Anna wanted to leave, and since Sara had not returned she was sure she was probably busy inside. But she didn’t appreciate him showing up the way he did and asking her to leave. It wasn’t what they’d agreed on and she didn’t want him to think she would cater to his every whim, regardless of time or place. So she drew back, her heart pounding.
Cedric’s fingers wrapped lightly around her arm. Clearly he didn’t like that she was hesitating. He was a man used to giving orders, and having people do them without questioning, and even with what they agreed, he seemed to be having a hard time getting used to the fact that she wasn’t one of those people.
“We’re married, Anna,” he went on brusquely when she didn’t do as he asked. “Leaving with me is perfectly acceptable.”
“Being married doesn’t make everything acceptable,” she countered heatedly. “Especially not with a marriage like ours,”
His face darkened with frustration. “This is bloody ridiculous. It’s late and I don’t have time for this,”
When his fingers tightened on her arm, Anna wrenched her arm out of his hold and glowered up at him. “Don’t ever presume that you can tell me what to do, Cedric,” she bit out, while keeping her voice low. “For someone who cared so much about the contract, I think you are the one overstepping. I will do my part and stick to what we agreed on and I don’t know what’s got into you tonight but, whatever it is, I don’t much like it. I will go with you, but hopefully, by the time we get home you will have gotten over this caveman attitude,”
_____________
The strained silence in the car during the drive home gave Cedric plenty of time to wonder, and to worry. He wondered if agreeing to this sort of marriage was the wise thing. Tonight had proved that he was quite possessive when it came to Anna, and seeing her sitting with another man, no matter who he was, had just pissed him off.
They’d agreed to have separate lives, and that they could see other people, but he was starting to realize that at the moment, the only woman he wanted in his bed was Anna, and he was pretty damn sure that even if they had one night together, it wouldn’t be enough.
Such thinking revived his frustrations, coupled with the fact that he’d rushed back that evening instead of the next day just because he wanted to be with her. All of a sudden, he wanted to snap at her.
Taunt her. Challenge her. Something had changed tonight. Cedric wanted more from Anna now, and, by God, he aimed to get more!
___________
Anna sat in the passenger seat of Cedric’s car, her face turned away from him, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
She knew Cedric was angry with her. She could feel it. If there was one thing Anna had become adept at over the years, it was sensing a man’s anger.
Not that Cedric’s anger was anything like her father’s. She’d trembled with fear when he’d been angry, but Anna wasn’t even close to trembling at that moment. But she was agitated. And upset. She hated having made Cedric angry. Hated herself for her silly overreactions.
He’d hardly behaved badly. So he’d been a little possessive of her, and if she was to be honest with herself, she could at least admit that she’d liked it. However, Anna suspected most of his anger came from the fact that he’d witnessed her momentary willingness to go along with what he’d wanted. Seen it in her eyes, just as she’d seen it in his.
She should apologize. She knew she should. But the words simply wouldn’t come, and before long Cedric was turning into the driveway and braking abruptly to a halt. He zapped the automatic gate-opener, then waited, his fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel till they opened.
Once again, Anna tried to force herself to say something. She turned her head in his direction, but still could not find her tongue, gazing past him instead at the impressive beauty of their home.
“I presume you are coming inside.”
Cedric’s sharp words snapped Anna back to the present, where she was surprised to see they were already parked in the garages, the door had shut behind them and Cedric had taken his keys out of the ignition.
“Yes, of course,” she said, and opened the door with a weary sigh. Clearly, Cedric was still angry with her. “I was daydreaming,” she added as she levered herself up onto her red high heels.
“What about?” he asked as he climbed out also, banging the car door after him.
“Sneaking out of the house to meet up with one of your boyfriends?”
His nasty crack shocked Anna. What exactly was wrong with him tonight, “‘You’re not still going on about that, are you?” she asked.
“Why not? A man doesn’t like his wife to enjoy another man’s company more than his own.”
She stared at Cedric over the roof of the car. “Collins is a friend, not my boyfriend. But if you keep acting like this, he just might be in future.”
She regretted making that statement immediately she said it, knowing it wouldn’t help matters and she was just making him more angry.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Cedric shot at her, not even bothering to hide his anger anymore. Their agreement be damned. There was no way he was going to sit back now and watch her be with another man while she was married to him. He’d thought he could handle it, but now he was one hundred percent sure he couldn’t. Not when it came to Anna.
“Nothing,” Anna muttered. “I meant nothing.”
When she came round the front of the car and went to walk past him, heading for the internal access to the house, Cedric grabbed her arm and spun her round to face him.
“I won’t tolerate you sleeping around on me, Anna,” he ground out, then added before she could say anything. “Screw whatever we agreed on concerning that, but I won’t sharing you with any man,”
“I never planned on sleeping with any one. I already told you that,” she denied fiercely. “You were the one who needed that added to the agreement because of your notorious attitude when it comes to women. And just so you know, I might ask for a divorce earlier than we agreed if you keep manhandling me.”