Free Forgotten (Shattered Sisters Book 2) by MAGGIE SHAYNE

our...wedding night?"
    She swallowed hard. "I'd say you were lying."
    He nodded. "Can't blame a guy for trying." He looked toward the dresser. The strap of the teddy still hung out of the drawer. A confused jumble of anger, disappointment and desire pummeled him. He tried to ignore it and licked his lips. "What if I never remember?"
    She shook her head. "You will. I'm going to help you."
    "I think seeing you in that red number would help me a whole lot, Joey."
    "I really wish you wouldn't talk to me like that."
    He smiled slowly. "Makes you hot?"
    "Makes me angry. You're obnoxious as hell, you know that?" She glanced down at the second hot cloth in her hand and slapped it onto his chest. "Here. This one's for the back of your neck. You can do it yourself."
    She stood and turned to go. Driven by his own demons, Ash lunged from the bed. "You've never worn them, have you? Not any of them."
    Her back stiffened. She said nothing.
    He grabbed her arm, turned her slowly to face him. He forced himself not to hold her too tightly, or to jerk her around. It made no sense to feel this angry. This was about him, not her. And yet he was driven to know. "Answer me, Joey. You've never worn them, have you?"
    "No. I've never worn them. Why is it so damned important, anyway? What do you think, that I put them on and parade through the streets? Jump out of cakes? What?"
    Why this feeling of relief? She could be lying through her teeth for all he knew. God knew it wouldn't be the first time. And why the hell did he care what she wore, or for whom?
    He released his breath and sat down on the bed. He lowered his head, and for the first time he really wondered why she would buy the things and not wear them.
    "So you're stocking up on silk and satin,” he said. “You must have big plans. Expecting a prince on a white horse to come along?"
    She stood perfectly still, her eyes searching his, hurt, but more than that. It felt as if she was trying to see what drove him. "Princes turn into frogs, Ash. Happens every time. I almost forgot that for a little while today. Thanks for reminding me.”
    He heard the real confusion, the pain in her voice and wished he could take back his words. Dammit, the idea of her wearing those things for someone else had filled him with rage. The thought that she could be anything like his mother. He'd just wanted her to deny it.
    "No danger of that with you, though, is there, Ash? You were a frog to begin with." She turned away, reached for the door handle. "By the way, we're having dinner with my sister and Ted tonight. I hope you'll try and fake a few princely qualities while we're there."

Chapter Five
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    Dinner.
    Pot roast with baby potatoes and tiny carrots and whole onions cooked right with the meat. Thick, creamy gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet peas, homemade rolls, still so warm the real butter melted when you spread it on.
    Damn, it was too bad Caroline was already taken. She was the type of woman Ash had been looking for. The kind who'd have babies and not go all to pieces because she'd put on a few pounds. The kind who would adore her life, not go looking for excitement elsewhere.
    But there was something wrong with the picture. Because no matter how hard he tried to make Caroline's image fit the one in his mind, just to remind himself of what he wanted—what he'd
always
wanted—he found himself looking toward Joey, instead.
    All right, he might as well cut to the heart of the matter. He wanted Joey...in a purely physical way. But lust wasn't everything. Just because it had hit him between the eyes like it had never hit him before didn't mean he had to rethink his priorities. And to be perfectly frank about it, he probably wouldn't want her so badly if she wasn't holding out on him so well.
    "I had no idea you two even knew each other, and then you stand there and tell me you're married," Caroline was saying.
    Ted's laugh was low and contained. "I wish I could have seen the look on your face."
    Ash