wearing sackcloth. The only expression she could see in his face was a stony resolve to get something unpleasant over and done with, and his eyes seemed to hold-of all thingscompassion.
Minutes ago she'd been sitting on his lap, kissing him, wooing him, pressing his hand to, her breast. Humiliation burned through her entire body. He didn't want her. His physical reaction had been nothing more than a reflex, just a fleeting, automatic lust.
"What do you expect me to do?" she asked him, trying to keep any shrillness out of her voice. "Wait until it is over?"
He shook his head. "You don't understand, Celine."
"How could I?" She had to suppress hysteria. "I'm only your wife, after all. Of course I don't understand!"
"I've told you I'm sorry," he said. "It doesn't do any good repeating it." His chest heaved. "Celine-if you can't understand at least try to accept it. It will never be over." His eyes were almost desperate in their dark demand. "I'm in love with her."
Chapter 5
'In love." Celine stared blankly. "You said you'd never fall in love again."
"I know."
Her voice rising despite her best intentions, she said, "You spelled it out for me before we got engaged. You warned me! All you could promise me was loving friendship in a stable marriage. You'd never be tempted to stray because your heart-the part that could fall in love, anyway-was buried with Juliet!"
"I know what I said! I was wrong." He looked almost haggard. "I was wrong," he repeated. "I was wrong to think it, wrong to say it, wrong to build my marriage to you on a mistaken belief. I can only hope that in time you'll forgive me."
"Forgive you? When you've just told me you intend to go on seeing-who is she? Anyone I know?" Mentally she started running through a list of their friends. None of the women seemed a likely candidate.
"You've met her." He bent his head, one hand massaging the back of his neck.
Celine momentarily recalled how she'd caressed him there, five minutes ago-aeons ago. "Well-" she said. "-Who?"
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't make this public," he said.
Why? she wondered wildly. Was he ashamed? Or protecting the woman? "Hasn't she told her husband? A bit less honest than you, is she?"
"She isn't married," he said. "It's Katie .. . Kate Payne."
At first sheer astonishment held her silent. Immediately on its heels came a feeling, rather than a coherent thought of course.
"Bo Peep?" she said at last, and began to laugh, peal after peal, her head going back.
"Don't, Celine!"
But she went on laughing, a hand at her midriff, the laughter welling out of her until he grabbed at her shoulders and gave her a sharp little shake. "Stop it!"
His face was white and furious. Celine choked to a stop and stared at him, her eyes wide and clear. "You fool, Max," she said distinctly. She knew her face had gone tight, hard. "You think you're in love with that little blond bombshell? You and how many of your balding, pot-bellied, fatuous, middle-aged colleagues? I'll bet half the office is in love with the girl. You'll all get over it!" Impatiently she knocked aside his arms, so that his hands left her. "You're better-looking than the other senior partners," she said, her voice cool and expressionless. "I can understand why she's plumped for you, but for heaven's sake, you're ten-eleven years older than she is. And married."
"Celine, I'm serious about this-about her."
She stared, and finally shook her head faintly in wonder. "Oh, I can see you are. And I suppose you think she is, too."
He opened his mouth, and she knew he'd been going to say that Kate was just as serious as he was. But he changed his mind. "I needn't discuss her feelings with you," he said instead. "That's between Kate and me. I hope that we-you and I-can remain the friends we've always been. It may not be easy at first, but I'm sure we can work it out."
They'd always been able to work out any problems. But this ... this was different. She looked at
Minutes ago she'd been sitting on his lap, kissing him, wooing him, pressing his hand to, her breast. Humiliation burned through her entire body. He didn't want her. His physical reaction had been nothing more than a reflex, just a fleeting, automatic lust.
"What do you expect me to do?" she asked him, trying to keep any shrillness out of her voice. "Wait until it is over?"
He shook his head. "You don't understand, Celine."
"How could I?" She had to suppress hysteria. "I'm only your wife, after all. Of course I don't understand!"
"I've told you I'm sorry," he said. "It doesn't do any good repeating it." His chest heaved. "Celine-if you can't understand at least try to accept it. It will never be over." His eyes were almost desperate in their dark demand. "I'm in love with her."
Chapter 5
'In love." Celine stared blankly. "You said you'd never fall in love again."
"I know."
Her voice rising despite her best intentions, she said, "You spelled it out for me before we got engaged. You warned me! All you could promise me was loving friendship in a stable marriage. You'd never be tempted to stray because your heart-the part that could fall in love, anyway-was buried with Juliet!"
"I know what I said! I was wrong." He looked almost haggard. "I was wrong," he repeated. "I was wrong to think it, wrong to say it, wrong to build my marriage to you on a mistaken belief. I can only hope that in time you'll forgive me."
"Forgive you? When you've just told me you intend to go on seeing-who is she? Anyone I know?" Mentally she started running through a list of their friends. None of the women seemed a likely candidate.
"You've met her." He bent his head, one hand massaging the back of his neck.
Celine momentarily recalled how she'd caressed him there, five minutes ago-aeons ago. "Well-" she said. "-Who?"
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't make this public," he said.
Why? she wondered wildly. Was he ashamed? Or protecting the woman? "Hasn't she told her husband? A bit less honest than you, is she?"
"She isn't married," he said. "It's Katie .. . Kate Payne."
At first sheer astonishment held her silent. Immediately on its heels came a feeling, rather than a coherent thought of course.
"Bo Peep?" she said at last, and began to laugh, peal after peal, her head going back.
"Don't, Celine!"
But she went on laughing, a hand at her midriff, the laughter welling out of her until he grabbed at her shoulders and gave her a sharp little shake. "Stop it!"
His face was white and furious. Celine choked to a stop and stared at him, her eyes wide and clear. "You fool, Max," she said distinctly. She knew her face had gone tight, hard. "You think you're in love with that little blond bombshell? You and how many of your balding, pot-bellied, fatuous, middle-aged colleagues? I'll bet half the office is in love with the girl. You'll all get over it!" Impatiently she knocked aside his arms, so that his hands left her. "You're better-looking than the other senior partners," she said, her voice cool and expressionless. "I can understand why she's plumped for you, but for heaven's sake, you're ten-eleven years older than she is. And married."
"Celine, I'm serious about this-about her."
She stared, and finally shook her head faintly in wonder. "Oh, I can see you are. And I suppose you think she is, too."
He opened his mouth, and she knew he'd been going to say that Kate was just as serious as he was. But he changed his mind. "I needn't discuss her feelings with you," he said instead. "That's between Kate and me. I hope that we-you and I-can remain the friends we've always been. It may not be easy at first, but I'm sure we can work it out."
They'd always been able to work out any problems. But this ... this was different. She looked at
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