no right to bring a man home with you.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Jamie couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. “Our marriage is in name only for…for obvious reasons.”
“We said our vows.”
“Don’t remind me.” The promises they’d made to each other continued to haunt her.
“Clearly someone has to.”
“Oh-h-h,” Jamie seethed. Tightening her fists at her sides, she exhaled sharply and resisted the urge to bang her cupboard doors to vent her frustration.
“Temper, temper.”
“I think you’d better leave before we say something we’ll regret.” Instinct had told her that getting married wouldn’t work, and she’d ignored it. Now she was suffering the consequences.
“Not on your life.”
“This is my home,” Jamie cried, quickly losing her grip on her rage. She’d never known Rich could be so unreasonable, so rude, so…impossible.
“You’re just like every other woman I’ve ever known,” Rich repeated in unflattering tones.
“And you’re just like every other man, so wrapped up in your own ego that it’d take a whack on the head with a two-by-four to see what’s right in front of your nose.”
“It wasn’t me who went out behind your back,” he shouted. He leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms.
“Why do you care if I had dinner with a dozen men?” she demanded. “It never bothered you before!”
“We weren’t married before.”
“I’m not your possession,” she said. “You have no right, husband or not, to tell me who I can see and who I can’t.”
“The hell I don’t.”
Jamie squeezed her eyes shut. “I knew this wasn’t going to work…I told you it wouldn’t, but would you listen? Oh, no, you knew so much better.”
“I still do.”
Jamie couldn’t help it, she stamped her foot. She hadn’t done anything so childish since junior high. “Look at us,” she cried, her voice shaking with anger. “I’m…I’m not even pregnant yet and already we’re fighting. We’re going to ruin everything fighting over something so…stupid.”
“It isn’t stupid to me.”
“Floyd is just a friend. For heaven’s sake, he’s married!”
“So are you.”
“Why are you doing this?” she cried.
“All I’m asking is that you keep your part of the bargain and I’ll keep mine. That shouldn’t be so difficult.”
“Oh, right,” she said, walking around the table and leaning on the back of a chair. “There’s a lot more involved in this arrangement than I ever knew about or agreed to and—”
“Like what?”
“Like…like your caveman attitude toward me.”
“Caveman? Because I don’t want my wife dating another man—another married man?” He glared across the room at her. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I seem to remember a phrase or two in the wedding vows that state—”
“Don’t you dare.” Jamie pointed an accusing finger at his chest. “Don’t you dare, ” she repeated. “I never wanted to go through with the wedding, and you knew it. Using it against me now is the height of unfairness.”
“We’re married, Jamie, whether you like it or not.”
“I don’t like it, I hate it. I hate everything about it—this is the biggest mistake of my life.” Unable to bear any more arguing, she whirled around and covered her face with her hands. If there was any decency left in him, Rich Manning would go. He’d leave her alone.
Jamie’s nerves were raw, and the hair at the nape of her neck bristled as she heard Rich walk toward her. The clipped pace of his steps did nothing to reassure her.
“Did he kiss you?”
“No!” she shouted, furious that he’d ask such an outrageous question.
“Good, because I’m going to.” His hands moved over her shoulders, clasping them, holding her in place.
“No.” She made one weak protest, but she didn’t know who she was talking to, Rich or herself. He’d kissed her once, the day of their wedding, and it had obsessed her ever since. She
“That’s ridiculous.” Jamie couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. “Our marriage is in name only for…for obvious reasons.”
“We said our vows.”
“Don’t remind me.” The promises they’d made to each other continued to haunt her.
“Clearly someone has to.”
“Oh-h-h,” Jamie seethed. Tightening her fists at her sides, she exhaled sharply and resisted the urge to bang her cupboard doors to vent her frustration.
“Temper, temper.”
“I think you’d better leave before we say something we’ll regret.” Instinct had told her that getting married wouldn’t work, and she’d ignored it. Now she was suffering the consequences.
“Not on your life.”
“This is my home,” Jamie cried, quickly losing her grip on her rage. She’d never known Rich could be so unreasonable, so rude, so…impossible.
“You’re just like every other woman I’ve ever known,” Rich repeated in unflattering tones.
“And you’re just like every other man, so wrapped up in your own ego that it’d take a whack on the head with a two-by-four to see what’s right in front of your nose.”
“It wasn’t me who went out behind your back,” he shouted. He leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms.
“Why do you care if I had dinner with a dozen men?” she demanded. “It never bothered you before!”
“We weren’t married before.”
“I’m not your possession,” she said. “You have no right, husband or not, to tell me who I can see and who I can’t.”
“The hell I don’t.”
Jamie squeezed her eyes shut. “I knew this wasn’t going to work…I told you it wouldn’t, but would you listen? Oh, no, you knew so much better.”
“I still do.”
Jamie couldn’t help it, she stamped her foot. She hadn’t done anything so childish since junior high. “Look at us,” she cried, her voice shaking with anger. “I’m…I’m not even pregnant yet and already we’re fighting. We’re going to ruin everything fighting over something so…stupid.”
“It isn’t stupid to me.”
“Floyd is just a friend. For heaven’s sake, he’s married!”
“So are you.”
“Why are you doing this?” she cried.
“All I’m asking is that you keep your part of the bargain and I’ll keep mine. That shouldn’t be so difficult.”
“Oh, right,” she said, walking around the table and leaning on the back of a chair. “There’s a lot more involved in this arrangement than I ever knew about or agreed to and—”
“Like what?”
“Like…like your caveman attitude toward me.”
“Caveman? Because I don’t want my wife dating another man—another married man?” He glared across the room at her. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I seem to remember a phrase or two in the wedding vows that state—”
“Don’t you dare.” Jamie pointed an accusing finger at his chest. “Don’t you dare, ” she repeated. “I never wanted to go through with the wedding, and you knew it. Using it against me now is the height of unfairness.”
“We’re married, Jamie, whether you like it or not.”
“I don’t like it, I hate it. I hate everything about it—this is the biggest mistake of my life.” Unable to bear any more arguing, she whirled around and covered her face with her hands. If there was any decency left in him, Rich Manning would go. He’d leave her alone.
Jamie’s nerves were raw, and the hair at the nape of her neck bristled as she heard Rich walk toward her. The clipped pace of his steps did nothing to reassure her.
“Did he kiss you?”
“No!” she shouted, furious that he’d ask such an outrageous question.
“Good, because I’m going to.” His hands moved over her shoulders, clasping them, holding her in place.
“No.” She made one weak protest, but she didn’t know who she was talking to, Rich or herself. He’d kissed her once, the day of their wedding, and it had obsessed her ever since. She
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