Castle in the Sand by Megan Hart Read Free Book Online Page A

noise
filled her head and made it ache. Malcolm kissed her neck once
before he pulled out of her. Her dress fell down to her thighs
again.
     
    "Oh, what a mess!" Claire looked around the
kitchen in dismay. There was so much water. Water everywhere. Her
entire front was soaked. She turned the faucet off with a vicious
twist that hurt her wrist. "Damn it."
     
    "It's all right."
     
    She faced him as he pulled up his pants and
zipped them. "You're going to help me clean this up, I hope."
     
    He rolled his eyes but nodded. "I'll
help."
     
    "I knew there was a reason I love you." She
kicked a little water in his direction, but he didn't smile.
     
    "You do love me still?"
     
    "You know I do. How could you think I
don't?"
     
    He sounded almost desperate, but she didn't
know why. "And you'll no stop?"
     
    "I don't plan to." She wiped fruitlessly at
the front of her dress, then gave up.
     
    "Claire, I want you to know I'm sorry for
hurting you. I'm desperately sorry. I never want to hurt you
again."
     
    She didn't like the sound of that at all.
"Hurt me?"
     
    "I have to tell you something, love."
     
    Claire gave him her back and fussed with
draining the sink. The gurgle of the water made her headache
worsen. "Let's get this cleaned up first."
     
    "No, Claire. I think you need to know this
now."
     
    She took a deep breath and clutched at the
porcelain only moments ago she'd been gripping in passion. She
forced her fingers to loosen their grip. "I don't think I want to
hear."
     
    "You have to."
     
    She whirled to face him. "Who says? Who says
I have to? It's something awful, Malcolm. I know it is! What could
be so awful that would make me feel this way? I don't want to
know!"
     
    He spoke softly. "How do you feel?"
     
    "Cold!" she cried, and realized it was true.
"I feel cold all the time. The only time I feel warm is when we're
making love."
     
    His gray-green eyes filled with tears. "I
know, love."
     
    She took a breath and put on a brave face. "I
hope you're not going to tell me you've been unfaithful.
Because...because you know I could not forgive you."
     
    "I know."
     
    Her voice faltered and she forced it to be
strong. "I would never speak to you again probably."
     
    "God, how I know that, too."
     
    She had to concentrate on her breathing, in
and out, to fend off the faintness and nausea threatening to
overwhelm her. "I wouldn't make a scene, you know. I wouldn't want
to ruin everyone's time. I wouldn't make it hard for anyone
else."
     
    "Just for me." He ran his fingers through his
hair, and she saw his hands were trembling.
     
    She sloshed toward the drawer that held the
kitchen towels and grabbed up the entire pile. "Here. Help me clean
this up before the others get here."
     
    He shook his head and made no move to take
the towels. She dropped them to floor, where they instantly began
to soak up the water. She moved them around with her foot, but it
wasn't enough. Everything was still wet.
     
    "The others aren't coming, Claire."
     
    "The hell you say!" She put her hand on her
hips and glared.
     
    His voice broke as he spoke, and he moved
toward her palms up. "Do you no remember, Claire?"
     
    "Remember what?" She spat the words like they
burned her throat. "No. I don't."
     
    "I didn't want to tell you. Not when you
loved me again."
     
    "Again? What do you mean...again?" Shudders
made her body jerk.
     
    She took a step and the water splashed around
her ankles. Water. Everywhere. Water, and the scent of berries, a
smell that should have been pleasant, but instead, made sickness
lurch to her throat with an acid sting.
     
    "I do remember." She turned to face him. Her
eyes felt wide and staring, her mouth stretched tight in a grimace
she couldn't seem to force away. "I remember. We were all coming to
Nonesuch for our week. Our week. The Fellowship. Like always, like
every year. But you came a day early, didn't you? And you weren't
alone."
     
    He had the decency to meet her eyes without
hanging his