The Inconvenient Bride by Anne McAllister Read Free Book Online

had climbed in beside her and was speaking to the driver. As the car begin to move, she heard Dominic sigh as he settled back next to her. She kept her eyes shut and waited for him to speak. But he didn’t say a word.
    Maybe he was as tired as she was.
    Acting did that to her. Drained her. Left her limp and exhausted. Playing Alice back in high school had wrung her out.
    This had been harder. Lots harder. That she’d rehearsed for. This had been complete improvisation. And while she thought she’d acquitted herself well enough, she was still exhausted. She just wanted to go home and go to bed.
    She didn’t open her eyes until the taxi stopped.
    â€œWe’re here,” Dominic said.
    Sierra hauled herself up and blinked as she looked around.Then she jerked upright and her eyes went wide. “Where? This isn’t my place!”
    â€œOf course not. It’s mine.’ Dominic was handing the driver some money and opening the door. “Come on.”
    But Sierra couldn’t. She stayed right where she was. “I’m not going to your place!”
    Out of the car, he bent down to stare at her. “You’re not— Why not? ” He looked white-faced and furious.
    â€œBecause I’m not! I never agreed to—”
    â€œYou agreed to marry me. You did marry me.” His voice was icy.
    â€œI know, but—”
    â€œMarriage implies cohabitation,” he reminded her. He was gritting his teeth.
    â€œNot…not necessarily.” It was one thing to have mad passionate sex with Dominic. It was entirely another to get sucked up into his apartment, his world, his life! She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not getting out,” she told the taxi driver. “I need to go downtown.”
    â€œThe hell you do!” Dominic protested.
    But Sierra ignored him and gave the driver her address.
    â€œYou can’t—!”
    The driver flipped on the meter, then glanced at Dominic. “Mister, you gotta shut the door.”
    â€œNo. I don’t. She’s not—!”
    â€œYes, I am. Now. Drive,” Sierra commanded the driver. “Go on!”
    â€œNo!” Dominic resolutely held the door open, not moving an inch.
    The driver looked from one to the other of them, annoyed. “I got a business here.”
    â€œSo take me—”
    â€œNo!”
    â€œD’youse two suppose youse could maybe settle this somewhere else?” the taxi driver said plaintively.
    â€œYes,” Dominic said.
    â€œNo,” Sierra said.
    Their gazes locked. They glared.
    â€œPlease!” the taxi driver implored them.
    Sierra clutched her box and didn’t budge.
    Finally Dominic flung himself back into the cab and slammed the door “Fine. Take us to her place.” He challenged Sierra to contradict him. “We’ll stay there.”
    Â 
    â€œYou can’t stay here!” Sierra said for the umpteenth time as Dominic followed her up the narrow stairway to her flat.
    â€œYou refused to stay at my place,” he reminded her. It was getting hard to breathe, and not from the three-floor climb. Rather it was a result of being on eye level with Sierra’s curvy bottom the whole way up. Her denim mini-skirt barely seemed to cover it. And it didn’t matter that the rest of her was discreetly covered in black ribbed leggings, Dominic had a good imagination.
    And a good memory.
    At last Sierra stopped in front of a tall metal door. She fitted a key into a lock, undid it, moved on to another one, undid that, then unlocked a third, and pushed open the door. “It doesn’t mean you had to come here.”
    â€œApparently it does, if I want to spend my wedding night with my bride.” He followed on her heels, suspecting that she would shut the door on him if he gave her half a chance.
    Apparently the thought had occurred to her, because the color was high in her cheeks and she aimed a disgusted look in his