She held him to her, listening as his breathing gradually came back to normal, his chest rising and falling against hers as she stroked his back with her fingers. How would she live without this when he called an end to their relationship?
So many times over the last few days she’d caught him looking at her when he thought she wasn’t aware of it, frowning slightly, as if he couldn’t make up his mind about her. Even as they’d sat beside his great-aunt’s bed he had seemed on the brink of saying something important. What had he been about to say to her? she wondered. Had he been mentally preparing his announcement that their temporary marriage was coming to a close?
But then, as she considered another possibility, she felt a tickling sensation inside her chest, as if a tiny feather residing there had been lifted by a gentle breeze of hope.
What if he had been trying to tell her he loved her?
She took a small breath, her fingers stilling on his back. ‘Bryn…’
‘Mmm…’
‘You were going to say something just before…before your great aunt passed away.’ She eased him off her so she could look into his eyes. ‘What was it you were going to tell me?’
He held her gaze without speaking for what seemed an age before he got off the bed and reached for his trousers, turning his back as he got dressed.
‘Bryn?’ She sat up, her stomach hollowing as she felt his barriers come up. ‘You said it was something important.’
‘It wasn’t.’ His tone was curt as he turned to face her, his face an expressionless mask. ‘I have some phone calls to make in regards to the funeral arrangements.’
She glanced at the clock and frowned. ‘At this time of night?’
He didn’t answer but left the room, closing the door with a sharp click behind him.
Mia lay back on the pillows with a sigh. Was this how it was going to be between them, her love trying desperately to reach out to him, while he kept pushing it away?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE funeral was a private one and Mia thought how well Bryn coped with it, considering the pain she knew he was feeling. For the days leading up to the memorial service she had been aware of him keeping his distance, reminding her of an injured animal that didn’t want anyone else to see its true vulnerability as it dealt with its wounds in private. The only place he let his guard slip was in bed at night. She treasured those times when he rocked and shuddered in her arms, his body finally relaxing as he spilled himself, his iron-clad control slipping as he took her with him to paradise.
She woke one morning a week after the funeral to find him watching her, his dark blue eyes steady and thoughtful on hers.
‘Hi…’ she said, lifting a fingertip to his lips, tracing them lovingly.
He captured her hand and kissed her fingertip, making her flesh tingle anew at the passion she had felt last night in his arms. He had taken her on a sensual journey that had known no limits. Her body still throbbed tenderly where he had driven so hard, as if he had wanted to demonstrate his desire for her in the most primitive way possible. He hadn’t even bothered with using a condom, his passion so out of control as he had taken her from behind, causing a catastrophic explosion of ecstasy that had left her totally boneless.
‘What are you thinking?’ she asked after a long, pulsing silence.
He gave a rueful grimace. ‘I wonder how many men are being asked exactly that question all over the world right now.’
She tried to smile but something about his expression unnerved her, making her lips twist unevenly instead. ‘I know, but I guess women like to know what’s going on in men’s minds. You always seem to hide it so well.’
A small frown brought his brows even closer. His fingers picked up a strand of her hair and coiled it absently, his dark gaze for once not quite connecting with hers. ‘There are things we need to discuss, Mia, now that my great-aunt has gone.’
Mia felt her chest tighten painfully. This was it, she thought with a sinking heart.
Their temporary marriage was over.
She lowered her gaze, staring fixedly at his chest. ‘I understand…’
He released her and got out of the bed, reaching for a bathrobe and wrapping around himself before turning to address her in a tone that was distant and detached. ‘I have a meeting with my producer and the team this morning so I have to leave soon, but I’d like to have dinner with you tonight so we can talk about where we’re going from here.’
She swallowed the thickness of dread in her throat and forced a stiff smile to her lips. ‘Where would you like to go to dinner? Do you want me to book somewhere in particular?’
‘No, I’ll do it. Just be ready by seven-thirty,’ he said. ‘If I’m going to be late I’ll get Henry to pick you up.’
