An Independent Wife (10 page)

"Isn't that a dog-in-the-manger attitude?" she hurled at him and winced in pain as his fingers clenched.

"Rhy, please! You're hurting me!"

He cursed vividly, then moved his hands from her waist in the manner of one freeing a bird and she swiftly moved a couple of steps from him, her hands automatically massaging her aching flesh. As he merely stood there watching her and made no move to break the silence that fell between them she decided that the best thing she could do was to get out of there. She couldn't handle Rhy when he was angry, he could reduce her to putty if he really lost his temper and she knew him well enough to know that he was on the verge of violence.

She edged toward the door and he moved suddenly, placing himself between her and her escape.

"Don't fight me," he warned, still in that soft, nearly soundless voice. "You can't win and I don't want to hurt you. You're mine, Sallie."

Fear edged along her nerves. She'd seen Rhy in a lot of moods, in a lot of tempers, but she'd never before seen him with this wild savagery in his eyes. "I need to go to work," she muttered warily, watching him for any movement.

"You work for me. You go when I say you can go." He bit out the words, his eyes locked on hers, and she was helpless to look away. Was this how a snake paralyzed a bird?

Desperately she searched her mind for something to say that would break his concentration on her, but nothing surfaced and she squared her shoulders, ready to make a flight of it if necessary. She wouldn't be molested, not even by her own husband! All of the pride and dignity that she'd so painstakingly amassed for herself was in the tilt of her chin as she raised it at him. "Don't push me," she warned him evenly. "If you're even half the man you used to be you know that I'm not willing."

"You would be, after a minute," he retorted with brutal truth, but not by a flicker of her lashes did she betray the jolt he gave her with that statement.

"Don't confuse the past with the future. The days are long gone when I thought the sun rose and set on you."

"Good," he said, his mouth twisting. "I never wanted to be an idol. But don't make me out to be a villain, either."

With inner relief Sallie sensed that the danger was past, at least for the moment. She was tempted to try arguing with him about the trip to Sakarya, but she knew better than to provoke his temper again. "I really do need to get to work," she insisted.

After a moment he stepped to one side. "All right," he permitted, his tone at once tender and warning.

"But we're not finished, baby, and when you go to Sakarya I'll be with you every inch of the way."

With that warning ringing in her head Sallie slipped past him and returned to her desk. She began trembling with delayed reaction and with difficulty she tried to concentrate on her writing. But she'd reached a slow spot. She couldn't decide just how the action should go and eventually her thoughts wandered back to Rhy.

Once she would have been delirious with joy if he'd announced that he wanted her with him, wanted her to have his children, but that was a long time ago, and she'd been a different person then. Why couldn't he accept that? Why was he so insistent on resuming their marriage?

She couldn't believe that he was motivated by jealousy. It had to be that possessiveness of his, because jealousy indicated caring, and she knew that Rhy had never loved her, not even in the early days. Their only bond bad been a sexual one and he wanted to renew that bond now, but she was determined to break the weakness that made her respond to him.

Then the thought occurred to her that it was one thing to be an ordinary, quiet, stay-at-home little housewife and quite another for her to be a globetrotting, successful reporter. She was more of a feather in his cap now, wasn't she? She hadn't been glamorous enough for him before! Was that why he was suddenly so interested after years of neglect? Rage burned in her for a moment; then she had the disquieting thought that if that was the case he wouldn't have grounded her, he'd have kept her in the limelight.

She didn't understand him; she'd never understand him. Why didn't he leave her alone?

It had to be the tension caused by her scene with Rhy that produced the pounding headache she had that afternoon when she went home. She wanted nothing more than peace and quiet, so she indulged herself with a hot bath and, rather than get dressed afterward, she merely pulled on her comfortable pink robe which zipped up to her throat and sat down at her typewriter to work her way out of the doldrums.

It was still early, not yet seven, when her doorbell rang and she frowned irritably as she switched the typewriter off. Just as she reached the door she thought better of opening it in case Rhy had decided to press his attentions. "Who is it?" she asked warily-

"Coral Williams" was the cool reply and Sallie's eyebrows rose in silent astonishment as she unlocked the door and opened it.

