A Devious Desire

Ten minutes later they were seated in his car moving slowly through the London traffic on their way to the jeweller's, Anna's last comment echoing in Saffron's head like a death-knell.

'Why?' she finally asked baldly, all too conscious of the tension building in the interior of the car.

He did not pretend not to know what she meant. 'I never expected to marry, and I don't usually give in to sexual teasing.' He shot her an angry, accusing glance, and she knew he was remembering last night. 'In my experience so-called decent women are out for one thing from a man-a meal-ticket for life, the wealthier the better. I have a grudging respect for whores; at least they state the price up front.'

'And of course you're an expert on the subject,' Saffron snapped scathingly, disgust and hatred making her green eyes glitter angrily,

Alex flashed a sidelong glance at her flushed face, his eyes narrowing dangerously at her heated reaction. 'No, I have never paid for a woman in my life. I have never needed to.'

Her hair-triggered temper threatened to boil over. Of course he did not pay women; instead he let them make money for him. In that second Saffron decided that revenge would be hers. . .

'But as for my change of heart about marriage, it is really quite simple. I never lost a night's sleep over a woman until you appeared, Last night I didn't sleep at all, and cold showers are not my scene. It has to stop.' He returned his attention to the road ahead. 'You demanded marriage, I'm giving it to you.'

'Just like that,' she said lightly. 'It would be simpler and cheaper to take a sleeping-pill.' She saw Alex's lips twitch in the hint of a smile.

'So practical, Saffron. But think of the fun I'd be missing,' he drawled suggestively.

'But you can't marry me. . .' she protested; she couldn't afford to seem too keen. She had to make him sweat. . .

'I can and I will,' He took one hand off the wheel again, picked up Saffron's and placed it cosily on his hard thigh. 'And there are other compensations. Mama will stop throwing women at me, for one. And I'll be forty next birthday; it's time I thought of an heir. A son to carry on after me,' he clarified firmly, then added with the hard cynicism that Saffron detested, 'If you were honest with yourself, though I know the concept is difficult for women to accept, you'd admit that I am giving you precisely what you have wanted from the first day you set eyes on me and grabbed me so dramatically before blushing coyly and batting those big green eyes of yours, sweetheart.'

'But I don't want to marry you simply to assuage your lust and provide an heir,' she said coolly, feeling anything but cool. . . Events were sweeping her along at an alarming pace, just when she had thought she had got her life in order again. Alex's unprecedented announcement and, worse, his arrogant assumption that she should fall at his feet in gratitude had made her change her mind, and his last comment only reinforced her determination to seek revenge. To suggest that she had been chasing him from the first day they met was so typically arrogant of him that she had to clench her hand into a fist to prevent herself thumping him.

'Would you rather I declared undying love?' He waited for her answer.

The silence lengthened as she searched for some frivolous response, but words failed her. 'Well. . .' For a man like Alex to fall in love was an impossibility, so why did the thought hurt, and why did her own reason for marrying him suddenly seem so revolting?

'Too late; you can't back out now. I fixed the special licence on the way to collect you this morning.'

'But surely I have to complete a form, birth date, that sort of thing?' she gabbled. It could not be that simple. Alex had proposed to her and she had accepted more or less by default. Her temper cooled and the doubts rushed in, setting ho- mind awhirl with a conflict of emotions, none very enviable.

'I had you investigated, remember.'

Saffron had forgotten about that and his reminder only served to fuel her desire for revenge.

'Out you get; we can walk the rest of the way.' He had parked the car in Hatton Garden, and before Saffron could gather her scattered wits she was being ushered into a diamond merchant's.

'Desmond is a partner and friend of mine. He deals in diamonds and precious stones, and keeps a small exclusive selection of special jewellery by a little-known Russian designer. I think you'll like what you see.'

She simply nodded, trying to disguise her wide-eyed wonder at her surroundings, fighting to appear the cool sophisticate. She sat on a comfortable settee with Alex beside her in what appeared to be a rather luxurious lounge; on a low table in front of them were displayed some of the most exquisite rings Saffron had ever seen in her life. In the chair opposite sat a man of about fifty—Desmond.

'I never thought Alex would marry, but, having met you, Saffron, I can see why he's taking the plunge.'

Before she could respond to the compliment Alex interrupted. 'She's mine, Desmond, so keep your flattery to yourself and show us the rings.'

'Mine'. Saffron heard the possessive tone in his voice and felt the sudden stiffening in his large body next to her own. She glanced up at him just as he looked down at her. Desmond said something neither of them heard as tension ignited the air between them. Saffron could not escape the burning intensity of Alex's gaze. Her lips parted in a small O of shock as she recognised the flare of desire in his dark eyes, and something more sinister— an assumption of ownership, ruthless and total.

What on earth was she doing here? Had she taken leave of her senses completely? She did not want a ring. She did not want to be within a thousand miles of Alex Statis. Her half-baked idea of revenge was futile. She had seen it in Alex's eyes, felt it in his touch. He would possess her completely. Eat her up and spit her out as so much garbage if she let him.

'Do you like this one?'

She looked down at where her hand lay in Alex's, wondering how it had got there. Then she gasped. Two white gold bands were held together every few millimetres with perfectly inset emeralds, the two bands twisting in the centre to form the mount for an exquisite blue-white diamond. It was unusual and intriguing and must cost a fortune. 'It's beautiful, but something smaller. . .' For a second she completely forgot that she was supposed to be taking the man for every penny she could get. She sucked in her breath as Alex tightened his grip on her hand.

'We will take it.' And, leaning over her, he covered her mouth with his own. She tried to freeze him out but he was not so easily discouraged; his teeth bit her bottom lip and her mouth opened to allow him access. She told herself she hated him, but as the kiss went on and on her resistance crumbled. When he finally lifted his head, she stared up at him, her green eyes dazed, her lips softly swollen. 'To a short but sweet engagement, my little witch,' he drawled throatily.

Saffron thought she smiled and agreed though she was past caring. She only wanted to get away somewhere on her own, anywhere, and try to make sense of her wildly fluctuating emotions. But she knew it would not be easy. . .

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