remember?’
‘You’re right, Mr Grantley,’ she told him flatly. ‘There are no burns.’ She couldn’t tell this man of the way she woke in the night, her body bathed in perspiration as she imagined that choking smoke filled her bedroom once more and she couldn’t get out.
It had only been the quick action of her neighbour that had saved her from death. She had taken a sleeping tablet as usual before she went to bed that night, hadn’t been aware of any danger until Jeff Pearce dragged her through the smoke-filled apartment to safety.
‘I know that,’ Aaron Grantley scorned. ‘But it was a good story. Molly certainly believed it. It’s this idea of marriage between us that you’ve given Molly that I don’t like,’ he scowled, the green eyes dark.
Charily looked up at him unblinkingly. ‘I thought it was a nice touch,’ she drawled.
‘You realise you’ve put us both in an awkward position?’ he rasped.
‘Us?’ she raised her brows, shaking her head. ‘I’ve put you in an awkward position; I have no intention of going to Matt’s for dinner tomorrow. You’ll have to make my excuses to them.’
He gave her a contemptuous look. ‘You’re right; I doubt Matt has the nerve to carry out an evening with his wife and his mistress.’
Charly gave him a pitying look. ‘I’m sure you would have more bravado,’ she scorned. ‘Now shouldn’t you go and keep your guest company; the coffee is almost ready.’
He nodded impatiently. ‘But no more wisecracks about us getting married,’ he warned.
‘Or?’ she drawled.
‘Wait and see.’ He gave a humourless smile, challenge in the narrowed green eyes. ‘You look like a woman who would like surprises,’ he taunted before rejoining Molly in the lounge.
There hadn’t been many surprises in her life, even fewer of them pleasant ones, while the shocks she had received in recent years had been even less pleasant. It seemed, from Aaron Grantley’s viewpoint at least, that the outer shell had faired far better than the inner Charly; he certainly didn’t believe there had been a fire in her apartment. He would be even more sceptical about the rest of her life!
Molly was very relaxed as she drank her coffee, her mind obviously at rest now about her husband’s involvement with Charly. For all that she disliked Aaron Grantley Charly was glad they had managed to do that; it had been the only reason she had agreed to go along with Aaron Grantley’s plan. No woman should have to go through the torture of believing her husband had another woman when it wasn’t true; it was hard enough to bear when it was true!
‘You will let us know when you decide about the wedding, won’t you?’ Molly prompted eagerly. ‘I know Matt wouldn’t want to miss the great event; for years he’s been saying he doubted Aaron would ever marry,’ the other woman teasingly explained to Charly. ‘I’m sure he has no idea how serious your relationship is.’
‘It came as a surprise to us all,’ Aaron Grantley drawled derisively.
‘Oh yes.’ Charly put her hand in the crook of his arm, leaning into him as they sat on the sofa together. ‘But now that I’ve managed to get a commitment from him I’m going to hang on to him.’ She looked at him challengingly as she felt him stiffen.
‘There’s no rush,’ he muttered, giving her a fierce glare.
‘Neither of us is getting any younger, Aaron,’ she lightly mocked.
‘Thirty-five isn’t old,’ he grated.
‘It is for a first marriage,’ she drawled. ‘Not so long ago people would have thought there was something wrong with you,’ she added tauntingly.
His hand covered hers as it rested on his arm, crushing down on her fingers in a gesture that, to an observer, must look loving. ‘We both know how wrong that assumption would be about me,’ he ground out between clenched teeth, his eyes blazing with anger. ‘Don’t we?’ His hand was even more painful on her fingers.
‘Well, of course we do, darling,’ she gave him a coy smile, triumph in her eyes that she had managed to unnerve him once again. ‘I was merely pointing out that we shouldn’t delay the wedding too much longer.’
His mouth tightened ominously. ‘I don’t believe in rushing into these things.’
She gave a light laugh. ‘We wouldn’t be rushing into anything. I don’t—–’ her next taunt was cut off by angrily firm lips descending roughly on to hers, the brief contact of Aaron Grantley’s mouth showing her just how furious he was. It was the first time she had known such intimacy from a man since—–
‘I think it’s time I left,’ Molly gently teased, standing up. ‘I hope you didn’t mind my collecting the address book.’ Once again she avoided Charly’s gaze. ‘I—I’ll see you both tomorrow.’
‘I—–’
‘Yes, we’ll be there,’ Aaron cut in firmly, not wanting to give her the chance to say anything that might be even more damning, standing up to join Molly at the door. ‘Tell Matt I’ll call him tomorrow.’
‘So will I,’ Charly put in determinedly, making no effort to join them as Aaron saw the other woman to the lift.
She was standing in front of the window trying to decide how she felt about that kiss when she sensed he had come back into the room. She didn’t actually have a lot to compare his kiss with, certainly hadn’t been expecting it, or he could have been deeply embarrassed by her violent recoil from the caress. She finally decided she didn’t know how she felt about the kiss.
‘You will not call Matt tomorrow or at any other time,’ Aaron ground out icily.
She straightened her shoulders, her expression cold as she turned to face him. ‘I won’t?’ she drawled.
‘No,’ he rasped. ‘You’ve had your fun here tonight, but now it’s over. I want you to pack your things and move out of here right now.’
‘And where would I go?’
‘Find some other fool to support you in the life to which you’ve become accustomed,’ he scorned. ‘I really don’t care where you go—just do it.’
She shrugged. ‘Matt isn’t going to be too pleased about this.’
Aaron Grantley scowled. ‘Matt will soon realise what an idiot he’s been!’
‘You think so?’ she frowned thoughtfully.
‘I know so,’ he said contemptuously.
‘You probably know him better than I do,’ she nodded consideringly. ‘But I have no intention of moving out of here tonight.’
‘Now look, lady—–’
‘Will you stop calling me “lady” in that contemptuous tone,’ she snapped coldly. ‘We both know you consider me to be the opposite!’
He looked at her with narrowed eyes, his lashes a sooty black
