Wife By Contract, Mistress By Demand

As Mr Gresham had requested…

As Rufus had requested.

No doubt immediately after Rufus had walked in on Gabriella and Toby talking together.

Which meant he definitely hadn’t believed a word she’d said.

Again.

And now he wondered what he had done to put her on the defensive!

So much for her realizing she was still in love with him!

Her eyes glittered with anger as she looked at him. ‘I wasn’t aware that I had ever stopped being on the defensive,’ she scorned, standing up abruptly. ‘Let me know what you decide to do about Holly’s riding lessons.’

Rufus stood up restlessly, totally frustrated by this conversation. He had come back from New York, a slightly different man from when he had gone away, having witnessed Jen’s love for Rob as she’d slowly watched his life ebb, and seeing her complete devastation when he had literally faded away. He knew it was going to take her months, if not years, to come to terms with what had happened.

In the same way his father had when Heather had died. In fact, his father’s love for Heather had been so deep that he hadn’t wanted to go on without her.

Rufus wished now that he had got to know Heather better, wished that he hadn’t allowed his cynicism and disillusionment after his disastrous marriage to Angela to colour that relationship.

As it had coloured his relationship with Gabriella.

Women were only after what they could get, he had decided after his divorce from Angela, and the fact that his father had given Heather thousands of pounds before they were even married had only seemed to confirm that belief.

But looking back he couldn’t see how his father, a shrewd as well as intelligent man, could have been so deeply in love with a woman who was equally manipulative and conniving as Angela had proved herself to be. Which seemed to imply that Heather hadn’t been like that at all, that there had been a perfectly legitimate reason for her needing that money.

A reason Gabriella flatly refused to share with him.

And who could blame her after the things he had said about her mother? About her, too.

Yes, he had changed, Rufus realized, and not just because he had witnessed Jen’s loss. His burning need for Gabriella was also making him question opinions and decisions he had made based on his own cynical disillusionment.

Unfortunately, he had changed, but the damage and hurt he had caused, especially to Gabriella, were still very much to the forefront as far as she was concerned!

And so governed every word she said to him.

If he ever wanted things to be any different between them then it was up to him to try to change that.

‘I’ve already decided what to do about Holly’s riding lessons,’ he told Gabriella huskily. ‘I would like you to take her. If you’re sure you don’t mind?’

Gabriella looked at him inquisitively, finding no answers in the hard resolve of his face. ‘I wouldn’t have offered if I did,’ she dismissed.

He shrugged. ‘It’s a long-term commitment.’

‘If she’s still interested in six months’ time, when this is all over, I’m sure you’ll be able to drive Holly to her lessons,’ she said dryly.

Once they had separated.

And she was safely out of both his and Holly’s lives.

‘You’ll still be her aunt Gabriella even then,’ Rufus pointed out.

She gave him a frowning glance, wondering why he even wanted to point out that tenuous connection.

‘I think, Rufus,’ she said slowly, ‘that when the six months are up, it would be better, for everyone, if we never set eyes on each other again!’

Rufus drew in a sharp breath at the vehemence behind her words. She really couldn’t wait to rid herself of this marriage, of him, could she?

But then why would he expect her to feel any differently? He had scorned, mocked, and taunted her from the moment they had first met, even more so since they had been forced into this marriage by his father. Just because Gabriella responded to him physically didn’t mean she didn’t hate him, too. In fact, she probably hated him all the more because she responded to him.

Once again, he knew it was he who had changed, but was still reaping the results of his previous actions.

He sighed. ‘I’m sorry you feel that way…’

‘I somehow doubt that!’ Gabriella laughed humourlessly.

Rufus gave her a quizzical look, not wanting her to leave with this strain between them. ‘Gabriella, I already knew you hadn’t seen Toby this evening.’

She stiffened defensively. ‘And how can you know that?’

He grimaced. ‘Because when I tried to contact him earlier his flatmate informed me, ironically, that Toby’s in America for a week auditioning for a film role.’

Her smile was just as humourless as her laugh had been seconds ago. ‘Well, it’s gratifying to know you realize I wasn’t lying about that, at least!’

