Page 83 of Bride Under Contract

‘And my job is to be Carter Bennett’s adoring wife?’

‘Correct.’

‘Carter, about the wedding...’

‘What about it?’

‘If you want to go out with Arif and take Hugo’s teething ring back, I get it...’

‘Grace,’ he snapped. ‘I’m at work.’

Damn. There was a reason he didn’t make personal calls. But once he’d rung off he sat staring at the sandstorm, and there was a part of him that wanted to call her back, admit that he was thinking of going...

Hearing Grace talk about Hugo, he’d felt everything coming back to him. That time standing in the boat, watching the mother and baby orangutans disappear, the mangosteens... And he didn’t know if it was the teething ring or Grace that was unlocking him.

Or both.

And he didn’t know what he was going to find out. Certainly he didn’t want witnesses when he faced whatever demons lay waiting there.

But only a local or a fool went into the jungle alone.

Carter was neither.

So that meant things needed to be taken care of.

Places and people too...

He pulled up a name on his phone and called his assistant. ‘Tell Jonathon I need him in KL. I want the wedding contract signed and my estate sorted...’

Damn. For someone determined not to care, there was an awful lot to sort out.

He just wanted the teething ring buried...to make his peace with the land, or whatever.

And he knew he had to deal with things the only way he knew how—alone.

And neither Arif nor Grace could know.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

‘HI, HONEY, I’M HOME...’

Grace thought she was hallucinating when Carter appeared three days earlier than her vague expectations—completely unannounced, ever gorgeous in a suit, and wearing a Stetson.

‘What on earth...?’ She blinked, not just at his unexpected arrival, more at the fact that Carter didn’t do ‘cheery’. ‘I thought you weren’t back till Sunday?’

‘I got fed up, sitting around waiting. They can call me when they’ve finished debating. You have no idea how hard this hat was to find in the Middle East. Actually, Ms Hill had it sent to me.’ He took it off and placed it on her head. ‘For your mother. Though it suits you...’

‘Thanks,’ Grace said. ‘I think.’

He wasn’t looking at her, Grace noticed. He was talking, but not actually looking her way, and she had an awful sinking feeling.

He’d been out with Sahir.

And that wasn’t just her insecurity talking.

He didn’t love her.

He’d told her.

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