The Billionaire's Blackmail Bargain
Margaret Mayo
Литагент HarperCollins EUR
Step into a world of sophistication and glamour, where sinfully seductive heroes await you in luxurious international locations.The arrogant billionaire and his convenient mistress…Simone Maxwell will do anything to save her family’s business; it’s her pride and her passion. But she certainly doesn’t expect her lifeline to be Cade Dupont, the man who broke her heart years ago… Billionaire Cade knows Simone is in a vulnerable position – which is exactly where he wants her.She owes him bigtime, and here is the perfect opportunity to settle his dues in the sweetest way possible…with Simone in his bed and at his command!
Simone’s heartbeats increased to a treacherous level. She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what he had to say next. He wasn’t talking about money here; it was something far more dangerous.
‘So what is it exactly you want from me, Cade?’ she asked, when he came to a halt at her side. She could feel the heat of his skin, smell the dangerous male scent of him. Every one of her senses was on high alert.
‘I’ll turn your company around in return for—’
Simone knew what he was doing; he was testing her nerves, wanting to see whether she’d back out before he put any clauses into their agreement. She stood up and looked straight into his face, trying not to show the panic swirling inside her.
His golden eyes blazed into hers, claiming her, making her his before he’d even spoken. ‘In return for you in bed beside me. Every night. As my mistress. No concessions. If you want to keep your business you’ve no choice.’
Margaret Mayo was born in Staffordshire, England, and still lives within twenty miles of her childhood home. Ever since she was a child she has always loved reading, but never dreamt that one day she would write her own books. She began writing in the seventies, when an idea for a story popped into her head, and she plans to go on doing so for a very long time. She likes nothing better than to sit in her office and dream up new characters and situations.
Recent titles by the same author:
BEDDED AT HIS CONVENIENCE
THE RICH MAN’S RELUCTANT MISTRESS BOUGHT FOR MARRIAGE
Dear Reader
100 years of Mills & Boon! I can’t help but wonder how many titles have been published in that time, and I’m proud to be a part of this phenomenon in romantic fiction. I was first published in 1976, and had the honour of dining with Alan Boon at the GPO Tower in London. I received a Certificate of Orbit, on which Alan wrote, ‘I much enjoyed our high-level talks—and look forward to the result.’ The result is thirty-two years of writing!
This year has not only been an exciting year for Mills & Boon, but for its authors as well. We’re all a part of the celebrations. Writing romance has to be the best profession in the world. I never thought when my first book was accepted that I’d still be writing now. And the sheer joy of it never goes away.
In this book, set in Australia, Cade meets up with Simone, the woman who was instrumental in him losing his inheritance, and he is determined to get his revenge. Tempers fly but, as in all good romance stories, love conquers all. It’s the journey to that final declaration of love that’s the all-important story. I do hope you enjoy it.
Warmest wishes
Margaret
THE
BILLIONAIRE’S BLACKMAIL BARGAIN
BY
MARGARET MAYO
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
CHAPTER ONE
SIMONE Maxwell sat staring into space, twirling her wine glass between nerveless fingers, unaware that a good-looking man sitting on the other side of the room had been observing her closely. Outwardly she looked calm and in control, but inwardly she was seething with despair.
This was the worst day of her life. The words she had just heard from the two men seated opposite her were the death- knell to her business, which was already teetering on the edge of disaster. She did an instant replay of their conversation in her head before speaking. ‘Are you sure I can’t get you to change your mind?’ It was a struggle to keep her voice steady.
Two heads shook in unison. Two faces were very serious. One of the men spoke. ‘We’re very sorry, Miss Maxwell, but it’s not a sound proposition. It would simply take more money than we’re prepared to invest.’
‘And there’s nothing I can say that will make any difference?’ Simone tried to make her voice remain calm, hoping she didn’t sound too anxious. She didn’t want to appear as a desperate, panicking, neurotic female in front of these two men, even if that was exactly what she felt like at this precise moment.
Throughout dinner she had maintained her calm demeanour, stating her case clearly, assuring them it would be a good long-term investment. She had failed, but she was determined to try just one last time. ‘Gentlemen, I’m certain that—’
‘Miss Maxwell, there’s nothing more you can say,’ interjected the younger of her male companions. ‘Like I said, we’re sorry, but it’s not for us.’ They finished their coffee and got to their feet. ‘We wish you the best of luck.’ They shook hands and then quietly left the restaurant.
The best of luck! Luck didn’t enter into the equation. She was done for.
The yacht-charter company meant everything to her. It had been started by her parents when she was a young girl, and her mother had run the office while her father had dealt with the practical side of things. She used to sit in the office with her mother and pretend to help, and when she had finished her education she had worked for the company full time.
Her mother had always said that one day the company would be hers, and sure enough Simone’s father had handed over the reins to his daughter. But it had come with a catch. The business had been in trouble when he’d handed it over, and Simone had discovered that her father had been slowly gambling his money away, drawing more and more on the business funds. By the time Simone had discovered the extent of the problem, it had been too late. Now she found herself practically begging strangers for help, trying to salvage the business in any way she could.
Simone held her head in her hands. If only her father had been more careful with his money. If only she had seen the accounts earlier. If only. She hated her father for his selfish actions, whilst loving him at the same time as only a daughter can.
The business had meant everything to Simone’s mother, and for this reason Simone was willing to do everything in her power not to let her down. She had been so proud of the success they’d had with their venture. She would be heartbroken if she knew what was happening now.
So engrossed was Simone in her thoughts that she didn’t see the man crossing the room. The first she knew of his presence was when his well-remembered voice cracked open memories best forgotten.
Cade Dupont!
The last person in the world she wanted to see at a time like this. How he would glory in her downfall.
She turned her head, her breath catching in her throat, raw emotions rising like a floodtide. His six-feet-plus figure towered over her; his savagely handsome face sent a chill straight through her heart. Simone closed her eyes, hoping he was nothing more than a figment of her imagination and of deeply disturbing memories, but no—when she slanted another look, he was still there.
An impeccable grey jacket sat over wide shoulders, and matching trousers hid powerful thighs. A white silk-shirt emphasised skin darkened by the sun, and a grey-and gold-silk tie completed his ensemble. The gold in the tie matched the gold in his eyes—eyes that once had the power to melt her bones at a hundred paces. And, unhappily, he was as gloriously male as he had ever been.
‘What are you doing here?’ Simone asked.
‘Now there’s a welcome.’ Without waiting for an invitation, he slid on to a chair opposite. ‘Aren’t you pleased to see me?’
