Unexpected Consequences by Cara Bristol Read Free Book Online

from her crying, her makeup painted her with raccoon eyes. No wonder Jared had told her to fix her face.
    She turned her backside to the mirror, lifted her robe, and peered over her shoulder. A butterfly of red and pink stained her normally pale cheeks. She let her robe drop.
    Now she knew the consequences for disobedience. Beyond that, she knew nothing. The only thing she could do now was finish preparing for the party and, for the evening, pretend her marriage wasn’t shattered in pieces about her feet.

Chapter Four
     
    The doorbell echoed, and Melania emerged from the kitchen where she’d been hiding. She had developed a sixth sense as to where Jared was located and made it her purpose to be somewhere else, finding things to do in different rooms of the house as his location changed. She had no idea how to act, what to say. But with the arrival of their guests, she had no choice but to face him. She met Jared in the foyer.
    Reluctantly she met his gaze. Melania was surprised to see approval and warmth gleaming in his dark eyes. “You look beautiful.” His tone sounded husky.
    Her stomach flip-flopped with confusion and a smattering of resentment. Was it that easy for him? That simple? An hour ago he’d paddled her until she couldn’t sit down, and now everything was normal? He’d turned her world upside down and then switched gears as easily as he would flip a light switch.
    “Thank you,” she responded coolly.
    The new dress she’d planned to wear had been too snug across her aching buttocks, and after several wardrobe changes, she settled on a simple teal green sheath, its smooth silk fabric the least abrasive on her sore bottom. She paired it with a multistrand seashell necklace, matching earrings, and casual high-heel mules, chosen because they didn’t rub her blistered heels.
    Jared had showered, and his dark brown hair appeared almost black except for the silver wings at his temples. The shadow of a beard was gone. He wore khaki slacks and a patterned blue-and-khaki short-sleeved shirt. He appeared relaxed, comfortable, and way too handsome for her peace of mind. Perhaps she should be mad for what he’d done, but curiously, she wasn’t. Confused, apprehensive, unsettled, but not angry. “You look very handsome.” The compliment slipped out.
    “Thank you.” He inclined his head before stepping forward to open the door.
    He grinned broadly at the couple standing under the portico. “Hey! Come on in.” He widened the opening, and he curved his arm easily around Melania, pulling her to his side. His touch felt awkward, and she tensed. How was a wife supposed to act after her husband punished her?
    “Honey, you remember Otis and Liz Davenport?” His tone was boisterous, cheerful—too boisterous and too cheerful. She realized he wasn’t as unaffected as he’d first appeared. Her heart skipped with naughty glee that he wasn’t untouched after all.
    “Of course.” She greeted their visitors with a handshake and a wooden smile. She recognized the couple. The woman was in her midforties and carried an elegance Melania hoped to attain. Her hair was cut to a sleek and glossy chin-length bob. Her tall, slender frame looked fabulous in black skinny jeans, ballet flats, and an off-the-shoulder zebra print top. Her husband, only a few inches taller, was a distinguished gentleman, perhaps twenty years her senior.
    Liz handed Melania a basket containing a heavenly-smelling bag of gourmet coffee and an equally scrumptious ration of muffins. “Blueberry.” Liz smiled warmly. “For the morning.”
    “How thoughtful.” Melania’s smile wasn’t entirely forced. “Thank you. Come on in.”
    As Liz and Otis entered, the other couple pulled up next to the Davenports’ Porsche in an SUV.
    “Perfect timing!” Jared said as the new arrivals exited the vehicle and waved.
    Melania guessed Candi and Tucker Kennedy were only a few years older than she was, perhaps in their late twenties. Candi resembled the