continued involvement will be minimal.’
She suddenly had trouble regulating her breathing. ‘Excuse me?’
‘You heard.’
No quarter given in those obdurate words, and she barely resisted the temptation to tell him exactly what he could do with his proposal.
Think, a tiny voice prompted in silent warning.
She had everything to lose if she walked away from him.
What price pride in the face of wisdom?
Besides, marriage didn’t have to mean for ever.
If she gave him an heir …
Yet how could she walk away from her own child?
The whole scenario was fraught.
‘You can’t expect me to give you an answer now?’
‘Tonight.’
‘I’m due at work.’ She spared a glance at her watch, and stood to her feet. ‘Oh hell, now.’ Staff were at a minimum, and she could ill afford to be late. ‘I finish somewhere between eleven and midnight.’
Wolfe signalled the waiter, extracted his wallet and paid the bill. ‘I’ll drive you.’
She was walking quickly. ‘I can take a train.’
‘But you won’t.’
What was the point in arguing? A car would reach her destination more quickly than public transport.
Minutes later he disabled the locking mechanism of a top-of-the-range black Lexus, saw her seated, then he slid in behind the wheel and eased the car into the stream of traffic.
The Rocks area held numerous cafés and restaurants, and Lara directed him to double-park outside her own.
Wolfe handed her a card with his mobile-phone number. ‘I’ll expect your call.’
She slipped it into her purse, inclined her head, then sped quickly down a side alley to the back entrance, and used her key in the lock.
In the small back-room space she discarded her outer clothes, donned her chef’s uniform, tied on an apron, wound the length of her hair beneath a protective cap … and went to work.
They were one staff member down, which made for chaos in the kitchen, with delays and short tempers as three pairs of hands attempted to do the work of four.
Shontelle acted as maître d’, taking reservations, welcoming patrons, ensuring they were seated.
Sally held the position of head waitress, and both girls had been with Lara’s from the day the restaurant had opened. Long-time friends who were equally as dedicated to the success of the restaurant as Lara herself.
Together they’d enjoyed the good times, and had stayed on to help Lara battle through the financial mess left by her business partner.
Around ten the rush began to ease as customers lingered over dessert and coffee, and by eleven the numbers had dwindled down to a few.
It was a relief when the last patrons left, the doors closed, the kitchen staff finished up, and all that remained was the nightly cleaning. Something which didn’t take long as Sally lifted chairs onto tables while Lara vacuumed the floors.
There hadn’t been time to give Wolfe’s suggestion much thought, except in fleeting moments which in no way encompassed the big picture of marriage, children … intimacy.
How was she going to deal with that?
Being so aware of the man, his sensual chemistry and the way it affected her. His sexual partner … and knowing, to him, it would just be sex.
That love didn’t enter the equation, and never would.
Could she live with him and pretend?
Lara moved the vacuum cleaner with increased speed in an attempt to expend some nervous energy.
For heaven’s sake!
Wolfe was offering a way out.
What other option did she have?
Disappear and assume another identity? Contact the police and report the loan shark for harassment?
Sure … like either of those scenarios would work!
Besides, it wasn’t part of her nature to run from anything.
Marry a billionaire, enjoy an enviable lifestyle, and bear him a child or two.
A hundred … oh, why not go for broke and make it a thousand … women would jump at the chance.
So what was the big deal?
Just a little matter of emotional engagement … hers.
Wolfe Alexander affected her like no other man she’d met. At seventeen, she had melted at the initial moment of introduction, almost frighteningly aware of the degree of raw sexuality he exuded. A teenage crush that had lingered long and almost brought her undone.
She’d moved on, matured, indulged in a brief relationship or two … but there was no one who’d come close to Wolfe, or the emotions he roused.
‘That’s it, we’re done.’
The sound of Sally’s voice brought Lara back to the present, and she switched off the vacuum cleaner, stowed it in the cupboard, then changed into her outdoor clothes.
‘I need to make a phone call.’
She had three choices: use the phone here, a phone booth, or the phone in the hallway at her boarding house.
‘I’ll plug in some music and wait,’ Sally directed, removing her earphones.
They had a steadfast rule—no female staff left alone this late at night.
‘I won’t be long.’ Lara extracted Wolfe’s card and crossed to the phone, all too aware the nerves in her stomach had twisted into a painful knot.
Seconds later she cursed beneath her breath as she keyed in a wrong digit and had to start over.
Wolfe answered on the third ring, intoning, ‘Alexander,’ in a voice that sounded deep and slightly more accented over the phone.
‘Lara.’ She identified herself at once.
‘You’ve reached a decision?’
It was hardly the time or the occasion for small talk, and she didn’t even try. ‘Yes.’ ‘And?’
Heaven help her. She gripped the handset a little tighter. ‘Yes.’
Lara wasn’t sure how she expected him to respond.
‘I’ll