‘Gabriella—’

‘Why were you trying to contact him?’ she prompted shrewdly. ‘No, don’t bother to answer that, I can easily guess.’ She sighed wearily. ‘I’m tired, Rufus, and I’m going to bed,’ she added with finality.

Rufus let her go, knowing there was nothing more he could say tonight that was going to improve things between them, only make them worse.

If that were possible!

Chapter 10

‘I need to talk to you, Gabriella.’

Gabriella looked up from the book she had been reading, surprised to see that Rufus had quietly entered her bedroom without her even being aware of it.

An unusual occurrence, because these last two weeks she had always made sure she knew exactly where Rufus was when he was in the house—and made a point of avoiding going anywhere near.

Which was why, knowing Rufus was wandering about downstairs this evening, she had chosen to stay in her bedroom and read a book.

She looked at him coldly, determined not to be drawn by his arrogant good looks. Even if her heart had started racing just at the sight of him, with other parts of her body reacting just as warmly.

‘What are you doing in my bedroom?’ she demanded. ‘I thought we had agreed that I would come to you in future, if at all. Which, you’ll notice, I haven’t done,’ she added hardly.

Knowing how physical, how sensual, Rufus was, she had been surprised—disappointedly so?—that he had kept to his promise. She had been so filled with burning frustration some nights as she’d climbed into bed, knowing he was only just down the hallway, that she had almost been tempted to go to him anyway, to take what she wanted, to lose herself in that heated passion that allowed her to think of nothing but Rufus, of his pleasuring her as she pleasured him.

But she hadn’t. Knowing that Rufus intended divorcing her at the first opportunity was enough to quench those desires.

‘I noticed,’ Rufus drawled as he stepped fully into the room and closed the bedroom door behind him.

Signals of alarm swept through Gabriella, her breathing becoming slightly uneven, and her cheeks becoming flushed as her gaze followed his pantherlike walk across the carpet to where she sat. Her nipples tightened beneath the fitted white sports vest-top she wore, and the heat between her thighs made her shift uncomfortably.

God, she was hot and ready just looking at him!

If he should so much as touch her…

Rufus tried not to let his hunger for Gabriella show in his gaze as he looked down at her, drinking in her sensual beauty, the proud thrust of her breasts beneath her fitted top, the long length of her legs in trousers that fitted perfectly over her hips and thighs.

His hands clenched at his sides as he acknowledged his desire to rip the clothes from her body, to kiss every silken inch of her, to taste her naked breasts as he touched her and stroked her to shuddering climaxes that made her so wet and hungry for him.

As he was hungry for her.

But he had been wrong to assume that things couldn’t get any worse between them. The last two weeks of barely talking and having Gabriella avoiding him whenever possible had been a nightmare. Gabriella walked out of a room if he went in it, rarely ate at home any more—rarely ate at all if her loss of weight was anything to go by—and spent the evenings when she wasn’t out closeted in her bedroom, completely shut off from him and any attempt he might make to see or speak to her.

Like this evening.

And Rufus couldn’t stand it any more. He wanted this woman until he ached with it. He couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and the thought of one more night without her wild and wanton in his arms was unbearable. Unacceptable.

So he had come to her, knowing she had told him not to, but unable to stay away any longer. He wanted, needed, Gabriella, to the point where he would go insane if he didn’t have her.

Rufus looked about as happy as she felt, Gabriella realized ruefully, the strain of living with her in the way they were obviously as awful for him as it was for her.

She forced herself to withstand the intensity of his gaze as he continued to look at her, knowing she had lost weight the last two weeks, her appearance not improved by it, either, her face too thin, some of her clothes starting to look loose on her. There really was such a thing as being too thin, she had realized.

‘You’re looking tired, Gabriella.’ Rufus frowned. ‘Is running the restaurant proving too much for you?’

Her face lit up at the mention of her pride and joy, pleased to be able to talk about such a neutral subject. Gabriella’s had been an overnight success, some of her first customers having become regulars after less than two weeks of being open, and recommending the restaurant to their friends, too. It was what she had always hoped for, and failed to achieve so miserably the first time around.