‘I’m surprised,’ she replied, ignoring his question. ‘I thought you were on the other side of the world.’
‘And by the look on your face you wish I’d stayed there.’ His nostrils flared, and the smile that accompanied his initial greeting slammed back to wherever it had come from. His lips turned unforgivingly down at the corners, and his golden eyes cut a laser beam through the space between them. ‘Tell me, what was your meeting about? You clearly didn’t get what you wanted.’
Disbelief flashed in Simone’s violet eyes. ‘You were eaves- dropping? I can’t believe that—’
‘Hardly,’ he intervened. ‘But body language is very telling, and perhaps I might be permitted to say that you still have a very fanciable body.’ His eyes dropped from her face to the swell of her breasts beneath her fine cashmere top.
Simone ignored the sudden prickle of heat his hard eyes engendered; a heat that started subtly but then claimed every corner of her body until she felt as if she was on fire. ‘What are you doing here, Cade—apart from spying on me, of course?’ She had thought her day couldn’t get any worse. Big mistake! Cade Dupont had every reason to be furious with her, but she didn’t need his caustic tongue at this moment.
His dark hair with its inclination to curl was cut brutally short; she could even see the glint of a grey hair or two. And his well-defined brows levelled over eyes that were uncomfortably intent. ‘I’m here on business,’ he announced.
His generous mouth turned up all too briefly, and his spectacularly long-lashed eyes continued to abrade her. Eyes that used to…no! She mustn’t go down that path. Not again. Not ever! Even though her traitorous body recognised this man as the one who had initiated her into the world of spinning senses and intensified emotions. The man who had taken her on a voyage of discovery of her own sensuality.
‘Business?’ she questioned when he didn’t enlarge.
‘Yes, I’m looking to set up a new company here.’
‘Here? Right here?’ Even to her own ears she sounded stupid. But what else could she say? She didn’t want Cade Dupont on her doorstep again; he was her past. Part of which, even she had to admit, had been gloriously happy—even fantastically, spectacularly exciting—but it had all ended in disaster. And there was nothing she could do about it now.
‘What sort of business?’ she asked, in a voice that sounded nothing like her own.
The Whitsundays were Australia’s premier area for boat hire. Surely he wasn’t thinking of setting up in opposition to her? Trips out to the Great Barrier Reef were always booked well in advance. In fact the Whitsundays, with its more than a hundred different islands—many of them national parks, some with holiday resorts—were the jewels in the crown of any holiday destination.
Simone counted herself lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world, but her hopes and ambitions hadn’t worked out. Now the company needed a massive cash investment, money she didn’t have and which the banks refused to lend her. Her last hope had been the two men who’d just left.
She threw the remains of her wine down her throat and reached for the bottle.
‘Allow me.’
Long brown fingers touched hers, making her flinch and draw back. She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out again slowly. She watched as Cade refilled her glass and beckoned for one to be brought to him. He exuded confidence big-time.
Cade was thirty-two now, she was nine years younger— older and wiser than the eighteen-year-old who’d made such a fool of herself. But not old enough to handle an ailing business, she thought bitterly. Not old enough to have amassed enough money to turn it around.
It had been on a downward spiral ever since she’d taken over. It needed money for everything: essential boat maintenance, new boats to replace the older ones, and the fact was she simply didn’t have it. Her father had handed her a sinking ship, and although Simone spent all her time trying to save the business bookings were getting fewer and fewer.
Soon she would have to call it a day. Which was a shame, because she was in a prime position. She had a good-sized marina. Someone would snap her hands off, and with the right financial investment it would garner a small fortune.
‘What sort of business am I contemplating?’ Cade held his glass up to the light and studied its contents as though it was of paramount importance. A small, satisfied smile settled on his lips. ‘Sailing-boat charter; it’s the only business I know.’
Simone felt her heart stop, and it was a long time before it started again. ‘You run a charter company in England?’
Dark brows rose. ‘Why not?’ His nostrils dilated. His attitude changed. And his next words were clipped and precise. ‘Clearly I had to get a loan, but I found the business very lucrative—run properly.’ Then his golden eyes narrowed on her face. ‘How is your company, by the way?’
He knew! She could tell by his challenging voice, by his closely guarded expression. He’d been asking questions. He was well aware that she now ran MM Charters and that it was on a slippery slope to humiliating failure.
‘I have no wish to discuss it,’ Simone replied tautly.
‘No?’ One eyebrow rose this time. ‘Why is that, I wonder? Could it have anything to do with the fact that it’s not doing too well at the moment?’
‘So you were prying!’ she accused, violet eyes blazing. Heavens, she needed to leave, and quickly. The middle of a restaurant was no place to argue with Cade Dupont. She sucked in another deep breath, and then another, and when he didn’t respond she rose to her feet. ‘I have to leave. Goodbye, Cade.’
With her back ramrod-straight and her chin high, Simone marched from the elegant dining room. But Cade wasn’t letting her get away that easily. Through a mirror in the facing wall, she caught sight of him striding after her, although not before he had thrown a handful of notes on to the table.
Damn! She’d forgotten to pay. Or was it his own bill he was settling? She swung around and faced him fiercely. ‘What was that money for?’
‘Just settling up.’
Simone opened her bag and searched for her credit card, but a firm hand stilled her.
‘My treat.’
‘I won’t let you,’ she snapped, horrified when his touch sent her pulses into devastating spasm. She didn’t need this; she didn’t want personal complications on top of her present problems. Cade was her past, and that was where he must stay.
‘Can you really afford to turn me down?’ he asked in a silken-smooth voice, his long, hard body almost touching hers. He was so close that she could smell the male scent of him; so close that she could feel the full violent impact of his sexuality.
‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’ Simone’s enormous eyes were almost purple in her distress. She wished he would step away. She didn’t want to back off, because it would reveal the fact that she found him too deeply disturbing, but his nearness threatened to cut off her breathing.
‘Your problems are common knowledge around here, Simone.’ He smiled as he spoke, and in her heightened state Simone felt that he was taking great delight in imparting that piece of news. ‘Of course everyone’s sympathetic, they know that your father is the cause of your problems, but business is business, isn’t that right?’ he murmured smoothly. ‘And since I’m in the same game maybe there’s something I can do for you?’
Simone’s heartbeat quickened until finally it hammered a painful tattoo against her ribcage. She wanted to put her hand over it, still its flight, but to do so would alert Cade to her fear. What was he suggesting—that he buy her out? She couldn’t allow that. It would be too ironic by far.