‘Whatever.’
His unreadable dark eyes met hers briefly. ‘We have to talk, Mia, you know that. Your family will be returning soon and I wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea about us.’
‘I know…’
He left the room and the house soon after but it was a long time before she could bring herself to get out of the bed, where the scent of his desire for her wrapped her in a shroud of something that felt like comfort, which she knew would very probably have to last her for the rest of her life.
It was purely by chance Mia ran into Shelley from the café as she was coming back from having her hair done in the city. She’d been filling in time, trying to distract herself from the evening ahead, which she knew would spell the end of her relationship with Bryn.
‘Mia…’ Shelley gave her an uncomfortable look as they jostled in the doorway of a boutique in the Strand Arcade. ‘I was just thinking about you.’
‘You were?’ Mia frowned at her former workmate’s expression.
‘How are things with your dream husband?’ Shelley asked after a tight little pause. ‘Still madly in love?’
‘Why wouldn’t I be?’ she asked guardedly.
Shelley took her by the arm and led her out of the hearing of the other shoppers, waiting until they were in a quiet corner near the stairs to the upper floors. ‘Mia, I hate to be the one to tell you this but someone needs to before you get hurt any further.’ She took a deep breath and said, ‘Your marriage to Bryn Dwyer is a total sham.’
Mia fought to conceal her reaction and asked in a calm, unaffected tone, ‘What makes you say that?’
Shelley glanced right and left to make sure no one was listening and lowered her tone even further. ‘I overheard a conversation in the café this morning. Bryn was there with your agent, Roberta Askinthorpe. They were looking very cosy.’
Mia felt as if someone had thumped her in the chest. ‘Oh really?’
‘I hovered about, pretending to be clearing the table behind, and I heard something that I wish I didn’t have to tell you but I think you should know.’
Mia fought against the wave of nausea that had risen in her throat. ‘Wh-what did you hear?’
‘Bryn Dwyer had you dropped from Peach Pie Productions. Theodore Frankston was against it but Bryn insisted. He also had you removed from your agent’s books because he wanted you to have no choice but to act as his wife in order to secure his great-aunt’s estate. Apparently her will was written in such a way that unless she thoroughly approved of his choice of wife the fortune—and I mean fortune in capital letters—would be given to the man who killed his parents.’
Mia stared at her in shock, the blood draining from her face. ‘But no one knows about his parents…’
‘I sort of guessed that, it was the first I’d heard of it too, but the way Roberta and Bryn were speaking about it made me realise it must be the truth. Apparently Bryn’s great-aunt felt he should forgive the man responsible for the death of his parents. It was her way of ensuring he did something about his life and the way it was heading.
‘I’m sorry I had to tell you this,’ Shelley went on awkwardly. ‘I just thought you should know.’ She let out a little sigh of empathy. ‘Look, I know you love
him—there’s hardly a woman in Sydney who doesn’t—but you can’t let him do this to you. He married you for money, Mia. Now his great-aunt is dead he’ll get rid of you. Your marriage will be over. He doesn’t love you. I thought he did, everyone thought he did, but as actors go he surely takes the Oscar. He used you to get what he wanted. He used you despicably and very cruelly.’
‘Thank you for telling me.’ Somehow Mia found her strangled voice.
Shelley gave her an agonised look. ‘I wish I hadn’t been there to hear it with my own ears. God, Mia, what will you do?’
She straightened her shoulders, her grey eyes firing up with determination. ‘I’m going to do what I’m best at. I’m going to act.’
Shelley frowned. ‘Act?’
‘You just watch me, Shelley,’ Mia said. ‘Bryn Dwyer is not going to get away with thinking he can walk all over my career.’
‘What about your heart?’
‘That too.’
Shelley gave her a doubtful look. ‘If you need me at any time, just let me know. He’s a bastard, Mia, a total bastard who has no heart.’
