His Blackmailed Bride

He smiled. ‘I slept in the guest room, Paige.’

Air rushed from her lungs. ‘That wasn’t necessary.’ The blush tinged her skin again. ‘I mean, I’ll take the guest room. I don’t mind…’

‘But I do.’ His voice was flat, the words sharp.

‘Really, Quinn, it’ll be fine. I…’

‘I don’t think you understand me, Paige. We’re not sleeping in separate rooms.’

‘I have no intention of…’ Her voice faltered.

‘You’re my wife,’ he said, as if that were the only explanation required. His eyes moved over her slowly; she could almost feel their caress. ‘Norah thought it was gallant of me to let you catch up on your sleep our first night together.’

‘I don’t give a damn what Norah thought. I…’

‘The truth wasn’t half as respectable.’ His words cut across her like lightning through the night sky. ‘I want you wide awake and ready when we make love, Paige.’ His eyes caught hers. ‘That’s why I stayed out of our bed last night.’

Our bed. She stared at him, wondering if he could hear the pounding of her heart, telling herself he’d chosen such blunt words deliberately to put her off balance. But one look at his face, at the defiant set of his jaw and the fierce glow in his eyes, told her that what he’d said had been the naked truth.

Paige marched across the room and put her cup and saucer on the table. ‘That’s out of the question,’ she said quickly. ‘We’re not…’

‘We’re not what? Not husband and wife?’ He laughed. ‘There’s a very official-looking document on my desk that says we are.’

‘Our marriage is a sham,’ she said, lifting her chin defiantly. ‘We both know it, Quinn. We…’

He was across the room in a few quick strides, looming over her as she shrank back against the wall.

‘Listen to me, sweet Juliet,’ he said softly. ‘I love my brother, but I’m not a candidate for sainthood. Marrying you to protect Alan was one thing, but getting no benefit from the arrangement is quite another.’ She pulled her head away as he reached toward her, but he caught her chin in his hand and turned her face to him. ‘I’ll be damned if I’m going to come out of this the only loser.’

She forced her eyes to meet his without flinching. ‘What have you lost, Quinn?’ she asked softly. ‘You hurt your brother, embarrassed your family, ruined my life…’

His hand tightened as it slid to the nape of her neck. ‘Ruined your life?’ His voice was as quiet as a graveyard. ‘You came out ahead, my love. You wanted to marry money—I have money, Paige, more than Alan could have given you. You wanted to marry a Fowler—hell, you had to marry one, for Daddy’s sake. Well, I’m a Fowler.’ His lips drew back from his teeth. ‘Not the one you’d planned on—but that’s an advantage, isn’t it?’

‘Don’t compare yourself to Alan,’ Paige said quickly. ‘You’re nothing like him.’

She drew in her breath as Quinn pulled her to him. ‘Exactly,’ he said in a low whisper. ‘Just think of how much more you’ll enjoy being in my bed than in his.’

She felt the blood drain from her face. ‘That’s disgusting! You…’

‘Now I can see it,’ Quinn said softly. ‘That innocent tremor in your lips, that look of fear in your eyes…’ His thumb moved lightly along the column of her throat. ‘No wo

nder Alan thought…’

‘I won’t sleep with you,’ she said sharply.

‘You’ll do what our contract calls for.’

‘Our what?’

‘Our contract. Our marriage vows.’ He smiled coldly. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our arrangement already.’

Paige touched the tip of her tongue to her lips. ‘That’s exactly what it was. An arrangement. And…’

‘I know the terms, Paige. Believe me, I have no illusions about a grand passion.’

‘Neither do I. And that’s why…’

‘You would have preferred Alan, wouldn’t you?’ His voice rose. ‘He’d have been so much easier to handle. He’d have never demanded anything, never questioned anything—and he’d have been grateful for any crumbs you tossed him.’ His hands closed on her shoulders. ‘But I’m not Alan.’