"Come in," she invited the striking blonde, then indicated her robe with a movement of her hand. "I'm son-y about the way I'm dressed, but I wasn't expecting visitors."

I'No, that's true enough," Coral admitted, walking into the apartment with the prowling slink of a model. She was both cool and dramatic, dressed in a lemon yellow evening gown that should have made her hair look brassy but didn't. "Rhy is taking me to a Broadway opening, so I knew he wouldn't be here tonight."

Aha! Sallie thought to herself. It looked as if Coral was checking out the competition, but who had told her? "He isn't likely to be here any other night either," she denied, and the amusement in her eyes and voice must have gotten through to Coral because the woman bit her lip and flushed.

"Don't try to hide it from me," she said huskily, her voice growing thick as if she was near tears. "Rhy told me himself."

"What?" Sallie's voice rose in astonishment. Was Rhy going to start advertising their marriage? Did he think that public knowledge might weaken her stand?

"I know how hard it is to resist Rhy when he decides that he wants a woman," Coral was saying.

"Believe me, I know! But you're not in his league and he'll only hurt you. He's had other women, but he's always come back to me and this time won't be any different. I just thought I'd let you know before you get in too deeply with him."

"Thanks for the warning," Sallie said, her inner amusement breaking out in a smile that made Coral look at her in disbelief. She couldn't help it; she thought it was funny that her husband's mistress should wam her about becoming too serious about him! "But I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm not interested in having an affair with anyone, and you'll be doing me a favor if you can keep Rhy's attention away from me."

"How I'd like to!" Coral admitted wryly, glancing at Sallie with disturbing honesty. "But I knew when I first saw you that Rhy was interested, and he won't give up easily. Why do you think he's going on this Sakarya trip with you? If I were you, and if you're on the level about not wanting an affair with him, I'd check into the hotel bookings, because if I know Rhy there'll only be one room available!"

"I know that," Sallie chuckled, "and I'm ahead of him. I've already thought of another place to stay.

With a friend." She didn't add that the friend was Marina Delchamp and that she hoped to stay in the palace. She was fairly certain that Marina would offer her sanctuary and would, in fact, greatly enjoy helping her to thwart Rhy.

Suddenly Coral laughed. "Maybe I was worried about nothing. You seem more than capable of looking after yourself. It must be that braid that makes you look so young."

"Probably," Sallie agreed blandly, thinking that in all probability she was Coral's age.

"You've set my mind at ease, so I'll leave now. Rhy is supposed to meet me in half an hour and I'll probably be late." Coral glided to the door and Sallie opened it for her, feeling rather like a servant opening a door for a queen, but laughter still lurked in her eyes as she returned to her writing. Coral acting concerned for another woman was a performance worth watching! Not for a second did she believe that the beautiful model cared a snap of her fingers about another woman's feelings. What Coral so carefully guarded was Rhy's attention, his time, and with a shake of her head Sallie wondered what made Rhy so sinfully attractive.

Perhaps if she knew what made her so vulnerable to Rhy she'd be able to fight him, but she could pinpoint no concrete reason. It was everything about him, even the qualities that made her so angry. He was all man, the only man she'd ever wanted.

Realization struck and the force of it made her break out in a cold sweat, but she forced herself to admit the truth. She still loved him; she always hadShe had tried to push her love away in self-defense against the crippling pain she'd felt when Rhy had left her, but she hadn't been able to kill it. It had flourished in the darkness of her subconscious and now she could no longer deny that it existed. She sat at the typewriter, staring blankly at the keys, and let the knowledge creep into her consciousness.

She couldn't stop the tears that welled in her eyes, though she stubbornly refused to let them fall. Love was one thing, but compatibility was quite another, and she was no longer a starry-eyed young girl who believed that love could conquer all. She and Rhy were the mismatch of the century, even more so now than in the beginning. At least then she'd thought him the center of the universe and would gladly have followed him into the jaws of death if he'd only asked her.