‘There’s nothing you can do, nothing I want you to do,’ she declared fiercely, continuing her race out of the restaurant. ‘I’ll sort my own problems.’
It was bad enough that he’d paid her bill, without him offering to bail her out of her present financial difficulties. And it was extremely humiliating that he had asked around and found out how badly MM Charters was doing. She could have done with hiding that fact from him. Her situation was actually worse than anyone knew. A few more weeks, maybe less, and she would be out of business altogether.
But Cade was persistent. ‘You really would be a fool to turn me down.’
He was hot on her heels as she raced out of the restaurant, and Simone fancied that she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. She hurried even faster to her parked car. It was unbelievable that he still had the power to churn her emotions. It felt as though the years in between had melted away like raindrops in the sun.
Their relationship had been hot and amorous; she’d given herself to him so completely that it was embarrassing now to even think about it. He had taught her the art of love-making. He had turned her from an innocent teenager into a woman fully aware of her body and all the pleasures it held. She had been totally in love with him.
When she reached her car she turned around, fully intending to tell him to leave her alone. But when their eyes met, when she saw the dangerous darkness lurking there, a cyclone erupted, sucking all the breath from her body. She saw once again the man who had been her perfect lover, and instead of thinking about her troubles all she could concentrate on was Cade himself and the way he could still whip up her emotions to such an extent that she wanted to scream for release.
‘Please leave me alone.’ Her voice was no more than a husky whisper, and she was conscious of her breasts rising and falling far more rapidly than they were supposed to. The only time they had ever behaved like this was when they’d been making spectacular, glorious love.
Simone checked her thoughts. Best not think along those lines. Not at this moment anyway. She was more concerned with getting rid of Cade.
Except that Cade did not want to go. His feet were planted firmly on the ground. He leaned on the car with one hand, and his other looked as though it was prepared to take the key fob from her if she should dare try to climb inside.
His eyes locked unwaveringly with hers. She had never met a man with eyes so sensationally golden. They were the colour of a lion’s skin—sometimes softly seductive, sometimes purposeful, sometimes dark with passion. They used to turn her bones to liquid, and the annoying part was that they still had the power to thrill.
‘Don’t dismiss my offer out of hand, Simone,’ he said softly. ‘If what I’ve been told is true, I’ve arrived at exactly the right time.’
‘And why would you help me?’ she asked faintly.
Cade was asking himself the same question. Why would he want to help Simone when she had been instrumental in him losing his fortune? He ought to run a mile. She could deny it for as long as she liked, but Matthew Maxwell had confirmed that his daughter had known all along exactly what she was doing. He had never thought her capable of such duplicity, and his hurt had been unbearable. He should have been pleased that Simone was out of his life. But, damn it, he’d never been able to forget her. He’d enjoyed teaching her the pleasures of the flesh, and she’d become a sensational lover. He’d thought she was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He’d been wrong.
His blood pounded through his veins at the very thought of them making love again. It was what he’d wanted from her from the first moment he’d set eyes on her in the restaurant. Not that he’d forgiven her for her past actions, or ever would—but it might give him a feeling of satisfaction to use that beautiful body again. Bend her to his will, make her dependent on him, and then maybe… He smiled at the idea entering his mind.
Cade had been devastated when she’d let him down. He’d believed that she’d had more integrity than to plot with her father against him, and his faith in humanity had been badly dented.
Cade’s trip out here had nothing to do with Simone. He knew the Whitsundays well, and had simply seen them as the perfect place to set up another branch of his business. He hadn’t even known whether Simone still lived in the area. And yet here she was, as vividly beautiful as he remembered— more so, in fact. She was devastatingly, heart-stoppingly stunning with her shiny dark-auburn hair tied back in a cute ponytail, revealing in all its exquisite detail her heart-shaped face and huge, luminous violet eyes. Her mouth was soft and tempting even in the midst of her resentful anger.
He wanted to touch, he wanted to take, and he was not unaware of the effect he’d had on her. She ought to be uncomfortable after what she’d done to him, indeed she’d do well to be afraid of him, But he’d observed her deepened breathing, seen the darkening of her eyes and he guessed that she too was remembering the exciting times they’d spent together. He’d bet his life that she was wondering what it would be like to be made-love to by him again.
He rigidly pushed such unworthy thoughts to the back of his mind. ‘It’s not a matter of why I’d help you,’ he said tersely. ‘It’s—how shall I put it?—a matter of expediency. Like I said, I’m looking to expand my business, and picking up the bones of an old one might be better than starting out afresh. I’ve been looking around; there aren’t too many new opportunities here. The area’s pretty well covered.’
‘You mean you want to take me over?’ Simone’s eyes widened even further and her chin jutted, lengthening her already long, slender neck.
She looked so beautiful when she was angry. Her cheeks coloured delicately, her eyes flared, and her whole body took on a new, exciting life. It was all he could do not to reach out and touch her, kiss her, feel her against him.
Begin his campaign—take what he wanted and then…
‘Not in the least.’ Cade sounded normal. How could that be when his heart had begun racing at the mere thought of what he intended to do? ‘Think about what I’ve said, Simone, and we’ll meet for dinner tomorrow evening to discuss it.’
Simone struggled with reason. Cade was walking all over her. The point was, did she go along with his suggestion to help her out, or simply admit defeat and fade into nothingness? What exactly did the business mean to her?
Her father was way beyond giving advice; he’d sunk into the misery of a gambler gone beyond his means. He’d added drink to his troubles, and her worried mother, whose heart and health were failing, was now in a nursing home completely unaware of Simone’s troubles. Simone still lived with her father, she couldn’t afford not to, but apart from cooking him the odd meal they lived independent lives.
So the answer to Cade’s question was simple, really—the business meant everything to her. She loved what she was doing. She loved boats, and water and sun and sailing, and the whole way of life. She didn’t want to let it go. She didn’t owe her father anything—quite the opposite!—but she owed it to her mother to keep the company going. And if what Cade was looking for was an investment—not a takeover—then maybe she ought to consider his offer.
‘That’s a yes, then?’
Simone hadn’t realised Cade had been watching her every expression, that he’d seen the fight she’d had with herself and the conclusion she’d drawn. She nodded, not altogether sure she would be doing the right thing, glancing at him only briefly—because to look straight into his eyes sent vibrations through her body, procreating a hunger she had never imagined possible to feel again.
But perhaps she ought to have looked at him. One moment she was worrying whether she was doing the right thing, the next his mouth had closed on hers in a searing kiss and she was elevated into a world of senses that she had believed was lost to her for ever.
