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Authors: Alyssa Howard
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Kara stared furiously at his disappearing back. He was insufferable, and she cursed the fate that had sent her up to Uncle James' cabin. But a nagging doubt kept tugging at her conscience. Was he right? Had she handled the situation badly?
Her anger was stronger than any feeling of remorse, though. If he thinks I'm going to clean this up, he's crazy, she told herself. Let it dry by itself! Pulling on her robe, she stamped out of the room.
It was while she was toweling herself dry in the bedroom that she heard the phone ringing shrilly on the extension at the bedside table. Kara picked it up and was about to say, "Jordan's residence," when she heard a husky female voice whisper, "Matt, is that you?"
"Yes," she heard her husband answer.
"You've got to come over right away, I need you," the woman went on, her voice thick with emotion. Silently Kara replaced the phone on its cradle. She sat down on the bed and waited coldly to see what would happen. A few minutes later she heard her husband's muffled footsteps on the carpeted stairs, and then the click of the front door opening and closing.
Tears filled her eyes. He was spending their wedding night in the arms of another woman. She knew she shouldn't care. But, to her horror, she realized that she did.
Chapter Five
The golden rays of sunlight streaming in the sliding glass door to the balcony awoke Kara. The warmth of the sun felt good against her bare arms, and she stretched lazily before her eyes focused on the unfamiliar bedroom surroundings. Suddenly it all came back—the forced wedding, the farce they had seen on the evening news, and the scene in the bathroom before Matt had rushed out to his late night assignation.
That
must
have been Vera on the phone, she thought, her blood running cold despite the warmth of the sun. Matt couldn't even stay away from her on our wedding night. But another dark thought crossed her mind. If Vera hadn't called, what would have happened? Would Matt have tried to force his way into her bedroom? she wondered.
Kara shuddered. But the shiver that went through her body reminded her of the disturbingly pleasurable sensations she had felt when Matt's eyes had traveled over her body, mirroring his desire. What would it have been like if this were a real marriage? she wondered. It would have been all right then to respond to a husband's exploring caresses. And he would have had no reason to leave his wife on their marriage night and seek out the comfort of his mistress.
But this line of reasoning was getting Kara nowhere. This isn't a real marriage, she reminded herself sternly. I don't want it to be. And I know Matt doesn't either. So there's no use considering what might have happened.
And with that thought, she swung her legs out of bed and pulled on the dressing gown she had folded over the back of the chair the night before. The thick shag carpet felt good under her bare feet as she crossed to the adjoining bathroom. Opening the door, she looked around the room. The water on the floor had dried, leaving no evidence of the previous night's battle.
This time I'm not going to let Matt Jordan surprise me in here, she muttered aloud, inspecting the mirrored panel and finding a latch at the top to hold it closed. But as her fingers reached for the fastening, she couldn't help giving way to an impulse to quietly open the door and peek into his bedroom.
The room was empty and the neatly made bed proclaimed that no one had slept there last night.
Why, he must have been out all night, she fumed. With that she quickly slid back the panel and turned purposefully toward the sink.
After making her toilet and pulling her hair back into a simple pony tail, Kara returned to her bedroom and pulled on her oldest pair of faded jeans and a frayed yellow T-shirt with the legend "Maryland is for Crabs" printed on the front over the picture of a large red crustacean. She'd picked up the shirt on a Chesapeake Bay sailing expedition several years ago. But
Her anger was stronger than any feeling of remorse, though. If he thinks I'm going to clean this up, he's crazy, she told herself. Let it dry by itself! Pulling on her robe, she stamped out of the room.
It was while she was toweling herself dry in the bedroom that she heard the phone ringing shrilly on the extension at the bedside table. Kara picked it up and was about to say, "Jordan's residence," when she heard a husky female voice whisper, "Matt, is that you?"
"Yes," she heard her husband answer.
"You've got to come over right away, I need you," the woman went on, her voice thick with emotion. Silently Kara replaced the phone on its cradle. She sat down on the bed and waited coldly to see what would happen. A few minutes later she heard her husband's muffled footsteps on the carpeted stairs, and then the click of the front door opening and closing.
Tears filled her eyes. He was spending their wedding night in the arms of another woman. She knew she shouldn't care. But, to her horror, she realized that she did.
Chapter Five
The golden rays of sunlight streaming in the sliding glass door to the balcony awoke Kara. The warmth of the sun felt good against her bare arms, and she stretched lazily before her eyes focused on the unfamiliar bedroom surroundings. Suddenly it all came back—the forced wedding, the farce they had seen on the evening news, and the scene in the bathroom before Matt had rushed out to his late night assignation.
That
must
have been Vera on the phone, she thought, her blood running cold despite the warmth of the sun. Matt couldn't even stay away from her on our wedding night. But another dark thought crossed her mind. If Vera hadn't called, what would have happened? Would Matt have tried to force his way into her bedroom? she wondered.
Kara shuddered. But the shiver that went through her body reminded her of the disturbingly pleasurable sensations she had felt when Matt's eyes had traveled over her body, mirroring his desire. What would it have been like if this were a real marriage? she wondered. It would have been all right then to respond to a husband's exploring caresses. And he would have had no reason to leave his wife on their marriage night and seek out the comfort of his mistress.
But this line of reasoning was getting Kara nowhere. This isn't a real marriage, she reminded herself sternly. I don't want it to be. And I know Matt doesn't either. So there's no use considering what might have happened.
And with that thought, she swung her legs out of bed and pulled on the dressing gown she had folded over the back of the chair the night before. The thick shag carpet felt good under her bare feet as she crossed to the adjoining bathroom. Opening the door, she looked around the room. The water on the floor had dried, leaving no evidence of the previous night's battle.
This time I'm not going to let Matt Jordan surprise me in here, she muttered aloud, inspecting the mirrored panel and finding a latch at the top to hold it closed. But as her fingers reached for the fastening, she couldn't help giving way to an impulse to quietly open the door and peek into his bedroom.
The room was empty and the neatly made bed proclaimed that no one had slept there last night.
Why, he must have been out all night, she fumed. With that she quickly slid back the panel and turned purposefully toward the sink.
After making her toilet and pulling her hair back into a simple pony tail, Kara returned to her bedroom and pulled on her oldest pair of faded jeans and a frayed yellow T-shirt with the legend "Maryland is for Crabs" printed on the front over the picture of a large red crustacean. She'd picked up the shirt on a Chesapeake Bay sailing expedition several years ago. But
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