Merger By Matrimony by Cathy Williams Read Free Book Online Page B

said, fiddling with the seat belt and finally releasing it. ‘It was lovely to meet Stephanie. I’m sorry if you think that it’s my fault that you’re going to have dinner with some boring friends tomorr—’
    â€˜Oh, forget it.’ He waved aside her apologies irritablyand watched as she walked up to the front door. For a tall girl, she was surprisingly agile, graceful even. She’d never answered his question about what she spent her evenings doing, he realised. He waited, watching as various lights were turned on and switched off, tracing her progress through the house, even though he couldn’t see a thing because the curtains were all drawn. When the place was in darkness, he impulsively got out of his car, sprinted up to the front door and insistently buzzed the bell, keeping his finger on the button until he heard the sounds of shuffling behind the door.
    This time Destiny looked through the peep hole and reluctantly opened the door. ‘What do you want now? ’
    â€˜It’s that damned car,’ he said, raking his fingers through his hair and casting an accusing look in the direction of the inert lump of silver metal on the road. ‘Won’t start.’
    â€˜What?’ She’d pulled on a robe over her long, baggy tee-shirt which served as a nightgown, and now she clutched it tighter around her as she continued to eye him with mounting dismay.
    What now? She didn’t want him in her house! When he wasn’t getting on her nerves he was getting under her skin, and she had enough to cope with without Callum Ross sending her normally well-behaved nervous system into overdrive.
    He shook his head and then glanced at her. ‘I wouldn’t have bothered you… You hadn’t got into bed as yet, had you?’
    â€˜About to.’
    â€˜Well, I wouldn’t have troubled you, but it’s given up on me and I need to use a phone.’
    â€˜A phone? At this hour? Who are you going to phoneto fix your car at this hour? Do car mechanics work around the clock over here?’
    â€˜If I could just come in—it’s a bit nippy out here…’
    For a few seconds she didn’t look as though she was going to budge, but then she reluctantly stepped back and he slipped past her just in case she changed her mind and slammed the door in his face.
    â€˜It seemed to be working perfectly fine on the drive over.’ Destiny stood where she was and folded her arms.
    â€˜Ah, yes. That’s the problem, you see. I’ve been meaning to get it seen to for the past week or so, but I haven’t managed to find a spare moment…to book it in to a garage. Didn’t you notice that it was going particularly slowly on the way over here?’
    Destiny inclined her head to one side and remained silent.
    â€˜One minute it’s absolutely fine; the next minute it’s losing power.’ He cleared his throat and attempted to take firm control of the proceedings instead of acting like a schoolboy caught doing something underhand. Smoking behind the bicycle shed.
    â€˜The telephone’s behind you.’
    â€˜Ah, good. Good, good, good.’ He lifted the receiver and dialled his driver. He felt a heel, actually, having to rouse the man from a deep sleep, but whoever said that life was fair? ‘Bennet’s coming over as soon as he gets dressed. Might be half an hour or so.’ He wondered whether she’d heard him murmuring indistinctly into the phone that there was no rush, within the hour would be fine. ‘Don’t let me keep you from bed… You pop along…I’ll stay down here. The family silver’s safe.’
    Destiny clicked her tongue in annoyance and headed towards the kitchen. ‘I might as well make you a cup of coffee,’ she offered grudgingly.
    â€˜Don’t put yourself out,’ he said, following her and then lounging comfortably on one of the kitchen chairs while she filled