Under My Umbrella

Chapter Ten

Carter calls me back just after I’ve checked into my hotel room. The conversation barely lasts two minutes but I’m pretty sure there are no leggy blondes parading around his office in their underwear. Neither of us mentioned the L word or when I’ll return but at least I know he’s not mad at me.

I can’t face the conversation I owe Melissa. I can’t face Shane. And I certainly can’t face anything that is remotely linked to Rob’s sexual needs.

Shane would have told me about Claire’s plans to remain celibate until the wedding if he had thought it was important. The fact that he didn’t just proves that stripping off in front of Rob is not going to get us anywhere. It was never part of the plan and we don’t need to use it now.

But it has to mean something, doesn’t it?

It has to be at least a little part of Rob’s reasoning for a quick wedding, whether he’s conscious of that or not.

And sex is no grounds for a marriage.

Oh God. Shane was right. I have to do something about this.

If Rob doesn’t hate me already, there’s a good chance that he will after this. But maybe this is what we have to do to fix this.

*

“This is not what I had in mind.” I lift a pair of fluffy handcuffs from the carrier bag Shane hands me.

“Nothing has to happen, I promise you. All you have to do is make Rob realise that he wants it to,” Shane informs me in his most matter-of-fact tone as though he’s explaining the rules of chess.

“And doing that will force him to call the wedding off, will it?”

Shane shrugs. “You know him best.”

“And you came up with yet another crazy plan.” I drop the handcuffs back into the bag. “I don’t suppose you’ve got me a sexy lingerie set to go with that, have you?”

He laughs. “I was hoping that you had that part covered.”

“Or uncovered, as the case may be.” I sigh. “I don’t know, Shane. I don’t know if I can go through with this. You’re asking me to manipulate someone that I care about.”

“Oh, like you’ve never done that before.”

I glare at him. “This is different. You’re asking me to…to offer myself to Rob. Do you really think it will work? That he will be tempted and revaluate his commitment to Claire?”

“What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Rob will run off screaming when he sees me and then he’ll tell Claire that I threw myself at him and she and Sarah will find naked pictures of me to post all over the internet and humiliate me.” Okay, I might have thought about this before.

“A touch too dramatic.” Shane smiles and looks at me with one eyebrow lifted. “Where will they find naked pictures? Don’t tell me you’ve got a stash of them on your cell phone.”

 “Well, obviously they’ll stick my head on someone else’s body for the pictures but that’s not even the worst part! After that, the wedding will defiantly still go ahead and then we’re looking at the impending doom of divorce.”

“Relax.” Shane places his hands on my shoulders. “You can do this.”

I swallow and pick up the handcuffs again, running my hand over the black fur. “Why do you even own handcuffs?”

He winks at me. “Just take them. Trust me, Rob will not be able to resist you.”

“And what do I do when he can’t resist?”