A REASON FOR MARRIAGE

It all hit Sara at once, and again she felt acutely self-conscious in her revealing dress. She hated the compulsion that had led her to wear it now. But, worse than that, she’d let herself be taken in again by a man who lived his life searching for the next thrill, the next pleasure-point. The next adoring female. She could see all too well, in a room like this, how she must have been such a novelty. And then, like watching a car crash in slow motion, she saw Simon’s hand go to where the woman’s rested on his waist. He was about to thread his fingers through hers, lift her hand to his mouth. Sara knew it. But just before she could turn away her humiliation became complete. They both turned, as if they could sense her watching them.

The glittering, too-bright icy-blue gaze of the woman was mocking, triumphant. Simon’s was…She didn’t wait to find out. Turning, Sara stumbled and pushed through the crowd until she was finally free of the room and burst out into the spacious and hushed lobby. She walked quickly to the door on jelly legs, where a doorman rushed to open it for her.

_________

Sara stood on the steps, shivering.

“You would like me to get you a taxi, madam?”NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

“Yes, please,”Sara said gratefully to the nice doorman.

She had no plans of going back to Simon’s house, but she needed to go home and think about what she was really doing with him. This wasn’t a relationship, so why was she feeling this way? In the end, she’d let herself get carried away.

“She doesn’t need a taxi, she’s with me. Can you send for my driver, please?” a familiar deep voice, throbbing with anger, came from behind her and she stiffened in rejection.

A harsh hand on her arm pulled her round. She met furious eyes, and everything in her rebelled against his anger. The fact that the doorman had already scurried off to do his bidding made things even worse.

“I believe that I just ordered a taxi; thanks all the same for the offer of the lift.”

“What the hell just happened back there?”

“Why, I believe what just happened is that you saw a better option and decided to pursue it, leaving me at the mercy of a…a creepy, slimy lounge-lizard.”

His hand tightened on her arm. “What are you talking about? Did someone come on to you? Did someone do something to you?”

“No,” she dismissed him furiously, while trying to shake him off unsuccessfully. “Not that you would have noticed anyway. But, thanks, you’ve saved me going back in to look for you. I won’t be going back to your house, Simon. I doubt you’ll be wanting the place to yourself tonight?”

“And why would that be?” His voice was arctic, but Sara was on fire.

“Do you really need me to spell it out, Simon? I thought you were more sophisticated than that.” She berated herself bitterly now for having allowed herself to be seduced by him.

“Apparently not so sophisticated that I can go to the bar to get a drink for my date and turn around to find she has disappeared, only to find her again and have her run from the room as if I’d chased her out myself.”

He’d been looking for her? A reflex to stop, to apologise, was quashed as she remembered the woman. They’d looked far too cosy. She’d only known Simon for about four months now. Did she really think she could trust him? Her astounding naivety mocked her mercilessly.

“Your companion might have another impression. She seemed to think that you were quite interested in what she had to offer.’

Simon could recall only too noxiously what the model Cecilia Hampton had been offering. She’d all but wrapped herself around him like a clinging vine, and had spoken in an absurdly quiet, jarring little-girl voice-a well-worn ploy to get a man to come closer, whereupon she’d all but thrust her enormous fake bosom in his face. He’d been feeling foolish ever since he’d stalked away from Sara to get drinks, and had turned back to get her, imagining all the predatory males in the room moving in on her, but she’d disappeared.

His car drew up at that moment and, heaving a sigh of relief, he hurried Sara down the steps and into the back, making her slide along the seat and getting in beside her, not giving her a chance to get out. Or say a thing.

In the back of the car Sara ripped her arm from Simon’s grasp, her skin hot and tingling. “How dare you? I want you to let me out this minute. I’ll get a cab.”

She sat forward and opened her mouth to speak to the driver, but Simon hauled her over and she lay sprawled inelegantly against him. With his other hand he flicked a switch and the privacy window slid up with a hiss.

The air was electric around them. Sara was very aware of how she lay practically across his lap, in a pose of supplication that galled her. His body was tense and taut, and unmistakably hard. It made her feel sick, that he could so easily transfer his desire from one to another.

“Isn’t there something wrong with this picture?”she gritted out, holding herself as tense and as far away as possible.

“Yes,” Simon ground out. “You’re wearing far too many clothes for my liking and I want you now.”

Sara tried to pull free, but he was remorseless and held her still. “You don’t want me, you want her.”

In an instant Simon had shifted and lifted Sara with an ease that shocked her. She found herself straddling his lap, knees pressed either side of his powerful thighs. His hands were on her waist, holding her captive. A wave of anger and humiliation at her own helpless response, her lack of strength, drove her to try and move but she couldn’t.

Her arms were rigid, either side of his shoulders on the seat behind them. With his hands firmly on her waist he shifted her slightly so that she could feel where his erection strained between them against the confines of his trousers. A rush of desire made her suck in a betraying breath. And then his hands came up to her dress, to undo the clasp hidden underneath the flower. If he undid that, her dress would fall to her waist.