He always did brood magnificently, she noted when her heart picked up a few beats as she studied him. But then, she wryly extended on that thought, he tended to do everything magnificently. Shout, laugh, run, dance, sing, drive his fast cars—make love!
The sun was gleaming on the top of his head, adding depth to the sleek blue-blackness of his hair. His skin—born to have the sun caress it, glowing rich and sexy.
He was a man of wildly exciting contrasts. Far, far too much for her to deal with five years ago. Did she have any hope of dealing with him any better now? She didn’t think so. Guy was one of those rare people who belonged exclusively to himself. What bit he did give out of himself was maybe enough for other women, but not for her. Wasn’t that the main reason why she had fought against his power when they had first met—because she had wanted more from him than she’d known he would ever want to give?
‘Why did you ever marry me at all, Guy?’ she asked impulsively. ‘I mean, it was obvious to everyone, including all your friends, that I was way out of my depth with you. So what made you marry someone like me?’
‘Because I could not help myself, I suppose.’ He grimaced. ‘It was either marry you or lock you away so no other man could get you. I wanted your innocence, Marnie,’ he taunted cruelly. ‘All of it. Every last exquisite bit of it. So I flattered you with my lethal charm, and impressed you with my dynamic sex appeal!’
‘Stop it,’ she snapped, frowning because she suspected his mockery was aimed entirely at himself.
‘Seduced and bullied you,’ he continued regardless, ‘then waited for the magic I had so carefully woven around you to wear off, and that delightful hero-worship you repaid me with to—’
‘I never did hero-worship you!’ she exclaimed, appalled by the very idea.
‘Did you not?’ He lifted a challenging brow at her. ‘Then why did you marry me, Marnie?’ he threw back silkily.
She looked away, refusing to answer. What was the use? She should have told him she loved him five years ago when their marriage still had a chance. It was too late now—much, much too late.
‘No answer?’ He laughed softly. ‘So instead give me an answer to the question I asked you earlier, if you will. Why did you come chasing up to London that fated night?’ He waited for some time in the deadly silence which followed, then laughed softly again. ‘No answer yet again,’ he mocked. ‘It seems to me, Marnie, that all the secrets between us have not yet been fully aired. Still,’ he dismissed, coming to his feet, ‘we have time for all of that. Plenty of time now to learn about each other—perhaps better than we managed the first time we married.’
‘You can’t seriously still be considering marrying me after what’s come out today!’ she cried, staring at him in horror.
‘But Marnie,’ he drawled sardonically, ‘you seem to forget. I knew it all before today.’
‘And now I know!’ she cried. ‘Guy—I wronged you! It has to change things!’
‘What has changed other than that you now know I am gullible enough to allow myself to become so drunk I did not know what I was doing—or who I was doing it with? Does knowing I was in no fit state to know what was going on condone that kind of behaviour?’ he demanded. ‘Is it OK to find me in bed with another woman so long as you can blame it on the evil drink?’
‘No,’ she whispered. ‘But—’ That wasn’t how it happened, she was going to say, but he cut her short.
‘Then I am guilty as always charged,’ he snapped. ‘And that is all that needs to be said on the subject.’ He turned away. ‘Come on,’ he said flatly. ‘Dinner will be ready soon and I haven’t even shown you to your room.’
‘But Guy!’ she appealed in exasperation. ‘We can’t just—’
‘Enough!’ He turned suddenly, and in one lurching stride was back in front of her. The flash of blazing anger burning in his eyes was the only warning she got before he grabbed her and pulled her hard against him.
What followed was a forceful and angry method of silencing her. By the time he let her go again she was trembling so badly she could barely stand up.
‘That is all that matters now, Marnie,’ he said harshly. ‘You still want me physically. And God knows I still want you! So, we remarry in two days’ time—’
‘Two days?’ she choked. ‘But—’
‘No buts,’ he inserted. ‘We made a bargain. I have stuck to my part in it and you will stick to yours. And you will do it,’ he warned threateningly, ‘with a smile on your face that will convince my father that nothing on this earth can part us a second time!’ He reached for her chin, holding it between finger and thumb with just enough pressure to let her know he could hurt her if he wished to. ‘Got that?’
Licking her throbbing lips, she nodded uncertainly.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Then let’s go.’ He turned his back on her, walking arrogantly to the door and throwing it open. She followed him wearily, wondering what the hell she was following him into.
*
They were married as decreed, two days later, by the local registrar, followed by having their union blessed by a Catholic priest whose liberal thinking—plus a generous donation to his church roof fund—allowed him to forget the fact that they had once been married and divorced.
‘A life sentence this time, Marnie,’ Guy murmured with grim satisfaction as they drove back to the house. ‘Do you think you can stand it?’
He was being sarcastic because he was well aware that she had only just controlled the urge to run and keep on running before her actual ‘sentencing’ became official.
Whatever Guy had told his father when they had locked themselves away in Roberto’s study the other night she had no idea, but he had clearly allayed his father’s fears, because Roberto had looked as pleased as punch ever since! Aided and abetted by Guy, of course, who missed no opportunity to force Marnie into confirming their undying love for each other in front of the old man.