Free His Californian Countess by Kate Welsh

sure,” a woman responded.
    Then a man who was clearly the woman’s husband said, “You need to be a bit easier on her. Isn’t that right, Mother? The wife, here, hid in her room for nearly a fortnight after our wedding night.”
    “It was scarcely a day or two, Stewart!”
    “Well, I’m sure it just seemed that long to me, dearest. Your little bride will come around just as mine did.”
    Amber pressed her ear to the door, but still couldn’t understand what the woman was going on about until her voice rose. “Let me know if she needs a woman’s support. I noticed she had no older woman along to advise her and she looks quite young.”
    Good God! She’d never leave her stateroom again.
    “Let. Me. In,” came Jamie’s tight demand moments later.
    She couldn’t fight the smile that bloomed unbidden. So she wasn’t the only one mortified by this situation. Good! But oh, Lord, her face felt as if it was on fire. Shedoubted she would even leave the cabin in the very middle of the night after this. The passengers must all be talking about their argument. Argument was so civilized a word for that donnybrook! They’d screamed at each other. No, actually, she’d screamed. At the top of her lungs. He’d just stood there naked and sure of himself.
    She backed away from the door, her eyes still trained on it.
    “I can stand here all day,” he threatened now.
    And wasn’t that a lovely thought. She turned her back to the door. Him out there, drawing attention to them. “Go away. I’m never coming out and you’re not up to standing there all day anyway.”
    “See.” His voice dropped. “You still care even though I acted like an ass.”
    She balled her hands into fists. She pulled the skirt over her head, then donned, buttoned and tucked the blouse inside the dark serge before buttoning the smart front placket. It was nearly too much for Amber—that mocking tone in his voice even if he’d mocked himself. And he had acted like an ass.
    Oh, how she wished she had the nerve to say something like that out loud. Instead she finally said the only thing that came into her head. “I don’t need your limp and lifeless body lying across my doorway. I prefer to make my way to meals unimpeded.”
    “Excellent. We’re getting somewhere. You admit you have to come out some time. We can go to the dining hall together. I can’t wait to see your lovely face. Take your time dressing, though. I’ll wait. And so you won’t worry, I’ll just sit on this comfortable sofa outside our cabin.”
    Our cabin? Amber felt it happen again. Her long, well-controlled temper erupted for the second time in one single morning. She didn’t know why he had the ability to anger her so severely, but having him call that cabin theirs just ran her patience right out to the end. She whirled around, stalked to the door and yanked it open before she could stop herself.
    And there he was, still as tall as she remembered, his broad shoulders filling the doorway, long, lean legs crossed. He was leaning against the doorjamb, a little smile tipping his lips up at the corners. “Pixie,” he said, “your ensemble is lovely.”
    “Don’t you dare try to jolly me!” she said breathlessly, rage constricting her muscles. “You are a cad! I had my whole life planned. And you…you stand there smiling while that life becomes more and more out of my reach.”
    He held his hands up as if in surrender. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t myself earlier. At least not the kind person I try to be.”
    “You try to be kind? You failed. Spectacularly!” She pushed on the door to slam it in his face, but his foot stopped her.
    After a momentary tussle, he pressed his hand against it and asked, “How can I prove I’m sorry for the things I said? Please allow me to come in so we can be private. Or maybe we could find a quiet place on deck.”
    “Very well,” she said, stepping back to allow him entry. The last thing she wanted was to have a