Claiming His Wedding Night

by Louise Fuller

  His face grew still and taut.

  ‘He had other charms too!’ He stared past her, then shrugged again. ‘But not enough to keep my mother entertained. So somebody threw him out of a window. He landed in the swimming pool.’ Glancing at Addie’s horrified expression, he smiled tightly. ‘I expect you’re grateful they didn’t come to our wedding now!’

  She stared at him in silence. Yes and no. For a moment she considered asking him about their absence again, but the fierce dark glow in his eyes held her back.

  ‘Wow! They don’t sound like most people’s parents,’ she said finally.

  His eyes narrowed. ‘They’re not. In fact I don’t really think of them as parents. Serena was only sixteen when she had me, and Henry had just been kicked out of Dartmouth.’ His mouth twisted. ‘You could say we grew up together. And now there’s a couple of calls I need to make, so why don’t you take a shower or go for a swim?’

  Disconcerted, she met his gaze.But there was no mistaking the discouraging tone of his voice. Nor the shuttered look in his eyes. The conversation was over.

  In the end she took the shower. An hour later she lay on the bed, gazing out of the window. It had certainly been an interesting day. So much had happened—what with all the travelling and her failed attempt to seduce Malachi on the plane. Only even that felt so long ago now, and suddenly far less significant, pushed aside by his unexpected and uncharacteristic revelations about his life.

  Thinking back to what he’d told her about his parents and their partying lifestyle, she bit her lip. Would she be enough to keep him entertained? Her pulse slowed and, stifling a yawn, she breathed out softly. She didn’t have to be. This trip wasn’t about partying and crowds. He wanted peace and birdsong. And her.

  Or he would once he’d finished making his calls.

  It was a comforting thought. Or it might have been had she not seen him sitting and staring out across the water, gaze unmoving, phone lying untouched next to where his fingers restlessly tapped the tabletop.

  She tried to make sense of it. But after an hour her brain and body gave in to the heat of the day and finally, swiftly, she fell asleep.

  CHAPTER SIX

  IT WAS THE light falling across her face and a feeling of not quite knowing where she was that woke Addie. Somebody had closed the cream-coloured blinds, but she knew without even pulling them open that it was morning.

  Her stomach flipped over nervously and she kept her eyes closed, basking in the soft whiteness of the morning, delaying the moment when she would have to face the man lying on the other side of the bed. What exactly was the correct way to greet your estranged husband the morning after the night before?

  Her cheeks grew warm. Except there hadn’t been a night before, because she’d fallen asleep instead.

  She held her breath, wondering how he felt about that fact.

  But there was only one way to find out and, gritting her teeth, she opened her eyes and rolled over.

  Beside her the bed was empty. And not just empty. The sheet and pillowcase were perfectly smooth. Unless Malachi had slept several inches above the mattress, he hadn’t slept there at all.

  Her heart gave a twitch as she noticed a paper rose on the pillow beside her. Unfolding it, she saw that it was a note from Malachi, written in his familiar bold, cursive script.

  Sweetheart,

  I’m sorry I didn’t wake you last night, only I thought you needed to sleep. I’ve got a couple of problems at work to sort out, but breakfast is all laid out so help yourself to what you want.

  Terry is dropping round this morning, so if you need anything else ask him.

  Malachi

  PS—While I remember, the security pin is 2106. You’ll need it to open any doors or windows. You shouldn’t have a problem remembering it!

  She read it again, and then twice more. Reading between every line, letter and punctuation mark. But the words stayed stubbornly the same, and finally she dropped the note onto the sheet beside her.

  Of course she would remember the pin number. It was their wedding anniversary. Her mouth thinned. No doubt he’d chosen it to rub in the fact that this trip was a travesty of the honeymoon they might have had, had she not walked out on him. So much for the caring, sharing Malachi of last night.

  Frowning, and suddenly feeling as restless as her thoughts, she pushed the sheet off. Rolling out of bed, she padded across the floor into the wet room.

