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hotel. No sooner had the porter left than Aidan had gathered up his briefcase,
informed her he had a business meeting, and disappeared. She had been
alone ever since.
Alone she had discovered that their suite consisted of two rooms, a
sitting-room and a twin-bedded bedroom with en-suite bathroom. Foolishly,
it had never occurred to her that they would have to share the same bedroom.
As far as she could see, there was absolutely no reason why they should, and
every reason why they shouldn't. Sharing a room, there were a hundred ways
she could give herself away. Besides, the chances were high that she would
have those dreams again. They were getting worse, scarcely missing a night.
She absolutely didn't want him to witness that. It would be the final
humiliation. When he came back, she was going to demand that he find them
alternative accommodation.
Almost as if she had magicked him, Aidan walked through the door. Tossing
his briefcase on to a chair, he tugged at the knot of his tie. Kate thought he
looked tired, but right now that wasn't as important as her own problem.
Already tense at the idea of this confrontation as she was, her tingling
reaction to his appearance only added to the strain.
'Have you any idea what time it is? Where have you been?' she demanded
crossly.
He looked at her, eyebrows mockingly raised. 'How- very wifely you sound,
Kate. Does that mean you missed me?'
'Do I look as though I've suddenly gone mad?' she shot back scornfully.
To her surprise, he laughed, a deep, warm sound that chased shivers up her
spine. 'Admittedly not. But you do look as though someone's ruffled your
feathers. Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or do I have to guess?' he
enquired sardonically, moving across to the drinks cabinet and pouring
himself a straight Scotch.
Kate held her temper by a whisker, having learned by now when he was
being deliberately provocative. It had been this way all week. Almost as if
he was testing her to see how far he could push her before she exploded.
Well, she hadn't, and wouldn't, give him that satisfaction.
'I want to change this suite,' she told him shortly.
That irritating eyebrow rose again. 'Demands so soon? Don't tell me, the
colour doesn't match your beautiful blue eyes.'
He very nearly knocked her off balance with that. Beautiful eyes! She hadn't
thought he would find anything about her beautiful. Startled by her own
thoughts, she stared at him, and only belatedly saw his watchful amusement
and realised she had been neatly diverted.
'Don't patronise me, Aidan. You know what I mean. I want a bedroom of my
own.'
He took a sip from his glass before saying simply, 'No.'
Her lips parted on a tiny gasp. 'What do you mean, no?'Aidan settled himself
on the couch and stretched out his legs. 'Are you having difficulty with the
language? No means no. Or let me put it another way. Short though this
marriage might be, I intend to start as I mean to go on. I'm not putting its
credibility in doubt by having separate bedrooms.'
Kate crossed her arms to hide the sudden tremor of her hands. 'And my
feelings don't count, I suppose?' she demanded huskily.
'They're a luxury I can't afford. Count your blessings that you have a bed to
yourself. As for bedrooms, one is all we need,' Aidan informed her bluntly
and tossed off the remains of his Scotch.
'Then I'll sleep in here. I take it you have no objections if I sleep on the
couch?' Kate snapped sarcastically, wishing for the hundredth time that she
had thought of this before agreeing to marry him.
His grey eyes narrowed on her thoughtfully. 'What's the matter, Kate?' he
asked softly. 'Afraid you'll reveal more secrets?'
Every nerve in her body seemed to jolt violently. Her legs felt suddenly too
weak to hold her, and she sank down rather hurriedly on the arm of the
couch. 'Secrets? I don't know what you mean.' Oh, lord, what now?
Aidan looked at her keenly, then, setting his glass aside, he put his hands
behind his head. 'Don't you know you talk in your sleep?' he asked curiously.
For a moment, she really thought she was going to faint. Her heart started to
race, and yet it felt as if it was being squeezed in a vice. She paled. 'What?'
'I said, don't you know you talk in your sleep?' he obligingly repeated. 'You
were quite eloquent on the flight over.'
Talk in her sleep? She couldn't have could she? She had been tired enough
to sleep. Could she have spoken aloud? If so, what had she said? Panic was
only a step away, and she fought it down with anger. 'Is this some perverted
sort of joke? I assure you I don't find it funny.'
'No, I can see that,' he mused. 'I wonder why. What are you afraid of?'
Oh, God! Her chin came up. 'Nothing! And I don't talk in my sleep,' Kate
insisted firmly.
Aidan's smile was bland. 'How would you know? You were asleep at the
time.'
If he wanted her rattled, then she was, seriously. But he was the last person
who would know it. She rallied, forcing herself to remain calm. Her shrug
was a masterpiece of acting. 'Interesting, was it? I'd hate to think I was
boring you.' She sounded bored, whereas she was desperate to know what
she had said even as she dreaded that knowledge.
'Interesting? It probably was. I couldn't say,' Aidan parried aggravatingly.
God, how he was enjoying watching her squirm, the rat! 'Why not?' she
demanded angrily, watching the smile cross his face. 'Oh, I get it! You
intend to hold it over my head, is that it?'
His teeth flashed whitely. 'What a suspicious mind you have, Kate
Crawford. Could you really reveal anything dreadful enough for blackmail?'
This time she didn't attempt to shrug it off. 'I don't know. You tell me,' she
gritted out between her teeth.
A laugh rumbled up from way down in his chest. 'Now that sounds like a
very guilty conscience talking. My, my, Kate, what have you been up to?'
She knew then, knew she hadn't said anything at all. He had just wound her
up and she, fool that she was, had walked straight into it. 'Damn you! It was
just a big try on, wasn't it?'
'And you fell for it. Never mind, Kate. Call it one for the boys. Besides, it
wasn't a total lie, although mumble would be a better description than talk.'
Kate stared at him for a moment, then took a deep breath. 'This is the way it's
going to be, is it? I have to pretend to be happily married, while you take
cheap shots? I don't think that's going to fool anybody.'
Aidan sobered and slowly sat up to rub a hand around his neck. 'You're right,
it won't,' he admitted, then he grinned reminiscently. 'But you rose so
beautifully that I couldn't resist it.'
Kate stared at him, a slow anger coming to the boil like a pot on a stove.
While she had been worried to death, he had been teasing!
'Why, you...!' She looked around for something to throw, found only the
cushion, and launched herself at him, using it like a weapon.
After his first stunned reaction, Aidan sprang into action, fielding the swings
neatly until he could make a grab for the cushion. All the while a slow
rumble of laughter came from him.
'My, my, Kate, this isn't very regal of you!' he gasped, dodging as she flailed
away.
Liking the sound of his laughter, but hating him, Kate growled and swung
harder only to miss him completely. With a yelp she spun round, losing
her balance. But she didn't fall, for an arm snaked round her hips, fielding
her neatly, and in the next instant she was lying on the couch, breathing
heavily, with Aidan's long body stretched over hers, his arms about her a
gleam in his eye that twisted her heart.
Their eyes locked, and everything seemed to go still. In breathless
fascination she watched the colour in his eyes deepen. Saw the way his gaze [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]