Helplessly, she nodded.So much! She wanted to see him so much.
After a moment, Garvin said, ‘I think maybe now’s a good time to get that barbecue fired up, Karen. But we’ll be just outside, Honor.Justoutside.’
Honor nodded again.
And things happened; the refrigerator opened and closed, as did drawers and cupboards. Plates clattered, voices murmured and the lettuce was coaxed from her hands. Then she and Martyn were the only ones left, eyes locked across the room.
‘I already made him change it all back,’ she blurted. ‘Every site. You don’t have to find a way to make him do anything. You just have to change all your passwords and—’
Surprise shot across his face. ‘But I sorted everything out the same evening. All the porn is gone and the passwords have been changed. I didn’t come for him. I came for you. It’s only taken me this long to get here because clients were furious at some of the claims about their products on my social networking sites. I had to stop off and see their press officers and Ace set up a video thing. I—’ He paused. ‘I decided to tell them I had no idea of the identity of the hacker. It seemed safest. For you.’
A wave of heat began at her ankles and surged up her body. ‘Yousorted everything out? Why, that bastard, he made me—’
‘What?’ Softly, as if fearing the answer.
She gulped. ‘He made me promise that if he undid all the harm he’d done to you, I’d give our marriage another try.’
Martyn’s face drained of all colour. She’d read the phrase in books, but she didn’t think she’d ever witnessed it close up, a face turning perfectly white. He pulled out a kitchen chair and, slowly, as if he were ill, folded into it, his holdall dropping to the floor. ‘Tell me you didn’t agree.’
‘Truthfully? Ididagree,’ she acknowledged. ‘But then I, um . . . wriggled my way out of it. We’re going to get a divorce.’
And, like flicking a switch, his normal colour flooded back to his cheeks. His eyes even began to smile. ‘What did you beat him up with?’
She laughed, her heart lightening, as if it might actually have cause to float up from the pit of her stomach where it had languished for the past couple of days. ‘I didn’t—! OK, there was ice cream involved. And an ugly, manipulative, unfair threat. Because I’m not worried about what’s safe. I’ll give him up to the cops, if I have to.’
He rose; came closer. Until she was looking up into his face. ‘I love the way you fight for things,’ he said. ‘But I don’t ever again want you to fight with me. I’m sorry. Sorry I left you to run down Stef on your own. I just saw what had happened and I freaked — but I shouldn’t have blamed it on Ru or you. It was anger talking and I have to learn to shut it up.
‘We can live here if you don’t want to live in England. Ace can get me work in New York and I’ll force my way through the red tape and get the right permits. Just don’t run away from me again, no matter how much of a fuck I turn into when I lose my temper.’ His eyes were sombre and black.
‘I didn’t run away,’ she protested. ‘I went after Stef, to make him undo what he’d done.’
‘But you weren’t coming back.’ It wasn’t a question. ‘I went into the bungalow. You didn’t leave anything to come back to.’
She blinked as a hot tear formed at the corner of her eye. ‘I was the cause of so much trouble—’
Suddenly, he was close enough to gather her gently up against his warm, hard body. ‘Stef caused the trouble. I knew that. I’m sorry.’ He tasted like mints as his mouth touched hers and it made her glad to imagine him coming straight off the plane, buying Life Savers at the airport as he set out to find her.
‘It really is over, with Stef,’ she whispered, as a flame of joy licked through her and she felt her feet leave the floor.
‘I’m almost disappointed not to have to fight him,’ he whispered into her hair. ‘When you’d gone, I couldn’t believe that I’d let you. I came here all fired up to kick and claw for you. I love you.’
‘I — I love you,’ she gulped. ‘But—’
‘But that’s all that matters. We can work on the details.’
And he held her harder, as if he was ready to turn and run with her if she disagreed. She didn’t disagree.
‘I guess I’d better introduce you to my family,’ she breathed, eventually. ‘They must be wondering what the hell is going on.’
‘OK.’ He kissed her eyelids, her lips, her cheekbones and her throat.
‘So you’d better take your hands off my ass.’
He touched his tongue tip to the corner of her mouth. His hands stayed put as he began to carry her. ‘Where are we going?’ she gasped, as they moved smoothly over the floorboards, past the coat stand, past the bureau. Not outdoors, where her family were no doubt waiting.
‘Upstairs. Which is your room?’
Her breath left her in a giant wave of wanting as they began up the staircase. ‘What? In myroom? With my family right outside?
