Part Time Marriage by Jessica Steele Read Free Book Online Page A

her mother had been all for her being `nice' to Tommy Fielding. Noah Peverelle and Tommy Fielding weren't in the same street! 'Er we're only dating,' she thought she had better mention. She had no idea yet which way this arrangement, or non-arrangement, was going.

    `You told Tommy Fielding you were seeing someone, long-term. Oh, please don't tell me you're thinking of just moving in with him.'

    `I can promise you, Mum, that's the last thing I'm thinking of,' Elexa replied, glad to be able to be honest about that at least. While she owned to starting to feel more than a touch confused about what she was doing-she could hardly imagine she'd had the nerve to ring Peverelle the way she had last Sundayshe was clear about that. She had her own place-why would she want to move into his?

    Her mother seemed so relieved she came and gave her a hug, `You will tell me-as soon as there is anything to tell me?' she asked urgently.

    She meant an engagement, or marriage, Elexa knew that she did, and as her heartt went all soft on her Elexa forgot for the moment the weight of pressure-well- meaning, but pressure all the same-that her parents constantly applied in their urgency for her to be married.

    All Elexa knew then was that she loved her worrying mother, and that if it would mean so very much to her to see her walk down that aisle then, if Peverelle was willing, it didn't seem such a huge step to take.

    'I'll be on the phone to you as soon as,' she promised.

    But when, not long afterwards, she was seated beside Peverelle as he drove them back to London she was starting to have second thoughts, and that wedding aisle seemed suddenly ten miles long.

    Barely a word passed between them on the return journey, which was all right by Elexa; she had a lot on her mind. She guessed that Noah Peverelle had too, because they had almost arrived at her door before he let her into some of his thoughts.

    `It's a bit late for us to have any lengthy discussion-there are things I have to ask you, matters you'll want to clear up with me,' he said. 'I'll give you a call in the morning and arrange a time to talk the whole situation through.' Elexa swallowed. He hadn't met the chief members of her family and rejected the notion out of hand, then? She began to feel a bit shaky inside. Now, she realised, was the time to tell him that she'd changed hermind, that she didn't want to take it any further.

    Against that, though, was the certainty that her mother would be twice as protective of her if she thought that she was broken-hearted that she had split with her `steady' .

    Noah Peverelle pulled the Jaguar up outside of her apartment building and Elexa knew she had to tell him something-either, yes, give me a call, or, no, don't bother. She turned to look at him, thinking over what he had just said. Solemnly he stared back at her. Her heart picked up a panicky beat.

    Then suddenly she recalled he had included her viewpoint in his `matters you'll want to clear up with me' and she began to like him a little more. No way could she accuse him of looking at everything from purely his own angle.

    `Fine,' she agreed at last, and still feeling shaky she got out of the car.

    Noah got out of the car too, and went to the outer door with her, but waited only long enough for her to find her key and unlock the door. Then, `Goodnight,' he said brusquely and went back to his car.

    He was driving away before she had the door closed, and, alone once more, Elexa immediately began to have doubts. She had just spent several hours with him, but she was no nearer to knowing the man. She did not know him. In fact, the man was a stranger to her. Was she honestly, truly, thinking of marrying him?

    CHAPTER THREE

    WITH the coming of daylight the doubts and fears of her night-time thoughts seemed to lessen, and Elexa began to realise that perhaps it might be better if she didn't know Noah Peverelle. Wouldn't it be better if the man remained a stranger? Well, not a complete