Modern Romance January 2020 Books 5-8. Heidi Rice

Чтение книги онлайн.

      Logan had just ended a call dealing with a work issue on a large project he had going on in Tuscany when Layla came into the sitting room. Her all-in-one black outfit skimmed her slim figure in all the right places. Places he couldn’t stop thinking about touching, caressing, exploring. Her make-up highlighted the regal elegance of her finely drawn features—the smoky eyeshadow and mascara on her lashes making her eyes stand out. Her chestnut hair was on top of her head in a loosely casual knot, leaving her swan-like neck and creamy shoulders exposed.

      He imagined kissing a trail of light kisses along her smooth skin, down to her collarbones, down to the slight swell of her breasts. He imagined himself unclipping her hair from its knot and running his fingers through it to see if it was as silky as it looked. Her lips were shimmering with a layer of pink-toned lip-gloss and all he could think about was pressing his lips to hers to remove it with a kiss. He could still recall the sweet vanilla and honey taste of her mouth, could still feel the texture of her lips—soft…impossibly soft and responsive. Could still feel the background beat of desire ticking in his blood.

      Oh, boy, he had some work to do on his willpower. Some big work.

      If he was fantasising like this on day one of their marriage, what would he be like at the end of it?

      ‘You look beautiful,’ he said, slipping his phone into his trouser pocket.

      A light tinge of pink pooled high in her cheeks and she lowered her gaze a fraction. ‘Thank you.’

      ‘Shall we go?’ Logan led the way outside so they could walk to the restaurant, which was only a short stroll further along the bay. The night air had a salty tang from the ocean and there was a gibbous moon. Layla walked beside him in silence but he was increasingly aware of her limp. She was wearing small heels but they clearly weren’t giving her the stability she needed. After she gave a precarious wobble, he reached for her hand and enveloped it in his. ‘The pathway is a little uneven here.’

      She glanced up at him with a brief smile of thanks and looked away again. They walked the rest of the way in silence but Logan was aware of every whorl of her skin where it touched his. Aware of the light flowery fragrance she was wearing, aware of how her head only came to just below his shoulders.

      They came to the restaurant and were soon led to their table overlooking Kapalua Bay. The waiter took their drinks orders and left them with menus. Logan gave the menu a cursory glance because he could barely take his eyes off Layla. He had never spent so much concentrated time with her before. But when it came to that, he hadn’t spent much time with anyone over the last seven years. He had preferred to be alone with his thoughts, with his regrets, with his guilt. Not just his guilt over Susannah.

      Robbie caused him more guilt than he could handle and had done so for more years than he cared to count. His worry about his younger brother stretched back as far as childhood when their mother had left. Logan had done everything he could to shield Robbie from the sudden loss of their mother but he hadn’t succeeded.

      But when had he ever succeeded in a relationship of any kind?

      Spending time with Layla opened up a new world of connection and emotional intimacy—that thing he had so assiduously avoided even in his relationship with his fiancée. Getting to know Layla on a deeper level had made him realise what his relationship with Susannah had been missing.

      It was hard to get his head around the fact they were now officially married. It didn’t seem real but it was—he had the marriage certificate to prove it. It was there in black and white.

       On paper.

      Layla looked up from examining the menu and frowned. ‘Is something wrong?’

      Logan rearranged his features into an impassive mask. ‘No. Why?’

      She closed the menu. ‘You keep staring at me and frowning.’

      He gave an on-off smile. ‘Sorry. I was thinking.’

      ‘About what?’

      ‘About us.’ Even saying the word ‘us’ made something in him sit up like a meerkat and take notice.

      She lowered her gaze to focus on the candle flickering on the table between them. ‘It’s kind of weird, isn’t it? I mean, us being married.’ Her gaze came back to his. ‘But at least we’ve saved Bellbrae. That’s what matters most.’

      ‘It’s not the only thing that matters,’ Logan said. ‘It’s important you aren’t too badly inconvenienced by our arrangement. I know a year is a long time but once we annul our marriage, you’ll be free to move on with your life.’

      The waiter approached with their drinks to take their meal order at that point. Logan tried not to think about Layla’s life after their marriage ended. It would be strange seeing her marry someone else one day, perhaps even have a family. And if she moved away, she might not even be a part of Bellbrae any more. He couldn’t imagine the Highland estate without her. The place would seem empty and colourless. Bleak.

      Once the waiter had left, Layla picked up her wineglass and gently twirled the contents. ‘My life is my business. That’s all I care about. I want to be successful and self-sufficient.’

      ‘Do you want a family as well one day?’ Why was he asking when he didn’t want to know? He didn’t want to think about her as a mother of some other man’s babies. It was none of his business what she did with her life after their ‘marriage’ came to an end. No business at all.

      Layla lifted one slim shoulder in a tiny shrug, a frown forming between her downcast eyes. ‘I’m СКАЧАТЬ