could get a husband was by exchanging her company for one; and that furthermore the main reason she was marrying Peter was to stop him from taking over Cassietronics, but she quickly saw the pitfalls of such an announcement.
‘Peter …’
‘Loves you?’ he derided. ‘He loves no one but himself. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror recently, Cassie? Do you really think …’
The sheer cruelty of what she was sure he was about to say took Cassie’s breath away for a second. Pain, searing and brutally sharp tore through her body, and just for a handful of seconds she longed to make him retract his words; to have him look at her with admiration and awe, to want her as … ‘No.’ Cassie was unaware of her sharply cried denial, her face white and set as she tried to come to terms with her thoughts, shivering in mute reaction to the danger of them. What was she thinking? It was Joel Howard’s fault; she thought angrily. He had got her in such an emotionally vulnerable state that she didn’t know what she was thinking. Of course she didn’t want him to find her attractive; even if such an improbability were possible she wouldn’t want it; she wouldn’t want him.
‘Even if you manage to force me to go through with this farce of a marriage, you won’t be able to stop me from going to the Press and telling them the truth,’ she told him fiercely, fighting against her emotions and summoning all her reasoning powers to her aid. She would need every ounce of logic and analytical skill she possessed if she was to best this man; an instinct that was purely feminine told her that.
‘Go ahead,’ he invited drawingly, ‘but you’ll be using a two-edged sword if you do. What do you think it will do to your own credibility, to the reputation of your company, if you told the truth and were believed?’
He gave her a few seconds to digest his comment before looking at her again. They were leaving the city behind them now, heading for the Cotswolds Cassie noticed absently as she struggled to find a way to deny his comments.
‘All right, so you’d ruin my reputation, but you’d also destroy your own company. There’s no one to touch you for computer games in this country and with you out of business my computer games division would be number one again. With confidence restored in our ability to be innovative; to remain leaders of the field, I’d have no problem at all in attracting the finance I need to continue with the other work I have in hand.’
Computer electronics was his field as Cassie knew, and torn between a blazing exhibition of temper and simply saying nothing she burst out bitterly, ‘What is this revolutionary something you’re working on anyway? Some sort of miracle robot?’
‘You’re getting warm. I might as well tell you because there’s no one else in the field anywhere near advanced to rival us in this development. We’ve been working on a computer controlled device that can be used for micro surgery. It’s faster and better than any human could ever be—both advantages when it comes to sewing back a severed limb or working on delicate areas of the brain, and since it’s controlled by the surgeon in charge in effect it’s an extension of his hands, accurate and capable of working to the millionth of a degree. Although we do have a lot of support, as with anything new we also have a lot of detractors, people who say that government money would be better spent on more nurses and doctors; hence my concern to ensure that our backers aren’t frightened off. With my computer games division demoted to second place those who are against what we’re working on will be quick to use it to hold up the flow of funds we need to complete the development.’
For a moment Cassie was awed by what he had told her. Her own skill was something she took for granted; the large revenues it brought her in still sometimes overwhelming, but when all was said and done they were merely games. She felt humbled by what she had just heard and resentful of feeling humbled at the same time.
‘Joel …’ It was the first time she had ever used his name and she caught the faint flutter of surprise crossing his face. ‘I’ve changed my mind,’ she told him quickly, ‘I will let you take over Cassietronics.’
She was completely sincere in what she had said, believing that what he was working on was far more important than her own dislike of him, but the look on his face turned her humility to anger as he mocked tauntingly, ‘That soft, womanly approach has been tried on me by experts, Cassie, and without success. I learned one thing very young and that one thing was never trust a female. For all that you dress like a drab little sparrow you’re still a member of the female sex. Oh no, my dear, that won’t work. I do have the intelligence to realise what you’re up to you know. I turn round and drive you back to your office and the moment I leave you, it’s straight to Peter Williams … No … There really is no other way.’
‘You mean you’re prepared to sacrifice your freedom; to marry a plain drab little sparrow purely for altruistic love of your fellow man?’ Cassie flung at him bitterly, anger seeping through her as she came up against the brick wall of his masculine contempt for her sex. Who had taught him not to trust women she wondered and then dismissed the thought as a weakness she shouldn’t encourage. She didn’t want to know anything about this dark, powerful man. Already he had invaded her life to an extent that made her afraid; the less she knew about him personally, the safer she would be.
‘It will be a marriage on paper only,’ he replied coolly, ‘lasting perhaps only six months if things go according to plan. And as for giving up my freedom …’ His glance mocked her. ‘Why on earth should I do that? Unless of course you’re trying to tell me that you’re prepared to share your body with me as well as your company.’
Colour flared hotly in Cassie’s face as she heard his comment. He was making fun of her she thought bitterly. She knew how little he would want a woman like her; a woman who was neither attractive nor witty; a woman who was still really an inexperienced adolescent, far too unattractive to have ever caught his eye, if he hadn’t wanted her company.
‘I promise you I’d be a far better lover than Peter Williams …’ The soft, dulcet promise behind the words made Cassie’s anger burn hotter. He was playing with her, tormenting her all the time knowing that she was the last woman he would want in his bed.
‘Technically perhaps,’ Cassie agreed, marvelling at the cool derision she had managed to inject into her voice. The look of slight surprise dawning in the dark blue eyes as they studied her gave her the encouragement to go on, ‘But I happen to …’
‘Love Williams?’ Joel interrupted for her. ‘Why? Because he spared you a few kisses and caresses, and for all your brave talk my dear, I doubt it’s gone beyond that. You have about you a look of cool purity that I don’t believe is assumed. Does the cold virgin you’ve locked away behind the walls of your intelligence ever rebel, Cassie? Doesn’t she ever long to give herself freely and wholeheartedly to the heat of passion?’
His words, edged with scorn as they were, reminded Cassie of all the cruel barbs she had endured as an adolescent, almost without being aware of it she retreated mentally from him, escaping into that small corner of herself she kept hidden from the world. A look of cool dismissal informed the hazel wariness of her eyes, her body composed and outwardly relaxed as she said lightly, ‘You’re free to make whatever assumptions about me you wish—just as I’m free not to respond to them. I conceded that you’ve been very clever; that unless I want to destroy everything I’ve worked for I have to go along with your plans; to agree to this marriage, but I have no intention of living with you as your wife.’
‘Not in the fullest sense of the word perhaps,’ he agreed, startling her, ‘but I certainly intend that our marriage is seen to be completely normal for its brief duration.’
Cassie was stunned enough to demand huskily, ‘But why? You can’t
