Читать книгу Tall, Dark... Collection - Кэрол Мортимер, Carole Mortimer - Страница 24

HEBE knew she was no closer to accepting her fate, when she opened the door to Nick’s knock the following evening, than she had been the previous day.

But she had taken the day off as he’d suggested—it had fitted in with her appointment to see David Gillespie, anyway. An appointment that had been as frustratingly unsatisfactory as the secretary had warned her on the telephone that it would be.

No, David Gillspie had told her. He couldn’t possibly reveal Andrew Southern’s address. No, he certainly couldn’t give her the artist’s telephone number either. No, it didn’t matter that her mother was an old friend of the artist. He still couldn’t give her the address or telephone number.

Hebe had even tried mentioning the portrait—also to no avail. It wasn’t catalogued in the artist’s work, so it was probably a fake, the elderly man had claimed regretfully.

The best that Hebe had been able to get was a promise that yes, he would forward a letter on to the artist. But with the added warning that she probably wouldn’t receive a reply!

Hebe didn’t agree with him, and she had taken a great deal of time and care over the wording of that letter, including a recent photograph of herself, too.

Of course it was Friday today, so Andrew Southern wouldn’t receive the letter until tomorrow at the earliest. But surely once the weekend was over the letter and photograph would elicit some sort of a response?

If it didn’t, then Andrew Southern wasn’t the man she’d thought he was!

‘You look beautiful,’ Nick told her huskily as he took in her appearance in a fitted black knee-length dress, before stepping forward to plant a light kiss on her mouth.

A kiss that took her totally by surprise!

So much so that she felt herself respond instinctively, before common sense took over and she moved abruptly away; this man was forcing her to marry him! ‘There’s no need for any sort of play-acting when we’re alone, Nick,’ she told him curtly.

‘Who’s play-acting?’ He raised dark brows over mocking blue eyes, looking wonderfully handsome in a black silk shirt and a gunmetal grey jacket, his black fitted trousers sitting low down on narrow waist and thighs. ‘I happen to enjoy kissing you. I had the distinct impression you enjoyed being kissed by me too…’ he added scathingly. ‘And I would have thought that when we’re alone—considering what our kisses usually lead to—would be exactly the right time!’

Hebe felt a delicate blush highlight her cheeks. As he’d said, she enjoyed a lot more than being kissed by him.

‘I’m merely pointing out that my flatmate has already gone out for the evening, so there’s no one to impress!’ she bit out dismissively.

His brows rose even higher. ‘I’m beginning to wonder if this elusive flatmate exists!’ he taunted, obviously deciding to ignore her jibe.

Hebe’s mouth tightened. ‘Oh, she exists,’she assured him tersely. ‘Are we going straight out to dinner?’ She wasn’t even sure she was going to be able to eat; nothing else she had eaten today seemed to have wanted to stay down.

Being pregnant, she was quickly discovering, was a very uncomfortable state to be in. In fact, at the moment it felt a little like the seasickness she had suffered as a child on a day trip to Calais with her parents!

But this was only in the early stages of pregnancy, so the magazine she had bought when she went out earlier had informed her. Perfectly normal. The sickness usually disappeared by about the fourth month.

Only another seven or eight weeks to go, then!

By which time, if she didn’t manage to keep any food down at all, she would have lost weight rather than gained any!

‘Yes, straight out, I think,’Nick decided lightly. ‘Hopefully there will be less chance of us having an argument if we’re in the middle of a crowded restaurant!’ he added derisively.

Hebe arched a blonde brow. ‘Do you think so?’

Nick chuckled. ‘Not really, no.’ His gaze sharpened. ‘How are you feeling today?’

‘In what way?’ She avoided his question as she collected her cream silk jacket from the back of the chair where she had put it earlier, having no intention of going anywhere near her bedroom once Nick arrived.

They might never leave the apartment at all if she did that—and, no matter what Nick might think to the contrary, Gina really did exist, and was expected back later this evening!

