The Night Of The Wedding. Kathryn Ross

Kate muttered, swirling the drink around the glass. ‘Maybe he never really loved me at all.’ She looked up at Nick sharply. ‘Did you know?’

      ‘Know what?’

      ‘That Stephen was cheating on me. Is that why you looked so shocked when I told you I thought he was going to propose?’

      Nick shook his head. ‘I had no idea. If I had, I’d have told you.’

      ‘Would you?’

      ‘Of course I would. I care about you too much not to have said something.’

      Kate took a sip of her drink, feeling it warm her deep inside. ‘Have you eaten?’ Nick asked her.

      She shook her head. ‘I’m not hungry.’

      ‘I’ll make you something. I’ve got steak in the fridge.’

      ‘Thanks, Nick, but honestly I couldn’t eat anything. I should be going anyway.’ She glanced at her watch and was surprised to see it was nearing midnight. ‘I didn’t realize it was so late, you’ve got work tomorrow and so have I,’ she murmured, swallowing the rest of her drink. ‘I’d better go.’

      ‘You don’t have to,’ he said quietly.

      She looked over at him.

      ‘The spare room is made up,’ he said.

      Kate hesitated; the thought of her empty apartment was not welcoming. Plus she would have to completely strip the bed. She raked a hand through her hair, feeling suddenly sick.

      ‘I haven’t brought any night things.’ She shook her head. ‘I should go home.’

      ‘I’ll lend you a T-shirt and I’ve got a new toothbrush in the cupboard.’ Nick grinned at her, a teasing light in his dark eyes. ‘Now, how can you possibly turn down an offer like that? You’re very honoured, you know. I don’t hand out T-shirts and toothbrushes to just anybody.’

      She smiled.

      ‘That’s better.’ He suddenly became serious. ‘Don’t go home to that apartment tonight, Katy.’

      ‘I must admit, I don’t want to go back there,’ she admitted huskily.

      ‘Well, that’s settled, then.’ He stood up. ‘Come on, I’ll show you up to your room.’

      It felt strange following Nick upstairs to the bedrooms. Although she had been to his home on many occasions, she had never stayed overnight and had only seen upstairs once when he had first moved in.

      For some reason there was a feeling of awkwardness inside her as he opened the door into the spare room. Why, she couldn’t have said, but the sight of the enormous double bed was somehow provocative enough to make her feel self-conscious. Maybe it was just the way she was feeling at the moment. She was edgy and tense, and no wonder after the shock of seeing Stephen with someone else.

      She tried to turn her thoughts to the décor; the plain Shaker-style furniture and the pictures on the wall made it a very sophisticated and relaxing room.

      ‘There’s an en suite bathroom through here.’ Nick opened a door into a luxurious bathroom, flicking on all the lights.

      ‘This is really very kind of you, Nick,’ Kate murmured hesitantly as he turned back into the bedroom and she found herself standing very close to him.

      ‘You’d do the same for me…wouldn’t you?’ he asked with a grin.

      ‘Well, I would if I had a spare room,’ she said, trying to lighten the tension inside her and smile at him.

      ‘That’s OK, then.’ His eyes moved over her face, and lingered for a second on her lips.

      She felt her throat tighten, her breathing restrict. She wondered suddenly what it would be like to be kissed by Nick, to be held properly in his arms, not just to be comforted, but caressed. He would probably be a fabulous lover. How could he be otherwise? He was so incredibly sexy and yet so tender. Her heart missed a couple of beats. Then she looked away from him, shocked by her thoughts.

      ‘I’ll go and get you that T-shirt.’

      As he disappeared out of the room, Kate sat down on the side of the bed. Her heart was thumping as if she had been running in a race. She felt ashamed of herself for thinking such thoughts—if Nick knew what she had been thinking, he would probably be horrified. He thought of her as a sister.

      Her reflection stared back at her from the dressing table opposite. She looked awful: her skin was ashen, her eyes swollen from her tears, her dark hair dishevelled. Nick would never be attracted to her; she just wasn’t his type. He went for leggy, very glamorous blondes…Natasha would be his type.

      She closed her eyes. Why was she thinking like this? She was upset enough without torturing herself with wild imaginings. Maybe it was the brandy she had drunk.

      ‘Are you OK?’ Nick’s gentle voice made her eyes fly open again.

      ‘Yes…’

      He put the T-shirt down on the bed.

      ‘Do you mind if I have a shower and turn in?’ She looked up at him, her eyes shadowed.

      ‘Of course not. Make yourself at home.’

      A few minutes later as Kate stood under the forceful jet of the shower and poured shampoo on her hair, she dismissed the way she had thought about Nick. Her body was in shock—she wasn’t thinking rationally, never mind clearly. It was Stephen whom she had loved. And now it was over.

      She stepped out of the shower and towel-dried her body. How long had he been having an affair? Did any of their other friends know? Tanya and David had come around for dinner last week and, come to think about it, Tanya had been quiet, very unlike her usual gregarious self. As Tanya worked with Stephen, presumably she knew Natasha.

      Kate’s stomach churned. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that Tanya knew. Those looks she had been giving her over the dinner table had been looks of sympathy.

      She groaned. How many other people knew? She felt like a total idiot.

      ‘Kate, I’ve brought you a drink.’ Nick’s voice coming from the bedroom made her jump. She wrapped a towel around herself and opened the door.

      Nick was putting a coffee and a sandwich down on the bedside table.

      ‘You shouldn’t have done that, Nick.’ She tucked the edge of the white towel down firmly. ‘It’s very kind, but I honestly don’t think I can eat anything.’

      ‘You’re skin and bone as it is.’ His eyes flicked momentarily over her, taking in the long, shapely legs. ‘You can’t afford to skip meals.’

      ‘Yes, I can.’ She sighed. ‘But thanks for the compliment.’

      ‘It wasn’t a compliment.’ He grinned. ‘Come on, eat this and make me happy.’

      ‘Hold on a minute.’ She snatched up the T-shirt from the bed and retired into the bathroom again. Did Nick really think she was too thin? she wondered as she took off the towel and slipped into the white cotton shirt. Come to think about it, maybe he did prefer his women with a more curvy shape. Serena had been very well endowed.

      Irritated that she was even thinking along these lines, Kate turned her attention to her appearance. The T-shirt was big on her and came down nearly to her knees. She gave her hair a quick blast with the hairdryer so that it sat in glossy waves around her face. Then she surveyed her reflection in the mirror; she looked a bit better, she supposed. There was a bit of colour in her cheeks now, and her eyes weren’t quite as puffy. Not that she really cared how she looked for Nick…it was just female vanity.

      When she returned to the bedroom she found Nick sitting on the bed watching the small TV set which was on a stand at the far side of the room.

      ‘Nothing on, as usual,’ he said, flicking through