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RELUCTANT WIFE 21
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YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 22
‘We could share nothing!’ Alexis bit out harshly. ‘I don’t know how many times I’ve told you. It’s over. I thought that by seeing me with Carrie you would understand. I have never loved you. You came to we, remember.’‘Make love to me again,’ she whispered hoarsely. ‘You wouldn’t want it to be over then. We’d rekindle everything.’Alexis closed his eyes, pleased that the breeze was whipping around his face, cooling him down. His temper was still hot from dealing with his irresponsible sister. He couldn’t cope with this too!‘I know your game, Marsha. Sorry I can’t oblige,’ he growled, his eyes glittering. ‘Maybe you should return to your husband. Maybe one of the other men on board can help you out, if you’re that desperate.’ He caught the upswing of her hand. ‘Oh no! There isn’t a woman alive that would get away with that, unless I actually deserved it, of course.’‘You do, you bastard! You let me believe I was coming on this yacht for a reconciliation.’He shook his head. ‘Oh no, ho
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‘He does not, he loves me!’‘And as for running half-naked aroimd his room, he must be getting slack. He always makes sure the woman he’s making love to is completely naked!’With that she slammed the receiver down. Damn the woman!Picking up the receiver she phoned Peter; she needed comfort from that gentle little voice that would tell her he loved her, simply because he did.‘Hello, Audrey, how are you?’ she said, making herself more comfortable, with her legs stretched out on the sofa.‘Oh Carrie, he’s been ever so poorly,’ cried Audrey.‘What? Peter has been ill? He’s still in bed?’ Carrie frowned.She listened to how Peter had been ill with a severe bout of bronchitis, and was still suffering the aftereffects. He’d been camping with his dad, had been caught out in the rain last weekend and got wet through.‘Look, Audrey, 1*11 try and sort out a holiday for you all. Lord knows you deserve one.’‘If only Graham would accept. You know how proud he is, and we just can’t afford the ai
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‘Afaiwa, I’m sorry I’m late. Things got ratherhectic.’ He looked around the huge hallway full of people, waving at some of them. ‘Where’s Carrie?’‘Last I saw she was on the balcony,’ said Helena.‘I’ll go and find her. I have something for her,’ he said, and his mother did not miss the twinkle in his eyes.Carrie was just coming out of the first-floor guest bathroom when he saw her. He caught his breath; she was more beautiful than he remembered, and well worth the long flight back.Carrie felt a strange sense, as if someone was watching her. When the prickly sensation tripped down her spine she knew he was here. She looked about the flrst floor, nothing there, then as she looked between the marble spindles of the banister she caught him staring up at her.All day she had been practising her scowl, rehearsing her cutting words. Mesmerized, she watched him climb the stairs.Biting back a retort she couldn’t remember, she looked him slowly up and down as he neared her, accepting that
YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 25
Looking at her now Carrie realized Marsha was less slender than in her younger years but nevertheless was still a beautiful woman, with her long flowing black hair boimcing as she jerked her head back angrily in Carrie’s direction.‘You think you can take Alexis away from me, you smutty little Irish girl. Then think again! Alexis will always love me and I will stop at nothing to make sure he marries me. So be warned!’ Her voice was low and held a warning most women would cower from.Carrie smiled, though she was astonished that Marsha was attacking her this open way. ‘You know, I always thought Alexis was a man who made up his own mind. He won’t be manipulated by a woman; neither you, nor I. You may think you know him very well and if that’s the case, please enlighten me and tell me why I’ll be wearing his ring and not you.’Marsha snorted and moved towards Carrie. ‘He is just using you, you imbecile! The man wants nothing more than sex from you. Do yourself a favour and leave the isl
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‘Witch, when are you going to learn that I will only be pushed so far. This wasn’t meant to happen here!’‘Where was it supposed to happen?’He laughed. ‘Not on a chaise longue in the study.’Carrie stood, naked in the semi-darkness of the room and was aware of his intent gaze upon her breasts, she smiled, murmuring softly as she bent her lips to his, ‘I liked it in the study.’ Then she laughed wickedly, and rekindling a special time when he’d embarrassed her, she said, ‘Mr Stephanides did it in the study, with his lead pipe!’‘Why, you cheeky little baggage.’ He leant forward and caught her nipple in his teeth, making her breath catch in her throat. ‘So you do remember playing Cluedo with me?’‘Maybe we should play it in the ballroom?’ she asked with an arch of her brow.He shook his head. ‘Dress, now! Ple-a-se!’They returned to the party, hand in hand. Alexis left her in the hallway for mere seconds to retrieve two glasses of pink champagne. He handed her one, and clinked her glass
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‘I had a go with the sandblaster.’ His grip tightened. ‘I was bored. B.O.R.E.D! Bored! You wouldn t let me come to you. I was going crazy, Alexis.’His grip slackened. ‘Come here and sit on the bed. We need to talk.’They sat down on the bed, facing each other. Firstly, the sandblaster is too heavy for you.’Carrie boiled inside. What did he think she was, some weak little waif? ‘Too heavy? The sandblaster is not too heavy for me.’‘Not even if you’re pregnant?’Large blue eyes shot to his. He raised his dark eyebrows. ‘I heard you this morning in thebathroom. If I’m not mistaken I think this is morning sickness?’‘Yes, well,’ she coloured. ‘So what if it is!’‘If it is?’ he said slowly, ‘I think the sandblaster is too heavy.’ Then he grinned, boyishly. ‘Just how much of the bakery have you done?’Carrie relaxed; he wasn’t going to make an issue of her not telling him about her pregnancy. ‘Not much. Just finished the downstairs room.’ She clasped her hands in her lap. ‘Look, it’s onl
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‘What’s wrong with that, Stephan?’ Carrie interrupted, suddenly infuriated by the man’s attitude.‘Wrong, why - why it’s immoral,’ he cried outraged at the idea of living together.Carrie sighed, the deep scepticism visible in her voice. ‘Oh here we go. It’s OK to have an affair withher, but then when it suits you, you want marriage. Typical man!’‘Of course I want marriage, especially before we have children. I can’t see what’s wrong with that!’‘You can’t?’‘No! This is entirely different, and I can see nothing wrong with it.’‘You men never can!’ Carrie abruptly shot out of the chair, throwing a look which could have killed at Alexis. ‘And you’ve no need to look so pleased with yourself. You’re all the same. When it suits you, that’s when things should happen. When it suits the darned men!’ With the last remark she marched off in search of solitude.Stephan looked astounded. ‘Her too! It seems the whole female force have it in for us today. What with Maria in a foul mood this morn
YOUR LOVE (ROMANTIC SERIES) RELUCTANT WIFE 29
‘Lost what?’‘Your control! I realized then that you might care about me. So I let you believe Peter was a man. I never actually lied to you. I just wanted you to care, not just for the body that’s carrying your child, butfor we, Carrie O’Riordan.’ She pulled herself free of his touch. ‘I just needed to know you were jealous. The mention of Peter has a way of getting a response out of you, a reaction.’'It does?’‘Oh yes, your face contorts, like this . . .’ As she copied his face for one illuminating second he nearly succumbed to laughter. As it was, he suppressed the urge, he was still angry with her. Wasn’t he? Well maybe not.‘Just like that?’‘Yes, and when you’re angry, like this . . .’ She pulled another face, this one quite frightening.He pushed an irritable hand through his hair, relaxing a little. ‘I guess I’ve been pretty tough on you. Demanding that you marry me, forcing you to have my baby all in the name of a shipping fleet.’The jet engines revved loudly, they were no
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