  As she stood under the warm spray of water, snippets of yesterday’s lunchtime conversation with Malachi kept popping into her head, each one seeming to contradict the one before. It was so confusing. She couldn’t seem to get a clear picture of what he’d said. It was almost as though she’d been talking to several different versions of the same man. But who was the real Malachi King? And how could she have been married to a man she knew so little about?

  Then again, what did any of that matter now? He wasn’t her concern any more.

  Wrapped in a large fluffy towel, she walked back into the bedroom and gazed out of the window. It was another glorious day and it really was the perfect honeymoon location.

  She lifted her chin. In another life, with another man, it might be, she told herself defiantly. But this was just a business trip. However, it was also probably going to be the only holiday she would ever spend on a private Caribbean island. So from now on she was going to make the most of every moment.

  Selecting a new plum-coloured bikini, she covered it with a short crocheted dress—another recent purchase—and, pushing her feet into a pair of brightly coloured beaded sandals, did a twirl in front of the mirror. Glancing at her reflection, she gave a small, satisfied smile before turning and heading downstairs.

  There was no sign of Malachi in the kitchen, but breakfast was indeed laid out on the wood-topped counter and, stomach rumbling, she picked out an almond croissant just as there was a knock at the front door.

  Her first stupid thought was that it was Malachi. But why would he knock at his own door? And then, remembering his note, she realised it must be Terry. Feeling suddenly shy, she walked hesitantly into the hallway and pulled down on the handle.

  Nothing happened.

  ‘Sorry, Miss Farrell...’ Terry’s voice floated through the door. ‘You need the code.’

  ‘Oh, yes, of course. I forgot,’ she said, hastily punching her wedding date into the keypad and mentally cursing Malachi for his malicious choice of number.

  Her irritation was forgotten, though, as she saw Terry’s broad smiling face beaming down at her.

  ‘Good morning, Miss Farrell! And how are you today?’

  Taking his hand, she smiled back at him. ‘I’m fine, Terry. Thank you.’

  ‘I saw Mr King this morning and he told me to drop in and make sure you have everything you need.’

  ‘I do—but while I remember, would you please thank Leonda for the wonderful food?’

  Terry grinned. ‘I will, Miss Farrell. She’s real happy, having you and Mr King stay for all this time. Normally he’s only here long enough to read the morning paper—which reminds me: Mr King asked me to drop off today’s newspapers.’ Reaching down, he picked up a bag. ‘There’s some magazines in there too. Let me put them inside for you, Miss Farrell.’

  Inside the kitchen, he glanced out of the window and up at the sky.

  ‘Weather’s looking fine. We might even get some turtles next week.’

  ‘There are turtles?’ Addie said excitedly. ‘Do they come into the lagoon?’

  He shook his head again and laughed. ‘No. Turtles like to nest near open water, so their babies can reach the ocean real quick.’ As though sensing her disappointment, he smiled. ‘But they do nest on Finlay’s Island. You won’t have seen it from the boat, but it’s only thirty minutes away. I keep an eye out at this time of year, so I’ll let you know if I see any sign of them. Now, is there anything else I can do?’

  Addie nodded. An idea had just occurred to her. ‘Actually,’ she began tentatively, ‘there is
one thing...’

  Ten minutes later, Addie was relaxing on a sun lounger, a glass of iced tea in her hand, thoroughly enjoying a celebrity gossip magazine. Having arranged for Terry to take them on a tour of the island, she felt calmer—more in control.

  More like herself.

  She took a sip of her tea. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a sexy side, but she wasn’t comfortable about it being her defining quality. And now it wouldn’t be.

  A shadow fell across her face and her thought jammed inside her head as, looking up sharply, her eyes collided with Malachi’s cool, assessing grey gaze.

  ‘Good morning,’ he said slowly, his eyes roaming over her in a way that made her whole body twitch restlessly.

  Dressed in a pair of linen trousers and a navy polo shirt that clung to the muscular outline of his chest and arms, he looked relaxed and cool despite the heat of the morning.

  ‘Morning!’ Putting her glass down on the table beside her, she gave him what she hoped was a casual smile. ‘I hope you don’t mind, but I did have some breakfast.’

