Heartbreaker by Linda Howard Read Free Book Online

and get on with her life. After all, there had never been anything between them except her own fantasies, and Roger absolutely adored her. So she had married him, to the delight of both her father and his parents.
    It was a mistake that had almost cost her her life.
    At first everything had been fine. Then Roger had begun to show signs of jealousy whenever Michelle was friendly to another man. Had he sensed that she didn’t love him as she should? That he owned only the most superficial part of her heart? Guilt ate at her even now, because Roger’s jealousy hadn’t been groundless. He hadn’t been able to find the true target, so he’d lashed out whenever she smiled at any man, danced with any man.
    The scenes had gotten worse, and one night he’d actually slapped her during a screaming fight after a party; she’d made the mistake of speaking to the same man twice while they raided the buffet table. Shocked, her face burning, Michelle had stared at her husband’s twisted features and realized that his jealousy had driven him out of control. For the first time, she was afraid of him.
    His action had shocked Roger, too, and he’d buried his face in her lap, clinging to her as he wept and begged her forgiveness. He’d sworn never to hurt her again; he’d said he would rather cut off his own hands than hurt her. Shaken to the core, Michelle did what thousands of women did when their husbands turned on them: she forgave him.
    But it wasn’t the last time. Instead, it got worse.
    Michelle had been too ashamed and shocked to tell anyone, but finally she couldn’t take any more and pressed charges against him. To her horror, his parents quietly bought off everyone involved, and Michelle was left without a legal leg to stand on, all evidence destroyed. Come hell or high water, the Beckmans would protect their son.
    Finally she tried to leave him, but she had gotten no further than Baltimore before he caught up with her, his face livid with rage. It was then that Michelle realized he wasn’t quite sane; his jealousy had pushed him over the edge. Holding her arm in a grip that left bruises for two weeks, he made the threat that kept her with him for the next two years: if she left him again, he’d have her father killed.
    She hadn’t doubted him, nor did she doubt that he’d get away with it; he was too well protected by his family’s money and prestige, by a network of old family friends in the law business. So she’d stayed, terrified that he might kill her in one of his rages, but not daring to leave. No matter what, she had to protect her father.
    But finally she found a way to escape. Roger had beaten her with a belt one night. But his parents had been in Europe on vacation, and by the time they found out about the incident it was too late to use their influence. Michelle had crept out of the house, gone to a hospital where her bruises and lacerations were treated and recorded, and she’d gotten copies of the records. Those records had bought her a divorce.
    The princess would carry the scars to her grave.

 
    Chapter Three
    T HE TELEPHONE RANG as Michelle was nursing her second cup of coffee, watching the sun come up and preparing herself for another day of chores that seemed to take more and more out of her. Dark circles lay under her heavy-lidded eyes, testimony to hours of twisting restlessly in bed while her mind insisted on replaying every word John had said, every sensation his mouth and hands had evoked. His reputation was well earned, she had thought bitterly in the early hours. Lady-killer. His touch was burningly tender, but he was hell on his women anyway.
    She didn’t want to answer the phone, but she knew John well enough to know he never gave up once he set his mind on something. He’d be back, and she knew it. If that was him on the telephone, he’d come over if she didn’t answer. She didn’t feel up to dealing