A Stranger's Touch

by Beth D. Carter

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2018 Beth D. Carter

  ISBN: 978-1-77339-740-5

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Lisa Petrocelli

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  Thanks to CR Moss for being a great friend. I appreciate all you do. Thanks to Stacey and Lisa at Evernight.

  For Mike. Always.

  A STRANGER’S TOUCH

  Beth D. Carter

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  “I think you’d look better in the green dress.”

  Aubrey Lennox finished hooking in her earring before looking at her husband in the large mirror over their vanity sink. “I think this black one is more appropriate,” she said quietly. “It’s more of a cocktail dress.”

  Morgan pursed his lips to one side, as if thinking. It was a look Aubrey had come to hate over the six years of dating and the four years of their marriage. She knew it meant he was pretending to give her statement some consideration, but really, he was gearing up for the best put-down he could think of.

  “I never liked you in that black dress.” Somehow his words were slow, viscous oil sliding over her nerves. “Your hips are too wide for that material. It’s too clingy. The green dress improves your décolletage.”

  Décolletage? Where’d he get such a fancy term?

  “At least you have nice tits to show off. Really, Aubrey, when we get back home, I think you should consider signing up for some aerobics classes. You’re developing a stomach pouch.”

  Aubrey blinked at him through the mirror, not quite sure what to say. Of course, that had always been her problem, not knowing how to respond to something that irked her. It would take her ten minutes to think of a proper, if somewhat witty comeback, but by then the moment had long passed. Unbidden, the memory of the first time he’d punched her without fists came to mind.

  ****

  Three weeks before her twenty-second birthday, he surprised her by showing up with donuts and coffee, early enough for a good fucking and leisurely breakfast before she headed off for a late morning class.

  Dressing and feeling the goose bumps forming on her skin from the cool air blowing through the window, she noticed him looking at her in a funny way. Lying on the bed, still naked himself, he grabbed his phone and started snapping pictures. Feeling frisky and flattered, she struck a couple of poses for his enjoyment.

  After half a dozen or so shots he said, “Okay, c’mere.”

  He turned the view screen so she could see the images. She thought they looked pretty good.

  “I noticed you’re gaining some weight. I thought you should see.”

  ****

  For years she thought back on that moment and wondered why she had stayed. Now, looking back, she realized it was that point in their relationship where she should’ve listened to the little voice in the back of her mind, warning her he wasn’t the one. The only excuse for not listening lay in her broken heart. Losing her parents only months before caused her to latch onto the first person who had paid attention to her, and she’d clung desperately to keep from falling into a deep depression. Many things had disturbed her about Morgan Lennox, but hung on she did, even to the point of dropping out of college and following him to southern California so he could accept that stupid job with Worldwide Mutual.

  “I think I look fine in my black dress,” she murmured, knowing even in her somewhat half-hearted argument he would come back with a more direct point.

  “And I just said you don’t,” he responded in an even tone, proving her point. Yet through the natural and pleasant-sounding disagreement, she heard the steel lining the words. “Why must you always argue with me, Aubrey? I think you should appreciate my honest opinion. Not many husbands would stand up and tell their wives the truth, but you can count on me always being straight with you.”

  That was his salesman pitch, and just like that the wind went out of her sails. She had learned long ago it wasn’t productive at all to argue with him because he’d always find the words that hurt. Aubrey walked to her closet and reached for the green silk dress that fitted her with an empire waist, effectively hiding the hips Morgan had just mentioned. Without another word to him, she took off the black dress before sliding the green material over her head and down her smooth skin. The spaghetti straps held up the V-neck that plunged a tad too far down front, offering a tantalizing show of her breasts. She really had no problems with the green dress, except the fact that it was December and a cold wind blew through St. Louis. The flimsy skirt, her bare arms, and the minuscule wrap that matched the dress would be no defense against the freezing night air. She had wanted to wear the black dress because it had a brocade wrap that fit over her shoulders perfectly.

  They were in St. Louis for Morgan’s conference, a yearly occurrence his sales company sent him to mingle with potential clients, executives, and fellow salesmen. She often wondered how insurance could simultaneously be the least exciting career yet the most cut throat line of work.

  After one last perusal of her appearance, Aubrey joined Morgan by the door and took the purse he held out for her. She rode the elevator in silence. He, however, could barely contain himself.

  “Word is there are going to be several top CEOs here this weekend, all vying for the best deal on their company insurance,” he said, with a thread of determined excitement ringing through his words. “If I can land one account, it will elevate me into the big market.”

  “Big market?”

  “New York.”

  That information surprised her. “You’d want us to leave LA?”

  “Los Angeles is a pittance compared to the high price of New York City. Everyone in the company is after that position, and I plan to be the winner.”