Nick’s mouth twisted wryly. ‘In any way!’

‘Well, I haven’t changed my mind about marrying you, if that’s what you mean,’ she muttered, as she slipped her arms into the jacket he held out for her.

His mouth tightened now. ‘Hebe, could we at least start the evening without fighting?’

She shrugged. ‘You were the one who asked!’

‘And we both know I was referring to your nausea,’ he came back impatiently.

‘Then why didn’t you just say so?’ She grimaced. ‘I’ve only been sick four times today so far. Not bad, considering I haven’t been able to eat or drink anything all day!’

Nick frowned at this information, not at all happy with the fact that she was being quite so sick. He had noted the paleness of her cheeks when he’d arrived, but had hoped that was just due to the tension of the situation.

‘Sally—my ex-wife,’ he explained shortly, ‘saw a guy over here when she was pregnant with Luke. I think it might be advisable for me to make an appointment for you to go and see him—’

‘No!’ Hebe cut in vehemently, her expression fierce. ‘I don’t want to go and see some specialist your wife saw when she was expecting Luke!’ He looked surprised by her forcefulness.

Nick frowned darkly. ‘Why the hell not? This guy’s the best that there is.’

‘I’m sure he is.’ She grimaced. ‘But Sally was your wife, and I’m just—just—’

‘The woman who is shortly going to be my wife,’ he cut in grimly.

Was everything going to be this much of a battle with Hebe? Probably, he acknowledged heavily.

But he wasn’t going to give up. Making sure his baby was all right and having Hebe in his bed was going to be worth every battle scar…

‘Hebe, you may as well get used to the idea,’ he told her firmly. ‘You and I, and the baby you’re expecting, are going to be a family. End of story.’

She gave him a pitying look. ‘If you really think it’s going to be that simple then I feel sorry for you!’

Of course he didn’t think it was going to be that simple. He already knew just how determined Hebe could be, how with her it was the irresistible force meeting the immovable object; he just happened to believe that the sooner she accepted they were going to be married the better it would be for both of them!

And the baby…

The thought of Hebe pregnant with his child was still strange to him. It was a wonder, a miracle, and even if he was not at all happy with Hebe’s methods he knew he had spent most of the day walking around with a ridiculous smile on his face. More than one of his exployees had done a double-take at it.

About the same amount of time Hebe had spent being thoroughly sick, by the sound of it.

‘Come on.’ He took a firm hold of her arm. ‘We’ll simply go through the menu until we find something that does stay down!’

Bruschetta and olives, Hebe eventually found, after a false start with soup and asparagus; the latter she hadn’t even got as far as her mouth, the smell having been enough to put her off.

‘Better?’ Nick murmured, with obvious relief.

Obviously he wasn’t used to taking out such a fastidious eater, and normally she wouldn’t have been—had always been able to eat anything in the past.

But the maître’d at this exclusive restaurant was most attentive, seeming completely unconcerned that the waiter had had to bring three starters before they found something Hebe could eat, simply whisking away the plates that had offended.

Obviously there were some benefits to being out with Nick Cavendish, after all!

‘Would you like me to order some more?’ he offered, once she had eaten all the bread and succulent olives with obvious enjoyment.

Embarassingly so, if she thought about it. But she had been hungry.

She grimaced. ‘Let’s just wait and see if this stays down, shall we?’ She frowned across at him questioningly. ‘I hope that isn’t a smile I see on your face?’

Nick instantly sobered. ‘Not at all. I’m just pleased you’ve found something you can eat.’

Hebe continued to eye him suspiciously for several seconds, but as he continued to blandly meet her gaze she finally gave up. ‘Believe me, pregnancy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,’ she muttered, disgruntled.

‘Not many things are,’ Nick drawled.

She stiffened defensively. ‘I hope that wasn’t yet another snipe at me?’

