Читать книгу The Billionaire's Contract Bride - Carol Marinelli - Страница 7

THE meal seemed to go on for ever, the speeches even longer. Tabitha spent most of the time smarting over Zavier’s comments, pushing her food around her plate and drinking rather too much. She hated Zavier Chambers for his cruel suggestion that she was some sort of gold-digger when the actual truth was she was doing his damn family a favour: saving Jeremy Chambers from the news he didn’t want to hear.

Aiden was unusually on edge—an inevitable by-product, Tabitha guessed, of being in such close proximity to his family. His promise to stay by her side all night diminished with each drink he consumed, and rather too much of the night was spent sitting like the proverbial wallflower as Aiden worked the room, only returning to reclaim his glass every now and then.

‘Go easy, Aiden,’ Tabitha said as Aiden knocked back yet another drink.

‘I need a few drinks under my belt to face this lot.’ He gave her an apologetic grin. ‘Sorry, I’m not being very good company, am I? They just set my teeth on edge. How are you finding it?’

Tabitha shrugged. ‘Not bad, but then I’ve only got to deal with it for tonight. I didn’t realise your family was so well heeled—I mean, from what you’d told me I’d guessed that they were wealthy, of course, but nothing like this. You should have warned me.’ She gestured to the room.

The Windsor Hotel was Melbourne’s finest, and the ballroom where the wedding reception was being held was quite simply breathtaking. Everything was divine, from the icy cold champagne and the canapés that had been served as they entered, to the lavish banquet they were now finishing up.

‘Why would I do that? I had enough trouble getting you to come in the first place. If you’d known it was going to be like this wild horses wouldn’t have dragged you here.’

Aiden was right, of course. Here amongst Australia’s élite, with vintage champagne flowing like water, Tabitha felt way out of her depth.

Aiden hiccoughed softly, staring moodily into his drink. ‘Tab?’ he said gently. ‘What’s the matter tonight? And before you say “nothing”, just remember that we’ve been friends too long to pretend everything’s all right when it clearly isn’t. It’s not just the wedding that’s upsetting you, is it? What’s going on?’

She didn’t answer, her long fingers toying with her red curls, coiling them around her fingers in an almost child-like manner.

‘Is it your grandmother?’ As she bit into her lip Aiden knew he’d hit the mark. ‘What’s she done now?’ There was a touch of humour in his voice as he tried to lighten the mood and cajole the problem out of her. ‘Sold the family jewels?’

Tabitha’s eyes weren’t smiling as she looked up. ‘My family’s not like yours, Aiden; we don’t have “family jewels”. Sorry,’ she added, ‘this isn’t your fault.’

‘What isn’t? Come on, Tab, tell me what’s going on.’

‘She remortgaged her house.’ Tabitha let out the long breath she had inadvertently been holding. ‘To pay off all her gambling debts.’

‘You already told me that—last month, if I remember rightly,’ Aiden pointed out. ‘You went to the bank with her and helped organize it. Can’t she manage the repayments?’

‘She withdrew the loan,’ Tabitha started in an unusually shaky voice, ‘and promptly fed it back into the poker machines at the casino.’

‘All of it?’

Aiden’s open mouth and wide eyes weren’t exactly helping, and Tabitha nodded glumly. ‘So now she’s got all the old debts that were causing so many problems plus a massive new one, and it’s all my fault.’

‘How on earth do you work that one out?’

‘I shouldn’t have left her with access to so much money. She’s like a moth to a flame where the casino’s concerned; I don’t even think it’s the gambling she’s addicted to, more the company. I should have made her pay off her bills…’

‘She’s not a child,’ Aiden pointed out, taking Tabitha’s shaking hand.

‘She’s all I’ve got.’ Tears were threatening now, and Tabitha put her hand over her glass as the waiter returned, but Aiden had no such reserve. ‘Just leave the bottle,’ he ordered while waiting for Tabitha to continue. ‘Gran brought me up after Mum and Dad died, devoted her life to me, and now she’s old and lonely and terrified and there’s nothing I can do. I’ve asked the bank for a loan, but the second you put “dancer” down as your occupation you might just as well rip up the application form.’

‘Let me help you.’ He ignored her furiously shaking head. ‘Come on, darling, it would be a drop in the ocean. I haven’t told you my good news yet. I sold a painting yesterday.’

‘Aiden!’ Despite her own problems, Tabitha’s delighted squeal was genuine and, wrapping her arms around Aiden’s neck, she planted a kiss on his cheek. ‘That’s fantastic news.’

