The Bride's Secret

'Oh, does she? So the tour people were understanding, Marjorie was understanding, and clearly the bellboy was pretty understanding too. How much did you tip him to steal my luggage, Hudson? And what did you pay the others?'

'"Steal" is a nasty word, Annie,' he murmured reproachfully.

'It's a nasty act,' she shot back tightly. 'As well you know.'

'Don't be difficult, sweetheart.' The endearment was matter-of-fact but still hit her like a blow. 'I've explained the circumstances, and you will be far safer with me than alone with a crowd of strangers. This is all for the best.'

'I wouldn't exactly be alone with a crowd, now, would I?' she bit out testily. 'Besides which, that whole argument is crazy—'

'You're saying you wouldn't feel safe with me?' His tone was reproving but his eyes were wicked, and her fingers longed to take the bowl of papaw and throw it at him.

'What about your—?' She stopped abruptly. 'Your friend?' she continued tightly. 'I presume you've told her?'

'My friend?' His expression was innocently puzzled.

He knew; he knew exactly to whom she was referring! 'The… lady with the red hair,' she spelt out grimly, allowing the slightest pause that gave the word 'lady' unpleasant connotations. As if he didn't know.

'You mean Jasmine,' he supplied helpfully, his face earnest.

'Jasmine—right Well, won't Jasmine object to our taking off into the great unknown together?' she asked stiffly, the name like acid on her lips. 'Won't she find it a bit… odd?'

'Why should she?' he enquired with infuriating innocence. 'She knows we are friends… old friends.'

'You said I could never be your friend.' She hadn't meant to say it, to betray the hurt it had caused, but somehow it just popped out, laced with all the pain she was feeling.

'There you are, then,' he said softly, his face shuttered and closed. 'We aren't even friends so there is nothing for her to worry about, is there? We will be merely fellow travellers, nothing more. Now, that croissant must be quite cold by now; would you like me to get you a warm one?' he asked evenly.

'No, I would not' She couldn't believe she was in the middle of such a situation and that he was almost making her feel unreasonable by objecting to it She had the maddening feeling she was allowing herself to be bullied, swept along by a will far stronger than hers and a mind that was certainly far more astute. And Marjorie… What on earth had he said to Marjorie to make her agree to enter into such a conspiracy? She knew the beautiful model was somewhat giddy, and thinking had never exactly been Marjorie's forte, but this! This was… well, it was…

'Eat up, then.' His grey eyes were intent on her face and he didn't smile as he spoke, watching her with a look that made her heart thud frantically again. He was so handsome—stunning, even—and she loved him so much. That in itself made any suggestion of three or four days alone with him too dangerous to consider.

'I intend to.' She forced a cool smile that was the best piece of acting she had ever done. 'And then you can take my luggage out of your Range Rover and I shall decide whether to fly home immediately or spend another few days here. Either way, there is no chance of us travelling together, so you might as well accept that now.' She eyed him firmly as the smile faded.

'No way,' he stated with soft determination. 'You're coming.'

'You're craz

y—'

'Not at all.' He settled back in his seat as he spoke, his mouth smiling but his eyes cold. 'I am in complete control of my mind and my emotions and you know it I want a companion to travel with and you are at hand; I see no problem with that'

'Well, unfortunately for your wonderful plans, I do!' she bit back.

'You will travel with me, Annie.' He hadn't moved a muscle, but she felt as though he had reached out and gripped her mind as his eyes narrowed, pinpoints of glowing black fire deep in the depths of them. 'You want to see Morocco—so do L It would be foolish to allow past history to interfere with what is only, after all, a brief interlude in our lives. We will be travelling together, exploring the sights, okay? You will be quite safe.' The last was said with heavy mockery, and immediately her hackles rose to meet it 'I'll give you a written guarantee if you want'

'I'm not frightened of you, Hudson,' she said tightly.

'Good That's settled, then.' His tone was suddenly impatient Clearly he considered there had been enough discussion on the subject and it was finished, and his next words confirmed this when he said, 'I presume you've already settled your account, and so have I. Now, I would suggest that you avail yourself of a cooked breakfast in addition to the fruit and croissant. I want to leave shortly, and I'm not sure when we will stop for lunch.'

She wasn't going to win this one. Not so much because Hudson had forced her into a corner—although that was bad enough—but because she wanted, desperately, to go with him. The thought was shocking but she acknowledged the truth of it.

She had thought, through all the long night hours when the rest of the world had been asleep and she had felt herself shrivel down into a little speck of empty nothingness, that she wouldn't see him again. And now he was offering her a few days of being with him, watching him, hearing him, before they had to part.

It was crazy—she was crazy—to agree to this incredible plan, but she was going to. She wasn't strong enough to fight both him and herself. But oh, she knew already she was going to regret it.

'Comfortable?'

'Yes, thank you,' Marianne replied with a certain stiffness that wasn't lost on the big man at her side as the Range Rover sped along the road in the gathering heat of the May morning.