at his watch. ‘Why else do you think I’ve never married?’
She shrugged. ‘Because you’ve never fallen in love.’
Daniel gave a disbelieving snort. ‘Surely you realise that love is the last thing to come along in a relationship, that desire and wanting come first, and that more often than not once they have been satisfied love never rears its ugly head!’
‘Ugly?’ She swallowed at his description of the emotion that had caused her more pain than any other, but which she acknowledged had also enriched her life.
His eyes narrowed. ‘It devours and dominates, makes you half a person. It’s an emotion few can afford!’
She knew he was telling her that this was the reason for his success, that he had pushed love from his life to achieve the wealth and prestige he had wanted, and that he intended keeping it from his life. She felt a sinking feeling in her heart.
‘And certainly not me,’ he harshly confirmed her thoughts. ‘We’re being forced into this marriage by your father’s will,’ he told her with brutal honesty. ‘Don’t get any romantic ideas about me; they would be a complete waste of time!’
‘Have many women dared to have “romantic ideas” about you?’ she scorned to hide the pain his words caused, knowing that few women could feel romantic about this hardened man. She just happened to be one of the ones who did!
‘I’m more accustomed to mercenary ones,’ he conceded gratingly. ‘I can live with them.’
Her eyes flashed. ‘Your motives are no more innocent than mine!’ she snapped.
‘Then we start out as equals,’ he drawled mockingly, again glancing at his watch. ‘I think you were also concerned earlier about where we’re going to live after the wedding?’ He raised dark brows.
She should have known this sharp-eyed man wouldn’t have missed her questioning glance in his direction when they were asked that. ‘Where are we going to live?’
Daniel drew in a ragged breath. ‘I have no intention of moving in here,’ he told her challengingly.
Heather gave a nod of calm acceptance. ‘Then we’ll sell this house and find somewhere we both like——’
‘You aren’t going to argue about it?’ He eyed her warily.
Her mouth quirked at his suspicious expression. ‘Why should I?’
‘Because you’ve lived in this house all your life.’ He still watched her frowningly.
‘Then it’s time for a change,’ she shrugged. ‘I would like to take some of the staff with me, if that’s all right with you?’ She looked up at him enquiringly. ‘The ones that have been with us the longest,’ she explained. ‘We wouldn’t need all of them, because I think a smaller house would suit our needs better than this one. If you agree, of course?’
Daniel still watched her warily, as if she had suddenly become someone he didn’t recognise. ‘If I agree?’ he echoed drily.
‘Well, it’s going to be our house, and——’
‘You’ll be spending the most time in it,’ he cut in harshly. ‘Buy as big a house as you want—or don’t want. As long as I don’t have to live here I don’t care!’ His eyes glittered coldly.
Heather blinked at his vehemence. ‘Couldn’t we choose somewhere together?’
‘I told you, I won’t be there that much—and not for the reason you’re thinking,’ he grated at her frown. ‘I don’t say things I don’t mean, Heather, and if I’ve said I’ll be faithful to you for at least the first two months of our marriage then I damn well will! I won’t be at home much to start with because after the last damaging six months of uncertainty I’m going to have to work damned hard to rebuild the airline’s reputation as a stable one!’
‘I’m sorry,’ she gave a guilty blush. ‘I only——Couldn’t I perhaps find two or three places I think might be suitable and then just show you them quickly one day? I promise not to take up too much of your time,’ she added persuasively.
He looked irritated. ‘Don’t try and make me feel guilty because I have to try and correct the damage your father did to——’
‘I wasn’t,’ she assured him quickly, feeling as if she had to walk on eggshells around this man. ‘Daniel, are you sure you’re going to be able to cope with the tie of a wife?’
‘No, I’m not sure at all.’ His eyes glittered. ‘But neither of us has a choice!’
She could already see how he was chafing at having to explain even the most impersonal of things to her, and wondered what it would be like once they were married.
But he was wrong about the choice; she did have one. It was just one she knew she could never take, not when it meant hurting Daniel so much.
‘Daniel, I’m as upset about my father’s will as you are,’ she began.
‘Oh, I realise that,’ he derided. ‘I’m sure you expected to walk away with a fortune, not a husband as well! I know why Max hated me; I just wonder what you ever did to him!’
She turned away to hide the pain in her clouded eyes. ‘He wanted a son; he got me.’ She flatly told him the half-truth, the wound of Max Danvers’ rejection, although an old one, still raw.
‘And he wanted money but instead he got me,’ Daniel rasped harshly. ‘And now, it seems, we have each other!’
Even now, loving him as she did, she wished there were something she could do to release him from the tie to her that he didn’t want. But there was nothing she could do.
She sighed. ‘I’ll try not to be intrusive on your life in any way.’
‘I never wanted a wife!’ he exclaimed with impatient anger.
‘I promise you——’
‘Don’t make me any promises, Heather,’ he scorned. ‘Women are notorious for breaking them!’
She would like to think, much as it would also pain her, that he had once cared enough for a woman to have been hurt by her; at least then she could have some hope that he was capable of love! But she was sure that wasn’t how he had come to his biased conclusion concerning women, he didn’t seem to care for anyone.
‘Then only time will show you that I mean what I say,’ she sighed. ‘I’ll intrude on your life and time as little as possible.’
‘Except to look at houses, to no doubt help shop for furniture for that house, to dictate that there will be no other women in my life——’
‘You dictated that there shouldn’t be any other men in mine,’ she retorted fierily, her tempestuous nature not completely cowed by her efforts to reassure him. ‘I retain the right to make the same conditions over you.’
‘For two months,’ he reminded her grimly.
An