‘Please let me help you, Tabitha. You can always pay me back. We’re on our way, darling.’ Aiden grinned. ‘I can feel it.’

But Tabitha shook her head. ‘You might be, Aiden, but in my case “on my way out” would be a more apt description.’ Her gloom descended again, but she did her best to keep the bitter note from her voice. ‘I’ve been asked to audition for the next production.’

‘So?’ Aiden shrugged. ‘You’ll walk it.’

‘Maybe, but it’s always been automatic until now—I’ve always had a part. It’s because I’m getting older.’

‘You’re twenty-four years old, for heaven’s sake.’

‘I’m twenty-nine,’ Tabitha corrected, grinning despite herself. ‘And twenty-nine-year-old dancers have a lot to prove. I can’t borrow money from you when I’ve no idea if I’ll be able to pay it back.’

‘Please,’ Aiden insisted, but Tabitha was adamant.

‘No; I mean it, Aiden. I’m going to have to work this one out for myself.’

‘You’re sure?’

She nodded resolutely, and after a brief shrug Aiden let it go. ‘I know it’s abhorrent, seeing all this wealth when your grandmother’s so broke, but money can be a curse, sometimes. The people here are so busy looking over their shoulders, sure everyone’s after their last dollar, they honestly don’t know who their real friends are. For all the highbrow people here you could count the true friends on one hand. If the money disappeared tomorrow so would ninety per cent of the guests, and that’s probably a conservative estimate.’

‘Your brother seems to have the impression that I’d be amongst them.’

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. ‘Tab, I’m sorry if he’s been giving you a hard time, but, though I’m loath to defend him for treating you appallingly, out of everyone here Zavier’s got the most reason to be suspicious of people’s motives, especially where women are concerned. He was let down pretty badly recently.’

‘She must have been mad,’ Tabitha mused.

‘Stay clear, Tab. I mean it. A wonderful warm thing like you wouldn’t last five minutes in his company. I might adore Zavier, but I wouldn’t wish that black heart on my worst enemy. It could only end in tears. Anyway, you’re here with me, remember? Don’t you dare go blowing my cover by making smouldering eyes at my brother.’

Tabitha laughed. ‘I wouldn’t worry, Aiden. He’s already made it abundantly clear what he thinks of me, and I can assure you it wasn’t complimentary.’ She grinned as Aiden winced. ‘Any hot looks passing between us would probably be better described as fuming rather than smouldering. He’s convinced I’m after you for your riches.’

‘God.’ Aiden added a couple more inches to his glass. ‘Zavier couldn’t be further from the mark if he tried; he’d have a fit if he knew the truth.’

Tabitha filled her own glass from the bottle, but unlike Aiden accepted a hefty splash of soda from a passing waiter. ‘He has no idea, then?’

Aiden shrugged. ‘I’m not sure. He tried to talk to me once—a big brother pep-talk would best describe it. You know the type: sort yourself out, grow up, what the hell’s your problem?’ He drained his glass in one gulp. ‘He actually came right out and asked if I was gay.’

‘So why didn’t you tell him then? Would he have given you a hard time?’

Aiden shook his head. ‘Zavier wouldn’t care about something like that. Despite the fact he practically wears a suit and tie to bed he’s pretty laid-back about that sort of thing.’

‘Then why not tell him?’

‘I figured it wouldn’t be fair on him. There’s no way I could tell my father, he’d have a coronary, and it would just be one more thing for Zavier to worry about. He carries the lot of us, you know.’

Tabitha was intrigued and leant closer. ‘In what way?’

‘Zavier runs the business. Dad’s too sick now. I know he doesn’t look it, but he’s a walking time bomb—he needs heart surgery, but he’s too much of a risk for an anaesthetic. No surgeon would touch him, particularly with the name Chambers.’

‘But surely he can afford the best treatment?’

Aiden gave a low laugh. ‘And the best lawyers. I’m no cardiac surgeon, but I can see where they’re coming from. He’s just too high-risk to even attempt surgery. And with his heart so weak that’s even more of a reason not to tell him about me. It’s better Zavier doesn’t know—better that no one does.’

‘Well, he doesn’t,’ Tabitha said soothingly. ‘So you’ve got nothing to worry about.’

Still, as she took a sip, her eyes smarting as the liquor warmed its way down, she found her eyes instinctively combing the room, as if constantly drawn to the dark and foreboding man that utterly enthralled her.

He’d only break your heart, she consoled herself. But what a delicious way to go!

