AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Instead, with studied indifference, she arched one delicate eyebrow. 'Really, Justin. . .it isn't like you to be so unimaginative.'
His hands fell to his sides, his fists clenched, the knuckles gleaming white as he fought to regain his superhuman control, and he won. . . 'Defending yourself—you have changed,' he ground out between his teeth. 'I take it lover-boy isn't here?'
His dark eyes roamed over her with contempt, demanding a response, but she refused to give him the satisfaction. His face tightening, he watched her in tense, hostile silence for a long, long moment. . .
Finally a derisory smile curved his hard mouth, and he stepped back. 'Never mind; it's of no importance to me any more,' he said with insulting arrogance. 'I have some papers for you to sign, and then I see no reason why we should ever meet again.'
Zoe wrapped her arms protectively around her body, cold despite the fierce heat of the afternoon sun. She knew he did not love her, but to hear him say he never wanted to see her again was like twisting a knife in her already bleeding heart. The decision was made for her. He would never know she was pregnant. The child would be hers and hers alone, she vowed silently.
As for the rest. . . That he could be so devious as to try and blame her. . . To insinuate that she and Wayne. . .
It was despicable and he wasn't going to get away with it, 'And I see no reason for your presence here in the first place,' she finally retaliated. 'There is such a thing as a mail service.'
'And you would know all about servicing males, my sweet wife,' he mocked silkily. 'Wayne, Nigel and God knows how many more I don't know about.'
Zoe stared at him, deliberately holding his eyes. 'For a man who aspires to be a judge you are singularly lacking in insight.'
'Where you are concerned I would have to agree,' he conceded cynically, his eyes sliding over her with cool insolence, stripping away her brief garments, exposing her naked flesh beneath. Humiliatingly she felt a hardening in her breasts but forced herself not to react.
'I was fooled by your display of innocence, but not any more.' His knowing gaze roamed from the soft swell of her breasts, clearly outlined beneath the fine fabric, up to her flushed face.
'Look at you, and this place.' His glance encompassed the magnificent beach-house and returned to her, his eyes wandering insolently over her yet again. 'You're almost naked, sprawled on a ice-lounger, the archetypal sybarite.'
It was his iron control and his reserve that infuriated her almost as much as his words; only Justin could insult a person so thoroughly without batting an eyelid.
'Forget your fancy language—a lazy, luxury-loving nymphomaniac would have done,' she spat back furiously. She had had enough; she jumped to her feet. 'What did you come for, Justin? I'm not in the mood for games.'
'What are you in the mood for?' he demanded, catching hold of her wrist with sudden violence and pulling her against the hard, male warmth of his body.
She stiffened, instantly aware of his masculine heat, his personal scent. His mouth brushed hers, and she ached to surrender to the longed-for pleasure of his touch. But she refused to give in to her baser urges. That way lay hell! Instead, she jerked her head back and stared up into his calculating eyes.
'Please say what you have to say and leave.' He was much too close, and it took all of her strength to breathe evenly, to control her heavily beating heart.
His eyes darkened. 'I'm not some casual mate you can dismiss with a word,' he grated, tightening his grip on her wrist, and for a moment she felt the force of his rage at her casual dismissal.
'Your fabled control is slipping again, Justin, darling,' she mocked.
'I think not,' he said tightly, his fingers lacing through hers, his thumb stroking the palm of her hand with deliberate provocation. 'But you, Zoe his eyes cruellycaptured hers as the arm around her waist moved lightly over her near-naked back in a deliberately arousing caress '—you never could say no,' he taunted silkily.
She took a deep, shuddering breath. She had been stupid to bait him. 'I've learnt.'
'Shall we test that?' Justin suggested huskily, but Zoe was too quick for him, and, freeing herself from his grasp, she put the lounger between them.
'No. Our marriage is over; we have nothing more to say to each other.' And for good measure she added, 'And Wayne will be back very soon.'
At the mention of Wayne Justin straightened and stared at her, his hard body taut. Then his dark eyes closed briefly, and when he opened them the cold bleakness of his gaze made her shiver. 'You're right of course. Let's get down to business. I have the papers in my car. I won't be a minute.'
She watched as he strode down the steps, and a shaft of pain lanced through her. In a few minutes she would sign the divorce papers. She looked around the sun-kissed beach, at the gentle sway of the ocean, her eyes misting with tears. She dashed her hand across her eyes. She would not cry.
Slipping into the house, she hastily pulled a large, baggy shirt over her trembling body and fastened the buttons to her neck before returning to the deck.
She watched Justin walk towards her with a briefcase in one hand; he placed it on the table and sprung the lock.
'There was no need to cover up for me. I have seen it all before,' he remarked, casually eyeing the over-long shirt. 'I can't say I admire your lover's taste in shirts.'
Actually it was her own shirt—one she wore when painting. She opened her mouth to say so and closed it again. Let him think she had a lover—what did it matter? 'Just give me the divorce papers and tell me where to sign.'
'Divorce? Oh, no, Zoe. I'm not making i
