surprise me, Maddison. I had you picked as an opportunist, not unlike your father and brother.’
‘My father did nothing wrong.’
He inclined his head.
‘I respect your very obvious loyalty but your father proved his guilt by bowing under the pressure of accusation.’
‘An accusation that was uncalled for and totally false!’ she retorted hotly.
‘It’s understandable you would cling to that view but I have reason to believe otherwise.’
‘You wouldn’t recognise the truth if it jumped out of your over-stuffed wallet.’
‘I beg to differ, Miss Jones. I have a great understanding of the truth. What remains to be seen is whether you do as well.’
‘You can’t make a criminal out of my brother.’
‘I can and I will if I have to,’ he assured her. ‘But for the time being I’m prepared to suspend my judgement on your brother as long as you do what I suggest.’
‘I can’t imagine what scheme you have in mind,’ she said scathingly.
‘Can’t you?’
She gave him an icy look. ‘No doubt it has your unscrupulous desires at its centre.’
‘Desire is a very good choice of word.’ He smiled. ‘I like the sound of that.’
Maddison didn’t like the tone of his voice; it seemed to suggest a growing intimacy between them she didn’t want to acknowledge in any shape or form.
‘What do you want from me?’ she asked. ‘I have no money worth speaking of and I think I’ve made it more than clear I have no intention of revealing the whereabouts of my brother. What else is there?’
He took his time answering. She was intently conscious of his lazy surveillance, the fine hairs on the back of her neck rising in reaction to his studied gaze.
‘I think you might prove to be very useful to me,’ he said. ‘Very useful indeed.’
‘I can’t imagine what you mean.’ She sent him another nervous glance.
‘I have a proposition to make.’
‘What sort of proposition?’
‘The sort of proposition that will clear your brother of all charges, wipe his slate clean, if you like.’
A flicker of hope burned and died in her breast within seconds. She didn’t trust him; he had all the aces in his hand and he would throw them on the table at any moment, she was sure.
‘Just how far are you prepared to go to protect your brother?’ he asked after another tight little pause.
‘As far as it takes.’ She lifted her chin a fraction.
His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘As far as having a relationship with me?’
She held his direct look without speaking, her heart skipping a beat in her chest.
‘I need the smokescreen of a new alliance. You could prove to be very useful in my current circumstances.’
‘I can’t imagine how.’ She finally found her voice.
‘I need a cover,’ he said. ‘I have a situation, so to speak; I need an alibi, the ironclad sort.’
‘I don’t think I can help you.’
‘On the contrary, I think you can. I want you to pretend to be my current mistress. How would you feel about that?’
‘Do you want the truth or politeness?’
‘Both.’
‘Well—’ she tilted her head at him ‘—for a start I would never allow myself to be your mistress.’
‘What about as my wife?’
‘That’s even more unlikely.’
‘What about if you had no choice?’
She gave him an arctic look. ‘I would always have a choice.’
‘Not if your brother’s freedom depended on it.’
Maddison felt cornered and she was sure he was aware of it.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked, trying to buy time.
‘It’s easy.’ He gave her an unreadable look. ‘I can call Kyle’s probation officer right now to tell him he’s flown the coop, or you can agree to do a favour for me, simple as that.’
‘You want me to pretend to be your wife?’
‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘I’ve changed my mind. I have much more specific plans for you.’
She gave him a blank stare. ‘I don’t think I’m following you.’
‘I don’t want you to pretend anything,’ he said smoothly. ‘I want you to actually be my wife.’
Her mouth dropped open in shock. ‘You can’t possibly mean that!’
‘In time, Maddison Jones, you will come to learn that I mean everything I say.’
She could well believe it, but didn’t want to add to his already monumental ego by expressing it verbally.
‘You surely can’t expect me to agree to this outrageous proposal,’ she said instead.
‘I think I’ve made it clear what will happen if you don’t,’ he answered. ‘Kyle will find himself in a four-by-four cell, playing cards with who knows what unsavoury inmates.’
She closed her eyes against the image his words conjured. Her brother was wilful and wayward, but he didn’t deserve imprisonment, and she would do everything in her power to stop it happening.
‘I…I need some time to think about this.’ She avoided his eyes.
‘I’ll give you a week, no more.’
‘A week?’
He gave a single nod. ‘But, let me warn you, I’ll be following your every move, so if you have any plans to escape, forget them.’
He reached into his back pocket and handed her a business card. She took it with nerveless fingers and stared at it sightlessly for a long moment.
‘You can reach me on that number when you’ve made your decision,’ he informed her. ‘I’ll tell my secretary to expect your call by five p.m. on Monday.’
She wished she had the courage to tear the card into a thousand pieces, and if it hadn’t been for Kyle she would have, but instead she closed
