mystery about California. I fell in love with a man and things didn't work out. That's all there is to the story, believe me. It's a depressingly common tale, and you know it."
"Are you still in love with him?"
Amber swung around, shocked. "Of course I'm not. It was all over months ago. Is that what's worrying you? You think I'm carrying the torch for him? Gray, I swear I would never have married you if that was the case." Even as she said the words aloud, Amber realized the truth behind them. Whatever else she felt for Roarke Kelley, she didn't love him.
"If you're not still carrying the torch, then you're free to fall in love with me," Gray stated softly.
Amber felt trapped and on the defensive. Frantically she began beating at the doors of an invisible cage. "I told you I wasn't in love with you when you asked me to marry you," she retorted. "At least, not in the way people usually mean when they talk of love. You said that was all right, that you weren't looking for the 'grand passion' of the century. Why are you doing this? You convinced me we could be happy together, and I believed you. I'm quite prepared to be happy with you, Gray. You're the one who's putting
"I want to know what went wrong down there."
He knew from one or two small comments she had let slip that there had been a man in California. And Amber had a hunch her sister had dropped more than a hint or two on the brief occasions when she had met Gray. But Gray had never asked her what had happened, had never pushed past the walls of Amber's privacy. Amber had assumed he never would. His respect for her secrets was one of the many things that she'd liked about Gray; one of the things that had made her feel so comfortable in his presence. Now, for the first time, he was probing an area that she had privately labeled forbidden. Automatically she retreated, summoning up a casual smile to cover her withdrawal.
"I've always heard it's a good idea not to get involved in a big mutual confession scene with one's new husband," Amber said lightly.
"Is there a lot to confess?"
His refusal to be sidetracked by her smile annoyed Amber. Her chin lifted. "Gray, if my past was a problem for you, you should have mentioned it before you asked me to marry you."
"It's not a problem for me, but I think it is for you." His gaze was intent, faintly narrowed against the noon light. "I wasn't going to ask you about it, but recently I've started wondering if it might help to talk about it. I know there was a man. I know something went wrong and that it was bad enough to make you quit a high-paying job and head for Washington. You went north to lick your wounds and to hide, didn't you?"
"No. I went north to start over again."
"You've succeeded in doing that to a certain extent. You've got a new life, new friends, new job. But there are still a few chains binding you to the past, aren't there? You can't quite let go. Can't quite trust yourself-"
"Gray!" She cut through his words with an angry exclamation. "What's the matter with you? You've never grilled me before. I thought we had an understanding. Part of that understanding was an acceptance of each other and of the past. I certainly haven't asked you about your first marriage, have I? Damn it, you shouldn't have asked me to marry you if you had problems dealing with my background."
"I thought we could ignore whatever happened in California the same way I know we can safely ignore my first marriage. But now I'm not so sure," he said honestly.
She stared at him. "It's a little late to come to that conclusion."
His mouth curved faintly. "No, it's not. It's never too late. We've still got plenty of time."
Amber jumped to her feet, shoving her fingers into the back pocket of her jeans. She walked to the edge of the creek, turning her back to Gray. "I don't know what you want or expect from me, Gray," she said quietly. "There's no big mystery about California. I fell in love with a man and things didn't work out. That's all there is to the story, believe me. It's a depressingly common tale, and you know it."
"Are you still in love with him?"
Amber swung around, shocked. "Of course I'm not. It was all over months ago. Is that what's worrying you? You think I'm carrying the torch for him? Gray, I swear I would never have married you if that was the case." Even as she said the words aloud, Amber realized the truth behind them. Whatever else she felt for Roarke Kelley, she didn't love him.
"If you're not still carrying the torch, then you're free to fall in love with me," Gray stated softly.
Amber felt trapped and on the defensive. Frantically she began beating at the doors of an invisible cage. "I told you I wasn't in love with you when you asked me to marry you," she retorted. "At least, not in the way people usually mean when they talk of love. You said that was all right, that you weren't looking for the 'grand passion' of the century. Why are you doing this? You convinced me we could be happy together, and I believed you. I'm quite prepared to be happy with you, Gray. You're the one who's putting
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