  ‘Not at all.’ He glanced back into the villa. ‘I might just grab some fruit. Can I tempt you with anything else?’

  ‘Like what?’ Her eyes flicked up and he smiled at her mockingly.

  ‘I meant some more iced tea, or something else to eat.’

  Licking her lips, wondering how he managed to make such a mundane suggestion sound so enticing and decadent, she shook her head. ‘No, thank you. I had a...thing...you know...’ Her mind was suddenly a total blank, his proximity playing havoc with her brain. ‘A pastry—almond—almond croissant,’ she managed finally.

  ‘Then I’ll be right back!’ he said softly, his clear, teasing gaze leaving her in no doubt that he knew the effect he was having on her.

  Gritting her teeth, heart pounding, she watched his broad retreating back with a mixture of longing and relief. Moments later her breath seemed to punch out of her lungs as he dropped down lightly beside her on the lounger, the warm length of his thigh pressing against her naked leg.

  ‘Why does everything taste so much better here than it does back on the mainland?’ he murmured as he licked juice from his fingers. ‘I know sugar’s bad for you, but sometimes there’s nothing better than that rush.’ His eyes slid slowly over her face, fixing on her mouth. ‘Almost nothing anyway.’

  Addie felt her stomach drop, and then a slow, prickling tension crept up her spine as he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her softly. Helplessly she arched against his body, feeling a quivering, featherlight pleasure steal over her skin, and then she breathed in sharply as Malachi lifted his head.

  ‘Now, that is the correct way to say good morning!’

  Staring down into Addie’s dazed blue eyes, Malachi forced himself to blank off his mind to the clamouring of his body. His pulse was racing, and a fierce hot pressure was building in his groin. He had planned simply to kiss her, thereby reminding her of why she was sitting there, on his lounger, by his lagoon, looking so damn tempting. But now, with that red hair tumbling across her shoulders, her lips parted invitingly, it took every ounce of willpower he had not to scoop her up into his arms and take her right there and then.

  Looking past her, he gritted his teeth, hating how stirred up she made him feel. He wanted her badly—so badly it felt like a toothache. But taking her now would only demonstrate that fact, and he’d arranged a little surprise for her that would be far more effective at enticing her into his arms.

  He breathed out. Yesterday, after she had gone upstairs to lie down, he had fully intended to follow her. To give in finally to the hunger that had been growing inside him since the moment he’d heard her voice again.

  Only he hadn’t.

  Oh, he’d wanted to. But he couldn’t. His legs simply wouldn’t move; it had been as if he was trapped inside his own body as once upon a time he’d been trapped as a unwilling onlooker at his parents’ parties. How could he possibly have gone upstairs to Addie with that thought uppermost in his mind?

  As for mentioning his parents to Addie—what had he been thinking? He shifted uncomfortably on the lounger. He’d worked so hard to suppress the hurt, to bury the memories. Now wasn’t the time to let that darkness seep back into his life.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Looking up, he found Addie watching him warily.

  He smiled, instantly back in control, and ran his fingers slowly down her arm, feeling her skin shiver beneath his touch. ‘Of course. And you? Did you sleep okay?’

  Her face stiffened. ‘Yes. I did.’ She hesitated. ‘I’m sorry about falling asleep. I suppose I was more tired than I thought.’ She frowned, not wanting to ask where he’d slept. Instead she said quickly. ‘How did you sleep? Did you have a good night?’

  It was not a night he would care to repeat, he thought grimly. And sleep had played a very small part in it. Having finally managed to clear his head enough to go and look for her, his erotic imaginings had turned increasingly feverish with every step, so that by the time he’d walked into the bedroom his body had been pulsing with desire.

  Only of course she’d been fast asleep, her curled-up body seeming to emphasise her vulnerability and innocence. And, gazing down at her, he had cursed his timing. Waking a sleeping woman simply to gratify his sexual appetites was not something he could ever contemplate. But nor was lying next to that body when his mind was little more than a white-hot mass of sexually charged fantasies.

  Which had left him tossing and twisting alone in a bed in one of the many spare rooms in the villa.

