An Affair to Forget Read Online Free Page A

was just wondering…” she whirled round with a yelp of fright, the brush falling from her fingers.
    “ I did knock but obviously you didn’t hear me. I wondered if by any chance you had decided to sneak out and get yourself killed while I was attending to the dogs.”
    “ I didn’t… as you can see.”
    “ Mmm.” He studied her thoughtfully. Nerve ends tingled all over her body and she was aware of a blush working its way up to her throat and face. “Those pyjamas suit you more than they suit me,” he said at last. “I’m making some cocoa. I’ll bring a mug up for you if you like.”
    “ I’m fine, thank you.”
    “ If you’re sure.” He began to close the door, then opened it again to say, “Sleep well. There’s a key in the lock, but don’t feel that you have to use it. You’re quite safe.”
    Somehow he managed to make it sound like an insult instead of an assurance.
    When the door finally closed soundlessly behind him Morrin took a deep, ragged breath, and picked up the hairbrush with trembling fingers. She felt so drained that she scarcely had the energy to climb into bed. She did not turn the key in the lock.
    Lying awake in the darkness she listened to the muted roar of the storm and heard Gareth come upstairs, the dogs thumping ahead of him, his voice low and easy as he spoke to them. She closed her eyes and began to count sheep, but as the bedside clock ticked steadily on sleep drew further and further away.
    She tossed in the comfortable bed, finally sitting up and turning the pillow over, thumping it viciously into place. Love-making might be a new experience for her, but to Gareth Sinclair it was a way of life and she had been a fool to make such a fuss over what, to him, was nothing more than a few kisses. The women he was used to, women like Camilla and, no doubt, Cass, who had made him laugh on the phone only an hour before, would have enjoyed the episode in the sitting-room that evening then dismissed it from their minds. That was what Gareth expected, and what she herself should have done.
    The problem was that Camilla and Cass and Morrin belonged to different worlds. The other two fitted easily into Gareth’s world and Morrin didn’t. Perhaps that was why he had kissed her, Morrin thought, turning over in bed for the umpteenth time. Perhaps it amused him to make love to someone who was unsophisticated and naïve.
    The idea only made her feel worse about herself. At least he was going away for a few days. She could finish typing his manuscript, send it to the agent, and have time to pull herself together before he came back. Then there would be another book to work on, taking dictation in the mornings, checking it over in the afternoons, when he was usually away from home. That was what she needed now, a few days without his distracting presence, a chance to return to her normal routine.
    She was certain of one thing… never again would she stay late to finish work. She had tempted Fate, and Fate had well and truly slapped her down.
    If you can’t stand the heat , get out of the kitchen … Recalling the phrase, Morrin smiled wryly in the darkness. She definitely could not stand the heat. The kitchen was not the place for the likes of her.
    And yet, she thought as sleep finally relented and returned to claim her, it had been wonderful while it lasted. Something that she would never forget; a glimpse of the unattainable and a memory to hold forever.

 
    Three
     
    Morrin woke to find the room filled with light. Expecting to see her familiar little bedsit she was confused and disorientated for a moment. She half sat up, staring round the sunny room, then fell back on to the pillows as Gareth turned from the window, where he had been opening the curtains.
    “ Good morning.”
    “ What are you doing here?”
    “ Protecting your good name.” He had shaved and the ends of his dark hair were still wet from his shower. He was wearing a cream shirt with brown slacks and a soft brown