Read Partners by Contract for Free Online

he grated incredulously.
    ‘No, five minutes.’
    ‘That covers my lustful advances.’ And his violent disgust, she thought dully. ‘What about you?’
    Phoebe’s eyes widened fearfully. ‘What about me?’
    ‘Who were you closing your eyes and thinking of when you kissed me?’
    ‘Nobody!’ she exclaimed. An alert expression flickered into his eyes and she continued more cautiously. ‘That is, I wasn’t thinking,’ she clarified hastily. ‘I was hurting, too. I suppose I just needed someone to hold me...’ His arms were about perfect for that job, she recalled wistfully.
    Connor’s strong jaw clenched, drawing his lightly tanned skin even tighter across his prominent cheekbones. ‘And I was a convenient body,’ he suggested flatly.
    Guiltily Phoebe nodded.
    ‘This all sounds perfectly plausible.’
    Phoebe’s spirits plummeted. Suddenly she was getting the distinct impression that he hadn’t swallowed a word she’d said.
    ‘There’s just one difficulty. If you had no problem with what happened, why refuse to open my letters? Why disappear off the face of the earth?’
    It was so obvious she couldn’t believe Con hadn’t worked that one out for himself.
    ‘How could you get over Penny with me around as a constant reminder?’ She lifted a hand to her face. Had Penny lived, it would have been her face, too.
    The taunting smile faded abruptly from Connor’s face.He looked horrified. ‘You went away to spare me heartache?’
    Warily Phoebe nodded. He was partially right at least.
    He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the head restraint. The irony of it was so acute he couldn’t help but laugh, but when he lifted his head he wasn’t laughing.
    ‘Has it ever occurred to you that I was out of my skull with worry?’ She recoiled from the blue blaze of fury in his eyes. ‘I thought I’d wait a few weeks, let the dust die down, only by then you’d gone...left the country. I got that much out of Magda.’
    Phoebe nodded. She had sworn her mother to silence. Phoebe suspected that Magda’s co-operation had had a lot to do with her dislike of Connor, who had never really succeeded in hiding his disapproval of a woman who had walked out on her husband and six-month-old baby daughters.
    ‘You don’t think I’m capable of seeing the person beyond the face? You think I’m that superficial?’ The thought seemed to whip his temper to greater heights. ‘You’re nothing like Penny!’
    Not funny, not brave, not sexy or spontaneous. He was too kind to say it, but she knew what he was thinking. She raised her chin, ashamed of the self-pitying direction of her thoughts.
    ‘I’ve never confused you with her.’
    That was one claim too many for Phoebe, whose spine stiffened. ‘Never?’ she echoed scornfully.
    His bold accusing glare finally dropped from hers. A dark tide of colour washed over his face. When he met her eyes again his expression was hard and set.
    ‘No, never,’ he asserted, his nostrils flared.
    The delicate frown line between Phoebe’s eyes became a furrow as she tried to make sense of what he was saying.
    ‘That means...’ she gasped in a charged undertone.
    ‘I knew who I was kissing that day. Yes, I did, Phoebe. That ruins your victim image of the tragic bereaved husband, I’d say,’ he ground out with savage sarcasm.
    She shook her head slowly from side to side in silent denial. The bewildering implications of what Connor was saying were too great for her to take on board. For four years she’d believed that the passion he’d displayed that day had been intended for someone else. Now he was saying... what was he saying?
    She wound down the window and took several gulps of cold Cheshire air.
    ‘I thought I recognised the sound of your car.’
    ‘Rob!’ She gasped, almost falling out of the car in relief.
    The tall young man put out a hand to steady her. ‘Watch your step.’ He laughed. ‘Mum’s got the kettle on if you’d like a cup of