the day before Christmas Eve, Caro, and the traffic on roads is insane. With you and Magdalena in the car, I really would prefer to concentrate on my driving,’ Jake cut in quietly.
Caro gave a sceptical snort, knowing that Jake was perfectly capable of driving and talking at the same time. That he was more than capable of doing any damn thing he chose. In this case he simply chose not to.
Her own tension from the situation was increasing by the second, and a single glance at Jake’s rigidly set face was enough to intensify that fluttering of unease in her chest. That Jake was coldly furious under his façade of icy calm she had no doubts. That the fury was directed towards her was also in no doubt.
Because of Magdalena.
Because Caro hadn’t chosen to tell Jake she was pregnant, let alone that he had a six-month-old daughter!
No matter what Jake might be thinking to the contrary, that hadn’t been an easy decision to make. But, remembering her own incredibly difficult relationship with her father, she’d thought she was doing the right thing…
‘She’s beautiful.’
Caro turned sharply to look at Jake, her expression becoming pained as she saw the hunger in his gaze as he shot a glance at Magdalena’s reflection in his mirror before returning his attention back to the busy road.
Caro looked at her daughter. Magdalena was fast asleep now, her lashes long and dark against her rosily chubby cheeks, her red-gold hair in wispy curls about her face. ‘Yes, she is,’ Caro acknowledged huskily, and she turned back to look sightlessly out of the front window, her hands clenched so tightly her nails were digging into her palms.
‘Why Majorca, Caro?’ Jake suddenly asked as his hands tightly gripped the steering wheel.
His emotions were in turmoil, Jake acknowledged wryly. And not just because he had met his daughter for the very first time…
Being with Caro again, recognising the bloom mother hood had given to her beauty, being able to smell the perfume she always wore—which Jake knew he would associate with Caro until the day he died—was churning up his memories as much as he was sure his own presence was churning up Caro’s…if for a completely different reason.
And not good memories, either, going by her recent reaction to him!
‘Why not Majorca?’ Caro countered guardedly.
Jake sighed heavily. ‘Did you go there because you knew it was the very last place I would think of looking for you?’
Caro shot him a surprised look. ‘It never even occurred to me that you would want to look for me.’
His mouth compressed. ‘Don’t be so naïve, Caro. Once I had calmed down enough to be able to think straight, of course I looked for you.’
Her frown was pained. ‘I can’t imagine why…’
‘Can’t you?’ Jake grated.
Caro’s face was very pale. ‘Gavin knew where I could be reached—’
‘And no amount of cajoling, persuasion or even threats of outright violence would make him tell me where that was,’ Jake revealed, his expression tight as he recalled his brother-in-law’s refusal to even discuss Caro, let alone tell Jake where she was.
Even the threat of being sacked hadn’t shifted Gavin’s loyalty to Caro—probably because Gavin, although in a world of his own most of the time, was well aware of his own value in the world of computer software! Whatever the reason, nothing Jake had done or said had managed to shake the younger man’s resolve not to reveal his sister’s whereabouts.
Jake could still remember the knife-thrust of Gavin’s last comment on the subject. ‘If Caro had wanted you to find her, then she would have made sure you could do so by now.’ The truth of that statement had been undisputable. And painfully final…
‘I’m sure that Gavin would have forwarded any correspondence to me, if you had asked him to.’
‘I didn’t want to write you a letter, Caro!’ Jake exclaimed.
‘I was referring to the divorce papers.’
‘There isn’t going to be any divorce,’ he said definitely. ‘Not a year ago, and certainly not now.’ He gave a pointed look in the mirror at Magdalena.
Caro had been afraid this was going to be Jake’s reaction to knowing he had a daughter. Afraid and not a little apprehensive. She knew Jake well enough to know that once he was set on a course of action nothing deterred him from achieving his goal.
In the same way Jake had decided two years ago—once he’d realised that Caro simply wasn’t the type of woman to have affairs—that she would have to marry him instead…
The only problem with that, of course, had been that once Jake had physically tired of her she had still been his wife!
And after growing up experiencing her father’s numerous affairs, not the type of wife to meekly sit back and tolerate Jake behaving in the same way…
She drew in a determined breath. ‘Jake, I have no intention— This isn’t the way into central London!’ Caro said, as she realised Jake was driving in the opposite direction from the one she wanted to go.
He gave a terse inclination of his head. ‘That’s because we aren’t going into the City.’
Caro felt a shiver go down her spine. ‘Then where are we going?’
Jake shrugged. ‘I own a house in the country.’
She blinked. ‘You do?’ When Caro had married Jake she had simply moved into his penthouse apartment in Mayfair with him. Much as Caro would have preferred it, there had never been any suggestion of them moving out of London. ‘Why?’
Jake raised dark brows. ‘Are you asking as my wife, or just out of idle curiosity?’ he taunted.
‘Neither!’ Caro snapped. ‘I…’ She moistened dry lips.
‘I’m just surprised that you’ve moved out of London, that’s all.’
‘I said I have a house in the country, Caro, not that I actually live there,’ Jake answered coolly.
‘Oh.’ She gave a knowing nod. ‘Then the house is just a business investment?’
‘Something like that,’ he said.
Caro eyed him warily. ‘And that’s where we’re going?’
He raised a dark eyebrow. ‘Do you have a problem with that?’
Now that her initial shock had worn off, Caro had a problem being there with Jake at all!
Much as she wished it wasn’t so, Caro was totally aware of her husband as he sat beside her, wearing a casual black cashmere sweater with faded jeans. So much so that she could almost feel the lean sensuality of his hands and fingers on the steering wheel. Was totally attuned to the width of his shoulders. His muscled chest. His taut stomach. His powerful thighs and
