Read Online Semiautomatic Marriage by Leona Karr - Free Book Online

virile body lying warmly next to hers fired her hormones in a way she’d never felt before. Did he sleep naked? What if she turned over and felt his inviting body pressed against hers?
    “What about the adjoining room?” she asked. It wasn’t that she’d ever had the luxury of a lot of space for herself. She lived in crowded foster homes growing up, and at the hospital, she was used to both male and female interns bedding down on cots in the same room whenever they could snatch some rest. But that was different from sharing a bed with a stranger who happened to be pretending to be her husband.
    “That room’s a small study,” Adam told her.
    “Well, if there’s a couch, I can sleep on it,” Carolyn informed him. “The bed in my apartment is narrow and most of the springs are broken.”
    As she started toward the door of the study, he reached out and stopped her. “I’m sorry, Carolyn, but we can’t take a chance of someone coming in and finding us sleeping separately. There’s too much at stake here.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “I promise you that the sleeping arrangement will be strictly platonic, nothing more.”
    She wanted to believe him, but common sense mocked the sleeping arrangement. How could they maintain a business relationship in such intimate closeness as sleeping together? Still, what choice did she have? None. Again she admonished herself toget a grip. She’d agreed to do everything she could to make this marriage pretense a success. After all, she’d known that there would be demands that would challenge her determination to hold firm until Adam succeeded in his investigation.
    “Okay,” she agreed, and forced a smile. “But no swiping of covers.”
    “I promise.”
    He was about to drop his hands from her shoulders when there was the sound of muffled footsteps in the hall. He let his hands slip to her back and draw her close, so they appeared to be in a loving embrace when Mack knocked hesitantly on the open door. A short, squarely built man, he had a ruddy complexion and round face.
    “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Morna told me to bring these things up.”
    “Yes, thank you,” Adam said, keeping his arm around Carolyn’s waist as they faced the man. “Your wife told us you’re the groundskeeper.”
    “The landscaping is beautiful,” Carolyn offered. “I glimpsed some lovely gardens as we drove up. I can hardly wait to take a walk around. I’m afraid I don’t know all the names of flowers and trees that you’ve planted, but I can tell you have a green thumb.”
    A pleased flush stole up his cheek. “Thank you, ma’am.” Then he nodded his balding head and lumbered out of the room without saying more.
    “Nice going, Carolyn. I think you may have gained a supporter there.”
    “I meant what I said.” She didn’t like Adam’s inference that her remarks had been calculated.
    “I know. That’s what worries me a little. Youhave a tendency to always say what you mean. And in this situation it could be dangerous. Don’t take anything at face value,” he warned. “Don’t trust anyone.”
    She glanced at the bed. “I won’t.”
    He laughed then, fully and deeply.
     
    L UNCH WAS SERVED ON A flagstone terrace outside large French doors at the back of the house. A shy Asian girl quietly brought them a delicious mandarin salad, hot potato rolls and a whipped fruit dessert. They learned that her name was Seika and that her father, Mr. Lei, had been recently hired as a cook; his two daughters were housemaids. The three were new on staff apparently, and Adam wondered if this change of staff had been Della’s decision, and why.
    As soon as dessert and coffee were served, Adam leaned closer to Carolyn across the small round table. “Request a second cup of coffee and linger at the table as long as you can. It’s time for me to take a look around.”
    Carolyn bit back a demand to know what he was going to do. She knew she’d have to get used to his acting without her