Summer Sins

‘Shh, sweetheart,’ he said. ‘You’ll wake up the neigh-bourhood, not to mention Daniel down the hall.’

‘I can’t help it,’ Hayley panted as she came back down to earth with a series of tiny shudders that reverberated through her body. ‘You make me feel so … so out of control.’

‘You and me too, baby,’ he said and a deep low groan burst from his throat as the waves of ecstasy washed over him.

‘I love you,’ she whispered as she stroked her fingers over his back. ‘I love you.’

He didn’t answer but she comforted herself as she listened to him drift off to sleep a few minutes later that he still had her in his arms, her head pressed to his chest over the steady beating of his heart.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

HAYLEY

WAS BOTH relieved and disappointed when she came downstairs the next morning to find Jasper had already left for work, the brief note he’d left informing her he’d taken Daniel to school on the way. She had been sick three times and her stomach was still revolting at the thought of food. She couldn’t imagine how she would have explained it if either of them had seen or heard her stumbling about the bathroom as she showered and dressed for work.

Lucy winced when she saw Hayley’s pale face as she came into the salon. ‘Was it positive?’

Hayley nodded, doing her best not to cry.

‘I don’t know what to say,’ Lucy said. ‘I can’t help feeling Jasper’s going to let you down. His track record with pregnant girlfriends isn’t great.’

‘I’m his w-wife.’ Hayley sniffed. ‘Not his girlfriend.’

‘I know, but for how long?’

‘Not long enough.’

‘He’s a user, Hayley,’ she said. ‘You’ll be better off without him.’

‘He’s not a user. He’s a wonderful person. You don’t know him as I do.’

‘Yeah, well, try telling that to Mrs Beckforth,’ Lucy said. ‘She’s booked in to see you at ten.’

Hayley felt her stomach tilt. ‘Oh …’

‘I was prepared to give Jasper a chance, but after what she told me when she phoned a few minutes ago I’ve decided he’s up to no good,’ Lucy said. ‘God, Hayley, surely you can see it? He married you to get his hands on even more money, but he won’t give a cent to the mother of his child for his upkeep. You’re going to end up the same, or you will if you ever decide to tell him about your pregnancy.’

Hayley bit her lip. She wasn’t sure she should reveal the content of her conversation with Jasper, even to her best friend.

‘You’re a fool, Hayley,’ Lucy carried on. ‘When he’s finished with you he’ll treat you the same way he’s treated Miriam.’

‘There are always two sides to these sorts of stories,’ Hayley put in.

Lucy rolled her eyes. ‘God, he really did a good job on you, didn’t he? That lethal Caulfield charm has just claimed yet another victim.’

‘You’re wrong about him, Lucy,’ she said. ‘I just know you are.’

‘That remains to be seen,’ Lucy said.

The salon door chimed as someone entered and Hayley let out a sigh of relief as Lucy stepped from behind the counter to greet her first client of the day.

At ten a.m. on the dot the door chimed again and June Beckforth came into the salon, but instead of her usual slightly cloying smile she was snarling.

‘Hello, Mrs Beckforth,’ Hayley greeted her politely.

June’s cold grey eyes insolently raked Hayley from head to foot. ‘So you’re his bit of fluff now, are you?’ she asked with a curl of her thin lips. ‘I thought you would have had more sense considering what I’ve told you about him.’

‘I am Jasper’s wife, if that’s what you mean,’ she said calmly, trying not to be intimidated by the venomous glare she was receiving.