The Marriage Contract by Anna Adams

Author:Anna Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

A FEW DAYS AFTER he met Clair at Mrs. Peabody’s, Nick was dressing for dinner when Hunter came to his door. The older man held up two freshly pressed suits as Nick let him in.

“You’re here. I’m glad I knocked. I heard voices in Mrs. Dylan’s room, and I thought you were with her.”

Feeling caught putting on clothes in his own room, Nick gave up on a tie that refused to knot. “We stay out of each other’s way when we’re getting dressed. The result of living so long alone, I guess.” He dropped the ends of his tie. “Hunter, I’ve been meaning to thank you for everything you’ve done to make Clair feel comfortable.”

“I enjoy Mrs. Dylan’s company.” Hunter hung the suits in the closet. “We just have to persuade Bonnie and your mother that she’s made positive changes in this house.”

Nick looked around the room, which still bore no trace of Clair. He’d put off asking her to bring her things in after that day at the coffee shop. As she was fond of saying, their marriage had become too real.

“She tries, doesn’t she.”

“You’re happy, despite your mother’s opposition?”

Nick imagined Clair’s reaction to the truth behind that checkbook he’d given her. “I try.” He swept a hand toward his dressing room. “I think I’ll ask Clair to help me with my tie.”

“Have an enjoyable evening tonight.” Hunter turned from the closet. “I laid in some caviar for Mrs. Dylan’s cat.”

Nick laughed. Hunter had secrets of his own, one of them a soft spot for that rogue feline. Turning, Nick knocked on his wife’s door. A real husband wouldn’t have to knock, and he tried to ignore Hunter, whose indulgent smile betrayed his thought that Nick must still be learning to live in his new marriage.

Clair was in her bathroom. A mascara wand between her fingers, she looked away from the long mirror. “What’s up?”

She’d maintained a cool tone he found increasingly annoying since that day at Mrs. Peabody’s. Before he could answer her, Kitty emerged from the dust ruffle and ambled over to weave black hair into the gray of Nick’s trouser legs. “No caviar here, buddy.” He brushed at the hair on his pant leg. “Hunter bought some for him, though.”

Clair eyed the cat, her expression disgruntled. “He likes living here—with you and Hunter. He took a lot longer getting used to me.”

“You don’t want to share Kitty’s affections?” The cat belonged to her, as much as it could belong to anyone, and Clair needed hearts of her own. Not that she’d admit it, but Nick still knew his own share of the empty feelings she tried to hide. “I always wanted a real pet—I had a hamster, but he wasn’t too chummy. Jeff suggested a dog once, but I didn’t want to leave it when I went away to school.”

“Pretty responsible decision for an eight-year-old.”

“How did you know I was eight?”

“Hunter told me.” She turned back to the mirror, pink coloring her cheeks. “Not that we talked about you.

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