One warm, firm hand cupped either side of her face; his lips demanded and took, and without even realising what she was doing Simone returned his kiss. It was an instinctive response, a throwback to the days of their young, heady relationship. Although common sense told her that she ought to snatch away, something inside insisted she prolong this magical moment.
It might be the last time he ever kissed her. Perhaps it was simply a sealing of their bargain, nothing more. She was aware that it meant nothing, but it was also something beautiful which she wanted to cherish.
Seconds later Cade stepped backwards. ‘Good,’ he said briskly. ‘I’m glad you’ve seen sense. I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow. You’re still living at home, I assume?’ Simone gave a quick nod, not trusting herself to speak, and slid into her car. It was a moment or two, though, before she found the strength to turn the key and drive away.
CHAPTER TWO
CADE rang Simone’s doorbell at seven precisely. It was almost as though he’d been standing outside looking at his watch, ready to announce his presence at precisely the right second, she thought.
Fortunately, her father was out; she had no idea where and didn’t much care. It was not the thought of a loving daughter, she knew, and although Simone knew she would never turn her back on him, Matthew Maxwell had long since lost her respect.
What was uppermost in her mind at the moment were her feelings for Cade. They had returned with such a vengeance when he had kissed her that she was afraid of them, and if she had known how to get in touch with him she would have cancelled their dinner date. It had been incredibly stupid of her to agree in the first place. She had been borne along by the thought of her precious business being saved.
But by Cade?
She had seen the way his eyes narrowed as he’d made a study of her body, and she had caught the tensing of a muscle in his jaw as he’d tried to hide whatever it was he was feeling. And then the kiss! A kiss that could lead nowhere. What had he made of her response?
Could she possibly work with a man who set her body alight so completely? Who turned her from a normally composed and competent woman into a nervous wreck? Even now, as she moved to open the door, her heartrate was climbing.
She had dressed carefully and conservatively. She wanted to give him no wrong ideas. She wore a pastel-pink long skirt and a matching top with a demure V-neckline and short sleeves. She teamed it with high-heeled sandals and wore mother-of-pearl earrings that reflected the pink of her outfit.
Her hair was fastened up in a neat twist, and her mirror had told her that she looked cool and calm and in full control of her emotions. Stupid mirror! She was a mess inside, crammed with teeming sensations that threatened to spill over and tell the real story.
Nevertheless when she opened the door she kept her chin firm and wore a faint smile. And then she nearly staggered backwards as the full breadth of Cade’s sexuality impacted on her senses.
She’d spent all of the previous night dreaming about him—dreams she preferred not to recall. Then had spent all day psyching herself up so that she could present an indifferent front—but one look into his staggeringly handsome face and every good intention had flown off into space, never to be recovered.
‘Aren’t you going to invite me in?’ he asked, when she stood there clutching the door.
Was he aware that if she let it go she would fall down? Simone smiled faintly and tested her reaction. Actually, no, she wouldn’t fall. She was still capable of standing—just about. She stepped back and let Cade enter. But instead of walking straight past her he stopped, and for one earth-shattering moment she thought he was going to kiss her again. Simone prepared herself to flee, but all he did was touch a kiss to his fingertips before pressing them to her brow.
‘I don’t bite, Simone. You needn’t look so scared.’
‘Is that what you think, that I’m afraid of you?’ she asked, trying to ignore the pain in her forehead where he had just branded her. ‘What I am concerned about is that you should have had a wasted journey.’
Golden eyes suddenly narrowed, his head tilted to one side. ‘Because?’
Simone didn’t know what had prompted her to make that statement. Self-defence, probably. She eyed him coldly. ‘Your idea. You know it won’t work, Cade, the two of us together. We have too much history.’
His eyes closed even further, until it looked as though he was squinting into the sun. But instead of feeling menaced Simone experienced a dramatic stampede of her senses. Without a doubt if she went through with this merger with Cade she would end up more of a wreck than she already was.
‘So what are you saying?’ he wanted to know. ‘That I’m wasting my time?’
‘Precisely that,’ she agreed, catching a sharp breath. ‘I think—’
‘And I think that you cannot do without me,’ he cut in brutally. ‘We’ll talk here, if you like. Are your parents home?’
Simone shook her head. At least Cade didn’t know the full extent of her personal problems. Apart from her father’s business dealings, his hedonistic lifestyle had almost ruined her mother’s life too. Unable to cope with her husband’s increased absences from home, Simone’s mother had become depressed, and in her weakened state had suffered a near-fatal heart attack that had left her so fragile she had practically given up on life. She was now in a nursing home, and Simone was desperate to protect her mother as much as she could.
‘Then I’ll order in.’
‘No!’ declared Simone in blind panic. There would be no escape then, she would be trapped by her raging emotions. Already they were threatening to run out of control. Cade was a force to be reckoned with. Without even trying, he had turned her into an emotional mess. And entertaining him here would add to her torment.
‘I guess I’m not easy in your presence,’ she admitted eventually. ‘So much water has gone under the bridge.’
‘Or maybe it’s because you have a guilty conscience.’
Simone saw a flash in his eyes, quickly controlled, but it was a warning all the same. He could be as nice to her as he liked, but beneath his charming veneer was a wolf ready to pounce.
He didn’t wait for an answer. ‘We’ll carry on as planned, and you can tell me everything that’s been going on in your life. Why your business is tumbling downhill at a faster rate than an avalanche in the Alps, or what happened to the money you and your father tricked me out of, for instance,’ he suggested, his mouth grim all of a sudden.
At Cade’s mention of the past, and the reason they had split all those years ago, Simone knew she had no choice but to agree to Cade’s request, if only to explain once and for all. She also knew that despite their bitter and complicated past Cade was her last chance of saving her company. However, the thought of dining out with the sexiest man on the planet did her no good at all. By the end of an evening spent trying to hide her churning emotions, she would be a gibbering wreck.
When she discovered that he had hired a chauffeur-driven Mercedes, compelling her to sit cosily in the back with him, she felt even more anti-Cade. Memories returned of her eighteenth birthday when he had hired just such a car. They’d virtually made love on the back seat, the driver politely averting his eyes as they’d almost eaten each other alive.
It crucified her to think how easily she had given herself to him. She’d been so eager, it must have been embarrassing. No, that was wrong. Cade hadn’t been embarrassed in those days; she had excited him.
Despite the inches that separated them she could feel him as fiercely as if their bodies were touching. His cologne invaded her nostrils, intoxicating and arousing, and she suddenly found she wanted to experience his arms about her once more. She wanted his kisses, she wanted…
Deliberately Simone closed her mind to such thoughts. She wanted nothing. Tonight without a doubt was going to be a total disaster. It would be impossible to spend several hours in his company without giving herself away. He tortured her soul simply by being there. His very presence was consuming, making her head spin and her mind shift out of kilter.