‘I know,’ Mia said through gritted teeth. ‘But I’m not letting him have the satisfaction of trampling over mine. If it takes every bit of acting ability I possess I am going to teach him the lesson he should have learned a long time ago.’
‘What are you going to do?’
She met her friend’s troubled gaze. ‘I’m going to get in first, that’s what I’m going to do.’
‘You mean, pull the plug on your marriage before he gets the chance?’
Mia smiled even though it hurt unbearably. ‘I may not be up to scratch on acting the femme fatale role according to Bryn Dwyer’s opinion, but the one role I can do convincingly is the I-never-loved-you-in-the-first-place one.’
‘But you really do love him, don’t you?’
‘I’m an actor, Shelley,’ Mia reminded her. ‘And I’m telling you if I can’t pull this off then I’m going to give up and go back to college and find some other career.’
‘Such as?’
Mia frowned as she thought about it. ‘I don’t know…maybe working in a café wouldn’t be so bad after all.’
Shelley reached out and gave her a quick hug. ‘Don’t even think about it. You were born to be on stage—you just haven’t found the right one yet.’
Mia had no choice but to tell Gina about the true state of her marriage, for as soon as her former flatmate answered the door Gina could see for herself the emotional despair on her face.
‘I can’t believe it!’ Gina said once Mia had told her everything. ‘I thought he was in love with you.’
‘He’s in love with himself, not me,’ Mia said, wiping at her eyes.
‘But what if Shelley didn’t hear correctly? I mean, a café is hardly a quiet place. There are usually several conversations going on at once and cups and plates rattling in the background,’ Gina said. ‘Surely you owe Bryn a chance to explain his motivations for marrying you?’
‘We’re having dinner this evening,’ Mia informed her. ‘He said this morning before he left that he wanted to discuss our future. That could only mean one thing.’
Gina’s face fell. ‘Oh…’
‘I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of waving the chequered flag in my face. I’m going to ask for a divorce.’
‘Your room is still empty,’ Gina said. ‘You can come back here any time.’
‘Thanks, Gina. I’m going back to pack my bags now. I’ll bring them here as soon as I’m done. I just want to tell Bryn Dwyer what I think of him and get it over with.’
‘Look what happened the last time you said that,’ Gina said wryly. ‘It doesn’t always pay to go looking for revenge. You’re the one who will get hurt.’
Mia scrubbed at her eyes determinedly. ‘I’m not going to let him see how much he hurt me. You just wait and see, Gina. This is going to be the performance of my life.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MIA had not long finished packing her things at Bryn’s house when she received a phone call from Ellie, who was now safely relaxing with a group of friends on the Greek island of Santorini.
‘I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me,’ Ellie said. ‘It was such a harrowing time. I really thought I was going to lose it there for a while. The money you sent helped release fifteen people. You should be very proud of yourself.’
‘Yes, well, that’s what sisters are for,’ she said with a touch of wryness, ‘to make sacrifices. You’ve done it for me lots of times.’
‘So how’s the gorgeous husband?’
‘He’s…’ Mia hesitated, wondering if she should ruin her sister’s well-earned holiday with the news of her impending divorce. ‘I’m having dinner with him tonight. I can hardly wait.’
‘I’m so happy for you, Mia, you so deserve to be happy. You’re always so good at helping others. It’s time you got to be treated like a princess. Love you, sis. I’ll be home in a couple of weeks and thanks again for not telling the folks about the drama I was in. I knew I could count on you. You’re the best.’
‘I love you too, Ellie. Don’t go saving any whales or forests on your way home. Just come home and be with me, right?’
‘It’s a deal,’ Ellie said.
A short time later another call came through, this time from Mia’s previous agent, informing her of a role she thought Mia might be interested in auditioning for.
‘But I thought you were too busy to represent me,’ Mia said with unmistakable bitterness.
