‘There’s more,’ she gasped as she laid the black dress over the arm of the chair and picked up the green silk dress Lydia had assured him in their phone conversation would be perfect for her. ‘It’s beautiful, but how?’
‘With a little help from my new sister-in-law,’ he jumped in, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with the idea of clothing as gifts. He was far more used to a parting piece of jewellery. ‘Lydia assured me you would look stunning in it on New Year’s Eve.’
‘We may not be together then.’ She dropped the terse statement between them and he clamped his jaw hard together.
‘After last night, I think that particular scenario is unlikely. I’m not letting you go just yet, not when you promised to be mine until New Year’s Eve, which includes the party.’ He kept his voice light, but from the uncertain look on her face he knew he hadn’t fooled her.
‘But what if we don’t work this out?’
‘We can only do that if we give it a chance.’ He turned and picked up one more gift from beneath the tree, wanting to distract her. ‘There is also this.’
She took the present from him slowly; for a moment he’d thought she wasn’t going to take it. Then she opened it. First the ribbon, then the gold paper revealing a dark blue box. Cautiously, she opened it.
* * *
‘This is too much.’ Lisa almost dropped the box as she looked up at him. Why was he giving her such an expensive gift? It should mean that he loved her, but she knew it was far from that.
‘Diamonds,’ he said as she looked back down at the necklace, earrings and ring. ‘To wear with the green dress.’
‘But…’ she said, her voice a hoarse whisper as she touched the coldness of the glittering necklace, lying beautifully against the blue velvet of the box. Her hand was shaking as she slowly moved it away from the dazzling jewels. This was a parting gift. It was the tactic she knew men like Max deployed when they wanted to sweeten a lover and encourage them to move on in life, move on from him.
‘They will look amazing with the green dress,’ he said, standing over her as if he thought she might just throw the box aside and bolt from the room, from the cottage and from him. ‘Or so Lydia informs me.’
Lydia knew about these? Did she know how much trouble their marriage was in? Would Max have confided in Raul that he didn’t want to remain married, much less be a father to a child he didn’t want?
‘She has wonderful taste.’ Lisa’s mouth dried as she looked up at him, seeing the satisfaction on his face. If he thought his plan had worked, he was very soon going to find out how mistaken that was.
‘I wish my wife to be adorned with diamonds that will sparkle brighter than any fireworks on New Year’s Eve.’
Why? To mark her as his or to ensure she quietly slipped away once the show of being together, because of the media interest in them as a couple and Raul and Max as brothers, had died down?
Could she continue with this and act the part of loving wife when his seduction last night had proved she couldn’t resist him at all? He was counting on that, using it as a way of keeping her on display as his wife.
She closed the box and looked up at him. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘You don’t have to say anything, just be at my side when we attend Angelina’s party and again on New Year’s Eve. Show the world we are a couple.’
Lisa tried to read what he was thinking but failed. If she agreed, at least she could move on with her life and know that she’d tried with Max, that she’d be able to look her child in the eyes later on and say with honesty that she’d done just that.
‘In that case I will be at your side and wearing the diamonds as midnight strikes on New Year’s Eve.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
AS THEY HAD driven the short distance to the hotel, through frost-covered countryside, Lisa had tried to put all they’d just talked about from her mind. At least for now. Despite everything, she wanted to be able to enjoy her time with Max and the Christmas he’d arranged, although the real motives for that were now becoming clearer. It was all a façade, a show of being the man she needed him to be for their child, but why, when she was making it easy for him to walk away as he had done from their marriage?
The hotel was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the food had been amazing. Lisa felt like a small child as she sat on a large sofa in front of the heat of a log fire. All through her meal she’d been thinking about the gifts Max had given her, in particular the diamond jewellery. The diamonds were about not only showing he could, but showing that he held power over her, forcing her to accept his command, his control. It was the last thing she wanted. Power and command did not equal love.