Read Online Power Play (Crimson Romance) by Nan Comargue - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nan Comargue
Tags: Romance, Contemporary
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Yet he was so adamant. So very believable.
Stubbornly, she’d wanted him to admit the truth before she showed him her proof but he never could. She realized that now.
Pulling out her phone, she said, “I know you had a blond woman in your hotel room in Los Angeles. She came around eleven and she left after midnight. Here is the proof you wanted.”
Turning her screen toward him, she displayed the first photograph of the woman’s back entering the hotel room, the room number displayed prominently on the opening door, with no more than a sliver of her husband’s face beyond. The time stamp on the photograph showed that it was 10:56 P.M. Silently, she turned to the next photograph. 12:38 A.M. The room number was the same. Cahal’s face was plain in the opened doorway as he showed the woman off, his head bent down toward hers as if they had just kissed.
He took a deep breath and blew it out in frustration. “Anyone is capable of lies if they have the right motivation.”
He wasn’t denying it!
“There’s an innocent explanation, Lila. That woman — Carrie Jones — works for my agent.”
“Convenient,” she said.
His motives were all too transparent. Good publicity made their marriage necessary to his public image and a last-minute reconciliation before their divorce — a true one — would provide priceless press. On a personal level, he had kept her the perfect docile wife for a long while and perhaps he thought that state was again obtainable.
“Do you honestly think Victoria is the first woman to chase after me?” he asked. “Even knowing that I was married doesn’t stop some people. But this woman was there for truly innocent reasons.”
That word again! Innocent. There was nothing innocent about him. He lied until he was found out, then he lied some more.
“It’s a problem,” he said. “But I only point it out to show you that anyone who tells you that I was unfaithful might have another motive — to ruin our marriage. Have you even questioned why someone was watching and taking pictures of my hotel room?”
“Because they couldn’t have you?” she asked sweetly. She knew that one of his teammates had taken the pictures as a joke, then sent it to Chris, who sent it on to her. As far as she knew, the whole league knew about her husband’s infidelity before she did.
A corner of his mouth jerked upwards. “You must find that unbelievable. When did you stop wanting me? Before or after that expensive university education?”
Close to a violent reaction, Lila spun around so that his contemptuous face no longer filled her vision. “Go to hell, Cahal. Just go to hell and leave me alone.”
“No chance,” his raspy voice shot over her shoulder. “If I’m going to hell, I’ll make sure you’re there to keep me company.”
At the moment she had no choice except to believe him. He’d shown that he wasn’t a man to make idle threats.
“Your idea of marriage is more like indentured servitude,” Lila muttered.
He smiled. “And I was going to offer you a ride down to the arena to meet your boy toy. How many slave masters would be so considerate?”
“He’s not my boy toy,” she delayed. How would it look to Jack if she showed up with her husband? “Jack is my boyfriend.”
“We could argue your right to have a boyfriend while you and I are still lawfully married. A lot can occur in two months.”
“Miracles are rare,” Lila replied, coming to a decision. Between the cold and Cahal, Cahal won by a slim margin. “We’d better get going or you’ll be late for practice.”
“Oh no!” His features formed into an expression of mock terror. “I wouldn’t want to end up in Coach’s black books.”
“Oh, shut up.”
Before she could reconsider the cold bus ride, Cahal swept up his car keys and jangled them noisily. “Coming?”
Music from a satellite radio station filled the void of silence during the short trip. As short as the ride was, it was enough time for Lila to
Stubbornly, she’d wanted him to admit the truth before she showed him her proof but he never could. She realized that now.
Pulling out her phone, she said, “I know you had a blond woman in your hotel room in Los Angeles. She came around eleven and she left after midnight. Here is the proof you wanted.”
Turning her screen toward him, she displayed the first photograph of the woman’s back entering the hotel room, the room number displayed prominently on the opening door, with no more than a sliver of her husband’s face beyond. The time stamp on the photograph showed that it was 10:56 P.M. Silently, she turned to the next photograph. 12:38 A.M. The room number was the same. Cahal’s face was plain in the opened doorway as he showed the woman off, his head bent down toward hers as if they had just kissed.
He took a deep breath and blew it out in frustration. “Anyone is capable of lies if they have the right motivation.”
He wasn’t denying it!
“There’s an innocent explanation, Lila. That woman — Carrie Jones — works for my agent.”
“Convenient,” she said.
His motives were all too transparent. Good publicity made their marriage necessary to his public image and a last-minute reconciliation before their divorce — a true one — would provide priceless press. On a personal level, he had kept her the perfect docile wife for a long while and perhaps he thought that state was again obtainable.
“Do you honestly think Victoria is the first woman to chase after me?” he asked. “Even knowing that I was married doesn’t stop some people. But this woman was there for truly innocent reasons.”
That word again! Innocent. There was nothing innocent about him. He lied until he was found out, then he lied some more.
“It’s a problem,” he said. “But I only point it out to show you that anyone who tells you that I was unfaithful might have another motive — to ruin our marriage. Have you even questioned why someone was watching and taking pictures of my hotel room?”
“Because they couldn’t have you?” she asked sweetly. She knew that one of his teammates had taken the pictures as a joke, then sent it to Chris, who sent it on to her. As far as she knew, the whole league knew about her husband’s infidelity before she did.
A corner of his mouth jerked upwards. “You must find that unbelievable. When did you stop wanting me? Before or after that expensive university education?”
Close to a violent reaction, Lila spun around so that his contemptuous face no longer filled her vision. “Go to hell, Cahal. Just go to hell and leave me alone.”
“No chance,” his raspy voice shot over her shoulder. “If I’m going to hell, I’ll make sure you’re there to keep me company.”
At the moment she had no choice except to believe him. He’d shown that he wasn’t a man to make idle threats.
“Your idea of marriage is more like indentured servitude,” Lila muttered.
He smiled. “And I was going to offer you a ride down to the arena to meet your boy toy. How many slave masters would be so considerate?”
“He’s not my boy toy,” she delayed. How would it look to Jack if she showed up with her husband? “Jack is my boyfriend.”
“We could argue your right to have a boyfriend while you and I are still lawfully married. A lot can occur in two months.”
“Miracles are rare,” Lila replied, coming to a decision. Between the cold and Cahal, Cahal won by a slim margin. “We’d better get going or you’ll be late for practice.”
“Oh no!” His features formed into an expression of mock terror. “I wouldn’t want to end up in Coach’s black books.”
“Oh, shut up.”
Before she could reconsider the cold bus ride, Cahal swept up his car keys and jangled them noisily. “Coming?”
Music from a satellite radio station filled the void of silence during the short trip. As short as the ride was, it was enough time for Lila to
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