Читать книгу Modern Romance Books September Books 5-8 - Кэтти Уильямс, Annie West, Cathy Williams - Страница 14

WITH HIS BACK to the coffee shop, and a paper cup of over-stewed coffee in one hand, Rafael scanned the faces of the people emerging from Customs out into the waiting crowds. A few were optimistically peering to find loved ones. Most looked frazzled and weary.

Under normal circumstances, Rafael would not have been standing there, drinking mediocre coffee and waiting for anyone to arrive. Under normal circumstances, he would have dispatched his driver to do the honours, but these were hardly normal circumstances.

A fortnight ago, he had left Argentina an engaged man. He had presumed that Sofia would leave with him but, she’d informed him, she had things to do.

‘I can’t just up sticks and leave,’ she had told him, sitting upright across from him in the formal sitting room where the details of this marriage of convenience had been discussed with the formality of two heads of state at a summit. ‘I have things to do.’

‘What things?’

‘Things,’ she had said coolly. ‘All the usual things a person has to do just before they travel to another country to marry someone they barely know.’

‘Thereby ensuring themselves a small fortune in the process,’ Rafael had been prompted into saying, edgily. ‘As a token of good faith, I’m prepared to personally transfer a sizeable amount to your bank account online right now, if you give me your account details.’

‘I also,’ Sofia had added, overriding the offer, ‘don’t like the idea of just disappearing and leaving a farewell note behind. I may not be the Walters’ biggest fan,’ she had conceded truthfully, ‘but I’m fond of their children and I would like to say goodbye to them.’

* * *

So that had been that. In the end, it had worked out for the best because Rafael had travelled back solo and had taken the opportunity to explain the situation to David, who was now on the slow and laborious route to recuperation.

It had also given him ample opportunity to crystallise the what happens next? in the scenario.

Not that he hadn’t thought about it while he had been out there. He had. Eventually. When matters had come to a head.

He’d been confronted with a sexy beauty and for a while his libido had misbehaved but, yes, when he had sat her down and explained the situation, he had known that acting on his libido was not going to do.

This wasn’t going to be one of his transitory affairs. He wasn’t going to be able to walk away after a handful of weeks and bouquet of ‘it’s over’ flowers lovingly chosen by his PA.

No, Sofia Suarez, whose existence he hadn’t been aware of a fortnight previously, was going to be slightly more long-lasting than that.

A year. That was the timeline mutually agreed as they had coolly and objectively discussed the nuts and bolts of their arrangement. A year, during which he would sort out the problem with Freddy and she would build the bonds with her father that would last beyond the inevitable divorce. A year seemed like a reasonable length of time. Having agreed to the deal, not once had she baulked, and he had admired her for that.

It was going to be a mutually beneficial situation for all concerned. For his godfather, who was desperate to meet his flesh-and-blood daughter. For him, because he was not only going to do something for the only human being on the planet he actually had time for but, in the process, would sort out the aggravation of his godfather’s stepson’s interference—and, as no miserly bonus, garner himself a healthy slice of the leisure industry his godfather had made his own. And of course for his bride-to-be, who would suddenly find herself one of the wealthiest women on the continent.

Joy and laughter all round.

But not if he allowed his libido to rule his head.

Rafael had felt the sizzle of attraction between them. He had seen the flare of desire in her feline green eyes and for a short while he had actually contemplated doing something about it. Because the pull towards her, forbidden fruit when he’d started thinking with his head instead of that other, far less reliable part of his body, was the strongest he’d ever experienced.

But this was a business arrangement and he had never been stupid enough to mix business with pleasure.

His solution had been the perfect one. They would maintain their freedom of movement whilst obeying rules of utmost discretion. A year was hardly an eternity in the great scheme of things.

Mind half-playing on the various formalities to be manoeuvred, Rafael spotted her emerging from the airport corridor through which lay Arrivals and Customs. She was walking slowly behind a family and trying hard to control a trolley that seemed determined to explore the opposite direction from the one she was taking.

Her long, dark, curly hair was tied back but travel had unravelled most of it from its restraints. She was dressed in a pair of faded jeans, a loose T-shirt and a scruffy bomber jacket. Her skin was the colour of latte and as smooth as silk and he drew in a sharp breath before briskly walking in her direction.

Just when you figure you’ve got life nicely under control, he thought with grim amusement, you discover that life’s decided to turn the tables and start controlling you.

Just as well he was made of sterner stuff and could handle anything life decided to throw at him.