The party was getting louder now. People were dancing—kicking up their heels. Aiden swirled Tabitha around the dance floor a couple of times, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it and he was only too happy to get back to the table and his never-ending supply of alcohol.

Tabitha was starting to wonder when they could reasonably make an exit to their hotel room upstairs. Her feet were killing her in the impossibly high sandals, and she thought her face might crack soon with the effort of smiling. There were also a couple of videos on the movie channel she wouldn’t mind watching while Aiden slept off his excesses. She had more than returned Aiden’s favour, and tomorrow she would tell him this had been the first and last time she would play the part of his girlfriend. Zavier’s snide comments had seriously hit a nerve; the whole thing was starting to get out of hand. She would join the family for breakfast, make all the right noises, and then that would be it. Aiden would have to find someone else to fool his family.

Her hopes for a discreet exit were foiled, though, when Marjory descended with a grim-faced Zavier.

‘There you are, darlings. How come you’re not dancing?’

Tabitha forced a bright smile. ‘Aiden’s feeling a bit tired.’

‘Well, that’s no reason for you not to be dancing.’ For an awful moment Tabitha thought Marjory was suggesting they grab their handbags and dance around them together! The reality was far worse. ‘Zavier, why don’t you take Tabitha for a dance?’

She braced herself for rejection. Zavier Chambers didn’t look like the kind of man who did anything he didn’t want to, and after the way he had addressed her earlier she was dismally confident of one thing: dancing with a money-grabbing gold-digger wouldn’t be high on his list of priorities. Not that she wanted to dance; ten minutes alone with this man had truly terrified her.

‘I’d love to.’

She looked up with a start, and as he offered his hand had no choice but to accept. Standing, she turned somewhat anxiously over to Aiden for some support, but he really was the worse for wear now.

Zavier’s hand was hot and dry, closing over hers tightly. As he led her to the dance floor Tabitha had the strangest urge to make a bolt for it, to wrench her hand away and run to the safety of her hotel room. As if sensing her trepidation, he closed his hand more tightly on hers, only letting go when they were in the middle of the tightly packed dance floor.

Slipping his hand around her slender waist, he rested it there. She could feel the heat through her flimsy dress. A couple dancing past bumped her, forcing her closer to him. Zavier gripped her more tightly, steadying her as she toppled slightly.

‘You’re having a terrible night, aren’t you?’ He had to stoop to meet her ear, and as he did he held her closer. His hot breath tickled her earlobes, and despite the heat of the room Tabitha broke out in goosebumps as she felt his hands tighten around the small of her back.

‘Of course I’m not. Everyone’s been charming,’ she lied, in what she hoped was a convincing voice.

But Zavier begged to differ. ‘You’ve been sitting on your own most of the night, trying to pretend you don’t mind. I’ve been watching you.’

That he’d noticed Tabitha found strangely touching; that he’d been watching her she found pleasantly disturbing. But she didn’t answer at first. His hands on her back were having the strangest effect. All she wanted to do was rest her head on his chest, to let the heavy beat of the music fill her, to lose herself in the moment.

‘So this is a sympathy dance?’

‘No, I don’t do anything out of sympathy.’

She wanted so badly to believe him, wanted to believe it was her stunning good looks that had brought him over—hell, she’d even settle for her witty personality—but the facts spoke for themselves: Marjory had commandeered the whole thing. ‘I’m sorry.’ Her voice was high and slightly breathless.

‘For what?’

Dragging her eyes up, she was stunned to see the change in him; the icy stare had melted, replaced by the moist sheen of lust, but his dilated pupils in no way softened the intensity of his gaze. Running a tongue over her lips, she forced a reply, confused at the sudden shift in his demeanour. ‘For you being forced to dance with me.’

He didn’t say anything at first; then he bent his head and she felt the brush of his face against her hair. All her senses seemed to be standing rigid to attention.

‘Don’t be sorry,’ he said huskily. ‘After all, it’s only a dance.’

This was the man who thought she was a conniving gold-digger—the man who had blatantly told her he was suspicious of her motives. But he was also the man holding her now, making her feel more of a woman than she had ever felt in her life. Everything about him forced her senses into overdrive: the exotic heady scent of him, the expensive cut of his suit beneath her fingers, the quiet strength of the arms holding her, the scratch of his cheek against hers. She gave up fighting it then. Nestling against his chest, she swayed slowly against him, relaxed under his skilful touch. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply, every sense in her body attuned to the perfection of the moment.

It wasn’t only a dance.

To describe it as such was a travesty.