Comparative Strangers by Sara Craven

Author:Sara Craven [Craven, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780373111190
Google: JTDdtgAACAAJ
Amazon: 0373111193
Barnesnoble: 0373111193
Goodreads: 1389968
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1988-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Amanda walked along the warm edge of the sea, small waves foaming delicately round her ankles.

This was her favourite time of day, she thought, these moments before sunset, and the swift, almost magical descent of the tropical Balinese night. And it was a time when she was certain of having the beach to herself.

Already, twinkling lights were beginning to appear in the lush vegetation of the rambling hotel gardens. When they’d arrived three weeks before, she’d been exhausted, both by the flight and by the emotional pressures of the preceding days, and she’d thought dazedly, as a pair of white-coated porters led them down winding paths, past waterfalls and tiny lakes afloat with lilies, that she’d stumbled into paradise.

It was an impression which had lingered. The hotel complex had tucked its luxurious bungalows in the heart of its gardens, creating for each of them an illusion of privacy and isolation.

Under ordinary circumstances, Amanda could imagine no more magical place for a honeymoon. But the circumstances were far from ordinary, and the magic had been confined firmly to their surroundings.

Amanda gave a small, wry smile. The fact that Malory had chosen to start their pretend marriage in such a romantic spot had aroused, initially, all her worst misgivings. And these had been compounded when she saw the immense double bed which dominated the room in which their luggage had been placed. She’d stood, staring at it with blank eyes, while Malory thanked the porters and tipped them.

When they were alone, he’d said, drily, ‘Don’t look so stricken, darling. There’s another room across the hall.’ And he’d removed his bags there without further delay.

It had been, she had to admit, the only awkward moment she had experienced, and that was largely due to Malory’s completely prosaic attitude to their situation.

Once she had been able to accept the fact that he had meant what he said, and she wasn’t going to have to fight him off each night, Amanda had begun to relax, and even to enjoy herself.

She had flung herself headlong into an orgy of trips and sightseeing, with his amused encouragement. But Malory himself did not accompany her. This was not, he’d told her pleasantly, his first trip to Bali.

She’d been slightly disconcerted by this, without really knowing why. She’d found herself asking, ‘Did you come here alone?’

‘No.’ There had been a note in his voice which definitely discouraged further questions, but she supposed his companion had been female. And she no longer found that as extraordinary as she would have done at the start of their relationship.

Although he had never referred to it, Amanda still felt hot with embarrassment when she recalled her shaming response to his lovemaking. And it had occurred to her with annoying frequency that Malory might be altogether a more skilful and sophisticated lover than she’d given him credit for.

But the only certainty was that he had no apparent wish to make love to her. Indeed, his attitude throughout had been almost that of tolerant older brother with indulged younger sister.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.