‘Not at all,’ he came back smoothly. ‘In fact, I’ve left all my sniper bullets at home this evening! Did you telephone your parents today?’ he prompted briskly, before she could come back with another sharp comment.

She had. And a very difficult call it had been, too. She couldn’t just tell her parents over the telephone that she was pregnant, for goodness’sake; she owed them more than that.

But as soon as she had mentioned bringing a male friend home with her, her mother had gone into hyperdrive. No doubt she had the colour of the bridesmaids’ dresses and the flowers picked out for the wedding already!

Which posed yet another problem for Hebe.

If, as Nick insisted, she really did have marry him, or risk him trying to take the baby from her, then she didn’t want her parents to realise why they were getting married. She knew she wouldn’t be able to keep the baby secret for long, and she didn’t mind them finding out about that so much, but she couldn’t let them see that Nick didn’t love her.

Her parents, she was sure, had always dreamt of a romantic wedding for their only daughter—with a white flowing dress, and orange blossom, and confetti by the bucketful.

The quick wedding that Nick had talked about would no doubt be a visit to a register office with none of those things!

But even that wouldn’t have been so bad if the main ingredient had been in evidence.

Love.

Like her parents, Hebe had always assumed she would marry someone she loved, who loved her in return. Fifty per cent of that—her own feelings for Nick—just wouldn’t do!

‘Hebe?’ Nick prompted guardedly at her continued silence.

She drew in a ragged breath. ‘Yes, I called them. I told them I was bringing you to meet them on Saturday. They jumped to the obvious conclusion,’ she added flatly.

That she was bringing home the man she intended marrying, Nick hoped. He wondered why Hebe didn’t look a little happier about it.

It was what she wanted, after all. The Cavendish money at her disposal. The fact that he came along with the money might have come as something of a shock to her, but, as he had just told her, not too many things turned out quite as you planned them!

Including the way he felt about Hebe…

When his marriage to Sally, his college sweetheart, had broken down, he had vowed never to fall in love or marry again. But inwardly he had known after that one night he and Hebe had spent together—and tried to dismiss!—that Hebe was different. He’d known and been all the crueller in dismissing her the following morning.

But he hadn’t forgotten her in all the weeks he had been away. In fact he hadn’t so much as looked at another woman during that time—had known then that he would have to see Hebe again when he got back to London.

Of course he hadn’t expected the portrait!

Or to come back to London and find that Hebe was pregnant!

Deliberately so?

He couldn’t be absolutely sure about that. That was the problem…

But at least he was willing to make a go of this marriage. Why didn’t Hebe just accept that if he had decided just to go for custody of the baby when it was born she wouldn’t have found herself in half such an advantageous position?

‘Never mind, Hebe,’ he advised hardly, reaching into his jacket pocket to take out a small velvet box and place it on the table in front of her. ‘Maybe this will help cheer you up.’ He sat back to watch her reaction.

Which wasn’t at all what he had imagined it would be.

Hebe was staring down at the ring box as if it were about to leap up and bite her!

Or maybe it was just that she had thought she would get to choose her engagement ring herself, he realised harshly. A nice big rock of a diamond, no doubt.

Remembering the ring inside the box, Nick didn’t think she was going to be disappointed!

He was.

What idiotic part of his brain had tried to convince him to give Hebe a chance? That perhaps he had been mistaken about her motives and maybe she hadn’t got herself pregnant deliberately at all?

Whichever part it was, it needed shooting!

‘For God’s sake open it, Hebe,’he rasped, and sat forward slightly. ‘I’m pretty sure you’re going to like it,’ he said impatiently. ‘And if you don’t we can change it for something bigger and better,’ he added mockingly.

He was a fool, a blind, stupid fool, for wanting to believe that maybe Hebe’s physical reaction to him meant she felt something more for him, after all, than just an appreciation of his bank balance.

But she was right. It was just sex.

