Kathryn Ross - The Eleventh-Hour Groom

‘You’ve got something in your hair,’ he murmured, reaching out to brush a finger through a wisp of her silky hair at an imaginary speck.

He watched how she reacted to his touch, noting the faint blush that appeared high on her cheekbones, the almost imperceptible shiver as his fingers made contact with her skin.

He pulled back, a curl of satisfaction stirring inside him. The idea that he still had some power over her senses pleased him. Why was that? he wondered. Was it because he was still angry with her for walking out so soon after their marriage? She had certainly dented his pride when she had left, and there was a small part of him that would like to settle that score.

‘Are you going to invite me in?’ he asked softly.

He noticed how she swallowed nervously.

‘That way, I can wait while you sign my papers.’

He watched her very carefully; there was a flicker of annoyance in the bright blue of her eyes before she swiftly turned her head away. He smiled. If he played things carefully, maybe he could have a little sporting pleasure before ending things. Do a little damage to her pride.

She pulled her coat further around her body. His impatience to finish things grated on raw nerves. She wondered if his sudden haste to get a divorce meant he was planning on marrying again straight away.

She thought about asking him, but then couldn’t bring herself to form the question.

A few snowflakes twirled down onto the windscreen from the darkened sky. Maybe he was just in a hurry to get back to Jamaica, she thought. And really she couldn’t blame him.

‘Come on in,’ she said resignedly. ‘I’ll make us a coffee.’ She reached for her briefcase.

‘Oh, hell!’ She scrabbled frantically in the dark space at her feet.

‘What is it?’

‘My briefcase isn’t here!’ She scrabbled even more frantically, her fingers locking on nothing more than her handbag.

‘Don’t panic, it has to be somewhere.’ Jay switched on the overhead light. ‘Did you bring it into the restaurant with you?’

She closed her eyes, willing herself to remember. ‘Yes…yes, I did.’ She remembered putting it under the table. Then she remembered picking it up as they made to leave. She frowned. ‘I think I put it down when the waiter helped me on with my coat. I must have left it in the restaurant! How stupid of me.’

She couldn’t believe she had done such a thing. She was usually so methodical, so level-headed. But her mind had been on Jay, on the divorce. Her eyes widened. ‘The papers you want me to sign are in there.’ She remembered suddenly.

His eyes narrowed. ‘Are you doing this on purpose?’ The soothing note had gone from his voice now, she noted.

‘No, of course not. My laptop computer is in there as well.’ She groaned. ‘And my mobile phone. What a nightmare!’ She reached for the door handle. ‘I better ring the restaurant, see if they still have it.’

Jay locked the car and followed her through the green Georgian door into her ground-floor apartment.

She was glad she had tidied up this morning before going to work. The pretty apartment with its terracotta carpets and cream furnishings looked immaculate as she flicked on the side lamps.

She took out the phone book and flicked hurriedly through it, aware as she did so of Jay wandering around the lounge, picking up some framed photos on the mantelpiece. Some were old ones, taken when her mum was alive. Some from more recent years were of her father and Cheryl’s wedding day.

Her phone call was answered and she turned her attention to the foreign accent at the other end.

Jay wandered over to the other side of the room, noting the fact that there was a kitchen, a bathroom and just one double bedroom. His eyes lingered for a moment on her bed, lit by a single shaft of light from the open doorway.

For a moment he found himself remembering her words in the restaurant, Marriage is too important to reduce it to a mere business venture. She hadn’t thought like that when she had given herself to him in the marital bed, he reflected angrily.

He turned around and watched her as she spoke on the phone. He noted her long, slender fingers were devoid of the plain wedding band she had once worn.

She smiled at him and covered the receiver with her hand. ‘They have my briefcase, Jay,’ she said happily.

‘Well, what a relief!’ he drawled sardonically.

‘Yes…isn’t it?’ She glanced away from him uncertainly, and continued with her conversation.

‘They close at twelve,’ she said a few minutes later as she put the receiver down. ‘And I said I’d collect it tonight.’

Jay glanced at his watch. ‘I’ll collect it for you.’

‘Would you?’ She met his eyes gratefully, wondering if she had imagined the derisive tone in his voice a few moments ago. ‘It’s just that if I set out to do it I’ll have to take two tubes across the city.’

‘It’s no problem.’ He nodded. ‘There will just be the small fee of a coffee and the use of your phone so I can book a hotel room.’

‘You’ve got yourself a deal.’ She took off her coat and walked through to the small, modern kitchen. ‘Help yourself to the phone book,’ she called to him.

When she brought the tray of coffee back through to the lounge Jay was just putting the phone down.

‘Did you find a hotel?’

‘Yes, I got the one I stayed in last time.’

She wondered if he had been on his own the last time he’d come to London on business. Maybe he had brought Lisa? She was his secretary…amongst other things. He could have combined business with pleasure…he was good at that.

She veered her mind away from that particular direction. ‘It’s snowing pretty heavily outside now,’ she remarked lightly as she put the tray down.

‘Yes.’ He stood with his back to her looking out of the window. ‘Let’s hope we don’t get snowed in.’

‘I don’t think there is much chance of that.’ She went to stand beside him. ‘It doesn’t usually stick.’

He looked down at her. ‘Pity,’ he drawled, a teasing light in his eye. ‘We could have warmed ourselves by the fire and reminisced over the good old days.’

‘What good old days?’ She tried to make her voice flippant.

‘Oh, come on, Beth.’ He shook his head and turned to face her. ‘We did have some good times together,’ he said gently. ‘Surely you haven’t forgotten?’

She felt her heart miss a beat, felt suddenly breathless as she met the velvet darkness of his eyes. Then she looked hurriedly away, confusion clouding any memories.

He reached out a hand, tipping her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

The touch of his hand on her skin made her tremble. Very slowly he allowed his hand to move caressingly down the side of her neck.

The sensation made a shiver of awareness tingle through her body. She felt rooted to the spot, unable to think, unable to even breathe properly.

She felt his gaze resting on her mouth. It was almost like a physical caress, she could feel her lips tingle with anticipation, feel his breath warm against hers.

His eyes moved to the scoop neck of her top, noting the creaminess of her skin over the ripe soft curves of her breast, before moving back to her face.

The idea of seduction ran tantalisingly in his mind, just as it had done these last few months as he had drawn up the papers for her to sign. It would be good to possess her one more time, look down into her eyes as he enjoyed her. Then walk away without a backward glance, just as she had done, his papers signed.

It would be the ultimate retribution for the way she had so nonchalantly broken their bargain.

He looked into her eyes. They seemed incredibly blue, incredibly large for her small face. He bent closer.