And the Bride Wore Black

‘Secondly, I am in something of a fix for the reasons I have explained. I need to approach this situation as a business deal, something separate from my private life, you understand?’ She glared at him silently. ‘And the point that you are not used to my kind of lifestyle is quite unimportant. If you accept this offer you are at liberty to just be yourself; I would expect nothing more.

The only thing I would ask you to do is to force some degree of warmth into our relationship.’ He smiled at her angry face. ‘Only when we are in company, of course. In private you could be your normal waspish little self shrinking from my touch like the original shy violet.’

What she would give to slap that mocking smirk off his handsome face! She schooled her features into a cool mask with considerable effort.

‘And if I did agree to this mad idea—not that I would do, of course,’ she added coldly, ‘how do you explain to your grandmother that we met? What am I supposed to be, one of your employees who caught the boss’s eye or a modern-day Cinderella taken out of the gutter by a passing noble?’

‘You really must try to curb this enormous inferiority complex, Fabia,’ he said smoothly. ‘Maybe a course of psychoanalysis would help. You are just as good as me, my dear.’

‘I know that!’ she snarled ferociously, eyeing him with angry antagonism as he began to shake with silent laughter, his eyes aglow. ‘And you haven’t answered my question.’

‘Why, I would just tell it as it is,’ he replied after a few moments when he could restrain his amusement. ‘I don’t suppose for a moment you and your friend were the original recipients of those tickets. What was it, a last-minute gift?’ She nodded slowly. ‘There you are, then, that’s all anyone needs to know. I met you there for the first time, our eyes met across a crowded room and from that point the rest of the world faded into oblivion.’ There was a strange note in his voice that she couldn’t place and she stared at him hard. ‘Simple, eh?’

‘I’m not doing this, Mr Cade,’ she said flatly.

‘It’s Alex!’ This time the voice was stone-cold and his face was grim. ‘And I’ve told you, I won’t accept any decision now. I will contact you as arranged. Now, have you finished?’ He raised a hand and immediately the waiter was at their side with their coats.

‘Don’t you pay?’ she asked in amazement as he escorted her from the restaurant with a firm hand under her elbow, to the smiles and nods of most people present.

‘I have an account here which is settled monthly,’ he answered quietly, his face hardening at her satisfied little nod. ‘And don’t start that we’re so different rubbish again,’ he warned coldly as they stepped on to the icy pavement.

‘Well, it’s true,’ she protested as the Bentley glided to a halt in front of them as though by magic. ‘You must see it.’

‘Are you seriously telling me that you don’t believe two people from different backgrounds can meet and fall in love and live together happily all their lives?’ His eyes were piercing her as she sat uncomfortably in the warm lush interior of the car. ‘Is that what you’re saying?’ He was uncomfortably close.

‘Of course not.’ She flushed hotly. ‘But it’s rare. It can happen, but it’s rare. And that isn’t what we’re talking about. We are discussing persuading your grandmother that you find me attractive.’ Did he have to be so darned good-looking?

‘And what’s so strange about that?’ he asked carefully.

‘With all the women you’ve—’ she nearly said ‘had’ and altered it quickly ‘—known? They’re beautiful and famous and—’

‘Boring,’ he finished quietly. ‘Not all, I admit, but a surfeit of rich goodies becomes unpalatable after a time.’

‘You didn’t find that meal tonight unpalatable,’ she said quickly, deliberately misunderstanding him. There was a stillness in his profile that unnerved her a little although she didn’t know why, but she disliked the way this conversation was heading.

‘No, the meal tonight was wonderful,’ he agreed quietly, turning to look at her for just a fleeting second.

As his eyes met hers in the shadowed darkness of the car she felt something akin to an electric shock shoot down her spine and drew back sharply into her seat, her eyes widening in unspoken protest. It was as though he was making love to her, without touching her, without even speaking. He was dangerous! Dangerous and seductive and compelling. He held her glance for a long moment before turning to look out of the window at the brightly lit busy London street, full of small wine bars, tiny restaurants and the odd fish and chip shop incongruous against its upper-class neighbours. ‘Of course the salad at that particular restaurant is delicious,’ he said blandly as the car sped smoothly along. ‘I often have that along with a chop or seafood.’ The mind-stunning moment passed but the vibrations were still with Fabia when the car drew up outside the dismal block of flats, and she stiffened as he left the car and opened the door for her, helping her out with old-fashioned courtesy, his face inscrutable.

‘Thank you for the meal; it was lovely,’ she said hurriedly as she stepped on to the uneven paving slabs that led over to the big glass doors of the silent building, holding out her hand dismissively. ‘Goodnight, Alex.’

‘I’ll see you to the door,’ he said quietly, his eyes travelling over her flushed cheeks and coming to rest on the wide full mouth. ‘Just to the door.’ He looked down at her silently.

‘There’s no need...’ Her voice died away as he took her arm again, his hand firm. She was wearing three-inch heels but in spite of that he still towered over her by a good four inches, and she found it peculiarly gratifying to be in the company of a man who was a good deal taller than herself for once. At five feet nine inches plus heels she normally found that she was on a level with most men, a fact which in the past had not bothered her at all. Nevertheless, his height was...satisfying. She caught the thought and brought it severely to heel. There was nothing about him she liked! Nothing!

As the old grimy lift took them jerkily upwards she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. I wonder what he’s thinking? she thought curiously. This grubby, somewhat seedy part of London had been the best that she could afford in the early days, and as she had progressed in her career she had found herself loath to move from the cosy little flat, having renovated it with loving care and a good deal of elbow grease. It was bright and clean and unusual, a reflection of the complicated personality who lived within its walls, each room alive with colour and comfort.

As the lift shuddered to a halt on her floor and the faded yellow doors slowly opened she stuck out her hand again. ‘We’ve arrived,’ she said brightly. ‘Thank you again.’

‘I said to the door,’ he returned coolly, stepping out of the metal box with her and walking along the corridor that always seemed to smell slightly of cooked cabbage. ‘Safely home?’ He leaned against the wall as she hunted in her handbag for her key, annoyed to find herself all fingers and thumbs as he stared at her, his expression sardonic and his powerful body relaxed. ‘Against all the odds?’

‘Not at all.’ She smiled cautiously. A few more seconds and she was home and dry. As she retrieved her key from the muddle at the bottom of her handbag he stepped forward suddenly, taking her completely by surprise.

‘I’m probably going to regret this in view of the fact that I shall be completely blotting my copybook as far as you are concerned,’ he said huskily, pulling her in his arms and taking her mouth in a long, hard kiss as he moved her round so that her back was against the wall and his body pressing against hers. For a moment she was too stunned to react and then, as the kiss deepened into a seductively sensual caress and she felt the length of his hard body moulded intimately against hers, she realised, with a shock of horror, that part of her had been waiting for this, hoping for it.

The expensively delicious smell of him was intoxicating, surrounding her with an undeniable aura of masculinity that both thrilled and repelled her, repelled because she must remember, she had to remember, that she was just one of many, a trinket to play with for a time and then thrown away without a moment’s thought. A rich man’s toy!

Hadn’t that agonising time with Robin taught her anything? Was she completely crazy? As the condemning thoughts hit her mind like a deluge of cold water she froze in his arms and he immediately sensed it, moving away as he ran a hand through the dark brown hair, his eyes rueful. ‘Stupid,