* * *

Flustered and bug-eyed, because she could count on the fingers of one hand the number of hours she had actually managed to sleep over the past couple of weeks, Sofia was not aware of Rafael’s steady approach.

She was too busy trying not to crash into the three-year-old toddler being pulled along by his mother.

The dark timbre of Rafael’s voice brought her to an abrupt stop, but not for long, because he seamlessly took the trolley from her and ushered her out of the steady stream of traffic looking for familiar faces.

‘Good flight?’ he enquired politely.

Sofia slanted a glance at him. Somehow she had managed to forget just how stunning the guy was. So tall, so powerfully built, so aggressively masculine.

Eyes turned in his direction. Had he noticed? She was sure that he must have and that awareness of his own sexual magnetism would certainly account for some of his overwhelming self-assurance.

‘Fine, thank you,’ she returned, remembering for the record that he might be sex on legs but he was also someone who got what he wanted, whatever the cost and even if it involved lying.

‘That’s all the luggage you have with you?’

‘I travel light.’

‘Sensible. You’re going to have a whole new wardrobe anyway, so the less of your old things you have to dispose of, the better.’

‘How is my...my...how is David doing?’

‘You’re free to call him “Dad” if you like.’

‘He’s not my dad.’

Rafael shrugged but then turned to look down at her, his tone gentling. ‘I understand the situation, Sofia. You’re going to be meeting someone you have no interest in meeting but you’re going to have to control the tendency to be waspish. David is recuperating but the last thing he needs is to be stressed out by surly behaviour.’

‘You have no right to tell me off as though I’m a kid.’ Sofia looked him squarely in the eyes. ‘I didn’t ask to be here.’

‘But here you are, and I could name a million and one reasons why.’ He looked at her wryly, eyebrows raised. ‘Check your bank account and you’ll get my drift.’

Face burning, Sofia looked away. He had sent her three emails. One contained a form, basically preventing her from blabbing to the press about anything. The other contained a complicated legal document involving distribution of shares and cash and she had signed it without reading it to the end.

The third email had detailed practical information. That one she had read thoroughly but now that she was here, so far from home, panic began to set in.

She rested her hand lightly on his arm as they emerged from the airport into cool spring air.

They had left some of the bustling crowds behind. Out here, cars were pulling up and slowly driving off, dropping and collecting passengers.

What have I got myself into? Sofia suddenly thought, terrified in a way she hadn’t been back in the safety of her room at the Walters’ mansion. Yes, she had agreed to something that made sound financial sense. He had assured her that theirs would not be a relationship in any true sense of the word and she had believed him. She was also, underneath the bluster, ever so slightly curious about the man who had fathered her, even though she doubted she could ever feel anything for some rich guy who had disappeared and broken her mother’s heart.

But still...

Here she was, and her mouth was suddenly dry and her pulses racing all over the place.

‘What is it?’

‘I... I...’ Her voice trailed off.

‘The car is over there.’ He nodded to a monstrously big Range Rover. ‘You can get it off your chest once we’re driving.’

‘You sent an email,’ Sofia began once she had climbed into the passenger seat and the car was silently exiting the cavernous car park. ‘I’m afraid I’ve forgotten... I signed the stuff and I know...well...that we’ve given this a year, but was there anything else? And where...where are we going now? I feel I should have asked more questions but...’

‘What did the boss say when you handed in your notice, just out of interest?’

‘James?’

‘I don’t suppose he was happy about that.’

‘It was inconvenient for both of them.’ She flushed and looked away, recalling the angry gleam in James’s eyes. She’d wondered whether he hadn’t planned, at some point, to try to get her into bed, and was annoyed because the opportunity had removed itself from his grasp. He didn’t intimidate her but she was seriously glad that he was no longer her boss.

‘I’ll bet. You’re nervous and wondering whether you’ve done the right thing.’

‘Have I said that?’

Rafael shot her a sideways look. ‘Remember that talent of mine for reading what’s not been said? If you’re having doubts, then remember the boss whose nose was put out of joint when you handed in your notice. I saw that photo. I can recognise a sleaze ball from a mile away. Life would have become increasingly difficult for you there. The guy was probably circling like a shark. So, you asked where we’re going. Right now, we’re going to be staying at one of my houses outside London. Close enough for me to commute, at least on weekends, but far enough for you to find your feet far from prying eyes.’

‘Prying eyes?’

