A Deal at the Altar (Marriage by Command 2)
Page 11
Chilled to the marrow by that prediction, Bee drank her wine and set the glass down on the desk. ‘Goodnight, then,’ she told him prosaically.
And as she climbed the stairs she wondered why she should feel lonelier than she had ever felt in her life before. After all, had she expected Sergios to offer her his company and support? Was he not even prepared to share parenting responsibilities with her? It seemed that in his head the parameters of their relationship were already set in stone: he didn’t love her, didn’t desire her and, in short, didn’t need her except as a mother to the children. Being his wife really would be a job more than anything else…
CHAPTER FOUR
BEE stepped out of the spacious changing cubicle and up onto the dais to get the best possible view of her wedding dress in the mirrored walls of the showroom.
Although it galled her to admit it, Sergios had done astonishingly well. She had had a sharp exchange of words with him when he had startled her with the news that he had actually selected a gown for her.
‘What on earth were you thinking of?’ Bee had demanded on the phone. ‘A woman looks forward to choosing her wedding dress.’
‘I was at a fashion show in Milan and the model came down the catwalk in it and I knew immediately that it was your dress,’ Sergios had drawled with immense assurance.
She had wanted to ask him whom he had accompanied to the fashion show, for she did not believe that he had attended one alone, but she had swallowed back the nosy question. Ignorance, she had decided, was safer than too much information in that department. What she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her, she told herself staunchly, and not that she was in any danger of being hurt. She could not afford to develop silly notions or possessive feelings towards a man who would not even share a bed with her. Although he had offered, she reminded herself darkly, preferring to sacrifice himself if she decided that she could not live without sex rather than allow her to engage in an extra-marital affair.
Now she posed in the wedding gown Sergios had chosen for her, noting how the style showcased her voluptuous cleavage while emphasising her small waist. The neckline was lower than she liked but the fitted bodice definitely flattered her fuller figure. Apparently, Sergios hadn’t earned his notorious reputation with women without picking up some useful fashion tips along the way. Bee would have been the first to admit that her appearance had already undergone a major transformation. Her chestnut hair now curved in a sleek layered shoulder-length cut that framed her face, all the heaviness gone. Cosmetics had helped her rediscover her cheekbones and accentuate her best features while every inch of her from her manicured nails to her smooth skin had been waxed, polished and moisturised to as close to perfection as a mortal woman was capable of getting. The irony was that, far from feeling exploited or belittled by the beauty makeover, she was enjoying the energising feel of knowing she looked her very best.
In thirty-six hours it would be her wedding day, Bee acknowledged, breathing in deep and slow to steady her nerves. That afternoon she had a final appointment to sign the pre-nuptial agreement, which had already been explained to her in fine detail during her first visit to the upmarket legal firm employed by Sergios to protect her interests. Her mother’s long-term care was comprehensively covered, but she had had to request the right of regular access to the children in the event of their marriage breaking down. Bee was more concerned that Sergios might refuse that demand than she was by the fact that divorce would leave her a wealthy woman. The more time she spent with Paris, Milo and Eleni the more they felt like her children.
As Bee left the showroom, elegant in a grey striped dress and light jacket, a bodyguard was by her side and within the space of a minute a limousine was purring up to the kerb to pick her up. She was getting used to being spoilt, she registered guiltily, as she emerged again directly outside the lawyer’s plush offices. After only three weeks she was already forgetting what it was like to walk in the rain or queue for a bus.
She was seated in the reception area when she saw a familiar face and she was so shaken by the resulting jolt of recognition that she simply stared, her heartbeat thumping very loudly. It was her ex-boyfriend, Jon Townsend, and more than three years had passed since their last meeting. Now, without the smallest warning, there he was only ten feet away, smartly clad in a business suit and tie. He was slim, dark-haired and attractive, not particularly tall but still taller than she was. As she struggled to overcome her shock she wondered if perhaps he worked for the firm because he had just qualified in law when she first met him.
Jon turned his head and recognised her at almost the same moment as the receptionist invited her to go into Mr Smyth’s office. Blue eyes full of surprise, Jon crossed the foyer with a frown. ‘Bee?’ he queried as though he couldn’t quite believe that she was physically there in front of him.
‘Jon…sorry, I have an appointment,’ Bee responded, rising to her feet.
‘You look terrific,’ Jon told her warmly.
‘Thanks.’ Her smile was a mere stretch of her tense lips, for she had not forgotten the pain he had caused her and all her concentration was focused on retaining her dignity. ‘Do you work here?’
‘Yes, since last year. I’ll see you after your appointment and we’ll chat,’ Jon declared.
Her fake smile dimmed at that disconcerting prospect and she hastened into Halston Smyth’s office with a peculiar sense of both relief and anticipation. What could Jon possibly want to chat to her about? It might have happened three long years ago but he had ditched her, for goodness’ sake. Did they even have any old times to catch up on? Having lost contact with mutual friends after they broke up, she did not think so. He was married now—or at least so she had heard—might even have children, although when she had known him he had not been sure he wanted any. Of course he had been equally unsure he was the marrying kind until he had met Jenna, Bee’s little blonde bubbly replacement, the daughter of a high-court judge. A most useful connection for an ambitious young legal whiz-kid, her more cynical self had thought back then.
Mr Smyth ran through the pre-nup again while a more junior member of staff hovered attentively. On her first visit, Bee had realised that as the future wife of a billionaire she was considered big business and they were eager to please. As soon as she realised that her desire to retain contact with the children in the event of a divorce had been incorporated in the agreement, she relaxed. In spite of all the warnings to carefully consider what she was doing she signed on the dotted line while wondering how soon she could book physiotherapy sessions for her mother.
Mr Smyth escorted her all the way to the lift and at the last possible minute before the doors could close Jon stepped in to join her and her bodyguard.
‘There’s a wine bar round the corner,’ Jon informed her casually.
Her brow furrowed. ‘I’m not sure we have much to talk about.’
‘Well, I can’t physically persuade you to join me with a security man in tow,’ he quipped with a familiar grin.
‘Do you know this gentleman, Miss Blake?’ her bodyguard, Tom, asked, treating Jon to an openly suspicious appraisal.
Meeting Jon’s amused look, Bee almost giggled. ‘Yes. Yes, I do,’ she confirmed. ‘I can’t stay long, though.’
Curiosity had to be behind his request, Bee decided. After all, three years ago when Jon had been with her she had been a final-year student teacher from a fairly ordinary background. While her father might be wealthy, Bee had never enjoyed a personal allowance or, aside of
the occasional family invite, an entrée into Monty Blake’s exclusive world. Jon was most probably aware that she was on the brink of marrying one of the richest men in Europe and wondering how that had come about. She suppressed a rueful smile over the awareness that few people would believe the truth behind that particular development.
In the bar her bodyguard chose a seat nearby and talked on his phone. Jon ordered drinks and made light conversation. She remembered when his smile had made her tummy tighten and her heart beat a little faster and crushed the recollection.
‘Jenna and I got a divorce a couple of months ago,’ Jon volunteered wryly.
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Bee said uncomfortably.