Graham looked around.

The manager's office had,a grimy look to it, though it was basically

clean.

"Just the night."

Deep-set eyes slid down as much of Caitlin's torso as was visible from

his position.

An appreciative light entered the manager's eyes.

"Yeah, I know how that is."

"No," Graham said evenly, his voice low, dangerous.

"You don't."

She didn't belong in a place like this, where she was visually

undressed by some degenerate running a third-rate motel.

He should have followed his instincts and driven to a real hotel.

His nerves were on edge.

Caitlin leaned over and placed her hand on his arm soothingly as she

looked at the manager."We just got married. At The True Love Chapel."She raised her left hand and the ring shifted slightly.The manager's face immediately sobered."Oh, well, I' sorry. I didn't mean to-" He looked nervously at Graham , apparently not knowing what to expect.

"I don't have a bridal suite, but I can give you the best room I do have."

He turned and selected a key from the board behind him Showing it to Graham, he laid the key on the desk beside the ledger.

"Number twelve."

He leaned over the desk, looking out into the inky darkness just beyond the screened door.

The man pointed off into the distance.

"It's right at the end o the row."

"Thanks."

Graham closed his hand over the key.

H wrote his name down, then paused and appended "an wife" to the

signature.

Charade or not, this was going t take some getting used to.

Standing on her toes, Caitlin leaned over his shoulder an looked at the

two words he had added.

She grinned.

Typical.

"Do you want me to walk ten paces behind you?" she teased.

Graham shrugged, uneasy.

"Look, I'm just not use to-1) " Neither am I," she said softly, her

eyes touching his.

won't be easy, but we can do this, Gray.

W e can, she pled silently.

She wanted to be out of the manager's office an alone with him.

She hooked her arm through his.

"Let 1) go.

It was nicer than she had expected, though everything i side the room

was worn, faded by the constant intrusion the merciless desert sun. It was just large enough for the tw of them, with a tiny bathroom off to the side.

The dra were open, and a midnight view of the desert lay just b yond.

It could be romantic, she thought.

With the right perso The room felt oddly quiet as Graham closed the

door b hind her.

Caitlin fingered her new ring.

It wobbled.

She was going to have to wrap a bit of tape around the back of the band

if she didn't want it to fall off.He saw her twisting the band about her finger."Sorry about the ring."She merely smiled."It's lovely."Everything was lovely.She was Mrs. Graham Redhawk and had a son.Life was wonderful.It@mil He shoved his hands into his back pockets.A few minutes ago he'd felt exhausted.Now he was restless."I'll get you a real ring when we get back. I can at least do that much."

"If you want."

She held up her hand and looked at the two clasped hands depicted on

the band.

"I really do like this one."

He didn't see how that was possible, but he wasn't going to argue with

her.

He'd pick up a decent ring when he got the chance.

Right now he needed to get some sleep.

The room felt small, like a pair of shoes that didn't fit.

He nodded his head toward a straight-back chair with minimal padding on it. The floral pattern was terribly faded, like the comforter and the drapes.

"I'll sleep on the chair."

"Vvlhy? The bed's big enough for both of us."

The mattress didn't even sag in the middle, she noted silently with a

smile.

He dragged a hand through his hair.

He was trying to be noble about this and she was' making it damn hard

on him.

"Cait, this is an arrangement, remember?"

His tone drove her smile away.

"Yes, but the arrangement doesn't call for solitary confinement or hard

time."

She fisted her hands at her waist as she pointedly looked him up and

down.

"You're too big to stretch out comfortably in that chair."