relief. It was what he wanted so why didn’t he feel as though he’d won?
47
Shelley Munro
Chapter Four
Emily tried to stuff her anger back into the tight spot inside her chest where it had come from, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the expression on Maggie’s face. The distaste. The disappointment. The hostility. The hate Maggie had glared at her because she thought Emily was despoiling Michael’s memory. Maggie thought she was a slut and a liar. And it hurt badly.
“I need to check on the sheep and shift the yearling cattle to another paddock with more grass. Do you want to come along?”
“Why not?” Emily said, unable to suppress the bitterness from her tone. “It’s not as if I have anything else to do.” She glanced down at the borrowed clothes. “Is there something I can wear on my feet?”
“I’ll find some boots for you.”
Sudden trepidation hit Emily. What the heck was she doing agreeing to stay here?
She needed to go back to Dunedin and talk to Maggie. “What am I saying? I can’t stay here. I have to go home to face this head-on instead of running away. Besides, I don’t have clothes with me.” Tears stung the back of her eyes and she blinked rapidly. She would not cry. Emily stared at her bare feet, her hands fisted at her sides. She imagined the expressions on her in-laws’ faces, the silent condemnation. Emily shuddered. She really didn’t want to go home either, but there was nowhere else to go. Emily scowled, immediately second-guessing her decision. Stay or go? Saber wasn’t ordering her to stay. He’d asked and she’d agreed. This was different from following Michael’s every decree. She’d only stay for a day or two. This was her choice. Free choice. Maggie… Shit, what a muddle.
A wave of self-pity hit and her face crumpled. She swallowed, fighting the need to sob. All she’d really wanted was a man to hold her, to tell her she was beautiful. She’d 48
Scarlet Woman
wanted to get away from Michael’s taunts that echoed through her mind during each lonely night she spent on her own in their marriage bed. Emily hadn’t wanted to hurt anyone—her best friend and family. How could making love with Saber, something so beautiful, cause so many problems?
“Don’t cry, kitten. It will be all right.” Saber’s arms came around her, holding her tight. “Maggie needs some time.”
His kind words and consideration made the tears flow faster. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had held her like this, offering nothing but comfort. Emily relaxed against his broad chest and stopped worrying about the tears and what Saber might think. If he saw her at her worst and still wanted her to stay…well, she might begin to believe.
Saber set her away from him and stroked a finger across one cheek. He smiled gently. “Come and sit at the table. Drink your coffee while I hunt up a coat for you to wear, some socks and a pair of boots.” His gaze lingered on her lips before he smiled.
“You won’t need many clothes during your stay here.”
Emily gaped. He propelled her across the tiled floor. She found herself sitting at the table with a mug of steaming coffee in front of her. Saber disappeared silently, leaving her alone and in shock. No clothes required . Sensual awareness shot to her core. A few words and he’d reduced her to a quivering mass of need. How did he do that when she was at such an emotional low?
In desperate need of distraction, she studied her surroundings. The kitchen was spotlessly clean, probably the doing of the home help Saber had mentioned, but it also bore signs of its masculine occupants. A leather wallet and a pair of sunglasses sat on the table. A stack of unopened mail sat on the counter along with more farming magazines. Saber’s brothers must have eaten already since there were dirty dishes stacked near the sink. On the heels of this thought came another. Those cats she’d seen in the bedroom this morning…where were they
47
Shelley Munro
Chapter Four
Emily tried to stuff her anger back into the tight spot inside her chest where it had come from, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the expression on Maggie’s face. The distaste. The disappointment. The hostility. The hate Maggie had glared at her because she thought Emily was despoiling Michael’s memory. Maggie thought she was a slut and a liar. And it hurt badly.
“I need to check on the sheep and shift the yearling cattle to another paddock with more grass. Do you want to come along?”
“Why not?” Emily said, unable to suppress the bitterness from her tone. “It’s not as if I have anything else to do.” She glanced down at the borrowed clothes. “Is there something I can wear on my feet?”
“I’ll find some boots for you.”
Sudden trepidation hit Emily. What the heck was she doing agreeing to stay here?
She needed to go back to Dunedin and talk to Maggie. “What am I saying? I can’t stay here. I have to go home to face this head-on instead of running away. Besides, I don’t have clothes with me.” Tears stung the back of her eyes and she blinked rapidly. She would not cry. Emily stared at her bare feet, her hands fisted at her sides. She imagined the expressions on her in-laws’ faces, the silent condemnation. Emily shuddered. She really didn’t want to go home either, but there was nowhere else to go. Emily scowled, immediately second-guessing her decision. Stay or go? Saber wasn’t ordering her to stay. He’d asked and she’d agreed. This was different from following Michael’s every decree. She’d only stay for a day or two. This was her choice. Free choice. Maggie… Shit, what a muddle.
A wave of self-pity hit and her face crumpled. She swallowed, fighting the need to sob. All she’d really wanted was a man to hold her, to tell her she was beautiful. She’d 48
Scarlet Woman
wanted to get away from Michael’s taunts that echoed through her mind during each lonely night she spent on her own in their marriage bed. Emily hadn’t wanted to hurt anyone—her best friend and family. How could making love with Saber, something so beautiful, cause so many problems?
“Don’t cry, kitten. It will be all right.” Saber’s arms came around her, holding her tight. “Maggie needs some time.”
His kind words and consideration made the tears flow faster. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had held her like this, offering nothing but comfort. Emily relaxed against his broad chest and stopped worrying about the tears and what Saber might think. If he saw her at her worst and still wanted her to stay…well, she might begin to believe.
Saber set her away from him and stroked a finger across one cheek. He smiled gently. “Come and sit at the table. Drink your coffee while I hunt up a coat for you to wear, some socks and a pair of boots.” His gaze lingered on her lips before he smiled.
“You won’t need many clothes during your stay here.”
Emily gaped. He propelled her across the tiled floor. She found herself sitting at the table with a mug of steaming coffee in front of her. Saber disappeared silently, leaving her alone and in shock. No clothes required . Sensual awareness shot to her core. A few words and he’d reduced her to a quivering mass of need. How did he do that when she was at such an emotional low?
In desperate need of distraction, she studied her surroundings. The kitchen was spotlessly clean, probably the doing of the home help Saber had mentioned, but it also bore signs of its masculine occupants. A leather wallet and a pair of sunglasses sat on the table. A stack of unopened mail sat on the counter along with more farming magazines. Saber’s brothers must have eaten already since there were dirty dishes stacked near the sink. On the heels of this thought came another. Those cats she’d seen in the bedroom this morning…where were they
Similar Books
