Read Online Romance of a Lifetime by Carole Mortimer - Free Book Online
Authors: Carole Mortimer
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knew the expression so well. But she hadn't realised, until that moment, that she had been sharing the intimacy with another woman all these months.
She had wanted to speak out, to let them know of her presence there behind the slightly ajar door, but as they had begun to speak she simply couldn't move.
'What if she comes home and catches us?' the woman, a beautiful redhead of about thirty, purred sensuously. She was a complete stranger to Beth; she would have remembered this woman if she had ever met her. 'I know it's exciting making love in the bed you share with her, but it could prove a little awkward if she were to find us here,' she drawled mockingly.
'It's thinking of the times the two of us have made love here that makes it possible for me to bed the little fool at all,' Martin said with distaste. 'She had the sensual imagination and body of a schoolgirl. I suppose she has filled out a little, in certain places, since she became pregnant, but——'
'So you find your pregnant wife exciting, do you?' Dark eyes flashed, scarlet-tipped fingernails raking down Martin's chest with just enough pressure to cause pain.
'Little cat.' Martin laughed his enjoyment of the movement, taking that slender hand in his to provocatively kiss the fingertips.
'You know damn well I've never found her exciting; pregnancy certainly isn't going to change that. In fact,' he added with satisfaction, 'it gives me a good excuse to end the physical side of our marriage completely. We must protect the baby at all costs.'
The woman's mouth hardened. 'That damned baby has cost us enough already.'
'But once Charles's grandson has been born…' Martin caressed the satiny cheek closest to him '… our future will be assured, my position as father of that grandson established. Charles is only interested in his grandson, has used Beth to provide him with that at least, and I'm sure that once the child has been born I'll be able to persuade him that Beth is no longer necessary to our plans. After a suitable period the two of us will finally be able to be together.'
The tiny uptilted nose wrinkled delicately. 'I hope you don't expect me to look after the brat?'
'Of course not,' Martin derided. 'A nanny can be found for him to start with, and then when he's old enough there is always boarding-school.'
The woman frowned down at him. 'You're absolutely sure it's a boy?'
'Absolutely,' Martin said with satisfaction. 'Beth had tests done to make sure the baby was healthy, and we were told the sex from that. I told her there was some history of heart defects in my family so that she would have it done.'
'And she believed you,' the woman scorned.
He grinned. 'My darling Chloe, Beth believes anything I tell her.'
Beth hadn't been able to listen to any more, had already heard enough to make her nausea imminent and her legs feel weak.
She had turned and run out of the apartment, pressing the button for the lift, and, when it hadn't come, escaping down the stairs. -…
And that was when the blackness had engulfed her and she had fallen, fallen, fallen…
She had lost the baby, of course. There had been a complication with the loss, so that she had almost died too, and when she had woken up and been told that her baby was gone and there couldn't be any more she had wished that she had died. She had certainly had nothing left to live for.
Her father didn't even come to see her, and so she had known Martin had been right hi his claim that Charles was just using her; now that he had been told of her inability to ever give him a grandson she was of no further use to him.
Martin hadn't come near her either, and she could well imagine the anger he had felt at having his plans thwarted in this way.
But somehow Beth hadn't cared about their absence, hadn't cared about anything any more, the love she had had for both Martin and her father as dead as the baby she had carried and lost.
Her mother had been the one to take care of her, taking her home from the
She had wanted to speak out, to let them know of her presence there behind the slightly ajar door, but as they had begun to speak she simply couldn't move.
'What if she comes home and catches us?' the woman, a beautiful redhead of about thirty, purred sensuously. She was a complete stranger to Beth; she would have remembered this woman if she had ever met her. 'I know it's exciting making love in the bed you share with her, but it could prove a little awkward if she were to find us here,' she drawled mockingly.
'It's thinking of the times the two of us have made love here that makes it possible for me to bed the little fool at all,' Martin said with distaste. 'She had the sensual imagination and body of a schoolgirl. I suppose she has filled out a little, in certain places, since she became pregnant, but——'
'So you find your pregnant wife exciting, do you?' Dark eyes flashed, scarlet-tipped fingernails raking down Martin's chest with just enough pressure to cause pain.
'Little cat.' Martin laughed his enjoyment of the movement, taking that slender hand in his to provocatively kiss the fingertips.
'You know damn well I've never found her exciting; pregnancy certainly isn't going to change that. In fact,' he added with satisfaction, 'it gives me a good excuse to end the physical side of our marriage completely. We must protect the baby at all costs.'
The woman's mouth hardened. 'That damned baby has cost us enough already.'
'But once Charles's grandson has been born…' Martin caressed the satiny cheek closest to him '… our future will be assured, my position as father of that grandson established. Charles is only interested in his grandson, has used Beth to provide him with that at least, and I'm sure that once the child has been born I'll be able to persuade him that Beth is no longer necessary to our plans. After a suitable period the two of us will finally be able to be together.'
The tiny uptilted nose wrinkled delicately. 'I hope you don't expect me to look after the brat?'
'Of course not,' Martin derided. 'A nanny can be found for him to start with, and then when he's old enough there is always boarding-school.'
The woman frowned down at him. 'You're absolutely sure it's a boy?'
'Absolutely,' Martin said with satisfaction. 'Beth had tests done to make sure the baby was healthy, and we were told the sex from that. I told her there was some history of heart defects in my family so that she would have it done.'
'And she believed you,' the woman scorned.
He grinned. 'My darling Chloe, Beth believes anything I tell her.'
Beth hadn't been able to listen to any more, had already heard enough to make her nausea imminent and her legs feel weak.
She had turned and run out of the apartment, pressing the button for the lift, and, when it hadn't come, escaping down the stairs. -…
And that was when the blackness had engulfed her and she had fallen, fallen, fallen…
She had lost the baby, of course. There had been a complication with the loss, so that she had almost died too, and when she had woken up and been told that her baby was gone and there couldn't be any more she had wished that she had died. She had certainly had nothing left to live for.
Her father didn't even come to see her, and so she had known Martin had been right hi his claim that Charles was just using her; now that he had been told of her inability to ever give him a grandson she was of no further use to him.
Martin hadn't come near her either, and she could well imagine the anger he had felt at having his plans thwarted in this way.
But somehow Beth hadn't cared about their absence, hadn't cared about anything any more, the love she had had for both Martin and her father as dead as the baby she had carried and lost.
Her mother had been the one to take care of her, taking her home from the
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