And they were supposed to be making some sort of business deal!
Was she crazy or what? It would never work. It was a recipe for disaster. nothing to do with Simone. He
It was a relief when the car pulled up in front of a new hotel in Airlie Beach. It had been open for only a few months, and was massively impressive—and very, very expensive.
Cade led her to a lift, swiping his security pass, giving her scarcely any time to look about her. It shot smoothly upwards, but it wasn’t until the doors opened that Simone realised they were in the penthouse suite. She looked at him in alarm.
‘What’s going on?’ Her heartrate tripled in a matter of seconds.
Any time spent alone with Cade was dangerous, but this threatened to go right off the Richter scale.
‘I thought we’d dine in my suite,’ he answered, his smile devilishly disturbing. ‘It’s far more private and will give us the opportunity to talk.’
‘There’s nothing we have to say that’s so very private,’ insisted Simone, panic beginning to set it. ‘And if you think that I’m up for anything else then you’re very much mistaken.’
But Simone realised that the biggest mistake of all had been in agreeing to dine out with him in the first place. Cade had changed. He was no longer the exciting lover who had tenderly led her into the pleasures of love-making. He was a dangerous man on a mission—and the trouble was she didn’t know what he had in mind.
Cade was being driven crazy by Simone’s sweetly scented body. After that kiss, all too brief though it was, he’d known that she too felt a reincarnation of the animal hunger they’d once indulged. Oh yes, she was denying it, but why bring the subject up if she wasn’t experiencing a resurrection of old feelings?
He was strongly tempted to follow his instincts and touch her, stroke her smooth, sensitive skin that smelled so enchanting, kiss her beautiful soft mouth again, make her totally his. Would she oppose him, he wondered? Or would she let her emotions fly free and use her voluptuous body to weave its magic the way it had always done?
The very thought sent his male hormones into painful orbit, and he had to use all his resources to compose himself. When the lift doors had opened Simone had been the first to step out into the carpeted foyer with its elegant mirrored walls. Her stride was long, her back straight, her whole demeanour haughtily beautiful.
She walked straight through into the hugely spacious living area, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and stunning views over the deep turquoise-blue of the Pacific. When she turned to face him, her expression was a mixture of defiance and curiosity.
‘Your business must be hugely successful, if you can afford to stay in a place like this.’
‘It’s doing OK,’ he answered.
Her fine brows rose, widening her already huge, expressive eyes. He used to feel that he could drown in them. Cade shook his head. It was far too poetical a thought for a tough businessman, he decided now. Nevertheless they brought back memories that were seriously disturbing.
She still had the most tempting body of any women he knew. She’d not gained an ounce of weight, and was so slender that she looked as though a light breeze would blow her away. Her rounded breasts pushed tantalisingly against the soft fabric of her top, and he could picture them free of any encumbrance.
Damn, he wasn’t supposed to be thinking like this. Not yet, at any rate. This was a business meeting. If he wasn’t careful he’d frighten her away before he’d even started. The main reason for his return visit to Australia was to explore the possibilities of setting up a new branch. He’d been excited at the thought, it had incubated in his mind for a long time, and when he’d discovered that there were no opportunities exactly where he’d wanted them frustration had got the better of him.
Enter Simone!
Killing two birds with one stone had instantly seemed like a good idea to him. Nevertheless, he knew he mustn’t rush. If his plan was going to be successful then he must gain her total trust first—except that pushing to one side the host of frenetic desires that had burst into life inside his body was not going to be easy.
Cade had always prided himself on his ability to control his feelings. But he hadn’t counted on the impact Simone Maxwell would still have on him. For years he had told himself that he hated her. She had pulled the worst trick imaginable, and for that he would never forgive her.
But her body was a different story altogether. It was sensational, tantalising in the extreme. A man would have to be inhuman not to be affected. She wore nothing provocative today, but in covering up she had made herself more of a target. She was all woman—she could wear sackcloth and not be any sexier—and he was all virile male. A striking combination!
When the two got together worlds would explode. He smiled. It was an image worth hanging on to.
His thoughts were disturbed by a silent-footed waiter wheeling in a heated trolley bearing their meal, and he then proceeded to open the bottle of champagne already nestling in ice.
Cade observed Simone watching the man’s deft movements as he filled two glasses, and wondered exactly what was going through her mind. Her face was a mask of controlled feelings. She looked calm and beautiful, but he knew that inside she was seething. She did not want to be here, she’d made that very clear, and he knew that she would try and use any excuse to make a swift exit.
He dismissed the man, telling him softly that he did not wish to be disturbed again, and then handed Simone her champagne flute. ‘Come and sit down. I promise I won’t bite,’ he said, and soft music began to play in the background.
‘I can’t promise that I won’t bite,’ Simone retorted, her eyes flashing a fiery purple. Instead of sitting, she walked over to the window. The sky was darkening; soon there would be nothing to see. And then she would have no choice but to devote all of her attention to him.
Simone wondered what she had let herself in for. Dining with Cade had been one thing, but spending time in his luxurious suite was another. Had she walked into a trap? Was discussing a business deal the last thing on his mind? Was she right to question his motives?
All these thoughts and more rushed like a maelstrom through her mind. To be honest, her own hormones were raging; why wouldn’t they be when faced with a man so blatantly sexy as Cade Dupont? But she was controlling them. She felt sure that he hadn’t a clue how she felt. Yet at the same time she was very much aware that he wanted more from her than a simple business arrangement.
When she felt his warm breath on the back of her neck Simone knew that she was right to be worried. But amazingly all he did was touch a firm hand to her arm and lead her over to one of the leather sofas in the centre of the room. All he did! His touch was like a branding iron, and she couldn’t wait for him to let go.
‘You seem a little—on edge,’ he said once they were comfortable. ‘Why is that?’
Damn the man! He knew what was wrong. She certainly wasn’t going to spell it out to him. ‘I’m overwhelmed,’ she answered instead, and took a sip of champagne. It tasted good, but she promised herself no more, because she needed to keep a clear head. She set the glass down on the low table at her side.
‘This place is new, I understand,’ he said.
‘And it costs a fortune to stay here,’ she returned. ‘They’ve had royalty and film stars, but it’s certainly not in my league.’
‘Do you know?’ he said softly, too softly, ‘I really thought you’d have been a very rich woman by now. What happened, Simone?’