  Morgan put his arm around her apparently distasteful hip and pulled her close. Aubrey wanted to pull away, and when the door opened she practically lunged away from him, but he managed to grab her elbow.

  “I need you to help me tonight,” he told her as his fingers sank into her arm. He steered her through the hotel lobby. The front entrance door slid open to admit another guest and a blast of frigid air hit her and caused her teeth to clatter. She pulled the ineffective wrap closer to her body. “If I can get one CEO to switch insurance companies, it would really be a boost to my sales records.”

  Aubrey listened with half an ear, much like she always did whenever Morgan got into his little sales pitch zone. Once upon a time she had loved listening to him talk about his work, but over the years it just got harder and harder to care. Morgan had never once asked about her day, her life, or her desire to do something with her love of art.

  “Maybe squeeze your shoulders together so your tits pop. And I need you to promise sex with your eyes.”

  She jerked a little at his words, shocked. “Excuse me?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “No, I don’t think I do, Morgan. You want to whore me out?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Stop being so dramatic. Smile, flirt. Lure those company men to my side.”

  “No, I—”

  He held up a hand. “I work hard to keep a roof over your head and keep you in only the finest things. You know how many other women would love to have the
freedom of not working? Surely for those reasons you can bat those eyelashes to potential clients.”

  She took a deep breath, stomping down the anger and frustration he always seemed to instill. And it pissed her off. She hated being weak, hated not having the guts to tell him exactly how much he always hurt her emotionally. Come Monday, things were going to change. It was a mantra she’d repeated for the past month. In an effort to find the woman she’d once been, she’d done something desperate.

  She had made an appointment with a divorce lawyer.

  In four days, she had some big decisions to make. Morgan didn’t know of the appointment, of course. She’d gone behind his back because she knew, given half a chance, he’d talk her out of it. Just the thought of being a divorced woman brought a lump to her throat and she had to take a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. She wasn’t quite sure when the love she had for him had faded, but somewhere between the wide-eyed girl she’d once been and the mature thirty-two year old she was now, her heart had given up.

  Or maybe she’d grown up. The person she’d been at twenty-two wasn’t the person she was now, and she couldn’t imagine spending the rest of her life unhappy. She was afraid that one day she’d wake up and hate Morgan, or worse hate herself, and she didn’t want that. She didn’t want the past ten years to have been a colossal waste of time.

  The conference was packed and instantly Morgan began greeting and schmoozing his way through the throng of his peers, keeping Aubrey by his side. Several times he gave her the show your tits look by glancing obviously at her chest, but she ignored it. Each time his mouth would tighten and he’d shoot her an angry glare, but she simply didn’t care anymore. About an hour into the meet and greet, dinner was announced. Everyone made their way to the tables, arranged according to companies so it didn’t take long for people to find their seats. Dinner would be followed by many speeches and lectures about the industry, pointing out markets of interest as well as the rates and projected profits. Over ten years, Aubrey had learned to blank out her mind so she didn’t go stir-crazy.

  Just as the first entrée was served she felt a vibration in her purse, conscious that Morgan frowned at her. She quickly pulled her phone out to shut it down but recognized the number as the divorce lawyer. Shit! She really needed to take the call.

  “Excuse me,” she murmured and rose. As she hurried away she hit the “talk” button and brought the phone up to her ear. “Hello, Mr. Parker.”

  “Mrs. Lennox,” Mr. Parker greeted. “I’m sorry to call you so late but I’ve come across something that I must bring to your attention.”

  “A problem?”

  “Well, yes and no,” he said. “Because of our upcoming meeting on Monday, I had my assistant bring up your marriage certificate in the state of Kansas, only she discovered one had never been filed.”

  “Where was it filed?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. It’s not filed anywhere. Not in Kansas, not in California, and not in any state along the way.”

  “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”

  “It means legally you’re not married. You’ve never been married.”

  Aubrey suddenly felt light-headed and hurried out of the ballroom so she could sit before she fell down.

  “What?” she finally gasped. “How is that possible?”

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “Somewhere between the marriage ceremony and filing the certificate with the county and state, that record was lost.”

  Aubrey thought quickly back to her wedding. She had thought they could simply pop down to the local courthouse since neither of them had any family, but Morgan had insisted on a small chapel in the middle of their move. She knew the certificate had been signed by the minister then handed over. Morgan had the certificate, at least she thought he had it. So what had he done with it?

  “What if it’s found?”

  “Well, unfortunately, marriage certificates have to be filed within two years, so even if it was found, you’d have to register your wedding at the county office along with two witnesses from the wedding. But because of our meeting scheduled on Monday, I thought you might not decide on that option.”

  “Oh my God,” Aubrey whispered, and there was a general lightness that suddenly blazed through her. She moved to a love seat nestled against one wall and sat down heavily. The word freedom flashed through her brain. “This is…”

  She fell silent, trying to gauge exactly what she was feeling, trying to find one shred of sadness or worry or panic … but only happiness filled her, followed quickly by relief.

