Niko's Stolen Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

trailed across the pillows. Scrunching them into a ball in her fist, she threw the wad toward a trash can with a savage thrust of her arm. It landed a good two feet away. With a frustrated sigh, she strode over to pick it up and place it in the receptacle. It was ridiculous, this ingrained urge to always do the right thing, no matter how small. Even now, she was taking the weight of this affair on her shoulders, as if it were her fault, assuming she wasn’t good enough for Frank.
    She’d always thought she was a reasonably attractive, healthy young woman in good physical condition. She ate nourishing meals, exercised enough to keep the cellulite at bay and didn’t smoke. Still, she had failed to keep her man. Nature had not graced her with the curved body that men like Frank hungered for. Nor had she learned to give that sultry, come-hither look some women mastered. She was just an ordinary person who had lost out to a temptress.
    She had to be honest with herself. Frank was an ordinary man as well. Not wealthy or even particularly handsome. If it had happened with someone like him, it would happen with any man. Marriage with a partner who would stay at her side, who would love only her and be able to resist the wiles of other women, was a childish dream. Statistics proved that every day. She’d been stupid to think it would be different for her. She was not special in any way. No different than every other woman who’d had their heart broken by an unfaithful man.
    Here, in the close confines of the cabin, she felt hidden, protected from the outside world. She could wallow in self-pity without anyone to watch. Once she stepped out, there were things to do, people to face. She longed to avoid all that. The temptation was intense to find Frank and beg him to marry her as though nothing had happened. It would be easy to walk down the aisle with a smile plastered on her face and play the happy bride. She’d been rehearsing for months. She could do it. The honeymoon though, and the long years after were a different story. It was unlikely that she would ever trust him again. A life full of suspicions and recriminations was no way to live.
    To shake off the depressing thoughts, she surveyed her surroundings more closely. Light oak panels encased the walls, tinted mirrors lent the impression of a generous space and Roman shades in a cool blue fabric shielded the portholes. She pulled the cord to raise one shade. Weak sunshine flooded the room as she looked out at the white yacht in the next dock. Muted bumps and bangs alerted her that the other crew member, George, had been found and they were preparing to leave. She was curious about what they were doing, but decided it was best to take care of this room first. Perhaps when it was done, she would feel calmer and more in control.
    The paper wedding bells were attached with double-sided tape that came down easily. She folded each one and placed it into a drawer in the desk, along with its contingent of pink ribbon. The champagne glasses and ice bucket she hid in the closet. She hesitated a moment over the bottles of scented oils and lotions, as well as the condoms she’d found at the bottom of the basket. Those she deposited into a drawer on the bedside table. This yacht was held for lease, usually for week-long trips through the Caribbean islands. It gave her an odd sense of satisfaction that some lucky couple would find and use the items.
    It was hard to believe that she wouldn’t be spending the night in Frank’s arms. Even harder to believe that he’d been having an affair. He’d been so reserved in the bedroom, something she’d hoped would change after their marriage. He definitely had not been holding back with the blonde.
    She and her girlfriends had noticed the black Hummer limousine outside the bar and thought it would be great fun to crash Frank’s bachelor’s party. Instead, Kara had been shocked to see her fiancé inside the vehicle, grinding away from behind