Simone drew in a deep breath and stared him in the eye. Why not? He’d badger her anyway until she told him, so she might as well get it over with. ‘My father gambled away everything,’ she confessed with a defensive tilt to her chin. ‘He’s now drinking himself slowly to death.’ She hated having to tell this man what a sorry figure her father had become, but if he was going to help then she had to be totally honest.
Cade’s lips suddenly tightened. ‘So that’s where my money went.’ His nostrils dilated as he took a deep breath. ‘I wish to God I’d never met you, Simone Maxwell,’ he said, his voice thick with emotion. ‘I had no idea you were a woman of such low principles. You made a fool of me all those years ago. Damn it, you deserve to be—’
‘Stop it!’ Simone’s eyes shot sparks of purple anger. ‘Cade, like I said at the time, I didn’t know what my father was up to. He fooled me exactly the same as he fooled you!’
‘And I’m supposed to believe that?’ Cade snorted. ‘I know what you want me to believe, Simone, and why, but he told me. He explained that you were in on it together, so please don’t lie to me any more.’
Simone stiffened. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘If that’s what he said, then he was the one lying,’ she protested, horrified to think that her father had shifted part of the blame on to her. ‘I asked you to invest in all innocence, Cade. I thought it would be good for you…for us.’
Cade’s eyes flashed his disbelief. ‘I’d be a fool to believe that now. I paid dearly for what you did to me, Simone.’
‘And you think I haven’t suffered?’ she cut in frostily. ‘I’ve suffered plenty. My mother’s in a home because of my father’s behaviour. I’m about to lose my business. I have a—’ She pulled herself up short. Perhaps this was not the right time to tell Cade about her failed marriage. ‘And my father—well, he’s not my father any more. Not the man I knew. My life’s hell, if you must know.’
She got up and walked over to the window again. There was something calming about watching the ocean, and she desperately needed calm at this moment. Her breathing was all over the place and she wanted to throw something—preferably at Cade Dupont’s handsome face. She drew in a deep breath and held it, then let it go again. Twice more she did this, closing her eyes now, letting her thoughts drift back to that fateful time nearly five years ago.
She had been going out with Cade for almost fifteen months when he had announced out of the blue that he had inherited a considerable sum of money from his paternal grandfather. ‘What are you going to do with it?’ she had asked, hoping that maybe he would propose to her, and that they would buy a lovely house to live in.
‘I’m going into business,’ he had announced.
Simone had hid her disappointment, but had shown a genuine interest in Cade’s dream. ‘What sort of business?’
‘I don’t know yet,’ he had answered. ‘I need to give it some thought.’
When she had told her father, he had immediately wondered whether Cade would like to buy into a new boat- building company he was considering setting up. ‘I’ve been thinking about it for some time,’ he had said. ‘I was looking for an investor, and Cade might be the perfect person. It will go hand in hand very nicely with our current business. How about you ask him if he’d be interested?’
So Simone had put the idea to Cade, telling him what a good investment it would be, hoping that it would unite their families and make a future proposal from Cade a certainty. Cade had been interested, and, after much consideration and consultation with her father, he’d decided to take Matthew Maxwell up on his offer. Neither of them had known, especially not Simone, that her father had had no intention of setting up another business. What he had been after was simply more money to cover his gambling debts.
It had only been afterwards, when Cade had discovered that he’d lost all his money, that Simone had realised what her father was up to. She had never forgiven him. And now Cade hadn’t forgiven her either. He was firmly convinced that she’d been in on the con trick and he wouldn’t listen to anything she had to say.
He had flown to England very shortly afterwards. It was where Cade had been born and had lived until he was twelve. Simone had been heartbroken, and even more so when he hadn’t returned her phone calls. Her mobile phone had been red-hot for weeks, sending texts and messages to his voice mail. But he’d ignored every one of them. And as the months had turned into years she had accepted the fact that she would never see Cade again.
And now he was here, larger than life and just as overwhelming.
Without warning his arms snaked around her waist, and she was pulled back against the hard, exciting length of him. She didn’t fight. What was the point? Fighting Cade had always been useless. And, actually, it felt good to be held by him. She dropped her head back on his shoulder, felt his warm breath feathering her cheek, and for one crazy moment she wished that things were different between them.
But they weren’t, and they never would be. ‘I’m sorry things haven’t worked out for you,’ he said, his voice surprisingly soft.
Simone remained silent. He was saying what he thought she wanted to hear. He didn’t mean it. Too much had happened between them for him to be genuine. He was only offering to help with the business because it would be to his benefit. Cade would probably tie her up in complicated legal knots, and she’d sign her life away and be left with nothing. Just as he thought she had done to him!
As this second thought struck her, Simone struggled to free herself. Cade was clever, but not clever enough. ‘Don’t worry about me, Cade, I’m all right,’ she insisted.
‘Then I suggest we begin our meal.’ He sounded incredibly satisfied as he led her to the table, confirming in Simone’s mind that she had every reason to be wary of him. It didn’t stop her responding to his sex appeal, though. It was so strong that it came across her in waves of thick emotion. She had only to breathe the air around them to feel an instant stirring of her senses.
He was so insufferably arrogant these days that she didn’t know how she could possibly react so wildly. It had to be a throwback to her youth, and the heady rush she had felt as she had fallen in love for the first time. It was said that no one ever forgot their first love. Well, she most certainly had never forgotten Cade. What she hadn’t expected was for the same feelings to come tumbling back.
She found herself hungering for his kisses, wondering whether they would be the same as they had been or whether he’d improved. She used to think that was impossible; how could you improve on perfection? But where Cade was concerned she was quickly beginning to learn that anything was feasible.
In the centre of the table was a red rose in a bud vase. Simone hadn’t noticed it before, and she winced as she remembered that this was Cade’s signature tune before spending a romantic evening together.
She felt like picking the vase up and flinging it across the room, but of course she didn’t. She ignored it, sitting perfectly still instead.
‘You’ve gone very quiet all of a sudden,’ said Cade as he filled their wine glasses. ‘What are you thinking?’
His voice, deep and amused, had her looking up with a startled expression in her lovely eyes. ‘Nothing,’ she answered.
‘Impossible. Unless, of course, by nothing you mean that I was the object of your thoughts, mmm?’
Of course he knew that she’d been thinking about him. He’d always had an invisible antenna that picked up on her thoughts whenever he was in them. It looked like some things never changed, and that she’d need to be even more wary in future.
‘It would be pretty ridiculous not to think about you when you’re right here in front of me,’ she replied sharply.