‘I’ve done my utmost to steer clear of paparazzi in both my professional and personal life and am only ever in print in connection with some of the more significant deals I’ve done over the years. On the whole, reporters have little to no interest in my personal life but, that said, the fact that I’m married isn’t something that’s going to pass unnoticed.’ He paused and slanted another sideways glance at her. ‘I thought you might want to adjust to life over here in relative peace and quiet before you’re introduced as my wife. Hence we avoid my London base for a few weeks.’

‘That’s very thoughtful of you,’ Sofia said stiffly.

‘It will also enable you to control the occasions when you meet David. I’ve discussed this with him and he’s happy with the arrangement. He is, believe it or not, as nervous about meeting you as you are of meeting him.’

‘I’m not nervous.’

‘I’ll let that one pass. Have you ever been to this country before?’

‘No.’ She sighed and gazed out of the window at the soulless buzz of the motorway.

‘You’ll familiarise yourself with the place in time.’ He paused. ‘We’re heading out of London at the moment. I’ve arranged a jeweller, who will be coming to my house with a selection of rings. You can take your pick of whatever you like. I’ve also had a timetable of various activities prepared for you, including a shopping trip for...amongst other things...a dress for the big day. You can either go to Harrods or else Harrods will come to you, if you don’t fancy London.’

Sofia thought that this was the reality. The ring. The dress. A ceremony that suited all parties but had no emotional significance. The best that money could buy but without joy, anticipation or love.

She shivered and laughed unsteadily.

‘What is it?’ Rafael quizzed, not looking at her. ‘I’m merely going over all the practical details.’

‘I know. It’s strange,’ she said slowly, ‘But for a while, when you first arrived at the Walters’ house, when you were pretending to be a gardener, I actually felt comfortable with you. I hadn’t expected to, but I did. You were...different. More easy going, light-hearted. I suppose that was just a persona and this is the real you.’

Rafael flushed darkly. ‘I don’t have a split personality, Sofia.’

‘You weren’t cold and distant like this...’

‘I’m being practical,’ he offered brusquely. ‘It’s the best way of dealing with this situation. This is not Argentina and it’s better for the both of us if we approach it from the same perspective. We’re in an arrangement and we need to view it as such.’ He looked at her, at her smooth, stunningly sexy profile, the gentle curve of her neck, the sweep of her dark hair, and his body stirred in unwelcome and definitely inappropriate response. ‘It’s essential, in fact,’ he felt compelled to stress in a roughened undertone.

Sofia didn’t say anything but she was sitting next to a stranger.

‘It’s just a little weird to think that I’m about to embark on a wedding and a marriage to a guy who is more of a stranger now than he was when I first met him.’

‘Not such a great idea to go there,’ Rafael said, picking up pace now that the airport surroundings had been left behind and they were shooting away from the city. ‘This is what we both signed up for and we both had our reasons. Let’s just hit Acceptance Road and keep on it.’

‘But don’t you feel just a little bit sad that you’re not getting married for all the right reasons?’ She laughed lightly to cover up the sincerity of what she was saying. Funny thing was, she’d always considered herself the sort of practical girl who didn’t have a romantic bone in her body. Not really. Yes, she believed in love, but a sensible sort of love. Not the sort of tempestuous carousel of emotion that had plagued her mother and driven her into relationships that had been doomed before they got off the ground.

‘The right reasons being...the starry-eyed business of true love?’ Rafael laughed shortly. ‘In a word, no.’ And just like that he thought of times past and his brief and disastrous foray into married life. Hell, he thought he’d relegated that slice of insanity to the past! Too young to know better and too green round the gills to realise that some women loved money more than they loved the men they claimed to adore. He shut the wayward memory down. You learned from the crap that was thrown at you and you moved on. He’d learned from having rich parents who hadn’t given a damn about him and he’d moved on. He’d learned from that costly, juvenile mistake when he’d married in haste and he’d moved on.

‘You’re very cynical, aren’t you?’

‘Very realistic. I’ve seen where so-called true love ends up and it’s not in a happy-ever-after scenario. I’m comfortable with this arrangement. And you should be too because, as we’ve agreed, there is a time limit to it.’

‘I remember,’ Sofia said dryly. One year, he had concluded, during which time the relationship with David could be forged, the business of Freddy would be concluded and thereafter she would be free to divorce and pick back up her life, but as a wealthy woman.

‘I didn’t take you for the romantic kind,’ he eventually remarked to break the silence and kill the remnants of uninvited memories. ‘In fact, you were pretty spiky when we first met.’