  “Mrs. Lennox?”

  “Wonderful!” she said excitedly. “This is wonderful!”

  Mr. Parker chuckled. “I imagine so. However, since you’re not married, there are going to be issues about money, dividing assets. In fact, it will be like a regular divorce. Plus, we need to talk to a tax attorney.”

  “Okay,” she said, taking a deep, calm breath. “I don’t mind that. He can have everything.”

  “Let’s not be too hasty. I want to go over options.”

  “Then I should still keep my meeting with you?”

  “Definitely,” he said. “Common law marriage isn’t recognized in this state, nor in Kansas, but for all intents and purposes, you’ve been living legally as husband and wife. I want to consult a colleague of mine about the best way to handle this.”

  “All right,” she said. “Mr. Parker … you’re positive about this, right? I’m not really Aubrey Lennox? You’re not going to call me back and say you made a mistake?”

  “I’ve double- and triple-checked this,” he assured her softly. “Spiritually and ethically, you are unwed. Legally, however, might just be a technicality. I’ll have to research more because this kind of thing is rare.”

  The last lingering doubt drifted away and Aubrey felt a huge burden slide off her shoulders. “Thank you. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  She hung up the call and just sat in the hotel lobby, her mind unable to process anything except the thought that she was free. The ice she’d been encased in melted away under the hot revelation, and the past ten years went up in a puff of smoke. Aubrey jumped to her feet as exhilaration slammed through her. She was not married! She took a step toward the ballroom and halted as she realized she didn’t have to return. She didn’t have to go back in there and sit next to Morgan, pretend to support him when inside she was screaming. The old Aubrey, the one that always deferred to Morgan’s wishes, was tossed away like a bag of garbage. Hurrying to the elevator, she pushed the button to her floor, knowing there was only so much time Morgan would give her before coming to look for her. And she planned to be out of there long before that happened.

  As quickly as she could, she packed her suitcase, glad she hadn’t totally emptied out her toiletry bag and was ready to go within minutes. The last thing she did before exiting the room was take off her wedding and engagement ring. She placed them, along with her key card, on the nightstand so he wouldn’t miss them, but seeing the rings off her hand made her pause.

  They were a symbol of forever.

  Was she really going to do this?

  Everything would change. She’d be alone.

  Better I’m alone than unhappy.

  Taking a deep, steadying breath, Aubrey turned her back on the rings. Down in the lobby she hurried out the door and let the doorman flag down a taxi for her. As she settled into the backseat she glanced back toward the lobby and saw Morgan heading for the elevators.

  “The airport, please,” she told the driver and watched Morgan as long as she could before the taxi pulled away. Part of her hurt for the marriage that could’ve been great—a future that could’ve been perfect. Her heart ached for what she was about to do, but there was a bigger part of her that needed to find the woman she once had been, the one with big dreams of being an artist. And that part told her aching heart to shut the hell up.

  Chapter Two

  “Hello,” said the man standing next t
o her at the airport bar. “Is this seat taken?”

  Aubrey looked at the seat and shook her head. “No. Help yourself.”

  He sat down and placed his briefcase on the floor next to his feet. Aubrey promptly forgot about him as she finished the last of her rum and coke, liking how the alcohol took away all the sharp edges on her emotions.

  At the airport she’d traded in her return ticket for an earlier flight, but she wouldn’t be able to leave until eleven. That gave her three hours sitting in the airport wondering if Morgan would be able to track her down. Without a ticket he shouldn’t be able to get past security, but it made her jumpy that he could find her and start a confrontation. While she was fairly sure he wouldn’t hurt her physically, the verbal abuse had always been dead-on.

  She was hesitant to term him as her ex-husband. They technically weren’t married so ex-boyfriend? Ex-fiancé? No, Mr. Parker said they’d been living as husband and wife, so perhaps she should call Morgan her ex-non-husband.

  Just then, the bartender came over, interrupting her mental musings, and placed another drink in front of her. She frowned and looked up.

  “Oh, but I didn’t—”

  “I did,” said the man who had sat down next to her.

  Aubrey finally looked toward the man, and the drink declination she’d planned dried up in her brain as her gaze locked with his. Holy hell, he was good-looking. Like, firemen in a calendar hotness, with wide shoulders and muscles straining to burst from his expensively tailored suit. Grey peppered the black hair and that, plus the few faint lines around his dark brown eyes were the only suggestion that he had several years on her. He regarded her unblinkingly and she felt her heart rate kick up a little as his gaze wandered over her face and skimmed down to her chest. She could feel his hot gaze linger a little on her pushed-up breasts, but instead of making her feel cheap or dirty, the admiration on his face turned her on.