Cade raised his glass. ‘Here’s to us, then. To a successful partnership.’
Simone eyed him warily. ‘Partnership?’ She wasn’t aware that she had agreed to anything yet.
‘What else would you call it?’
‘Nothing,’ she said quickly, trying to dismiss the fact that she’d been thinking he might want a complete takeover. ‘To our partnership,’ she agreed reluctantly, lifting her glass too, knowing she had absolutely no other choice.
‘And to the future,’ he said. ‘Whatever that might hold.’
There was silence for a few seconds, each deep in their own thoughts, and then Cade smiled and said, ‘I’ve ordered oysters for our entrée, Simone. Kilpatrick, just as you like them.’
He remembered. But oysters? Oysters and champagne— both aphrodisiacs, allegedly! Was that what this evening was all about? Did he want to get her into his bed?
The very thought sent serious sensations zinging their way through her. She tightened the muscles at the apex of her thighs, and vowed not to let herself give way to temptation. The trouble was he was still so utterly, utterly gorgeous. Long, dark lashes framed his amazing golden eyes, his nose was straight and only slightly flared, and his mouth—not too generous, not too small— Well, she ached to be kissed by those exciting lips.
‘Of course, there’d be interest to pay.’ He was back to the main topic of conversation.
Faint alarm had her looking sharply at him. ‘Even though you’d be a partner?’
‘Even so.’ He pushed himself up and walked ever so slowly round the table towards her, his eyes on hers every inch of the way, never deviating, never blinking.
Simone’s heartbeats increased to a treacherous level. She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what he had to say next. He wasn’t talking about money here, it was something far more dangerous.
‘So what is it exactly you want from me, Cade?’ she asked when he came to a halt at her side. She could feel the heat of his skin, see the dark pupil in the centre of his eyes, smell the dangerous male scent of him. Every one of her senses was on high alert.
‘I’ll turn your company around in return for…’
Simone knew what he was doing. He was testing her nerves, wanting to see whether she’d back out before he put any clauses into their agreement. She stood up and looked straight into his face, trying not to show the panic swirling inside her.
His golden eyes blazed into hers, claiming her, making her his before he’d even spoken. ‘In return for you in bed beside me. Every night. As my mistress. No concessions. If you want to keep your business, you’ve no choice.’
CHAPTER THREE
CADE watched Simone’s changing emotions. Her outrage at his suggestion that she become his mistress was exactly what he’d expected. She would come round, though. He was prepared to bet his last dollar on it. She’d made it perfectly clear that she didn’t want to lose her company.
In theory he already part-owned it.
His lips thinned as he recalled that fateful day when he’d signed his inheritance away. Despite her protestations, Simone had been involved in that and he wanted to take hold of her and shake her until she begged for mercy. Then he smiled to himself. Making her his mistress would definitely be a more pleasurable way of punishing her than anything else he could think up.
She’d already sent out enough signals to show her interest, and he knew that she was going to agree to his request. It was simply a matter of fighting her conscience. It amused him to watch the conflicting emotions cross her face.
‘Surely you must know I can’t do it?’ she asked, her deeply violet eyes sparking with indignation, her whole body rejecting his suggestion. ‘I cannot possibly prostitute myself like that.’
Cade struggled to control lips desperately trying to smile. She looked beautiful in her anger, so much so that he wanted to kiss her. In fact, he wanted to take her to bed right now. ‘From where I’m standing you don’t have much choice,’ he said, his heart leaping at the thought of the pleasure that would stem from such a liaison.
‘Everyone has a choice,’ she told him heatedly. ‘I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do.’
‘So you’d rather lose your company?’ He moved a few inches closer. ‘The choice is yours, Simone. But if you do agree then the repayment will be as I have outlined. What you and your father did to me was unpardonable, Simone. If I help you, then you owe me big time.’
‘My father—’
He didn’t allow her to finish. His eyes hardened. ‘Forget the excuses. They won’t wash, and I’m tired of hearing them.’ Anger surfaced as memories returned.
‘So you want my body instead?’ she snapped.
‘I’m simply eliciting a long-overdue payment,’ he answered tersely. ‘And, if you care as much about MM Charters as you profess, you really have no other option.’
Exactly, thought Simone. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to let him walk all over her. She was no pussycat; this cat had claws, and she would use them if necessary. However she felt about Cade, the thought of becoming his mistress was both exhilarating and devastating at the same time. It would be the ultimate humiliation for her—but would the saving of her company more than make up for it?
‘I’ll need to think about it,’ she said quietly.
But Cade shook his head. He had no intention of letting her go that easily. When he’d seen her in the restaurant it had set off a chain of emotions, and he’d known there and then that he had to have her one more time. Treading gently wasn’t part of his make-up, and if he wanted something he went all out to get it. He’d applied that principle in every aspect of his life, both business and personal, and he wasn’t about to change. ‘I’m sorry, Simone, but I need an answer now or the offer’s withdrawn,’ he told her none too gently.
He enjoyed watching the battle she had with herself. She turned away from him and crossed towards the window, folding her arms and staring out blindly into the night.
‘Perhaps,’ he said quietly, following her, ‘I should give you a taste of what you’ll be missing should you turn down my offer.’ And without even waiting for a response he twisted her round into his arms. He felt her limbs go taut and he knew that she would hate every moment. Nevertheless he snaked a hand round the back of her neck and lowered his face to hers.
When their lips met sensations flew in all directions. His body flooded with red-hot desire. He kissed her deep and hard, running his tongue inside her mouth, tasting the sweetness of her, feeling her involuntary response.
Fire raged in his chest, in his loins, and he wanted her so badly that it hurt. She smelled so heavenly, tasted so good, that he didn’t want to let her go.
If this was an indication of things to come, should Simone agree to his conditions, then the whole experience would be well worth the cost. He’d be getting the business he wanted and the sweetest of revenges into the bargain.
Simone’s heart drummed unsteadily. It felt like a live thing in her breast, hollering to be let out. Panic stations had set in when Cade had kissed her, and despite lecturing herself on the stupidity of returning his kiss she’d been unable to help herself. It had been an instinctive response to a man who could liquefy her bones with one glance. A man who could turn her world upside down without even speaking.
One touch and she was putty in his hands. One dark glance out of those devilishly golden eyes and she was his. She hated herself for being weak, but in truth she wanted his kisses; she wanted him to make love to her.
