The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay

day.’ His way of imitating her sarcasm in such a childish fashion was really getting on Kayla’s nerves. Besides, she was starting to feel extremely ill and she didn’t need this hassle right now. It was too much. Rebellion stirred inside her. She clenched her jaw and prepared for battle.
    ‘I’m
not
taking the painting back, Mike, and that’s final. I like it and I bought it with my own money. I’ll keep it somewhere other than in our home if you hate it so much, but I’m not selling it. Ever!’ She wanted to shout, but kept her voice at a steely low pitch instead, which always had more effect on Mike.
    ‘I see.’ The expression on Mike’s face was getting uglier by the minute. ‘So you’re telling me my views don’t count? You’d rather own a portrait of a man who’s been dead for hundreds of years than listen to the man you supposedly love?’
    ‘Don’t be ridiculous. This is a totally stupid argument and I really don’t feel well enough for this right now. Can’t we talk about it tomorrow, please?’
    ‘No. I want you to promise that you’ll get rid of
him
,’ he pointed over his shoulder, ‘or you can forget about our marriage. I will not take second place to anyone in my wife’s affections.’
    ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, he’s dead!’ Kayla groaned again, the spasms of pain in her abdomen were coming more frequently now, and she was overwhelmed by bouts of nausea. She wished Mike would just go away. ‘And you have a
Playboy
calendar in your kitchen,’ she added.
    ‘That’s different. And I was going to take it down when you moved in anyway.’
    ‘Well, I never said a word about it. Besides, I was only joking about him being gorgeous. I mean, look at him, he’s not exactly Brad Pitt.’
    ‘Uh-hmm. So why did you buy it then?’
    Kayla made a vague gesture with her hands and Mike clenched his fists.
    ‘I mean it, Kay, take him back. Damn it all, a man’s got to be master of his own house.’
    ‘Fine, if that’s how you feel, why don’t you go back to
your
house and find some other stupid female to lord it over. I’m not marrying anyone who can’t see me as an equal in a partnership. This isn’t the Middle Ages, you know.’ She tugged violently at her engagement ring and yanked it off her finger before throwing it at him. ‘And take this with you when you go.’ He caught it deftly out of pure reflex. ‘I never liked it anyway. It’s too damn big and gets stuck everywhere. I’ll collect my things when I’m feeling better. Goodbye.’
    Without waiting for an answer she rushed off to the bathroom to be violently sick, and barely heard the front door slamming shut. She was too ill to care that she’d just thrown away all her dreams out of sheer stubbornness. Too ill to care that months of planning had been for nothing. And it was all because of a pair of irresistible blue eyes.
    Or was it?

Chapter Seven
    ‘Tell me more about yourself.’ Eliza reached out and trailed her fingers along Jago’s cheekbone, staring at him almost with reverence. He turned and kissed her hand, awed by the feelings that rose up inside him.
    ‘Why? What do you wish to know? I’m just a simple innkeeper.’ He shrugged, trying to make light of her words.
    ‘Have you always lived here? And who was your mother? She must have been very dark.’ She smiled. ‘You’re what my nanny would have called swarthy, with your tanned skin and this, which I love.’ Eliza’s fingernails grazed the black stubble along his jaw, making him shiver with pleasure. ‘But your eyes, they must be from your father, am I right?’
    Jago nodded. ‘Yes, they are the only feature of his I’ve inherited. My mother Lenora was a Gypsy, you know, and bequeathed me her exotic colouring. I’m told she was beautiful, enticing and full of life. A temptation to any man, but particularly to someone like Sir Philip.’
    ‘Why do you say that?’
    ‘He’d just lost his wife, he was lonely and needed to be swept out of his