Red-Hot Lover. Sarah Holland
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said harshly. ‘She’s your best friend, and your relationship is as much a farce as this wedding!’
Breathless, she felt the colour drain from her face as the knife went into her heart. How could you? she thought, pain glittering in her eyes. How could you have said that when you know how I feel about her? Even Susie was too shocked to speak. They both just stood there, staring at him. The sun shone down on the spire of the church rising above their heads to a halcyon blue sky.
Jared looked away. ‘Forgive me. I didn’t mean that.’ Then he drained his glass of champagne and strode to the trestle table to get a refill. Clara stared after him.
‘Well…’ breathed Susie beside her, trying to make light of it although her voice was shaky. ‘Somebody got out of bed on the wrong side this morning. Talk about grumpy-stump-stump!’
Clara turned slowly. Her fingers were so tense on the champagne flute in her hand that she thought the crystal might break at any moment. ‘Susie, I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry. Please forgive—’
‘Oh, don’t worry about it.’ Susie put a hand on hers, shaking her red-gold bridal head. ‘You’ve always said he hates weddings and now I’ve seen it for myself. I just didn’t realise he hated them this much.’
‘Neither did I.’ Clara looked across the lawn to him again.
Jared seemed to sense her watching him and looked round. Their eyes met. He gave her a long, hard stare then a tell-tale stain of red touched his scarred cheekbone. He turned away, drinking his champagne. Hiding his expression from me, thought Clara at once. He doesn’t want me to know what it is he’s feeling. And that’s the key to all this, isn’t it? she thought suddenly. His feelings are building up like a whirlwind. If only he’d tell me what they are.
‘Maybe it’s because it’s my wedding.’ Susie frowned, deep in thought, as she too looked at Jared, trying to understand why a man who had always treated her with affection and respect should suddenly turn into this hostile stranger.
‘But Jared adores you, Susie.’ Clara turned back to her. ‘He really does. I mean—he hates most of my friends but I know he likes you. He would try to get rid of you if he didn’t. You know how possessive he is.’
Susie smiled wryly. ‘The men who love you always are…’
‘But he’s never done that with you. If anything, he’s encouraged our friendship.’
‘Well, he’s not encouraging it any more, is he?’
Clara’s lovely face went very still. ‘You don’t think that’s why he said all that, do you?’
‘I don’t know Clara-Bear.’
Their eyes met and held in poignant affection for a moment.
‘If he’s trying to break us up, I’ll never forgive him,’ Clara muttered fiercely under her breath. ‘I just won’t.’
‘Calm down,’ Susie said at once, taking her hand again. ‘It might be a false alarm. For all we know, he’ll stop being so bad-tempered once he gets to the reception.’
‘What if he doesn’t? What if he—?’
‘Susie! He wants to do the photos now!’ Gareth called suddenly from across the lawn, smiling and waving as he stood on a mound of grass with his family. ‘Bring Clara and Jared, will you?’
‘Okay, darling!’ Susie called, then turned back to Clara, whispering confidentially, ‘I’ll leave you to get Jared. But try to hurry him up. The quicker these are taken, the quicker we can all get to the reception.’ She glided away.
Clara took a quick drink of her champagne, then turned to walk over to Jared.
She stopped after one step. Her heart somersaulted with sick disbelief. Jared was flirting with another woman. Not just flirting but actively showing sexual interest. And the brunette beside him was lapping it up, thrusting out her cleavage, tossing her long hair and licking her over-painted lips.
I can’t believe it, she thought, trembling. He’s never flirted with another woman. Never even looked at one. Since the minute they’d met, Jared had only had eyes for her. Why was he doing this? Right in front of her? Right here on Susie’s wedding day, when he should have been at Clara’s side, sharing her joy and happiness—not behaving like a swine, biting people’s heads off then going to flirt with another woman.
Tears sprang to her eyes but she blinked them back. She groped around for her faith in him. He loves me, she told herself fiercely. I know he does. It’s just that something’s wrong and he can’t share it with me. Not yet. Whatever it is, I’ll sort it out with him later. Meanwhile, that little man-eater is not getting her hands on my man!
Straightening up fast, Clara put her best foot forward and went over to break up the little tête-à-tête.
‘Darling!’ Smiling brightly, she slid a possessive hand through his arm. ‘Sorry to drag you away, but it’s time for the family photos.’
‘Must I?’ he demanded tightly.
‘Yes, you must.’ Her heart skipped beats with fear. She was appalled that he could even consider turning her down, especially in front of this seductive stranger.
‘Family photos?’ drawled the brunette, with a withering glance at Clara. ‘What a bore, Jared. I’d decline if I were you.’
‘I’m afraid he can’t decline,’ Clara said thickly. ‘You see, the bride is my sister. Jared lives with me and has been my boyfriend—’ she enunciated the word ‘boyfriend’ ‘—for the last two years. So, he really is honour-bound to appear in the wedding photos.’ She tugged at Jared’s arm. ‘Come along, darling. They’re waiting for us.’
Relief overwhelmed her because Jared allowed himself to be pulled away, but his face was very tense and his eyes were dark. In silence they walked across the sunlit churchyard. Birds were singing above the laughter of the guests. The summer breeze was warm on Clara’s skin, but inside her heart was aching and hurt.
‘I don’t want to be in these damned photos!’ he muttered beside her, trying to guide her away from the grassy mound they were supposed to be going to.
‘Jared, what on earth is the matter with you?’ she asked hoarsely, keeping her voice low so no one could hear her. ‘You knew you had to be in the photos. I told you weeks ago.’
‘Did you? I forgot.’
‘You can’t possibly have forgotten. I’ve reminded you almost every day. And don’t try to tell me you deliberately flirted with that woman to avoid having your photo taken. You have your photo taken all the time.’
‘For business purposes.’
‘Don’t be evasive,’ she whispered fiercely. ‘You know what you did just now. How could you? How could you humiliate me by flirting with that woman so blatantly?’
‘I wasn’t flirting with her,’ he muttered under his breath, watching his polished black shoes as he walked.
‘Yes, you were. I’m not a fool. Nor are any of the people here today.’ Hurt flashed in her eyes. ‘And you made me feel very jealous. You did that deliberately. I know you did. Why did you do that? What on earth have I done to make you behave this way?’
‘I hate weddings,’ he bit out thickly. ‘I keep telling you that. You should have left me at home and come alone.’
‘I needed you with me.’
‘You keep saying that, but—’ He broke off, stopped walking and studied the waiting group a few feet from them.
The bride, the groom, the photographer and Gareth’s family were all smiling across at Clara and Jared. It was an idyllic, happy scene, thought Clara. Everyone looked so good, and the sun was high in a clear blue sky on what must have been one of the hottest days of the year so far.