Page 38 of Marcel

Marcel turned to givehim a scornful glance. “And what is that? A wife any man wouldbe proud to call his own. The future mother of my children? Youruined all that when you picked her out for me, and there is nochanging any of it.” Without another word, he slammed out ofthe office.

Picking up the glass,James stared into it moodily, a grim expression on his face. He had afeeling he had just made matters worse.

*****

Nikki told herselfshe was not waiting for him and would not give him the satisfactionof calling to check on him. He was late. And he had not called to lether know he would be late. No matter what happened, she was hisgoddamned wife, and she deserved- Shaking her head, she slipped on arobe and went to stand by the window.

He was obviously withhis mistress. He had gone running to her after their spat inside hisoffice, and the hurt and pain that evoked was like a thorn digginginto her heart. What the hell did he see in her? And why could he notrealize she loved him after what they shared? That she was desperateto make it work between them?

She was about to gointo the bathroom when she heard the sound of the alarm disengagingand saw on the camera that he was finally home. Heaving out breath,she quickly took off her robe and got back into bed. It would not dofor him to think that she had been jealous or worried about him.

On a suddeninspiration, she grabbed a contract she had been going over earlier,and, turning on the lamp, she started poring over it. Her body tensedwhen she heard the doors being pushed open.

Ignoring her, he wentstraight into the bathroom. Her eyes flashed angrily at his callousbehavior. He was the one coming in late, and she was being punished.Well, to hell with that.

As soon as hereturned to the bedroom, she started, “Where the hell wereyou?”

He threw her aderisive look that made her even angrier. “Why darling, is thatwifely concern I hear coming from you?”

“You could haveoffered the decency of a phone call-”

“Like what? Aloving husband?” He mocked. He had shed his clothing in thebathroom and only wore his underwear. “A besotted fool?”

“We live in thesame house-”

“Yes, darling.We cohabitate. Is that the legal term for it?” He cocked hishead to one side and allowed his gaze to wander over her lush fleshexposed by the vee cut of the emerald, green nightgown.

“I think it is,and you are ready for me. Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart, but Iam simply not in the mood to be your stud tonight, and I don’thave the stomach for it.”

“What is upwith you?”

“What’sup with me? I am stuck in this farce we call a marriage, and I hateit.”

Nikki felt as ifhe had driven a spike through her heart. Whatever his mistress saidto him had caused him to become bitter, which had not been the casebefore.

“Marcel, what’sgoing on?”

“What’sgoing on?” He laughed harshly. “You got what you wanted,darling. Hell, you even seduced me and got me to consummate themarriage. So, like it or not, I am stuck until I find a legal way toget out of it. And I am a damn good lawyer, so believe me when I saythat I will find a way out of this!”

Stalking from theroom, he slammed the doors shut behind him, leaving her staring afterhim, her heart pounding painfully inside her chest.

*****

He slept in theadjoining suite, but he was kidding himself, thinking he could notget any sleep. He had wanted to hurt her, and he knew he succeeded indoing so.

But she was handy.After his father had admitted that he had manipulated the marriagefor his reasons, he had seen red. He had ended up in a friend’sbar and sat there nursing a drink for two hours until Mike had gentlybut firmly told him to go home.

“Sort it out,brother. Staying here and staring into that glass will not solve theproblem.”

The problem was thathe was yearning for her. He was so angry with her, but histreacherous body was craving hers. He had taken one look at her lushcurves, the nipples he could see through the thin material, and hehad felt his penis rising - steadily surging to life.

But he refuses to runto her to assuage his incredible need. He would suffer here insilence and would not allow her to have any more power over him.

*****

Nikki contemplatedfinding him and demanding an explanation. But something kept herrooted to the spot. She had no right to do that. Yes, she was hiswife, and yes, they had consummated the marriage, but there was stillthe fact that she had accepted his father’s offer.

She had marriedMarcel for money. And even though it was not money for herself, thefact remains that there had been an ulterior motive. One that wasstanding between them, one - Oh God! One that would always bestanding between them like a boulder.

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