Tess was self-conscious. She felt his gaze on her. He made her nervous no matter what he did. His comment about her body made her really happy. He liked the look of her body. For a split second she was able to bask in his compliment before the old insecurities began to rear their ugly heads.
Was he taking pity on her?
She picked up her glass of water and took a generous sip. She wasn’t used to being around anyone like Duncan.
“Be careful with the water. You don’t want to drink too much before your meal arrives,” he said.
She nodded then put the glass down. Tess wished she’d kept the foul-tasting wine. Maybe it would have helped her get through the rest of the evening. When the waiter brought their steaks through and placed them on the table, Duncan asked for a glass of cold mineral water.
The waiter came back with his water, and then they started to eat. It was steak with small potatoes and a green salad. It smelled delicious and tasted wonderful. The food wasn’t classic French food, but she wouldn’t be able to appreciate the taste and flavours with Duncan looking on.
The steak was cooked how she liked it, on the griddle with a wonderful pink centre. The potatoes were savoury and buttery, and the salad finished off the meal to perfection.
“Do you like it?” Duncan asked.
“Yes, it’s the best steak I’ve ever tasted,” she said, taking another bite of her steak. While they ate Tess could almost forget what was happening between them. The diamond ring on her finger kept catching her eye, which made her very much aware of their current situation.
****
Tess was too busy looking at the diamond and eating her meal to see the worry in his eyes. Duncan was concerned at whether she would like the ring or not. He’d spent a lot of time trying to find the right ring. He’d spent more time trying to find the right one for her than he’d ever spent trying to find anything for any other woman. Duncan never personally went and bought gifts for his women. Tess was different, and he needed to find something personal to fit the woman to be his wife.
He’d noticed she didn’t seem to like the attention they got at the restaurant. She tried to hide away from all the onlookers. He’d seen the women who had sent her scornful looks. Other women would have basked in the attention this place had to offer. He hadn’t been lying when he’d said she was the first woman he’d brought here. She was refreshing to him after being around so much superficiality. He knew she spoke the truth about giving him back his ring. She wouldn’t want anything from him other than what he was willing to give.
Tess cut into her steak, the hunger on her face refreshing. He glanced at the tables near to him to see most of the women had a salad or were pushing their food around. Duncan loved watching her eat. It was a new experience to watch a woman eat. All his other dates that he took to other restaurants ordered salads with no dressings with no carbs, no fats. The chef’s were always at their wits’ end by the last course of the meal.
It had become an embarrassment to have his companion order something on the menu and then list more things not to have.
Model thin maybe the fashion, but it was no longer part of his fashion. He stared at Tess knowing her curves were a huge feature in all of his future fantasies. She looked good enough to eat. He couldn’t wait to get his ring on her finger.
His appreciation was interrupted by an old friend. “Duncan, what a pleasure to see you here.”
Duncan greeted Carlos but didn’t bother to get up from his table.
Now was a better time than any to introduce Tess.
“Carlos, I’d like to introduce you to my fiancée, Tess.” Duncan reached for her hand while Carlos took her other, placing a kiss on her fingers.
Duncan watched as Carlos was startled by his news before he covered up his surprise with a smile.
“You’re finally going to get married, and to this exquisite woman.” Tess pulled her hand away but smiled. He saw she didn’t like the other man’s attention. The fact she allowed him to touch and kiss her meant a lot to him. Duncan noticed all the other guests listening.
Duncan kept a hold of her hand knowing she didn’t like being on public display. She depended on him to keep her safe.
“I just saw her and fell instantly. I knew then and there that I wanted her for myself and no other. She’ll be my wife very soon.” He made sure to speak louder so most of the guests nearby would hear his news. The sooner he got Tess by his side and in his bed the happier he would be.
He was certain his impending marriage would be all across the news by tomorrow. He wanted Tess with a passion. The sooner he started her seduction the better. She was ripe and ready to be plucked. Her response to him made it all the more essential for him to get her where he wanted her.
Carlos gave his congratulations then left them to finish their meal.
Duncan saw how nervous Tess was. Her hand shook ever so slightly as she lifted her glass of water and took a large gulp.
He wanted her in his bed. Duncan wanted to take care of her. He wanted to own and possess her. There was so much he wanted to teach and explore with her. His revenge would come against Miranda and his father. Tess would be the icing on his cake.
In two weeks he’d be able to have it all.
He was not the most patient man. Duncan was desperate to have her.
Chapter Seven
Two weeks later
The church was full of his relatives and business associates. There were a handful of friends and her father there to watch her sell her soul to the devil. In a few short hours she’d no longer be a single woman. She’d be Duncan James’s wife. She took a deep breath to try to contain her nerves.
Tess closed the door then glanced at her reflection in the mirrors provided. It was moments like these where she wished she had a mother. Her mother should be with her on this day. It didn’t matter the marriage was a farce. What mattered was the fact she would be married. When she was satisfied that she looked the part as Duncan James’s new bride she went and took a seat near the window overlooking the cemetery at the back of the church.
His secretary sure worked fast. The clock on the wall confirmed it was ten o’clock. It was a bigger sign of the power and money Duncan possessed. In minutes she’d be married, and Tess Williams would be a million miles away.
He didn’t know anything about her. Duncan didn’t know her favourite colour, favourite meal, or any of her hobbies. The more she thought about how unsuitable they were as a couple the more her fears were constantly getting the better of her. For the past two weeks she’d been bombarded with calls from so-called friends and magazines asking about her upcoming wedding with the bachelor of the year.
All of their attention was false and devoted to the imaginary woman she was pretending to be. She wasn’t the Tess Williams who’d managed to snag the multi-millionaire. She was Tess Williams the librarian. Tess hadn’t seen Duncan since the night he had given her a ring and took her to dinner. Not one phone call, nothing. The distance he’d created between them unnerved her.
Her dreams were filled with his kisses and daring touches. She’d had no choice but to hand in her notice at the library. The press were stalking her wherever she went. She’d spent the last week trapped in her apartment. His secretary had assured her Duncan was handling the situation.
She wished she hated her father enough to tell him to go to prison.
Tess had convinced herself the wedding was a fantasy. There was no way the most eligible bachelor would ever consider her as a wife. Then today, stylists and designers had turned up to her small apartment. They’d all surrounded her, pulling at her hair or plucking this or that until she had finally turned up as the bride-to-be. The paparazzi had followed her from her apartment to the church. She’d heard most of the events of her upcoming wedding from the news. The press had fired questions at her asking Duncan’s reputation. They’d made sure she’d heard about the gossip surrounding the recent story of his conquest with the latest fashion model. Each question making her wonder if this decision was an act of desperation or the right one?
All she had to do was think of her father, and she knew she was making the right decision. No matter what he’d done to her, he was still her father, and she loved him.
It was desperation, but being married to Duncan couldn’t be that much of a hardship?
A busy man like Duncan would never spend more than a month in one place. Surely most of the time he’d be too busy travelling to even remember he had a wife. It would give her the time she needed to dedicate to her passion. Writing. She loved creating magical worlds where she could get lost. No matter what happened in the story the characters in her mind would always get a happy ending. She’d loved books for so long that her passion had soon turned to trying to pen one herself. Becoming a writer would be a dream come true. His secretary had informed her that her life at the library would have to end. Duncan James’s wife couldn’t work.