Affairs & Atonements Read Online Free Page A

eighteen.”
    “We need to be very quiet about it. Marshall would kill me if he found out I even dared to kiss you. He hates my family as it is.” He lifted her chin. “But I’m not going to wait either. I’ve already spoken to your mother and she is willingto witness our marriage if you agreed to it.”
    “You’ve spoken to my mom?” She looked up at him in surprise.
    “I called her up and she happens to agree with me. Without me, you don’t have much of a chance to life.”
    “How could you… how did you know I would even agree?”
    “I told you I knew you,” he replied softly, giving her a little kiss on her lips.
     
    *****
     
    She looked down at her thin gold band on her finger. She didn’t get a diamond ring. She never would have one of those long wooing engagements. But she was happy. She was beginning to feel she was getting a family of her own.
    “I’m sorry I can’t do more for you, Christy,” her mother said, sniveling slightly. “I’m such a terrible mom. But I tried. I really did.”
    “Mom, please.” Christy reached for her clasped hands. “I know. I understand.”
    “But you did well marrying Ashton. You did the right thing. You’ll do fine in a family like his. He will look after you.” Her long frail fingers fiddled with her wallet and pulled out an envelope. “I talked to your father and he wished he could have been here to give you away as well. But you know how it is when your father and I are in the same room.” She handed her the envelope. “It’s five thousand dollars between us. For you.”
    “Mom?”
    Joanna Huntley wiped her eyes. “It’s the best we could rummage under the circumstances.”
    Christy clutched tightly onto the envelope. “Thank you.”
    Joanna put her arms around her and hugged her. “Congratulations, darling. I’m so proud of you.” She laid a small kiss on her cheek. “I’ll say goodbye to Ashton and then try and catch that train back to Boston.” She gave her one last hug and stepped outside the hotel room.
     
    “I’ll say goodbye to Ashton,” her mother’s words reeled in her mind. Once her mother was gone, she would be alone. Her palms grew warm and sweaty. Was she ready for something as this? That one time in that abandoned field should have made the transition easy for her. But for some reason, she was still nervous.
    Had she really felt Ashton inside her? Were those thin cotton briefs enough to veil his turgid flesh? And as for Ashton… while he may have felt her all over, including that warm centre between her legs, he had not seen her. Not yet.
    She clasped her trembling hands tightly and turned towards the mirror. She was Mrs. Ashton Pryor now, she told herself. She was living her dream.
    Her pins in her hair were beginning to hurt her and she began pulling them out to ease the pain. Her thoughts ran over her lies to Marshall and she couldn’t help feeling guilty. She had told him she was taking a short break at her mother’s home in Boston. Marshall had always worried about her safety whenever she was with her mother because of her unending string of boyfriends. Unsurprisingly, it had taken her a little while to convince him to let her go. Her mom also had insisted on keeping it from him and she had ashamedly relented and gone along with the lie.
    She unraveled the locks from her hair, letting it loose down her back. The door swung open and Ashton paced in quickly.
    “I just dropped your mother at the bus station…,” he started and then froze mid-way. “She’ll catch the bus and…” He licked his lips.
    “And?” She tilted her head to the side.
    “And you’re beautiful.” He breathed out gruffly.

CHAPTER 3
     
    She blushed. “No, I just…”
    “You’re beautiful,” he repeated, ambling up to her. “I’ve been wanting to tell you that for ages.”
    “Yeah, right.” She chuckled. “I got married in a white summer dress. I don’t think many girls dream of a wedding in that.”
    He shook his head.