six months ago? Did Caro really hate him that much…?
Jake had been asking himself those same questions for the last three hours—since learning of Caro and Magdalena’s imminent arrival in England. Since he had learnt of his daughter’s existence…
He still had no answers to those questions.
But Caro did. And before this day was out she was going to give Jake those answers. Just not here. And certainly not now.
He turned slowly, steeling himself not to be affected by how young and defenceless she suddenly looked, with her hair flowing about her shoulders and her coat buttoned up against the cold. Fitted jeans emphasised her slenderness, and her expression was once again defensive as she held Magdalena to her tightly.
Caro was wise to feel apprehension! ‘My car is parked over here,’ Jake informed her abruptly.
‘Your car?’ Caro shook her head, her expression be-coming stubborn. ‘Magdalena and I can easily get a taxi to Gavin’s apartment.’
Jake’s eyes narrowed. ‘You and I both know there is no way I’m going to let you go anywhere until the two of us have had a chance to talk.’
She swallowed hard. ‘You can’t stop me—’
‘No?’ Jake challenged softly.
Caro felt a shiver of apprehension run down the length of her spine as she saw the cold and ruthless determination on Jake’s handsome face.
A face she had fallen instantly in love with over two years ago…
But she hadn’t fallen in love with just his face, Caro accepted heavily. She had fallen in love with the whole package. The self-assurance that bordered on arrogance. The air of power that his incredible wealth gave him. The athletic fitness of his six-foot-two-inch frame. The experienced and mesmerising lover who had held Caro so totally in his thrall that she hadn’t even noticed that Jake had never, ever—not even during the height of passion—told her that he loved her.
No, she wouldn’t even go there!
She couldn’t go there.
It would remind her all too painfully of how her father had damaged their whole family with his fickle behaviour…
‘I’m not about to argue with you on this point, Caro,’ Jake bit out as he saw stubborn resolve return to her expression. ‘You’re going to come to my car with me. Then I’m going to drive us somewhere private, so that we can talk about this like two rational human beings.’
Sky-blue eyes warred with his for several long seconds as Jake waited for Caro to capitulate to his demand. And she would capitulate. Jake simply wouldn’t accept any other outcome to this conversation.
Yes, Jake wanted answers from his wife. Explanations for what she had done—if she had any! But he also wanted to sit somewhere quietly and hold his daughter in his arms for the first time. To familiarise himself with the weight and feel of her. To check all of her fingers and toes. To see her smile—
Damn it—Caro had better have a really good explanation for denying him knowledge of his own daughter for all these months.
‘Well?’ he pressed. ‘What’s it going to be? A slanging match here? Or a more civilised conversation somewhere less public?’ He gave a pointed glance at the stream of people constantly leaving the airport building, several of them shooting curious looks their way as they obviously sensed the tension of their exchange.
Caro’s earlier sense of dread returned with a vengeance. She knew that Jake was more than capable of carrying out his threat. That he was more than capable of simply picking up both her and Magdalena and carrying them to his car if necessary.
Her chin rose as she met the challenge in that emerald-green gaze. ‘Very well. But wherever we go I’m only staying long enough so that we can sort this situation out.’
‘Whatever.’ Mocking humour darkened glittering green eyes.
After all, Jake mused wickedly as Caro finally fell into step beside him to walk across to the car park, she hadn’t specified exactly to whose satisfaction the situation had to be sorted out…
‘HOW DID YOU MANAGE that so quickly?’ Caro stared in surprise at the baby-seat that had obviously been professionally fitted into the back of the sleek dark green car that Jake had unlocked, before opening the door so that she could strap the now dozing Magdalena safely inside.
Jake mouth twisted humourlessly. ‘It’s amazing what can be achieved in just the few hours I’ve known of Magdalena’s existence.’
Caro knew it wasn’t so amazing when you were multi-multi-millionaire Jake Montgomery!
She straightened after securing the sleeping Magdalena into her seat, realising as she turned that Jake was standing far too close to her. Far too close for comfort. For her comfort, anyway!
Jake looked down at Caro through narrowed lids, taking his time as he noted the subtle changes in her. Her hair was longer. The lines of tension that had been beside her eyes and mouth a year ago when she’d walked out on him and their marriage were no longer there. Instead her make-up-less face was tanned a deep, healthy gold, her eyes were a clear blue.
He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the softness of her tanned cheek. ‘Motherhood suits you, Caro…’
‘Don’t!’ She shied away from that reaching hand.
Jake’s mouth tightened as he allowed his hand to drop back to his side. ‘You never used to complain about my touching you,’ he said dryly.
Caro was finding it increasingly difficult to deny the memories of Jake that she had managed to keep at bay for at least six months of the last year.
It hadn’t been so easy to do during the long months of her pregnancy, but since Magdalena’s birth Caro had been kept too busy caring for her baby daughter to allow thoughts of Jake to disrupt her increasingly calm existence.
Any existence would be calm after living in the maelstrom that was Jake Montgomery’s life and consequently had become Caro’s own for the year she had been his wife.
She had been physically and emotionally drained when she’d arrived in Majorca, but the much more relaxed lifestyle on the island, and the friendliness of the people, had eventually acted as a balm to those broken emotions.
A balm that had swiftly disappeared a few minutes ago at the first sound of Jake’s arrogant voice!
She shot him a narrow-eyed stare before climbing into the front passenger seat of the car. ‘Motherhood isn’t the only reason for the changes in me, Jake.’
Cold anger blazed in the depths of his green eyes. ‘You—’
‘Could we just go, and get this over with?’ Caro interrupted wearily. ‘I’ve been travelling since early this morning, and what I need more than anything is a hot bath and something decent to eat.’ She leant her head