  So, no. In answer to her question, he hadn’t had a good night.

  Or a particularly satisfying morning either. Having woken early and still painfully aroused, he had taken a long, cold shower, standing beneath the icy water until he simply couldn’t feel his body any more. Stepping out of the shower, his libido once again checked and contained, he should have felt calmer.

  His mouth thinned. Except that he hadn’t. Instead he’d felt tense and on edge, his mind twitching with a whole set of new and unsettling feelings. Not least the realisation that Addie’s presence appeared to be having an impact on more than just his libido. Staring down at where she lay in his bed, he’d felt more than thwarted lust. Maybe it had been the dark smudges beneath her eyes, or her slightly bitten fingernails, but something had twisted inside him and he’d felt a wholly uncharacteristic impulse to draw her into his arms.

  He breathed out slowly. It didn’t make any sense. But then what did in those strange early hours of the morning when the mind played tricks on itself? Once he’d finally bedded her he’d not only be free of this nagging physical ache but he’d also be able to think with his usual clear-headedness. After all, that was what sex did: it satisfied the body and soothed the mind.

  He met her gaze. ‘I always sleep well,’ he lied, and watching her expression shift from curious to irritated, he felt a prickle of satisfaction.

  That was more like it. Let her think she was a pleasurable diversion—not a compulsion that needed to be satisfied.

  Feeling back in control, he stood up and, gazing out across the lagoon, he held out his hand. ‘Come on! Let’s go!’

  Startled, Addie looked up at him. ‘Go where?’

  He grinned. ‘To have a swim, of course.’

  The lagoon was the perfect temperature and even though she was a fairly cautious swimmer, it would have been impossible for her not to enjoy herself. The warm water felt delicious on her skin, and everywhere there was something beautiful to look at. Tiny jewel-coloured fish. Shells of every shade of pink.

  And Malachi.

  Wearing nothing but a pair of navy trunks, his body was tugging at her gaze with the gravitational force of a black hole. She watched furtively as he pulled himself onto the deck, her eyes tracking the droplets of water trickling over his café au lait skin. He was shatteringly sexy.

  Unfortunately at that moment he glanced over, and she felt her cheeks flame as she was caught in the act of watching him. Her breath f
altered as he took a small run off the deck and dived back into the lagoon, cutting through the ripples towards her.

  She stared at him dazedly, her brain melting. From a distance, his beauty was miraculous. Up close, it was as destabilising as an electromagnetic pulse and she could feel her resistance slipping away—

  A shadow fell over her face at the same moment as a gust of air whipped up the water around them. Shocked, Addie gasped, her hand reaching out instinctively. Above them the unmistakable shadow of a helicopter hovered briefly, then swung away across the island.

  ‘Don’t worry!’ Malachi’s voice cut through the sudden silence that followed the helicopter’s departure. ‘They’re just dropping something off for me.’

  She nodded. At some point she had ended up clutching his arm and, mortified, she withdrew her hand swiftly, ignoring the mocking glint in his eyes.

  ‘I might just go and get some sunblock. I don’t want to burn on my first day.’ Averting her eyes from his wet, muscular chest, she slipped past him and swam hastily across the lagoon and levered herself out onto the deck.

  He was beside her in a moment, smoothing back his wet hair. ‘Would you like me to put it on your back?’ he said solicitously.

  ‘No. It’s fine. I probably should cover up now anyway.’ Backing away, she grabbed her dress and tugged it hurriedly over her head as, behind them, the helicopter rose up above the trees and then swiftly disappeared from view.

  Gazing after it, she suddenly remembered her plans for the day. ‘Actually, I thought we could go and have a look round the island this morning,’ she said quickly, inching towards the villa. Anything to get away from his fabulous semi-naked body. ‘You know... Explore a bit.’

  There was a short, tense silence. Looking up, she saw that he was watching her, his face as unyielding to her scrutiny as ever. But something was glittering in his eyes that made her heart jerk in her chest.

  ‘Why would we want to do that?’ he said softly. ‘It’s just more of the same.’