‘I’m not the romantic kind! And you were pretty arrogant when we first met, which was probably why I was spiky.’ It was suddenly unnerving because he’d lost the cool voice, and that glimpse of the sexy, easy guy she’d found herself attracted to was back. It was just a glimpse but it was still enough to make her skin tingle. This time, though, she was prepared and she quickly changed the subject because there was no way she was going to lose her head a second time round. He’d turned the charm on when he’d descended in his fake role as gardener because he’d needed to suss her out, get to know her, and that had been the most efficient way of doing itt. But charm was inherent in his personality and she guessed that it would be far too easy to fall victim to it again. It was something she wasn’t about to do.

‘When...er...do I get to meet...er...?’

‘David?’ Rafael half-smiled. ‘Scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Saturday. He’ll be back in his house and up to visitors, although any visit will have to be brief. And the big day...the following Saturday. It’ll be a suitably small affair. Thereafter, we’ll be man and wife—although, as I’ve said, I’ll be working in London during the week and on weekends you might want to travel down and stay in my apartment...handy for setting up a routine of visits to David once he’s home.’

No time together was what Sofia read into that statement of fact, and it came as no great shock, as he’d previously sketched out that scenario.

‘So I’ll be out in the sticks during the week.’ She would carry on with her studies. She’d enjoy the discipline, even though she wouldn’t need the job at the end of it. She would explore her surroundings, maybe do something crafty with her spare time, volunteer somewhere or maybe just see what sports were on offer. It would be a life she had never envisioned but she would need something to do for herself while she was here.

‘Unless you prefer my apartment. It’s more than big enough for the both of us.’

‘Won’t that be an intrusion?’ Sofia murmured inaudibly, because she’d already worked out that if Rafael spent the week away from her it would give him ample opportunity to continue uninterrupted in whatever life he had involving the opposite sex.

She thought of him with another woman and was shocked at the raw sting of jealousy that swept through her in a tidal wave.

‘Come again?’

‘Nothing,’ she said brightly. ‘Just...enjoying the scenery and...being somewhere different.’

The car ate up the miles and, despite the flurry of nervous tension inside her, she really did enjoy the scenery as the roads became less congested and the land more open, rolling in a patchwork quilt of different colours on either side of the dual carriageway until they cut away from the main drag.

Then they drove up smaller roads, narrower streets that opened into tiny villages announcing themselves with a single signpost. She saw lots of greenery and lots of trees and then, eventually, the car swerved slowly through electronically controlled wrought-iron gates.

This wasn’t what she’d been expecting. The drive opened out to a small courtyard and then an elongated cottage that was picture-perfect. White walls, clambering ivy, roses.

‘You own this house?’

Rafael drew to a stop and flashed her a smile of such utter charm that for a few seconds she struggled to breathe.

The worst of it was that he didn’t even realise the effect that smile could have on her.

‘Investment,’ he said succinctly. ‘Apparently out here old and quaint sells. As it happens, I’ve hung onto it far longer than I originally planned, because David’s always enjoyed coming out here, but in the meantime it’s done very nicely indeed pricewise. That answer your question?’

‘Perfectly.’

There was a snazzy black car in the drive and now an attractive blonde in her mid-thirties emerged and walked towards the Range Rover.

‘The ring selection,’ Rafael murmured, reaching across her to snap open the door and pausing before withdrawing his arm that was inches from her breasts. ‘For the love-struck couple, giddy after their whirlwind romance.’

‘Is that what everyone thinks?’

Rafael shrugged. ‘David knows the ins and outs, and Freddy has already begun to make outraged noises, but I’d say the rest of the world probably think that this is the real deal. Why wouldn’t they? I honestly don’t care but it might be easier all round for you to give as few people as little to talk about.’

Sofia was trying hard to concentrate on every word he was saying but her eyes were compulsively looking at his well-defined, sensual mouth and her body was way too aware of that arm of his almost but not quite brushing her breasts.

She barely saw the rings, which were a blur of diamonds and gold, small, glittering objects that mocked all the principles she had ever stood by. They nestled against the black velvet and all she could think was this should be for real. In front of them, the attractive blonde was positively throbbing with excitement.

Sofia pointed to the smallest and least ostentatious and felt the light touch of Rafael’s hand cupping the nape of her neck, gently massaging beneath her mane of hair. Time felt suspended. She inhaled and then found it almost impossible to exhale because every nerve in her body, every pulse, was caught in a whirlpool of dark, swirling sensation.

‘Way too small, my darling,’ he murmured, leaning forward, his hand still massaging her neck, to point at a far bigger diamond. Then he drew back and his hand dropped, but only to lightly rest on her waist.