‘Yes, well, it’s more of a permanent role so it doesn’t quite fall into our regular guidelines for representation. I just thought, since you were at a loose end, you might like this. You would be perfect for it.’
‘What is it?’
‘It’s a job working with sick children in hospital. It sounds like a lot of fun and the money is good. All you have to do is entertain them for a couple of hours each day by reading to them and doing the odd magic trick. I know how good you are with kids so I thought you’d jump at it. There’s an audition tomorrow at four pm at the church hall in Boronia Avenue, not far from here.’
‘OK, I’ll be there, but I would still like to know why you—’
‘Great, I’ll put in a good word for you. I’ll text you all the details. Good luck.’
‘Roberta—’ Mia began but the agent interrupted her again, making up some excuse that she had an important call coming in.
‘Sorry, Mia. Gotta go. Let me know how you get on. Bye.’
Mia stared at the phone in her hand, her brow furrowing slightly.
It rang a few minutes later and she was not at all surprised to hear Bryn’s voice informing her that Henry would be collecting her for their dinner engagement that evening.
‘Sorry about that, Mia,’ he said. ‘But I’ve got some legal work to see to over my great-aunt’s estate. It will save time if Henry brings you straight to the restaurant. I’ve booked it for seven-thirty and I should be there soon after if all goes well.’
‘Why don’t we eat here instead?’ she suggested, wondering if what she had to say would be fit for the ears of other diners.
‘No, I gave Marita a couple of days off, as one of her kids is sick. Don’t worry, I’ll be there as soon as I can. How was your day by the way?’
‘Wonderful,’ she lied. ‘I had my hair done and went shopping; I even bought a dress for tonight.’
‘You sound like you’re looking forward to seeing me,’ he said at her light and cheery tone.
‘Of course I am,’ she said. ‘I have so much to tell you. I can hardly wait.’
There was a tiny pause before he asked, ‘What have you got to tell me?’
‘It’s a surprise,’ she said. ‘I’ll see you tonight.’
‘Mia…’
The sound of the doorbell gave her a perfect excuse to end the call. ‘Oops, got to go. It sounds like there’s someone at the door.’
‘It’s a present for you,’ he
said. ‘I hope you like it.’
‘How sweet,’ she said, grinding her teeth. ‘I’ll see you later. Bye.’
She opened the door to find a florist delivery-service man with a huge bunch of tall red roses and a slim box wrapped in pink tissue with a white bow around it. ‘Mrs Mia Dwyer?’
‘Yes, that’s me,’ she said, mentally tacking on: but not for much longer.
‘These are for you.’ He handed them over and smiled. ‘Hey, I’ve never met a really famous person before. Can I have your autograph?’
She blinked at him. ‘My autograph?’
‘Yeah, my two kids loved you in that ad you did with the puppy and the toilet rolls. They’ll be tickled pink to hear I’ve met you in person.’
She put the roses down and rummaged for something to sign her name on and, asking for his children’s names, scribbled a greeting and drew a big smiley face beside each one. ‘Here you are.’ She handed it to him with a smile.
‘My wife listens to your husband’s programme,’ he said. ‘She reckons it’s the most romantic thing how you two got together.’
‘Yes…yes, it was.’
‘Well, I’d better be going. Nice meeting you.’
‘And you,’ she said.
She waited until he’d driven away before picking up the roses and the box and carried them inside. She unpinned the card and, taking it from the tiny envelope, opened it to read the message. It said: ‘I hope you like these. See you tonight, Bryn.’
She frowned as she put it to one side and opened the tissue-wrapped box, where inside was an exquisite string of pearls resting on a bed of plush blue velvet.
Anger bubbled up inside her. No doubt this was his parting gift, a stupid bunch of roses and expensive pearls to soften the blow of him calling an end to their marriage.
She went to the kitchen and, taking a pair of scissors out of the utensil drawer, came back to where she’d left the roses and one by one snipped off each perfect, fragrant bud, leaving the tall stalks standing looking forlorn and headless.
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