Page 78 of Bride Under Contract

‘Grace...’

‘It’s fine. Go.’

Of course he did just that, and she stood there, tears filling her eyes.

She was scared that she was falling in love with a man incapable of love.

And worried too. Because while she wasn’t technically late, her breasts hurt like hell. Or could that just be from sex?

She would go for a swim, Grace decided, slipping off her ring and looking at the pretty glinting lights. She’d go for a swim and then head to the Batu Caves. She would not spend the day dwelling on him...

That was all she was thinking as she went to pop her ring in the safe. Her hand brushed against something cool and, widening the door, she felt her mind leap at the brief distraction of a black silk pouch. She frowned as she lifted it, saw the fabric opening, and a glint of metal.

A silver bangle was her first thought as she slipped it out and weighed it in her hand. Only it was far too chunky and there was no hinge, no give in the gap that would allow it to slip on her wrist. It was heavy, too, and quite, quite beautiful.

So lost in the mystery of it, so relieved by the temporary reprieve of thoughts of Carter was she, that she didn’t hear the door.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’

She jumped at the whip of his voice and swung around. ‘I just...’

She swallowed, unsure what to say. After all, she’d been caught snooping and it just wasn’t like her.

‘I don’t know,’ she admitted, trying to cram it back into the pouch. But she was all fingers and thumbs and so she just held the bangle out to him. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Just put it back.’

It was as if he didn’t even want to touch it.

‘Christ, is there no privacy?’ he demanded. ‘I would never go through your things.’

‘I wasn’t...’ Only that wasn’t strictly true, and Grace knew it...

Seeing him so angry, so defensive, she guessed the bangle was meant for someone else.

‘I hope she likes it...’ She tossed him the damn thing but he made no attempt to catch it, just stood there as it fell to the floor.

As Grace headed to the bathroom, Carter stood, eyes closed.

He held the cold metal again for the first time since he’d handed it to his brother, fighting not to look down, to trace the scratches, doing all he could not to recall Hugo’s trusting smile as he’d reached out to take it.

He’d let him down so badly...

Replacing it in the pouch, he returned it to the safe and then closed the door, breathing out as the lock bolted closed.

He was bizarrely conflicted. Because if it had been anyone else going through his property, touching something so private, he’d have had Security throw them out by now.

But he knew it had been a mistake, or just...

Some hotels were great for romance and sex but simply dreadful to have a row in, he thought. Because he could see her outline through the glass dividing door, see her back was turned. He knocked on the glass and she didn’t need to turn. He could see her strained face in the huge mirrors.

‘Grace...’

‘I wasn’t snooping...’ Her voice was shaky. ‘Well, clearly I was. But I didn’t intend to. I just...’ Her green eyes were anguished. ‘I was putting my ring away and I saw the bangle...’ She stopped. ‘I saw the pouch.’

He smiled at her honest correction. ‘I get it.’ He nodded ‘I overreacted.’

He could apologise for that and leave it there, but he knew more was required.

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