he accepted that the better off he would be!
He shrugged. ‘That isn’t a problem for me, Hebe. But how do you think you’ll cope with pretending to be in love with me?’ he added tauntingly.
Hebe kept her lashes lowered over her eyes, her expressive golden eyes that she knew would show him at that moment that no pretence was necessary where she was concerned. In spite of everything, she did love Nick. To the point of distraction.
She already loved the baby growing inside her too.
And maybe, maybe after they were married, with time, Nick might even come to love her?
Or was she just living in fantasy land?
Probably, she acknowledged self-derisively. But that fantasy was all she had to cling to at this moment.
Because she was going to marry him. She now saw it as the only chance she had of showing him she wasn’t the woman he thought she was.
Starting with drawing the line, a very firm line, at what gifts she would accept from him and what she wouldn’t. Their baby wasn’t for sale, and neither was she—and the sooner Nick realised that the better!
Her face was deliberately expressionless as she looked at him. ‘I’m sure I’ll cope too,’ she derided. ‘After all, we both know how charming you can be when you choose!’ she added cuttingly, remembering exactly how charming he had been that evening six weeks ago.
Charming enough for her to believe he really was interested in her.
How naïve she had been…and she was certainly paying for that naïveté now!
‘I’m very tired, Nick,’ she sighed. ‘If you wouldn’t mind going now, I think I would like to go to bed…?’ she added warily as he stared at her broodingly from across the room.
He wasn’t staying here tonight, if that was what he thought. Her bedroom door was remaining shut against him until after they were married! Hopefully by then she would have convinced him of her innocence, at least.
‘I don’t mind at all,’ he finally answered with hard dismissal. ‘I didn’t get to finish my dinner earlier, so I think I’ll go and get myself something else to eat,’he added dryly.
Hebe gave him a sharp look, stung by his easy acquiescence to her request that he leave. ‘You’re going out again?’
Nick gave her a mocking look. ‘Does that bother you?’
Yes! Came the instant answer. It bothered her very much.
After all, she was probably just one of several women Nick had been involved with during his visits to England. No doubt one of those other women would be quite happy to join him for a late supper. And whatever else was on offer…
Hebe realised that fidelity in their marriage was something else they hadn’t discussed. The thought of Nick in bed with some other woman was totally unacceptable to her, but if she told him that he would probably laugh in her face!
‘Not in the least,’ she assured him dismissively.
His expression darkened ominously. ‘That’s what I thought,’ he rasped. ‘But once we’re married, Hebe, get used to the idea that I will be the only man in your life. In your bed. Is that understood?’ he prompted hardly.
She eyed him challengingly. Nick had unwittingly played right into her hands. ‘And does the same apply to you?’
‘Oh, yes, Hebe,’ he murmured throatily as he took a step towards her, easily taking her in his arms and moulding her body to his. ‘Keep me happy in your bed, and I promise I’ll stay there,’ he assured her throatily before his mouth claimed hers.
This wasn’t quite the answer Hebe wanted to hear, but now Nick was kissing her she could no longer think straight.
She didn’t have a single lucid thought in her head but her desire for him as his tongue moved tantalisingly over her lips to part them and deepen the kiss.
His hands moved up to cradle each side of her face, holding her mouth up to his as he explored with his tongue, sucking the moist warmth of her own tongue into his mouth and gently biting, arousing emotions in her that caused a pulsing warmth between her legs. Her whole body was trembling with need when he finally lifted his head to look down at her desire-drugged eyes and full, still-parted lips.
‘Yes.’ He murmured his satisfaction as he released her. ‘I don’t think pretending to be in love with you is going to be any hardship at all! Sure you still want me to leave, Hebe?’ he added tauntingly.
Yes!
No…!
Of course she didn’t want him to leave; she would much rather have just melted in his arms.
But the relevant word in his statement was ‘pretending’, and that was all being in love with her would ever be to Nick—a pretence.
‘I’m sure,’ she murmured huskily.
He gave a dismissive shrug. ‘Your loss.’
Oh, yes, she knew that, Hebe acknowledged heavily as she watched him go, waiting until the apartment door had closed softly behind him before dropping weakly down into an armchair.
How was she going to be able to bear being married to a man she loved but who felt nothing but contempt for her?
A man who only had to touch her to melt her to the core of her being…!
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘STOP looking so worried, Hebe,’ Nick told her derisively as she sat beside him on the drive to her parents’ home. ‘Didn’t I already prove last night that my performance in front of your parents will be faultless? As yours had better be when you meet my parents,’ he added grimly.
Hebe eyed him sharply. ‘I’m going to meet your parents…?’ She simply hadn’t given Nick’s family a thought, and realised she had no idea what it consisted of, besides his ex-wife Sally and Luke.
‘Well, of course you’re going to meet my parents,’ Nick came back impatiently. ‘And the rest of the Cavendish clan eventually too, no doubt.’ He gave her a brief glance. ‘I thought you understood, Hebe, my main home is in New York.’
‘You’re expecting me to move to New York with you?’ She gasped in dismay.
She had assumed England would be their main home, had never even imagined that Nick would expect her to—
But why hadn’t she? Her wants and wishes hadn’t been of too much importance so far in this relationship.
In fact, Nick seemed to be of the opinion that if he kept her ‘barefoot and pregnant’, and satisfied in his bed, she should just be happy with the fact that he was keeping her at all!
She didn’t want to move to New York, Nick realized irritably. Yet another mistake he had made where Hebe was concerned!
‘I’d have thought most women would love living