‘Lucky you,’ the blonde whispered when the ordeal was at an end and rings had been selected, ready for adjustments before the big day.

‘Oh, yes.’ Sofia glanced to where Rafael was now standing to one side, on his phone talking work, safely out of range of her rebellious body. ‘I’m the luckiest girl in the world.’

As she said that, he looked at her, dark eyes tangling with bright green, and hot colour crawled into her cheeks.

Did she look like a genuine blushing bride-to-be? She hoped not and, to dispel any such illusion, she stood up briskly, smile pinned to her face, and ushered the woman out. Then she asked whether she could explore her surroundings.

‘Take your time,’ Rafael drawled. ‘I have some work to do. I’ll be in the kitchen.’

He vanished through one of the opened doors towards the back and Sofia knew that this was how it was going to be until such time as the marriage drew to its inevitable conclusion, leaving her a rich woman free to go her own way.

She did as told and explored. She took her time and, in the process, she fell in love with the sprawling, well-decorated house. She never imagined that she would actually live in a place like this. The proportions of the rooms were perfect, the muted tones exquisite, the furnishings luxurious. Whatever she’d traded, whatever dreams she’d locked away, she knew that the deal done had given her all sorts of advantages she could never, ever have achieved on her own.

She didn’t even have to pretend to be head-over-heels in love with Rafael. Mutual respect was what was on the table.

And what, exactly, had she left behind? Her infrastructure in Argentina had been almost non-existent thanks to all the travelling she’d done with her mother over the years. She’d lost touch with school friends. She only had her aunt and her cousin. Her heart constricted when she thought about them because she would miss them but, as she’d told Misa, it wasn’t going to be for ever and she would be able to do so much for Miguel.

‘Love isn’t the be all and end all,’ she had said with genuine honesty. ‘Mum had her heart broken because of love and then spent the rest of her life trying to relocate it and failing. Life would have been a lot easier if she’d just focused on...other things. Financial security. A steady job.’

She had already set up a standing order and had told her aunt to start looking around for a better property, suitably adapted for Miguel. She’d explained the situation, the practicalities of it. She had fought down the lump in her throat that somehow her aunt would be disappointed she had told herself that this was what mattered. Not big dreams of fairy-tale romances but the solid advantages of financial security.

She still believed all of that and it was frustrating to find herself doubting those long-held convictions.

On the spur of the moment, she dialled her aunt’s number, gently pushing the door to the upstairs bedroom behind her.

The minute Rafael had come clean about his intentions, she had slammed down the shutters and any temptation to confide further details of her private life had screeched to a halt.

She’d always been so protective of her privacy and she had been appalled that she’d begun opening up to a complete stranger who had turned out to be a fraud.

Her aunt answered on the first ring and, just like that, Sofia was transported back to Buenos Aires and the gruelling, repetitive life Misa led, doing her utmost to make everything more comfortable for Miguel.

It was a life that was so different from the one she now found herself transported to that it was scarcely believable.

In a low voice, smiling when she thought of all the possibilities that would open up to the only relative she knew and someone she loved, Sofia described the very house in which she was standing, describing the trip over and the car that had collected her. She peered through the window, down to a rambling garden that matched the house.

Trees fringed the back and beyond those trees were rolling fields. Borders of flowers and shrubs were artfully entwined and under a drooping willow was a wooden bench, perfect for reading.

Still smiling, she turned to find Rafael standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable, his dark eyes cool and speculative.

She ended the call, flushing and annoyed with herself, because she had nothing to feel guilty about and yet she did.

‘Personal call?’ he asked, strolling into the room and joining her by the window through which he peered absently before turning around to look at her. ‘Call you felt you had to make with the door shut?’

Sofia opened her mouth to tell him that she had been touching base with her aunt but stopped herself.

She’d decided to share as little as possible, hadn’t she? She had no intention of telling him how she planned to use some of the money that had landed into her account. He had made it clear that this was purely a business transaction, that he would lead his life as he saw fit just so long as he kept the details of what he was up to to himself.

Confidences were the business of friends. He wasn’t her friend, despite what she might originally have thought.

Besides, what if he decided to have a say in where her money went? Could he do that? Did he care one way or the other? It was best not to risk anything.

She couldn’t trust him and it was just as well to remember that.

She shrugged, slipping the mobile phone into her over the shoulder bag.

‘If you have any ties you think I should know about,’ Rafael drawled, with just the tiniest edge in his voice, ‘then you should think about telling me now.’

