His gaze roved over her in insolent appraisal. Much as she imagined a white slaver would look. Realising the idiocy of her thoughts—Jake might be a lot of things but a white slaver he was not—Lexi said, ‘No,’ her lips twitching with amusement. Knowing Meg, she should have realised the old woman would think of something like that. But Lexi had given the letter to a visiting Arab guest to post when he left, not wanting to reveal her whereabouts, too hurt. It was her one regret that she had not kept in touch with the old couple, but she hadn’t wanted to be reminded of her old life at Forest Manor; it was too painful.
‘So, you think it’s amusing?’ Jake’s smile was chilling. ‘Did it never occur to you we would worry, wonder for your safety? I was, and still am, your husband, responsible for you.’
‘I’m sure you set Meg’s mind at rest,’ Lexi snapped and tried to jerk away from him as the full meaning of his words sank in. He had the cheek, the gall, to pretend their parting was her fault. ‘You always had a way with words and women,’ she said sarcastically as he pulled her violently back to him, anger flashing between them like lightning.
His dark eyes narrowed to mere slits as he looked down at her. ‘God, but you’re a bitch!’ Rage darkened his rugged features, and Lexi gasped, her heart lurching in her breast. ‘You don’t care, you really don’t care for anyone but yourself.’
‘Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle?’ she spat back furiously.
‘I know this,’ Jake responded in a bitingly menacing voice. ‘You strolled into our London apartment, agreed to our deal, and, before I could open the champagne, you were dashing out having informed me casually you were going on holiday and never wanted to see me again.’ His free hand reached up and grasped a handful of her hair, pulling it loose from its slide and tangling in the red locks. ‘You’re a very beautiful woman, but you know how to put the knife in, Lexi; that was a master-touch, leaving the little wedding-anniversary present on the hall-table.’
‘Sorry I couldn’t do better,’ she gritted, ‘but I was short of cash at the time.’ She was surprised he had even noticed the gift she had left, when he’d had his new love to occupy him.
‘Oh, I got your message all right. Leave the poor sod a gift and he won’t worry; after all, you were recovering from losing our child. Post-natal blues—naturally I would allow you a holiday, even though it was so hastily arranged. I called your precious Dr Bell and he was of course all in sympathy with the little wife. A holiday was the best cure; he had suggested it himself to you, and, as for your not wanting to see me, he assured me you didn’t mean it—it was part of your depression, et cetera et cetera,’ he drawled with icy cynicism. ‘A week later, when I began looking for you, it was too late; you had vanished.’
‘I’m amazed you bothered, in the circumstances,’ Lexi said scathingly, while her mind absorbed the fact that Jake had looked for her. Why? She could not possibly have been wrong about what she saw and heard that day in their apartment. Could she? No. She shook her head.
‘Foolishly, I was labouring under the impression that you were still depressed and might actually need me.’ His strong features were harsh in the dim light. ‘You thought you were clever, but not clever enough, Lexi. You will never make a fool of me or get away from me again, that I can promise.’
‘That makes me quake in my shoes,’ she snapped back defiantly. ‘As I remember, you were never great on keeping a promise.’ Thinking of his broken marriage vows, she felt an urge to hurt him as he had hurt her which compelled her to add, ‘With your record I should be home free and wealthy in a few weeks.’ He was a callous brute who had blackmailed her into his bed and she despised him for it. But the brush of his thigh against her, the warmth of his body ignited a trembling awareness.
Jake jerked her head back. ‘You couldn’t resist reminding me. But this time it will be different. I have enough money to last a hundred lifetimes, enough to satisfy even you, and, my God, I intend to make damn sure you satisfy me, Lexi,’ he drawled cynically. ?
?And after this morning I don’t think you will find our reconciliation so arduous.’
She stared at him. She had the strangest feeling she was missing something vital, but then their eyes met and fused, and her legs turned to jelly at the harsh intention she saw in his eyes. ‘No.’ Her neck hurt as he pulled her head further back. ‘No, you can’t do this to me,’ she cried desperately.
‘Yes,’ Jake said thickly. He dragged her towards him, and she struggled, hitting out at him with her clenched fist, anywhere she could reach. ‘I can do what I like with you, my less than loving wife.’
‘I hate you...’ His dark head descended. She tried to twist away, but his superior strength defeated her.
‘Then I’d better give you reason,’ he growled, his hard mouth grinding down on her, pushing her lips apart against her teeth. Her head swam, and she was sinking beneath the savage onslaught of his plundering possession. Jake’s head lifted and she gasped for air.
‘What the hell—Maria?’ he snarled and Lexi staggered on trembling legs; she was free.
She sank down on to the lounger, breathing hard. She raised her hand to her mouth, a trembling finger tracing her swollen lips.
Jake looked down, his black brows jerking together as he saw her gesture. ‘You will not wipe me out of your life as easily again, and don’t you forget it,’ he grated angrily, and, turning, walked towards where Maria was setting the table.
Lexi heard his brief instruction to the housekeeper. ‘Hold the meal fifteen minutes, Maria.’ And she watched with hurt, angry eyes as Jake strode into the house.
Dinner was a silent affair. Lexi tried to avoid looking at the man opposite her. Jake had walked back on to the terrace five minutes earlier and, with a curt instruction to Maria to serve the meal, had issued an equally curt command to Lexi.
‘Sit down and eat.’ He pulled out a chair for her as he did so.
Lexi did as he instructed, taking the chair he offered. He had changed into a pair of dark pleated slacks and a crisp white shirt, and looked cool and somehow remote, which suited Lexi perfectly as she had no desire to speak to him; she was still seething from their last encounter. She sipped at her glass of wine and pushed the pasta around on her plate, making little attempt to eat it.
‘More wine?’ Jake’s cool voice broke the silence.
‘No, thank you.’
His blue eyes narrowed for a second on her mutinous face. Then he topped up his glass and raising it to his mouth drained it, as much as to say she wasn’t worth talking to.
Lexi shot him a look of loathing. Damn him! He was so controlled, so sure of his own diabolical power to make all obey him. Would nothing dent the overwhelming arrogance of the man? She took another sip of wine. ‘Tell me, Jake, how long is your sojourn in Italy likely to last? I seem to remember you were a workaholic, not at all the type to sit around smelling the roses.’
Deliberately he forked some more pasta into his mouth and slowly chewed while his deep blue eyes, reflecting the lantern’s glow in their depths, raked over her face and the hint of cleavage revealed by the open neck of her dress and then back to her face.
‘A week, perhaps two.’ His dark lashes lowered seductively over his gleaming eyes. ‘Surely you’re not in so much of a hurry to return to England that you would begrudge me my first holiday in years.’ He smiled, a sinister twist of his lips, and added mockingly, ‘A second honeymoon, if you like.’