you insist. At least you’ll save me the cost of a lawyer to dissolve this marriage. Just do it quietly.”
Outraged, she sat up and glared through the dark at him. Suddenly, she was determined not to freeze to death. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
Not to mention the warmth of the bed was so heavenly, she didn’t think she could get up if she wanted to.
Carefully, she eased herself, still fully clothed, between the blanket and the sheet, trying to ignore the black bulk sprawled beside her in the spot on the mattress where she usually slept.
“You know,” he drawled, “you might have grounds to claim the marriage is valid if we consummate it—”
“No, thank you!” she snapped.
He laughed softly, sardonically.
She turned on her side and scooted to the very edge of the mattress.
If he made one move toward her, she would shoot him herself.
Ellie woke up slowly, aware that something was different than usual. Her nose twitched. What was that smell? It wasn’t unpleasant exactly. It was more earthy. Musky. Masculine…
Her eyes flew open.
A brawny shoulder was only a few inches away from her own. Instinctively, she pulled away, then, as Garek stirred and rolled over, she grew still, holding her breath.
He didn’t wake up, however, and she stared at him. In the clear light filtering through the blinds, she could see every detail. A cowlick spiked up on top of his head. His hair grew back from his wide forehead in a straight line. He frowned, even in his sleep, a crease showing between his eyebrows. He had short, dark lashes, a reasonably well-shaped nose and ears that stuck out slightly, giving him an almost boyish look. The boyishness was instantly belied, however, by the dark shadow of beard and mustache, and the clean line of his upper lip and the full, amazingly sensual curve of his lower lip.
Her chest began to hurt. Two days ago, she’d thought he was someone special. Two days ago, she might have welcomed last night’s crazy ceremony—only without the gun.
How could she have been so stupid?
But there was no point in crying. She’d cried over Rafe. She wasn’t going to cry over Garek Wisnewski.
She climbed out of the bed. Straightening her spine and smoothing her creased and twisted skirt as best she could, she went to the door and peeked out.
No gun-wielding madmen lurked in the hall.
She checked the other bedroom but saw no sign of Robbie or his friend. They must have decided to make themselves scarce.
Wisely, thought Ellie as she went into the kitchen and started some coffee. She was going to kill Robbie when she got her hands on him…
A sound made her turn. Garek stood in the doorway, buttoning his shirt, his coat over his arm. His hair was wet and slicked back, but dark stubble still covered his jaw.
“Your cousin decided not to stay for the rest of the honeymoon?”
Ellie turned away from the sardonic tone in Garek’s voice. Opening a drawer, she stared down at the contents. She wouldn’t let him bait her, she told herself grimly. She’d done nothing wrong. “Would you like some coffee?”
“How wifely you sound.”
Closing the drawer with a small bang, she turned to face him. Then paused. She took a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened. Robbie is sometimes a bit…impulsive. But he means well.”
“I’m sure Al Capone and Bonnie and Clyde had pure motives, also.”
She clenched her jaw until the filling in her back molar ached. “I’m sorry you were forced to spend the night here, but no harm done, right?” She pasted a smile on her face. “As you said, the marriage wasn’t valid.”
He didn’t smile back. If anything, the angles of his face grew harsher. “My lawyer will take care of any legalities involved. I am instructing him, however, not to give you a single penny.”
“Fine,” she said. “I don’t want anything from you.”
His eyes narrowed. “You really expect me to believe that you’re not going to make some claim against me?”
“I don’t care what you believe, but that’s the truth.”
“That’s good,” he said. “Because you’re not getting anything.”
“Yes, you already said that.” She was tired of his accusations, his suspicion. She stalked out of the kitchen, stepped to the front door and opened it, letting in a blast of cold air. Turning, she spoke across the small space to where he stood in the kitchen doorway watching her. “You better go now and get your lawyer working on it right away.”