‘Ties?’

‘I asked you once whether you were involved with anyone out there and you told me that you weren’t.’

‘Oh, I see what you mean, Rafael. Men.’ She lowered her eyes, torn between telling him the truth and protecting a life she felt he had no right to know about, just as there would be huge tracts of his life he felt she had no right to know about, whatever their marital status.

‘No men. At least...’ She thought of Miguel and hardened her jaw. ‘You don’t have to worry on that front, although if I recall you did say that we could lead separate lives...err...when it came to that kind of thing.’

She began moving away and he caught her by her arm, halting her.

‘That’s what you intend on doing?’ he asked softly, stepping fractionally closer to her.

Her heart was beating fast. Her pulses were racing and her whole nervous system was in free fall.

A passing touch and she was going to pieces! She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his mouth and the feel of his hand on her arm was electric.

‘I... I don’t know what I intend on doing,’ Sofia said breathlessly, inching away as much as she could.

‘I won’t tolerate any affair being flaunted in my face,’ he said flatly.

‘Nor will I!’ Her green eyes flashed and suddenly there was an outpouring of emotion only weakly held in check by the stern lectures she had given herself ever since she had embarked on this road. ‘Whatever you might think of me, this was never what I envisaged for myself when it came to marriage! Yes, I know all about those million and one reasons for going through with it, and yes, I know it’s not going to last for ever and I’ll walk away with lots of money in my bank account. But it still hurts to know that I’m going to tie the knot with some guy who will play around with other women and do his own thing!’

She looked at him fiercely. She felt herself gathering momentum. ‘Furthermore, this is your territory. You’re established here and you don’t care what the world thinks of you or the choices you make! But I... I don’t belong here, so just try and imagine what it’ll feel like if I ever walk into a room to be confronted by some woman you’re bedding behind my back!’

‘You have quite the imagination...’

‘Have I? You might not intend on flaunting anything but are you going to tell me that that world you occupy isn’t a really small one?’

‘It’s small,’ Rafael admitted in a roughened undertone. His grasp on her arm had slackened but he had also closed the tiny distance between them so that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

‘Women can be vicious,’ Sofia muttered, looking down and thinking of the nasty digs that had plagued her teenage years and the bitchiness of jealous girls who had always guarded their stupid boyfriends against what they’d seen as a possible threat. As if she’d ever been interested in any of them. But still she knew what it felt like to be attacked through no fault of her own.

She shuddered at the thought of having to deal with some woman Rafael might be seeing.

‘Are you speaking from experience?’ he murmured, dropping his hand to his side and stepping back as he stared down at her with his head tilted to one side.

‘The fairer sex can be anything but gentle when it comes to certain things.’ Sofia tilted her head at a challenging angle and folded her arms. Her whole body was still tingling. She felt as though she’d been touched, intimately touched, even though all he’d done was circle her arm with his fingers.

‘Especially given the way you look,’ he said, eyes roving over her flushed face. ‘I get it, cara.’

Thick silence greeted this observation. It stretched and stretched, sending her thoughts into a giddy tailspin, making her mouth dry. It was an effort not to close her eyes and reach up...just a little...enough to brush her lips against his mouth.

Her nipples, pushing against the cotton bra, felt scratchy and over-sensitive and between her legs...felt hot and damp.

Their eyes locked. His breathing was thick and fast, giving her signals she didn’t trust and didn’t want to understand. He took a step towards her, jaw clenched, his body rigid with tension.

Then, just like that, he seemed to gather himself, shutting down an atmosphere that had flared up between them like a sudden, fierce conflagration.

‘Right now...’ His voice was jerky and he raked his fingers through his hair, looking briefly away but then directing his back to her flushed face. ‘We both have enough on our plate without imagining a situation that might or might not happen.’

He walked towards the window, stared out with his back to her and then threw over his shoulder, ‘Now that you’ve seen where you’ll be living, I think we can head back to London. The house should have been ready for you to move in immediately, and I would have returned to London, but there’s been a mix-up with the housekeeper who needs to come in tomorrow to spruce the place up. It would be useful for you to spend the day tomorrow buying whatever clothes you think you might need, anyway. I’ll also make sure you have a car at your disposal. You name the make and the model. When it comes to what happens...outside this marriage...that is a bridge to be crossed in due course, so let’s stick to the present. Meet the parents—or should I say parent—wedding vows exchanged, and once that’s done I get going on sorting out the problem with Freddy. That’s enough to be going on with, wouldn’t you agree?’