The Wedding Night Read Online Free PDF Page B

smiled and straightened. He watched her as he started to yank at the buttons of his shirt. Angie lay there looking at him with a growing wonder and a deep, questioning awareness that made him want to soothe and reassure her even as he ached to take her completely.
    In another few minutes she would be his.
    The knock on the door jolted Owen as violently as if he had touched a live electrical wire.
    "Damn."
    "Room service, sir," said the disembodied voice from the other side of the door.
    Owen closed his eyes in brief, savage annoyance. Then he got a fresh grip on his self-control and managed a slight smile for Angie. "That’ll be dinner. When I ordered it, I actually believed we might want to eat tonight. Obviously, I made a mistake. You stay right there, honey. I’ll take care of it."
    He went to the door and jerked it open, startling the waiter. The young man smiled nervously.
    "Excuse me, sir–Mr. Sutherland. Uh, you ordered dinner, sir?" the waiter stammered.
    "Right. I’ll handle it. We won’t need any help. We can serve ourselves." Owen summoned up his patience and reminded himself that he always had this effect on employees when he stayed in one of his own hotels. Tonight he probably looked even more forbidding than usual. He knew he was
    scowling.
    "Yes, sir, Mr. Sutherland. And, uh, the chef sends his congratulations, sir." The waiter backed away, his face turning a bright red as he took in the state of Owen’s clothes. "Sorry to interrupt. Let us know if you need anything else."
    "I’ll do that," Owen said dryly. He wheeled the cart into the room and closed the door.
    He turned to look at Angie, who was sitting up on the edge of the bed, fumbling with her silver gown.
    She did not meet his eyes. "We don’t have to eat this right now," he said suggestively. "It’ll keep."
    "No!" She leaped to her feet. "No, I’m… I’m very hungry. I hardly ate at the reception. And I couldn’t eat breakfast. I haven’t had much to eat all day, now that I think about it."
    "Angie…"
    "Here, I’ll help you set that up." She darted forward and began yanking the silver lids off the serving trays. Fragrant aromas wafted up from artichokes and golden hollandaise sauce and perfectly broiled swordfish steaks. "Doesn’t this look wonderful?"
    Owen stifled an oath, aware that the moment had been lost. Angie had clearly gone from being on the point of sensual surrender to being a nervous wreck. His mouth quirked as he obligingly began dealing with the contents of the dinner cart.
    "Shall we eat out on the terrace?" Owen asked politely.
    "Yes. That sounds delightful." She carried the fish to the glass and white wrought-iron table on the terrace.
    Owen followed more slowly, taking a long, deep breath of the night air to cool his clamoring senses.
    "Fog’s coming in," he remarked casually.
    "It is, isn’t it? A bit chilly."
    "We can eat inside, if you like."
    "No, no, this is just fine," she said hastily. "It won’t turn really cold for a while yet. And there’s something very pleasant about the fog coming in off the ocean, isn’t there?"
    "If you like fog."
    "Yes. Well, I do." She perched on the edge of one of the chairs and made a production of serving the food from the trays.
    Owen sat down, watching her with indulgent amusement. "Why so nervous all of a sudden, Angie? I’ve kissed you before. I was always under the impression you enjoyed the experience. And this is our wedding night, after all."
    "Please, Owen. Could we talk about something else?"
    "Something other than our wedding night, you mean?"
    " Yes , damn it."
    He blinked lazily at the flash of temper and calmly reached for a crusty roll. "Whatever you like, honey."
    The more agitated Angie got, the more Owen relaxed and told himself everything was going to be fine.
    She was such a fiery, hot-blooded creature, and that put her at a distinct disadvantage when dealing with someone coolheaded and self-controlled.
    As long as she was nervous, Owen knew he would stay