Well, she could have as much of that as she liked. He would keep his emotions for the baby when it was born!

Hebe swallowed hard, reaching out for the box tentatively, sure she already knew what was inside. She felt stunned by the gesture. Nick had said they were getting married. Just that. But if her hunch was right this box contained an engagement ring. It was so totally unexpected.

She looked up at him uncertainly before opening the box, searching those hard, uncompromising features for some sign that this ring meant any more than a shackle of ownership.

The narrowed coldness of his eyes, that mocking twist to his lips, told her it didn’t.

She lifted the lid to the box, not quite gasping as she gazed down at the ring inside, but her breath definitely arrested in her lungs, and her eyes were wide.

It was the hugest diamond she had ever seen—several carats at least—surrounded by half a dozen slightly smaller diamonds, and the name on the lid of the box alone told her it must have cost a small fortune. A very minute part of the Cavendish millions, but still a fortune.

She closed the lid with a resounding snap. ‘Why are you giving me this?’ she challenged.

‘Why do you think?’ he snapped impatiently.

‘Are you deliberately trying to insult me?’ She frowned agitatedly, pushing the box back across the table at him before putting both her hands firmly under the table, as if to stop him making her accept something she didn’t want. Or need.

An engagement ring between them was a farce. And that ring—that ring with its gaudy diamonds—was nothing but an insult.

Nick made no effort to take the box. ‘You would have preferred a sapphire instead, maybe? Or possibly another emerald? We can go back to the store tomorrow—’

‘I don’t remember saying I wanted an engagement ring from you at all,’ she told him forcefully. ‘But that—that—You are deliberately trying to insult me, aren’t you?’ She glared at him, two bright spots of angry colour in her cheeks.

His eyes glittered with a similar anger. ‘What’s wrong with it? Not big enough? I’m sure they have others—’

‘Not big enough!’ she repeated incredulously. ‘If the diamonds had been any bigger they would have blinded everyone in the restaurant.’

She would not walk around with that thing on her finger—a deliberately ostentatious sign of ownership. She might as well walk around with a neon sign over her head saying This woman has just been bought!

Because that was obviously what Nick thought he had done!

‘Will you keep your voice down, Hebe?’ he muttered, as several other diners looked their way curiously. ‘Tell me what’s wrong with the ring, and we’ll change it.’

She glared at him. ‘If that had been a diamond an eighth, even a quarter of the size, it might—just might—have been acceptable. But that—that isn’t a ring. It’s a ball and chain!’ She was breathing deeply in her agitation. ‘I think I would like to leave now, if you don’t mind.’ She placed her napkin firmly back on the table.

‘Fine—if that’s what you want!’ He threw his own napkin on the table, signalling for the bill, needing to get out of here himself.

He knew she’d said she didn’t want to get married, but she didn’t have to throw it back in his face quite so vehemently! Why didn’t she just accept that there was no way she was going to get any of his money unless she became his wife? What was it about this woman?

A woman who made his pulse sing and his body rouse with desire every time he looked at her!

Hebe could feel the displeasure emanating from Nick as the two of them left the restaurant.

But what else had he expected—presenting her with that gaudily over-the-top ring?

That she would gather it up with greedy hands, no doubt, she recognised heavily.

But she had hated that ring, and all that it represented, on sight.

Couldn’t Nick see that…?

‘Will you be able to return the ring and get your money back?’ she prompted abruptly as they approached Nick’s car.

‘Don’t worry about it,’ he dismissed tersely, opening the car door for her.

It was a beautiful, low red sports-car—the sort of car that Hebe had only ever seen in glossy magazines. The sort of car you would expect a man like Nick to drive. And this was only the car he owned and drove while in London. Goodness knew what other cars he had in Paris and New York!

‘This is a nice car,’ she offered placatingly once they were both safely seated inside, aware of the impending visit to her parents tomorrow, and that she hadn’t spoken to Nick about it yet.