But he hadn't asked her; he'd gone alone, disregarding her fears and clinging timidity. When had he ever cared how she felt? He was too forceful, too selfconfident, to put her opinion, her feelings, above his own. It had been that way then and it was still the same. Wasn't that how he was acting now? What she wanted just didn't count! Look at the high-handed manner in which he'd stopped her career in its tracks and demanded that she resume their married life. What about her plans, what she wanted out of life?

Drawing several deep breaths, Sallie tried to force her thoughts into order. If she went back to Rhy what would she have? The answer was simple, she would have Rhy-for as long as he remained interested. Or perhaps she wouldn't even have his undivided attention at all. She couldn't discount Coral Williams, and Rhy had never promised fidelity. He'd made no promises at all, other than ones of physical pleasure. So, if she went back to him, she'd have sensual satisfaction and what joy she could find in his company.

On the other side of the coin, what would he gain from a reconciliation? Once again, the first thing that came to mind was sex. That fierce attraction was mutual, unfortunately, for it made him unreasonable.

If Coral was pushing him for a commitment Sallie's return would put a stop to that particular demand, and from what Coral had just told her Rhy wouldn't have any worries that Coral might leave him. No, Coral would stay for as long as Rhy wanted her, and if he could have both women at once he probably would.

Sallie winced from that thought. No, Rhy wasn't like that. She didn't think him capable of fidelity to any one woman, but he didn't play games. A woman had to accept him as he was. That had been their trouble. She'd wanted him to be something he wasn't: an ordinary husband. Rhy had refused to change, or even compromise.

So she'd changed, slipped out from under his thumb, and he resented that even while she challenged him. She'd belonged to him once and he couldn't tolerate the idea that she no longer wanted to. That possessive streak Of his had to be a mile wide. She'd been his once, and he wanted her back, and he'd move heaven and earth to get her, even if he had to destroy her career to do so.

She couldn't go back to him, though deep down she craved to do just that. Her own identity was at stake. Rhy would swamp her, smother her. Then, when he was no longer interested, he'd walk out, and she didn't think she could survive that again.

No, she had to follow her own path, and if it led her away from Rhy she had to accept that. Odd how she could love him and yet be willing to spend her life separated from him, yet that was the way of it.

She knew instinctively that Rhy would destroy her sense of self, her confidence, if she allowed him control over her emotions again.

There was no hesitation; she had to choose the path that was right for her, and that path didn't include Rhy. Perhaps no other man would ever make her heart pound madly as the lightest touch from Rhy could do, but if that was the price, she'd pay it. She had to.

When this trip to Sakarya was over she would turn in her notice and leave town. She couldn't wait any longer. Rhy was closing in, and she'd have to keep her guard up every minute.

The night before they were due to leave for Sakarya Sallie went to bed early, hoping that she'd be able to get to sleep since the flight would be long and she'd never been able to rest on a trip. She was always too keyed up, too restless, and to her dismay she felt the same way now. The thought of traveling with Rhy, when every self-preserving instinct in her screamed to keep as far away from him as she could, had all her nerves tingling in mingled fear and expectation. It was rather like petting a beautiful tiger, wanting so desperately to touch something so lovely but knowing at the same time that the tiger could kill you.

She turned restlessly in the bed, tangling the sheets, and when the doorbell rang she jumped out of bed with a sense of relief and grabbed her robe, shrugging into it as she ran to the door. Just as she reached it she skidded to a stop and called, "Who is it?"

"Chris," came a muffled voice and Sallie's brow knit in puzzlement. What was he doing here? He'd been on the road a lot lately, due to Rhy's influence, no doubt, but he'd arrived back in town the day before, and he'd been fine earlier when she'd seen him long enough to say a quick hello. Now he sounded as if he was sick, or in pain.

Quickly she unlocked the various locks on the door and opened it. Chris had been slumped against the doorframe, and he straightened, giving her a glimpse of his drawn face. "What's wrong?" she asked swiftly, catching his sleeve and pulling him in so she could close the door. She fumbled with the locks again, then turned to him. He'd jammed his hands deep into his pockets and stood regarding her with deep, silent misery evident in his brown eyes.