Burning Obsession

‘I can tell you that in one word, Kelly—sex,’ he scorned.

She gasped. ‘That’s a lie!’

‘You enjoyed being made love to,’ his gaze ran slowly over her body, his mouth quirked in a humourless smile. ‘And I enjoyed making love to you.’

Her eyes sparkled, her mouth set in an angry line. ‘For a time,’ she nodded. ‘Until I bored you. I can’t think why you married me.’

‘Can’t you?’ he drawled, casually flicking her dark hair back from her cheek.

‘No!’ she snapped, flinching away from his long sensitive fingers.

‘For a very good reason, Kelly.’ He strode out of the office.

She hurriedly followed him, her short legs having trouble keeping pace with his much longer ones. She looked up at him questioningly. ‘What was the reason?’

Jordan suddenly stopped dead, causing several other people in the corridor to give them curious looks. ‘Now listen, Kelly,’ his voice was harsh. ‘The time to ask for these explanations was before you walked out on me and our marriage. I certainly don’t intend having a postmortem on it now.’

‘Why have you never divorced me, Jordan?’

‘Why?’ he laughed softly, unpleasantly. ‘Quite simply you’ve proved a valuable deterrent.’

‘Deterrent…?’

‘To any other woman who thought she might like to be my wife,’ he explained tauntingly. ‘Now smile, my love,’ he drawled mockingly. ‘We’re going in to see your father.’

‘But—’

‘Smile, Kelly!’

She did so with extreme difficulty, resenting the way he deliberately laced his fingers through hers, the smile of intimacy he gave her as they went into the hospital room.

Her father was very pale, although he brightened somewhat as they came in. ‘Did you enjoy Barbados?’ his eyes twinkled merrily.

Kelly’s blush was perfectly genuine. ‘It was very nice,’ she

told him in a stilted voice.

Jordan’s fingers tightened painfully on hers before he released her hand, putting his arm about her shoulders and pulling her against his side. ‘Kelly’s shy,’ he told her father. ‘In actual fact we hardly left our villa,’ he smiled down at her, a warning in his eyes.

Her blush deepened. It was true, they hadn’t. And she had come back love-drugged, satiated with the possession of Jordan’s warm, vibrant body. She had been glowing with love for him—nothing like the wariness with which she now viewed him.

‘I think you both forgot to eat,’ her father smiled teasingly.

‘We had better things to do with our time,’ Jordan returned that smile.

Kelly looked at him beneath lowered lashes. He was leaner, quite gaunt in the face, although it in no way detracted from his looks, he would still have those in old age.

‘I’m sure you did,’ her father chuckled. ‘Kelly!’ he held out his hands to her.

‘Oh, Daddy!’ She went down beside him, burying her face in his chest. ‘I’ve been so worried about you,’ she sobbed.

He smoothed her hair. ‘It’s all right, darling, I’m all right. And you’ve had Jordan to lean on.’

Yes, she had. She hadn’t felt as lost and alone since Jordan had arrived, although not for one minute would she ever admit that to him. He was an adulterer and she hated him!

‘Hey,’ her father finally chided, ‘you’re making my pyjamas all wet!’

‘Sorry,’ she moved back with a tearful smile.