She still had to ask for his help in convincing her parents this was a love-match rather than a marriage of convenience. Nick’s convenience!

He nodded curty. ‘I’ll buy you one like it, if you like.’

She drew in a sharp breath. ‘And why would you want to do that?’

‘Oh, cut the act, Hebe,’ he told her uninterestedly. ‘I’m really not convinced.’

That she wasn’t after his money or the expensive gifts he was deliberately offering her…

‘Fine—buy me the car,’ she accepted heavily, knowing that nothing she said or did would convince this cynical man she wasn’t just after his money. ‘As long as you accept that in another six months you’ll have to pry me out of it with a tin opener!’ she muttered sarcastically.

When she was nearly eight months pregnant with their baby…

The baby that had become so real to her during her hours alone at the flat today.

Everywhere had been so quiet and peaceful, so much so that Hebe had been able to hear her own heartbeat, had imagined the tiny heartbeat inside her. She had laid her hands protectively on the flatness of her stomach and mentally tried to reach inside and talk to that flickering life.

And she had been sure she received the echoing answer—I’m here…

She glanced at Nick, wishing she could share that with him but knowing she couldn’t—that he wouldn’t understand the wonder she felt at the life growing inside her. Without being sexist, she supposed no man could completely understand the miracle of it all.

Especially when that man believed the pregnancy was only a means to an end as far as she was concerned.

‘I’m sure you’ll cope,’ Nick dismissed impatiently, weary of every damned thing turning into an argument.

This wasn’t just a battle, it was a minefield!

And Hebe obviously sensed that too, staying silent on the drive back to her apartment—a still empty apartment as they had only been gone an hour or so. She removed her jacket before eyeing him warily.

‘What?’ he prompted tersely, the tension finally getting to him.

She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue before answering him.

Something Nick dearly wished she hadn’t done as he found himself fascinated by the sensuality of the movement, his gaze locked on the pink edge of her tongue as it moved softly over those highly kissable lips.

Lips he desperately wanted to kiss!

At least on that level he could reach her, could understand her, and give her something they both got satisfaction from.

The type of satisfaction he had craved since he had parted from her twenty-four hours ago. Just thinking about her caused a stirring in his body, and the cold shower he had taken before coming over here earlier had done nothing to alleviate his discomfort.

But before he could take the step needed to pull her into his arms and make love to her, Hebe, unaware of his rising desire, began to answer him.

‘I need to talk to you about this visit to my parents tomorrow,’ she began awkwardly.

Ah. Yes. Nick could see how this was going to be a problem for her.

‘No need,’ he dismissed dryly. ‘I take it your parents wouldn’t be too happy if they knew the real reason we’re getting married? That it would be—preferable if they believe we’re actually in love with each other?’

Colour heightened her cheeks. ‘They—they wouldn’t understand this situation at all.’ She grimaced.

No, he didn’t for a moment think that they would understand their daughter’s calculating machinations. Any more than his own parents would. Although he had no doubt that they would welcome Hebe into their family. The fact that she was expecting their grandchild would be enough to ensure that.

They would probably like Hebe for herself too, though, he admitted grudgingly. She was a warm and likeable woman apart from the fact that he didn’t trust her motives at all—she might have refused the ring, but surely that was just because she didn’t want to have to marry him to get her hands on his money. She certainly hadn’t created such a fuss about his offer to buy her a sports-car. And once they were safely married she would no doubt be willing to accept a damn sight more than that!

Hebe was a mercenary little gold-digger, and the sooner he accepted that the better off he would be!

He shrugged. ‘That isn’t a problem for me, Hebe. But how do you think you’ll cope with pretending to be in love with me?’ he added tauntingly.

Hebe kept her lashes lowered over her eyes, her expressive golden eyes that she knew would show him at that moment that no pretence was necessary where she was concerned. In spite of everything, she did love Nick. To the point of distraction.

She already loved the baby growing inside her too.

