The Right Choice(23)
Author: Carly Phillips

He muttered a harsh curse and repeated her address aloud.

The driver looked at Carly. “Miss?”

“Just go,” Mike said through clenched teeth.

The man glanced over his shoulder at Carly again and she nodded. He swiveled back in his seat and placed the car in gear, jamming his foot down on the accelerator.

Mike looked at Carly and held out his arms.

“Either you’ve lost your mind or your ego is bigger than I thought.” She curled into a tighter ball.

He let out a groan, reached over and pulled her into his embrace. She tried to squirm free, but he held on tight. “Save your energy to argue with me later,” he said. “Right now we’re both wet and freezing. If you don’t want to come down with pneumonia, take advantage of my body heat.”

Heaven knew he was taking advantage of hers. Every breath brought with it her unique scent, and her soft body had begun to relax, molding to his.

“I’m only doing this to keep warm,” she mumbled.

He chuckled. “I know.”

“I’m still angry.”

He leaned his chin on the top of her head. “I know that, too.” And a confrontation was sure to follow.

* * *

After towel-drying her hair, Carly wrapped herself in an ivory terry-cloth robe. The hot shower had warmed her body but not her heart. She felt ice cold inside. Ironically, heartache wasn’t the problem.

She’d already broken up with Peter, already accepted that caring couldn’t replace love when he’d blundered into his admission. And though he’d shocked her, Mike’s silence hurt worse than anything Peter had done. Her ex-fiancé had merely wounded her pride and convinced her that she’d been going through life with blinders on, in more ways than one. She pulled the lapels of the lace collar together at her throat, drew a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom.

Mike stood in front of the credenza that provided a makeshift bar. He’d changed out of his wet clothes. He wore the large gray sweats she’d lent him, a towel draped around his neck… and nothing else. Her gaze was drawn to the muscles in his back and upper arms.

The strength in his body seemed as prevalent as the strength in his character. Another misguided perception, she thought. He too had betrayed her.

The rational part of her rebelled at the notion. The emotional part, the part that had been humiliated tonight, clung to the possibility. A confrontation with Mike was inevitable. Today’s encounters were like a flood after a lifetime drought.

He turned, drinks in hand. “Here.” He held out a brandy snifter. “I think we could both use this to warm up.”

After accepting the glass, she walked away from him. “You knew.”

“Yes.”

She admired his honesty. She just wished it had come sooner. Carly closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. How could the confirmation of something she’d already known hurt so much? She pushed up the sleeves of the oversized robe. “That’s something, I suppose.”

“What is?”

“At least you didn’t lie this time.”

He grasped her arm and swung her toward him. His eyes bore into hers. “I never lied to you.”

The heat of his fingertips seared her skin, branding her and making it difficult to remain focused. “What would you call it?” she asked. “A tiny omission?”

“Yes.” With a groan, he released her. “Put yourself in my position. Where would you find yourself?”

In the middle, she silently conceded.

“I did the only thing I could. I pushed with the knowledge you already had and hoped you’d come to the right decision.”

“And if I hadn’t?”

Guilt etched his features. “I hadn’t thought that far. I guess I had faith in you. And besides… I couldn’t bring myself to be the one to hurt you.”

“And you didn’t want to betray your brother.” A tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.

“That, too.”

She lifted her drink to her lips with trembling hands. “Where did you find this stuff?” Carly only used the credenza when she entertained or had friends over to hang out. Brandy wasn’t a staple in her liquor cabinet. She stifled a laugh. She didn’t have a liquor cabinet.

“I dug through your kitchen and managed to come up with something we could use. Drink up. It should help relax you.”

She took a sip. The dark liquid burned a path down her chest yet centered her somehow. She crossed the room and stared out the window to the street below. Carly tried to hold on to her anger at Mike. She had to. Without it, she didn’t have anyone to turn the brunt of her feelings upon. So he had been torn between her and his brother. His brother, his only family, or a woman he’d just met. Not much of a decision there, she thought bitterly.

He walked toward her and placed a hand on her arm. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” His intense gaze bore into hers, causing a pulse-pounding heaviness in her chest.

Afraid she understood him too well, Carly backed off, heading for the center of the room, searching for space.

SIX

Mike watched Carly’s retreat. Somehow she seemed too composed for a woman who had not only broken her engagement but just discovered that her fiancé had been cheating on her as well. She set down her drink on the hardwood floor and turned her attention to a white wicker basket overflowing with magazines. She crouched down, knees resting on two over-sized throw pillows fringed in yellow.

As he watched, she began rummaging through the stack of magazines, tossing unwanted ones to the side. A huge pile formed beside her. Whether her task enabled her to ignore him or whether she was searching for something, he couldn’t say. The relevance of her actions escaped him, but she seemed to need the distraction.

Her movements caused her robe to part, revealing a hint of cle**age and the round swell of one breast. Mike sucked in a deep breath but found it impossible to look away. He shifted positions and lowered himself onto the couch because if she looked up now, she’d run far and fast. The sweats she had lent him were too tight under ordinary circumstances. What he felt now went way beyond ordinary.

He glanced at her again. “What are you…”

“Aha. Found it.” She rose, then ripped a page from the chosen magazine. “Did you know there’s such a thing as wedding insurance? Damage control for a wedding canceled due to unforeseeable events. Let’s see.” She skimmed the article in her hand.

Mike narrowed his eyes and focused on her distracted behavior. He realized now that she was more affected than he’d originally thought. He fought the urge to ease her pain. To wrap her in his arms and never let go.