Strategy For Marriage

“Pay no attention,” she said. But she hoped Josh was staring. He looked so deeply familiar she thought she couldn’t bear the whole situation. Callista looked so nice. She deserved to be happy. Christy’s instinct told her it wouldn’t be for long. Not with Josh. Josh wasn’t good enough. Josh’s only real fondness was for money. But Callista on her big day looked radiant in her beautiful ecru satin gown that glimmered with thousands of seed pearls. Her billowy floor-length organza veil was held off her small face by an exquisite diamond-and-pearl diadem that looked like a family heirloom.

After all that she knew, Christy still wished perversely things could have been different. That Josh could have been different from the man he really was.

“How well did you know him?” Ashe McKinnon asked her, his dark face taking on an aspect of contempt.

“I don’t think you want to listen.”

“Try me,” he clipped off.

“It’s all in the past. Another dimension.” She needed a huge breathing space from this man.

“It’d better be.” With one hand he lifted her face and turned his black gaze on her.

“What do you want to do, crush me?” She envied him his masculine strength. The hard detachment.

Instantly he eased his grip. What did he want with her? To pick her up and carry her off? To make love to her until she couldn’t even remember who Deakin was?

“Are you suggesting I could be that physical?”

“I could feel your anger.” Yet something about him was giving her a deep, languorous feeling. It was like being engulfed in the black velvet of night. What was she doing twisting and turning in this stranger’s arms? He was so totally different from Josh. With a powerful magnetism that reached through her pain. Moreover he was controlling her, pulling her closer.

“So are you going to tell me exactly why you are here? I’m certain you have no invitation.”

“I let it get away from me.” She glanced at him briefly, her lashes shadowing her eyes. “It flew into the air and blew away.” There was no comfort in this man, only astonishing heat. She kept seeing Josh and his bride out of the corner of her eye. Hurt spasmed through her. “Kiss me,” she ordered before she started to cry.

He shook her a little. “Because you want to make him jealous? Look at me.” He was going to kiss her before the night was over. He had never wanted to kiss a woman more in his life. This beautiful creature who was electric for another man. A man who had his cousin lovingly tucked into his shoulder. “You little fool,” Ashe muttered, lowering his dark head protectively over her. “There’s no way, no way, you can get him back.”

“I don’t want him back. I don’t!” She knew it was true but she couldn’t get herself together almost overnight.

“Is that a prayer?”

Her mouth was trembling beneath his brooding regard. “Could we go outside?”

“Why not? We’re leaving a lot of burning curiosity behind.”

It was not to be. Callista called to her cousin from across the room.

“Ashe!” No one had told Callista who the beautiful blond girl in the green dress was. She was extravagantly lovely to Callista’s eyes. The dress! She could never wear a dress like that. And Ashe? What was he doing with her? The two of them looked somehow torched. As if no one else in the world mattered.

Beside Callista, Josh gave a wry little exclamation. “What with all this talking I’m getting dry in the throat. I think I’ll get myself a drink. Could I get you anything, my darling?”

Callista gave him her sweet smile. “Oh, Joshua, please stay and meet Ashe’s new girlfriend. I must say I’m surprised. But then Ashe is the best of anyone at surprises.”

“I don’t know…” Josh’s mouth was indeed dry and his heart was thundering. Christy was always such a lady but he knew what angry women could do.

“Please, darling, for me.” Callista caught her bridegroom’s hand.

“I can’t do this,” Christy confessed to Ashe McKinnon as they crossed the floor.

“You can. I’ll see you through.” He took her hand and held it firmly.

“Who am I?” This wasn’t what she intended at all. “Who am I supposed to be?”

“You should have thought of that.” His reply was a little harsh. “You’re my deepest secret.”

“You mean you asked me?” She was drowning in confusion.

“Who else? I’m not going to risk Callista’s being badly hurt. Do you think you can smile?” He eyed her critically.

“Of course I can smile, you arrogant man.” A storm of outraged pride blew up in her. He had calluses on his palm. McKinnon the cattle baron. High power—high voltage. She had an hysterical desire to run from him.

“Would you just look at Deakin?” he said suddenly in a hard gritty voice. “My bet is he was trying to make a break for it but Callista stopped him.”

Even devastated by Josh’s betrayal, Christy could scarcely blame him.

“So what’s the play?” she asked through small clenched teeth. It was almost as though she’d known this man in another life, but she had no time to dwell on that.

“We’ll play it by ear,” he told her, giving her, quite out the blue, the sexiest smile.

It was so amazing it put the adrenalin back into her.

And hey! Josh had the frozen look of a rabbit caught in a hunter’s sights. Callista, the triumphant bride, was looking from her to her cousin as if she didn’t know what was going on. Up close Christy realised Callista was older than she had supposed. Late rather than early twenties. Probably her trust fund paid out at age thirty. The evidence was Josh couldn’t wait.

“You look absolutely lovely and so happy, Callista,” Ashe told his cousin in a surprisingly calm voice. “I hope nothing ever changes that.” He slid his arm smoothly around Christy’s waist, drawing her forward. “I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Christy Parker. She wasn’t on the guest list because I didn’t know she’d be back from L.A.”

Josh, aware he had escaped some terrible danger, fell into his role of loving bridegroom, the expression on his face growing in confidence. “We know one another, don’t we?” he asked Christy, quite unforgivably, giving Christy a smile for which one really needed sunglasses. “You’re with Whitelaw Promotions, aren’t you?”

It was her moment to bring him down. To give him instant payback. Instead she nodded coolly. “That’s right. I think I know you, too.”

Josh prepared himself again for an onslaught. It didn’t come. “So tell me, how is Zack?” he asked in the nicest friendly fashion. He referred to Christy’s boss and the head of the public relations company.

“Fine.” She couldn’t possibly slip into casual mode. She was far too upset. “It’s been a beautiful wedding, Callista.” She turned her attention to the bride. “I wish you every happiness.” Amazingly she was able to say it.

“Thank you so much…Christy…” Callista finally got her voice going. “Wherever did you meet Ashe?” She looked avid to know.

“Well…”

“It’s a long story,” Ashe McKinnon said, locking Christy of the shining beauty to him, aware of her turmoil. She was as jumpy as a cat.

“A story worth listening to, I’ll bet.” Josh’s glance lingered long on Christy.

“Christy’s not talking.” Ashe’s vibrant voice was saturated in what sounded very much like sarcasm. “See you later, you two. I know how much you both want to be together.”

“Dear God!” Christy murmured almost inaudibly as they moved off. “I don’t normally drink but I feel like one now.”

“You did very well,” he assured her. “It was plain to me you wanted to slap him.”

“Whereas you didn’t?” Whatever this man said, he fired her. “I thought you came dangerously near to cutting.”