The Contract by Marsh, Nicola (read aloud books .txt) 📕

bad her holier-than-thou husband didn’t practice what he preached; tonight, he was meeting up with an old girlfriend and his mother, who seemed hell-bent on destroying their marriage.

No amount of tending to her chakras would soothe her soul today. There was only one way to face trouble of this proportion and it was head on.

Nothing like gate-crashing a party. And Amber had every intention of being the third woman to join her husband’s little sojourn tonight.

Eight

Steve hated lying to Amber. He’d come so close to telling her about his promise to his grandmother, only to renege at the last minute. If he told her about his need for an heir to secure Ethel’s fortune and the reason why, his wife would divorce him quicker than the few days it had taken him to fall for her in the first place.

And he’d fallen hard, no doubt about that. Once he’d let go of his initial reservations she’d blossomed under his attentions, leaving him with a strange ache in the vicinity of his heart whenever she wasn’t around. Not that he was stupid enough to confuse caring with love. The emotions she elicited in him were based on mutual respect, liking and a rampaging lust that shook him in its intensity.

Now all they needed was a baby to seal their union and he would be the happiest man alive. The thought of a beautiful little girl who looked like her mother clutched at his heart in a way he’d never thought possible. He would bestow all the love he could on his child. No child of his would ever feel unwanted; he’d learned, the hard way.

Besides, he needed an heir; there was no way his mother would ever see a penny of his grandmother’s fortune, not while he still lived and breathed.

He cringed at the thought of his mother. He’d lied to Amber about that too, saying he couldn’t make it to the shop opening tonight due to business. In reality, he hadn’t wanted to subject his wife to his mother’s vitriol again so he’d invented the excuse of a business dinner rather than ask Amber to accompany them to the fashion parade. He wanted to nurture Amber, not drive her away and his mother had the power to do just that.

The intercom on his desk buzzed. “Your mother on line two, Mr. Rockwell.”

He sighed in resignation. He really shouldn’t think of his mother. Whenever he did, she materialised. “Put her through then go home, Chelsea.”

“Thanks, Mr. Rockwell. See you in the morning.”

He steeled himself for the dulcet tones of his mother.

“Steven, what are you still doing at the office? Aren’t you ready yet?”

He glanced at his watch, wondering if he had time to stop for a fortifying pint on the way to the Convention Centre.

As he heard the impatient clickety-clack of his mother’s manicured nails tapping against the phone, he knew it would take a keg or two to give him the courage to last an entire evening in her company. “I said I’d be there at seven. What’s your problem?”

“No problem, darling. I have a surprise for you, that’s all.”

He frowned and signed off on the last document on his desk. “You know I hate surprises.”

Her laughter grated on his already taut nerves. “Trust me, Steven. You’ll love this one.”

Trust his mother? He’d given up on that fairy-tale a long time ago. “See you at seven. And don’t plan on a post-parade supper. I’m heading home to my wife afterwards.”

He didn’t like her murmured, “We’ll see,” as he punched the disconnect button.

* * *

Amber lay back in the Jacuzzi and closed her eyes, savouring the water jets that pounded her weary flesh. It had been a long day, with inquisitive customers streaming into Harmony till closing time, when she’d locked up and hosted a select few for a small opening celebration. It had been some day. She’d sold close to three thousand dollars worth of stock, more than triple her expectations for the first week. Her dream had become a reality.

Well, at least one of them.

As for her happily-ever-after fantasy, that had taken a nose-dive around the time the mother-in-law from hell and her offsider had entered her domain. And had been firmly cemented in the delusional pile of discarded dreams half an hour ago when her lying husband had rung to confirm he’d be home late tonight. He’d even had the cheek to ask her to wait up for him.

She’d show him. Oh yeah, she had it all planned out, starting with the daring designer dress she’d purchased on the way home and ending with a confrontation at the Convention Centre tonight.

It hadn’t been too difficult discovering his plans. She’d called his helpful secretary and asked for the address of tonight’s function, feigning a poor memory due to all the excitement of Harmony’s opening and saying she wanted to surprise Steve who had thought she wouldn’t be able to make it. Chelsea had come through with flying colours, saying she would ring and leave Amber’s name on the door, as the fashion parade was always a sell-out.

Now all she had to do was turn up and watch the fireworks unfold. If her husband had any thoughts of straying, she’d give him a send-off he’d never forget.

* * *

Steve tugged at his bow tie, wishing he could exchange the tux for one of the loose cotton shirts Amber had procured for him all the way from India. He wore suits every day, despite the cloying heat and couldn’t wait to get home and strip off. Which usually had more than one advantage...

“Darling, you made it. Right on time, too.” His mother, wearing a black sequinned sheath, minced across the crowded foyer in