Kathryn Ross - The Eleventh-Hour Groom

‘Jay, stop it.’ Her voice was a whisper. There was no forceful rejection, just a husky, ragged plea.

It tore at his heart. He frowned, his hand dropping to his side as he moved back, the idea of retribution melting, like the snow outside on the pavement.

‘Perhaps you’re right.’ He shrugged, his lips curving in a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘Perhaps we should forget the past.’

She didn’t answer.

‘So, tell me, are you seeing someone else?’ His bantering tone lashed against fragile senses.

‘I don’t really think that is any of your business, do you?’ She tried to compose herself, tried to forget the sudden rush of need that had assailed her just moments ago.

‘I’m just curious.’

‘It’s none of your business.’ She flared again. She shook her head. How dared he come here with his divorce papers, and then bait her about old times, with that gleam of seductive charm in his eye? ‘And let me tell you, Jay Hammond. If you came in here with any intentions of having a roll in the sack for old times’ sake, then you can think again. I wouldn’t want to go to bed with you if you were the last man left alive in the universe.’

He smiled. ‘And this from the woman who was begging me to marry her just eighteen months ago.’

The mocking words made her temper rise even further. ‘I didn’t beg you to marry me.’

‘Didn’t you? Must have been some other raven haired beauty.’

‘I suggested a business plan,’ she murmured tightly.

‘Ah, yes, the wonderful business plan, that you were deriding over dinner in holier than thou tones…it’s all coming back to me.’

Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire, her blood racing wildly through her body. ‘So, are you making business plans with anyone else?’ he murmured derisively. ‘Is that the question I should really be asking?’

‘No! But I am seeing someone else. Someone very special.’ She flung the words at him.

‘Well, good for you.’ In contrast to her he was perfectly cool. ‘I hope you’ll be very happy, Beth. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy.’

She wanted to say, Is that why you screwed your secretary behind my back? But she held her tongue, furious with herself for losing her temper in the first place. She would never lower herself to make a comment like that, or show in any way that she cared one damn about his affair.

Silence fell between them.

‘You’d better go,’ she told him heavily.

He nodded. ‘I’ll fetch your briefcase and drop it into the office for you to pick up in the morning. If that’s all right with you?’

‘Perfectly.’

She walked to the door with him. Now he was going she wished even more that she hadn’t lost her temper. And what had been the point in lying about her private life? He probably didn’t give a damn who she was seeing, anyway. He wanted a divorce, for heaven’s sake!

Pride, that was why she had lied, she told herself as she watched him put on his coat. Pride had always been her downfall. It was the reason she hadn’t told him the truth when she’d asked him to marry her; it was the reason she hadn’t told him the truth when she’d walked out on him. It was a dreadful emotion, yet she couldn’t help it.

She didn’t want him to think she cared. And she didn’t want him to know that no one had taken his place, either in her heart or her bed.

‘Leave my briefcase at the reception area of my office in the morning. I’ll sign the papers and send them on to you,’ she told him stiffly.

‘Okay. Goodnight, Beth.’

‘Goodnight.’ She watched as he walked towards his car, got in and drove away. All that was left were the tyre marks on the virgin white snow. Was that it? she asked herself. The end of a marriage? The last time she would ever see Jay Hammond?

She closed the door firmly and leaned back on it. I don’t care, she told herself fiercely. But no matter how many times she said those words they still rang hollowly inside her.

JAY was caught up in the early-morning traffic when the phone rang. He frowned and looked around the car in some confusion. Where was that ringing coming from? He didn’t have a mobile phone with him. It took him a moment to realise it was coming from Elizabeth’s briefcase.

Checking in his mirror, he switched lanes and pulled to a standstill next to the kerb before opening the case to answer it.

Just as he got it out, it stopped. ‘Damn things,’ he muttered, and was about to put it away when it rang again.

He pressed the button and connected the call. ‘Hi, it’s Lucy.’ A warm and very attractive voice said in his ear. ‘We’re still on for tonight, aren’t we?’

‘I don’t know,’ Jay drawled with amusement. ‘That depends on where you are planning to take me?’

‘Sorry.’ There was confusion in the voice now. ‘I seem to have the wrong number.’

‘Are you looking for Elizabeth?’ Jay asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Then you haven’t got the wrong number, just the wrong person. I’m Jay…Elizabeth’s husband.’

‘Really?’ The voice sounded alert and amazed now. ‘Are you two getting back together? Gosh, that’s so good to hear. I do like a happy ending. When did you arrive in London? Beth hasn’t said a word.’

‘Only yesterday—’

‘Well, listen, I’m glad you’ve answered the phone,’ she gushed on without pausing for breath. ‘You know it’s Beth’s thirtieth birthday today?’

‘Yes—’

‘Well we’re having a surprise party for her after work. It’s at the Mayfair Tower Hotel. I’m calling for her at the office at six-thirty. She just thinks we’re going for a few quiet drinks, so it’s going to be a great surprise for her…well, I hope it is. She isn’t suspicious, is she?’

‘Not to my knowledge,’ Jay said truthfully.

There was a moment’s silence, a moment where Jay could almost hear the other woman’s mind ticking over.

‘Seeing as we are having this friendly chat, maybe you could tell me about the guy Beth is seeing,’ Jay said nonchalantly.

‘What guy?’

‘She says she’s seeing someone and it’s quite serious.’

He heard the woman swallowing nervously at the other end of the line as she realised she had made a big mistake and a huge assumption. ‘You’re not getting back together, are you?’

‘Not quite. But don’t worry about it, Lucy.’ Jay took pity on her. ‘And your secret is safe with me. Thanks for the invitation, by the way.’ Then he hung up.

For a moment he sat at the edge of the traffic and thought about things. Was there someone serious in Beth’s life? Her friend hadn’t seemed to know what he was talking about. On the other hand, she couldn’t know much about Elizabeth if she could assume so easily, from him answering a phone, that they were back together.

Jay reached for a piece of paper and scribbled down the address she had given for the party tonight. Maybe he’d check it out.

‘The report you wanted from Marketing.’ Robert put the stack of papers down on top of the manila envelope. ‘Cheer up, Elizabeth.’ He leaned over and grinned at her. ‘It might never happen.’

‘I hate it when people say that,’ Beth murmured.

‘Yes, so do I,’ Robert admitted with a laugh. ‘Because it usually does happen…well, it does to me, anyhow.’

She smiled at him.

She’d always liked Rob. He was a couple of years younger than her, a pleasant guy, always helpful at work. He wasn’t bad looking either, she supposed. Tall with dark hair that fell forward over his forehead like an absentminded professor. She knew he liked her; it was obvious from the way he kept asking her out. But, although she thought he was a nice person, she didn’t feel any attraction for him.