Part 10 (1/2)

Sitting across the room at his desk, Clint's gaze encompa.s.sed Alyssa, who was knocked out on his sofa. He smiled, thinking that too much pa.s.sion could definitely do that to a person. Deciding he wanted to let her sleep but didn't want to leave her alone, he decided to pa.s.s the time browsing the Internet.

First he checked out the Web site that advertised her company and was impressed with what he saw and the listing of references. Her clients consisted of both corporations and a mom who was using the site to organize a carpooling network.

Deciding to use one of those search engines she had told him about at lunch, he was able to locate several foundations that had a similar goal as the Sid Roberts Foundation-saving wild horses. One such organization was located in Arizona. Reaching for a pen, he jotted the information down. He would contact the organization the next day.

Then with nothing else to do, he decided to search Alyssa's name. Perhaps such a search would list other Web sites that she'd done or was a.s.sociated with.

In addition to bringing up several sites that her name was linked to, he was also given a list of news articles in which her name appeared. One was an article about an award she had received for Web design. A semblance of pride touched him at her accomplishment.

Then his gaze sharpened when it came across another article. It was one that announced her marriage engagement. Clint instantly felt a sharp pain that was similar to a swift kick in his abdomen. Alyssa hadn't told him she'd been engaged.

He flipped to the another article and his breath caught at the headlines that read Attorney Kevin Brady Weds Alyssa Barkley.

Clint's shoulders stiffened but he managed to force them to lean forward in his chair as he read the article that was dated two years ago. ”In the presence of over five hundred guests, prominent Waco attorney Kevin Brady wed local Web designer Alyssa Barkley.” There was also a picture of a beautiful Alyssa in a wedding gown.

Clint flipped off that particular screen, angered beyond belief at the thought that there was a possibility he had just made love to someone else's wife. During their very first conversations the day she'd arrived in Austin, Alyssa had told him she was not married. Yet the article indicated that she had been married. Even if she had gotten a divorce, she should have told him about it. This changed everything, Clint thought angrily.

Stunned, he stood and moved away from the computer, feeling let down and used. Taking the chair on the other side of the sofa, he decided not to wake her. So he waited until she finally awakened a half hour later. He watched as she slowly opened her eyes, saw him sitting in the chair and smiled at him. He could tell by her expression that she was confused by his refusal to return her smile.

”Clint?” she asked, pulling her naked body up into a sitting position. ”What's wrong?”

He didn't say anything as he tried to ignore her nudity before she reached for her T-s.h.i.+rt and pulled it over her head. Then in a voice tinged with the anger he was trying to hold in check, he asked, ”Why didn't you tell me you had gotten married, Alyssa?”

Eleven.

A lyssa went stiff. From Clint's expression she knew he mistook the gesture for guilt. A part of her immediately wondered if it mattered what he thought since he had been quick to think the worst of her, to believe she could be married to someone and willingly partic.i.p.ate in what they had shared tonight. Her anger flared. lyssa went stiff. From Clint's expression she knew he mistook the gesture for guilt. A part of her immediately wondered if it mattered what he thought since he had been quick to think the worst of her, to believe she could be married to someone and willingly partic.i.p.ate in what they had shared tonight. Her anger flared. Just what type of woman did he think she was? Just what type of woman did he think she was?

But then she knew what he thought did matter. What he had done tonight, not once but twice, had been intense, pa.s.sionate and an unselfish giving of himself. ”I asked you a question, Alyssa,” Clint said in the same hard voice.

Reining her anger back in and holding his gaze, she shook her head. ”I'm not married, Clint.”

”But you were,” he said.

It wasn't a question, it was an accusation. She wondered where he had gotten his information. It would seem like the handiwork of Kim, but she knew that couldn't be the case.

”Alyssa,” he said.

Apparently she wasn't answering quickly enough to suit him. The details of the humiliating day of her wedding were something she didn't like remembering, much less talking about. Having all those people at the church know the reason she hadn't gone through with the wedding-that she had been unable to satisfy her future husband to the point where already he'd gone out seeking the attentions of others-had been a degrading experience for her.

Knowing Clint was waiting for a response, she lifted her chin and tilted her head and slanted him a look.

”I've never been married, Clint,” she said.

She saw his anger die down somewhat, but she also saw the confused look in the depths of his dark eyes.

”Then explain that picture and this article on Internet,” he said.

So that was where he'd gotten his misinformation, she thought. With as much dignity as she could muster, Alyssa sat up straight on the sofa.

”The wedding was supposed to take place, but it didn't and it was too late to pull the article scheduled to run in the newspaper. To be honest, I didn't even think about calling the papers to stop the announcement from printing the next day. I had other things on my mind,” Alyssa said.

Like how my cousin could hate me so much to do such a thing, and how my fiance, the man I thought I loved, could allow her to use him to accomplish such a hateful act, she thought.

”You're saying that you called things off on your wedding day?”

She heard the incredulous tone of his voice as if such a thing was paramount to the burning of the flag. ”Yes, that's what I'm saying,” she said.

She knew that statement wouldn't suffice. He needed to know more. So she began talking and remembering that dreadful day. Her feelings of shame and embarra.s.sment hadn't lessened with time.

”I was home that day getting ready to leave for the church when a courier delivered a package for me. It contained pictures of my soon-to-be husband in bed with someone I knew. The pictures arrived just in time to ruin what should have been the happiest day of my life,” Alyssa said.

She watched Clinton's fury return, but this time it wasn't directed at her.

”Are you saying that while engaged to you your fiance was sleeping around? And with someone you knew and that the person deliberately wanted to hurt you?”

She nodded. ”Yes, and the pictures were very explicit. Kevin didn't even really apologize. He said he felt his behavior was something I should be able to forgive him for. He said I should get over it because it just happened that one time and meant nothing.”

”Bulls.h.i.+t,” Clint said.

Alyssa tried not to smile. ”Yes, that's what I said.”

”And the woman involved?”

”She accomplished her goal, which was to hurt me and embarra.s.s me. She wanted to prove that there was nothing that I considered mine that she couldn't have,” Alyssa said.

He frowned. ”She doesn't sound like a very nice person.”

She thought that over for a moment. ”In my opinion, she's not.”

The room got quiet and Alyssa was very much aware of him staring at her, so she tried looking at everything else in the room but him. She wondered what he was thinking. Did he agree with some of the others who'd pitied her because they felt she hadn't been able to hold on to her man, keep him from wandering?

She heard Clint move and when she glanced over in his direction she was startled to find him standing in front of her. She lifted confused eyes to his. When he reached out his hand to her, she took it and he gently pulled her to her feet and off the sofa. Instantly, his arms went around her waist and he pulled her tighter to him.

”I just made a mistake in accusing you of something when I should have checked out the facts first,” he said, in a low, husky tone. ”I'm sorry and I can a.s.sure you that it won't happen again,” he said, holding her gaze with his.

”And I'm glad you didn't marry that guy because if you would have married him, you wouldn't be here with me now.” A few moments later he added while placing his palm against her cheek, ”Besides, he didn't deserve you.”

That's the same thing her aunt had said that day. Over the years, Claudine had just about convinced Alyssa that it was true. Touched by what he'd said, Alyssa tilted her head back and slanted a small smile at him. ”Thank you for saying that,” she said.

”Don't thank me, sweetheart, because it's true. Any man who screws around on a woman like you can't be operating with a full deck.”