The words, so unknowingly uttered, almost ripped out her heart. The lie she'd lived all these years was turning to quicksand under her feet. She wrapped her arms around herself and took a step back.
"No."
A subtle change came over his features. A narrowing of his eyes, a tightening of his lips-she wasn't sure, exactly, she only knew that it frightened her.
"I can force you to marry me," he said softly. "Is that what you want?"
"What are you going to do?" It wasn't easy but she forced a smile to her lips. "Hit me over the head? Drag my body in front of a justice of the peace?"
"Very creative." He smiled thinly. "And tempting-but unnecessary."
"Really."
"Really." Cole tucked his hands into his back pockets and ,rocked back on his heels. It was a posture she remembered from years back, when he'd come up with something he'd figured was clever-like the first time he'd suggested parking at the lake instead of going to the movies.
Do you really want to see that James Bond thing? he'd said. Because if you don't, I have a better idea...
A better idea that had led straight to where she was now. Courage renewed, Faith lifted her chin.
"Perhaps you plan on hypnosis," she said politely. "I should warn you, I saw something on TV about hypnotism.
No matter how good you are, you can't make a person do anything she doesn't want to-"
"I can take Peter from you."
The words dropped into the room like stones. She stared at him, too stunned to answer.
"Did you hear me, Faith? I said-
'I heard you. But you're wrong. He's my son."
"He's my brother's son, you mean."
"He's mine! And I'm finished listening to this-this crap! To hell with you, Cole Cameron! You come marching back into my life after all this time, talking about what's right and what's wrong-"
"How did my brother get involved with you?" "That's none of your business!"
"Yeah. Yeah, it is, because I'm damn sure I know how it happened." Cole's mouth twisted. He grabbed her, shoved her back against the wall. "Did he come looking for you? Did he knock on the door one day and say, `Hello, Faith, I'm Cole's brother and oh, by the way, if you ever need me for anything, just let me know'?"
She stared at him in dismay. He made it sound ugly but it was so close to the truth...
"I can see it in your eyes, baby. That's exactly what happened. Ted showed up, the innocent good Samaritan, and you squeezed out some tears or maybe you just sighed and said you were so lonely... God, how easy it must have been. My brother probably didn't know women like you existed. He'd have been a pushover, same as I was, even after my old man warned me what you were after."
"You father warned you about me?"
"Damn right." His eyes glittered with cruelty. "And I told him not to worry, that I'd get what I wanted without even singeing my fingers."
His words stung. It wasn't as if she hadn't figured out the truth a long time ago. It was just that hearing him say it made it so real...
"Well." She swallowed dryly. "I guess we deserved each other. You wanted what you got from me. And I-I wanted what I hoped I could get from you. Because it was all an act, Cole, every bit of it. I never loved you. Never!"
She fell silent, appalled by the enormity of the lie, wanting to call it back but knowing it was her only protection against him, even now.
"Honesty," he said, very softly. "At last."
"Why not? There's nothing between us anymore."
"You're wrong. There's Peter. He's the reason you're going to be my wife."
She stared at him in disbelief. "Are we back to that?"
"We never left it."
"Let me get this straight. You're prepared to enter into a mockery of a marriage because you feel a moral obligation to your brother's son?"
"This is a practical proposition. An arrangement that solves all kind of problems. You need money and a roof over your head. Peter needs a father."
"Are you sure it isn't payback? After all, I chose Ted over the great Cole Cameron."
Cole's face darkened. "You `chose' him the way a spider chooses a fly. I was the lucky one. I got away."
"So we get married," she said coldly. "And everyone is happy."
"Peter will be happy. That's what matters. I'll love him as if he were my own."
Faith's heart lifted into her throat. "No."
"You seem to think I'm giving you a choice." Cole's mouth hardened into a flat line. "I'm not."
"Here we go," she said with forced lightness, "back to the unconscious bride scenario."
"If you force my hand, I'll take the boy from you. I'll go to court and sue for custody."