And maybe, maybe after they were married, with time, Nick might even come to love her?

Or was she just living in fantasy land?

Probably, she acknowledged self-derisively. But that fantasy was all she had to cling to at this moment.

Because she was going to marry him. She now saw it as the only chance she had of showing him she wasn’t the woman he thought she was.

Starting with drawing the line, a very firm line, at what gifts she would accept from him and what she wouldn’t. Their baby wasn’t for sale, and neither was she—and the sooner Nick realised that the better!

Her face was deliberately expressionless as she looked at him. ‘I’m sure I’ll cope too,’ she derided. ‘After all, we both know how charming you can be when you choose!’ she added cuttingly, remembering exactly how charming he had been that evening six weeks ago.

Charming enough for her to believe he really was interested in her.

How naïve she had been…and she was certainly paying for that naïveté now!

‘I’m very tired, Nick,’ she sighed. ‘If you wouldn’t mind going now, I think I would like to go to bed…?’ she added warily as he stared at her broodingly from across the room.

He wasn’t staying here tonight, if that was what he thought. Her bedroom door was remaining shut against him until after they were married! Hopefully by then she would have convinced him of her innocence, at least.

‘I don’t mind at all,’ he finally answered with hard dismissal. ‘I didn’t get to finish my dinner earlier, so I think I’ll go and get myself something else to eat,’he added dryly.

Hebe gave him a sharp look, stung by his easy acquiescence to her request that he leave. ‘You’re going out again?’

Nick gave her a mocking look. ‘Does that bother you?’

Yes! Came the instant answer. It bothered her very much.

After all, she was probably just one of several women Nick had been involved with during his visits to England. No doubt one of those other women would be quite happy to join him for a late supper. And whatever else was on offer…

Hebe realised that fidelity in their marriage was something else they hadn’t discussed. The thought of Nick in bed with some other woman was totally unacceptable to her, but if she told him that he would probably laugh in her face!

‘Not in the least,’ she assured him dismissively.

His expression darkened ominously. ‘That’s what I thought,’ he rasped. ‘But once we’re married, Hebe, get used to the idea that I will be the only man in your life. In your bed. Is that understood?’ he prompted hardly.

She eyed him challengingly. Nick had unwittingly played right into her hands. ‘And does the same apply to you?’

‘Oh, yes, Hebe,’ he murmured throatily as he took a step towards her, easily taking her in his arms and moulding her body to his. ‘Keep me happy in your bed, and I promise I’ll stay there,’ he assured her throatily before his mouth claimed hers.

This wasn’t quite the answer Hebe wanted to hear, but now Nick was kissing her she could no longer think straight.

She didn’t have a single lucid thought in her head but her desire for him as his tongue moved tantalisingly over her lips to part them and deepen the kiss.

His hands moved up to cradle each side of her face, holding her mouth up to his as he explored with his tongue, sucking the moist warmth of her own tongue into his mouth and gently biting, arousing emotions in her that caused a pulsing warmth between her legs. Her whole body was trembling with need when he finally lifted his head to look down at her desire-drugged eyes and full, still-parted lips.

‘Yes.’ He murmured his satisfaction as he released her. ‘I don’t think pretending to be in love with you is going to be any hardship at all! Sure you still want me to leave, Hebe?’ he added tauntingly.

Yes!

No…!

Of course she didn’t want him to leave; she would much rather have just melted in his arms.

But the relevant word in his statement was ‘pretending’, and that was all being in love with her would ever be to Nick—a pretence.

‘I’m sure,’ she murmured huskily.

He gave a dismissive shrug. ‘Your loss.’

Oh, yes, she knew that, Hebe acknowledged heavily as she watched him go, waiting until the apartment door had closed softly behind him before dropping weakly down into an armchair.

How was she going to be able to bear being married to a man she loved but who felt nothing but contempt for her?

A man who only had to touch her to melt her to the core of her being…!