Page 121 of An Unexpected Love

As he led her into the security area, away from his family, he muttered, “I didn’t plan this.”

“I know,” she said with a helpless sigh. “Oh—my car. I left it at the beach.”

“Mandy’s getting it for you.”

His thoughtfulness surprised her. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said sarcastically. “I wanted it back in the apartment lot so you wouldn’t have any trouble leaving again. Next time you can go with my blessing.”

Their seats were in business class and they were quickly served glasses of champagne that neither of them drank.

As the plane taxied away from the jetway and toward the airstrip, he closed his eyes, heaved a massive sigh and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of this yet.”

Charlotte nodded and lowered her gaze. “I’ll do everything I can to stay out of your way.”

“That would be appreciated.”

The flight was five hours, but it seemed closer to fifty. Jason didn’t exchange one unnecessary word with Charlotte. At this rate, she didn’t know how they’d be able to spend two weeks in each other’s company.

Jason must have been thinking the same thing. “I’ll see what I can do about arranging a flight back to Seattle as soon as we land,” he told her briskly, without a shred of emotion. No regret, no disappointment, nothing.

Charlotte bit her lip. “I… I didn’t pack much of anything…since the suitcase was just for show.”

He didn’t respond. By the time they landed and collected their luggage, Charlotte was falling asleep on her feet. Apparently Jason suspected as much, since hemade some excuse about contacting the airlines from the hotel instead of rushing her onto a return flight. But she wasn’t sure if this small kindness was for her benefit or his own, since he couldn’t have had much more sleep than she had.

She barely noticed the scenery as the taxi carried them through town. Their hotel was on Waikiki Beach, built on white sands and surrounded by swaying palms.

When they went to check in at the front desk, Charlotte stepped back, letting Jason take care of the necessary paperwork. He was obviously upset about something, but she couldn’t tell what.

“Is everything all right?” she asked, as they moved toward the elevator.

“I thought we could get a double room, but…” Jason rubbed a hand across his face, looking weary and defeated. “My parents booked us into the bridal suite.”

“Oh.” Charlotte didn’t fully realize the implications of that until the bellman ushered them, with much fanfare, into the corner suite. There was one bed. A king-size bed that loomed before her.

Charlotte’s startled gaze sought out Jason’s as he paid the attendant and closed the door. The fear she’d managed to bury for hours spilled over now, but before she could say a word, he turned to her.

“Don’t look so shocked. It isn’t as if I intend to make love to you.”

“But where will…we sleep?”

He laughed, the sound abrupt. “If you want to call down to the front desk and order a rollaway for the bridal suite, then by all means, be my guest. Frankly, I feel enough of a fool for one day, so I’ll leave that option to you.”

With no real alternative, she showered, put on an old T-shirt and crawled between the crisp sheets of the bed, making sure she was as far on her side as possible.

She was drifting off to sleep when Jason finished his shower and returned to the bedroom. He stood for several minutes looking down at her. Her heart roared like a crazed animal as she wondered about his intentions. He could force her. Tom had often enough, using her body, leaving her feeling sick and abused afterward. She’d curl up tightly while he shouted how incompetent she was, how unattractive, how lacking. She’d lie there silently as the ugly, demeaning words rained down on her. When he was done with his tirade he’d leave.

The memories made her shiver with revulsion and fear.

“Charlotte.”

She didn’t answer, pretending to be asleep. Jason was angry with her, angrier than she’d ever seen him. Eyes closed, she lay still, her heart pounding with dread.

She heard Jason dressing, heard him pause and then, after a moment, heard him turn off the light and leave the room.

Abruptly Charlotte sat up. He’d left her, walked away just like Tom had, as though he couldn’t bear to be in the same room with her. Like Tom, he couldn’t wait to be rid of her.

He’d left without a word.

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