Read Soliman, Wendy - The Name of the Game (BookStrand Publishing Romance) for Free Online Page B

and spend the night here. But that wouldn’t have happened, would it?” She shot him a loaded glance. “You would have had to get back to your flat to be with Evie.”She turned her back on him and stared out the window. “Were you planning a double whammy, Matt, me and her both on the same night? Does something for your male ego, does it, still being virile enough to take on two women, practically at once?”
    “Ashley.” He stood directly behind her. She felt his breath peppering her neck and wondered how she’d react if he tried to touch her, furious that she still wanted him to. “Don’t do this to yourself.”
    “I don’t need to do anything to myself, Matt,” she said quietly, her tone laced with a combination of bitterness and defeat. “You’ve done a very good job of destroying me all on your own.”
    She turned, not caring now if he saw how devastated she was. He looked stricken, but still hadn’t offered her the famous explanation he was trying to convince her existed. An explanation that would, he wanted her to believe, straighten matters out. “It isn’t like that. Trust me, darling.”
    “Trust you? Oh yes, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? You’ve lied to me from beginning to end and I was stupid enough to fall for every word. God, what a fool I’ve been! Sandy warned me how it would be. I should have listened to her. You lied about moving Eve to Reigate, you lied about her never coming up to your flat, you lied about not loving her anymore, but, worst of all, you lied about sleeping with her. When did you plan to tell me about the baby, Matt?” Her anger had been replaced with an overwhelming melancholy. “You know how I feel about children, how desperately I’ve always wanted one of my own. Did you imagine that I’d just pretend it hadn’t happened and carry on as we had been?”
    “Ashley, it isn’t how it seems.”
    She whirled away from him, furious yet close to tears. “Don’t make matters worse by insulting my intelligence.”
    “No, really.”
    He ran a hand across his chin. He needed a shave, she noticed, wondering how her brain could notice something so insignificant at such a time. He looked down at her, his gaze compelling, his eyes begging her to believe him. And, just for a moment, she was tempted to forget everything and fall into his arms. So comprehensively did she still love him that the compulsion to do so was almost overwhelming. Seeming to realize it, Matt attempted to pull her against him. It took a superhuman effort on Ashley’s part to wrench herself away.
    “Ashley, do you think I’d be here if what I’m telling you isn’t true. Isn’t what we have together worth fighting for?”
    He appeared so intensely sincere that the overwhelming urge she’d just experienced to believe him returned with interest. But how could she? He obviously only wanted to calm her down so that she wouldn’t be tempted to leave the company. He still needed her help to coordinate the new head office.
    “I think you’d better go,” she said in an indifferent tone. “Go back to your cosy little nest and leave me to pick up the pieces of my life.” When he didn’t move, her temper bubbled up again. “You’ve had the best of both worlds for a while now, but all good things come to an end. You know where the door is. Use it.”
    “Ashley!” He grabbed her by the shoulders again, a tormented expression in his eyes. Ignoring her struggles, he forced a drugging kiss upon her lips. “I love you! There is an explanation, and if I could tell you now, then I would.” He shook his head. “But I can’t. You’ll hear it just as soon as I’m in a position to tell you more. I’m working night and day to bring that date forward.”
    “You say you love me, Matt,” she countered, pulling away from him. Her lips, where his had covered them, felt as though they were on fire. “But you don’t know the meaning of the word. I loved you with a passion that I didn’t know was