He created excitement such as she had never experienced before. Not even when they’d been going out together. Everything had intensified. But to barter her body for a business deal—could she even consider doing such a thing? Her answer was a resounding yes. MM Charters meant everything to Simone, and she had to be honest and admit that it wasn’t as though she wouldn’t enjoy sleeping with Cade. It would be mind-blowing, like it always had been between them. But it was the afterwards that bothered her. How would she feel then, when it was all over? When Cade had finished using her and had discarded her—would she be able to walk away too?
She dared not think along those lines. She had felt dead inside for months after he’d gone last time. She had to think of this moment, of the trouble she was in now, and Cade’s offer of help.
Simone drew in a deep breath, closed her eyes and then snapped them open, finding herself looking into a barrier of intense gold. ‘I’ll do it,’ she said quickly before she could change her mind.
His response was to kiss her again. She felt the hot strength of his body against hers, the throbbing of his heart almost in unison with her own, and the urgent need that rose inside her. It almost made her ashamed of herself. She was selling her body—and yet kissing Cade felt so right. It always had done. Their sex life had been incredible. He had taught her so much.
The kiss was fierce but short. She was disappointed when Cade took her shoulders and put her from him. ‘Good, I’m glad that’s settled,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘Let’s start our dinner.’
Humiliation filled Simone, hot and strong. Stark realisation hit hard in her chest. This was nothing more than a business deal to Cade, whereas she had stupidly felt a stirring of old emotions. He was going to take her body whenever he felt like it, but there would be no love involved, no tenderness. It was as simple as that.
They ate their meal in silence, Simone simply picking at the oysters and the excellent barramundi that followed, shaking her head when Cade suggested dessert.
‘Do you remember the Valentine’s Ball?’
His question took her by surprise. How could she not remember? It had been the first time Cade had taken her out, and she had worn a beautiful off-the-shoulder dress in emerald satin. He had told her that she looked a million dollars, and she had glowed beneath his compliment.
When he’d seen her home at the end of the evening she had felt as though she was walking on air. And after that their romance had blossomed sensationally.
‘I will remember it for ever,’ she answered, unaware how wistful her voice had gone.
‘You were stunning even then.’ His eyes made a study of her face, watching every fleeting expression, resting for several long seconds on the soft contours of her mouth.
Hiding her reaction was a sheer impossibility, thought Simone, as she touched a nervous tongue to lips that had gone dry. And when those same gorgeous eyes visited each part of her body in turn she felt an even more dramatic arousal of feelings.
She had no idea that her breathing had deepened, that her breasts were rising and falling a little faster than usual. Or that Cade had observed this tiny detail. ‘Maybe we should drink our coffee somewhere more comfortable,’ he suggested.
But not sit together, decided Simone, choosing an easy chair rather than one of the sofas. Lamps in the beautifully appointed apartment bathed the whole room in softly seductive light. At any other time…
Cade fixed himself a drink at the bar, and Simone was pleased at the temporary respite from his presence. Nevertheless she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She watched every movement he made. His clothes both hid and revealed a body that was in great shape. One that had once belonged intimately to her.
He was the one man she had truly loved—and then lost for ever.
‘Are you sure you don’t want one?’ He looked up and smiled, and her heart did a flip.
‘I’m sure,’ she answered, her voice kitten-soft.
When he returned to his seat she avoided looking at him. He was seriously sexy and out to charm her again—but for no reason other than she was part of his business plan. She must remember that.
Everything inside her had sprung into life, until she felt as though she was wired to a machine that kept shooting electrical impulses through her veins. She wished he had never come back. She’d had her heart broken once by him, and if a heart could be broken a second time then Cade was the man to do it.
Long minutes ticked by when neither of them spoke. Cade watched Simone through half-closed eyes, a faint smile on his lips, arousing her without the need for words. This was an old game between them, and one they had played many times before. Simone thought back to how it had usually played out. When she had taken so much that her insides had begun to sizzle. She used to respond to Cade’s silent arousals by stripping her clothes off in a slow, seductive dance. Then she’d begin to unrobe him as well—except usually by that time he’d been too impatient and had torn his clothes off himself.
But if he thought his tactics would work now he was deeply mistaken. OK, she’d agreed to become his mistress, but she wasn’t giving him her body quite so easily this time around.
Then Cade broke the spell by speaking on a totally different subject. ‘I actually expected you to be married by now.’
Simone drew in a deep breath, pulling a wry face as she did so. She might as well tell him the truth; he would find out anyway. ‘I was married, actually. I’m divorced.’ She added bitterly, ‘It’s another part of my life that ended in disaster.’
Dark brows rose, and there was a long pause when she could see his mind working overtime before he asked, ‘What happened?’
‘He walked out on me,’ she answered tersely. ‘He met someone else.’ It was all she was prepared to tell him at this stage.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, and oddly enough he sounded as though he meant it. ‘And there’s no one else who might be upset if he knew I was entertaining you here? If he knew the position you’re now in?’
‘Would I have agreed if there was?’ snapped Simone.
Cade smiled exultantly.
Simone felt like slapping him. Instead she shot a retaliatory question. ‘Have you ever married?’ There was no ring on his finger, but that didn’t mean a thing.
He shook his head. ‘I’ve had no time. Girlfriends, yes, but marriage has definitely been off my agenda.’
Simone was surprised. If he could afford to bail her out, throw in as much as it needed to buy a new fleet of sailing vessels without even batting an eyelid, then he had to be seriously rich. And seriously rich men attracted girls by the dozen. So why hadn’t one of them captured his heart?
‘Or is it that you’ve set yourself impossibly high standards?’ she asked without thinking, and Cade’s harsh response surprised her.
‘When someone lets you down badly it does make you think twice,’ he snarled, his eyes cutting through hers like twin blades of ice. ‘Trust has to be earned, and no one yet has earned enough merit points.’
It felt like a direct dig, at her and Simone silently winced. Nevertheless she raised her chin and looked at him boldly. ‘Merit points? How calculating. Exactly what are you looking for in a wife, Cade? No one’s perfect.’
‘As I discovered for myself, most brutally. Maybe there’s a halfway mark somewhere.’
His eyes darkened as he looked at her. Simone felt a trickle of something slide down her spine. Was it fear or hope? Need she be afraid of him? He was going to help her. That had to be good. But the cost was exorbitantly high, and she couldn’t help wondering whether it would be worth it.
Feeling a desperate need to change the subject, she said, ‘Exactly what is it you propose to do—as far as my company’s concerned?’
Cade set his glass down and changed instantly into business mode. ‘I’ve drawn up a rough plan of action— provided you agree, of course.’ But his dangerous eyes told her that she had no option.
‘Naturally the first thing would be a whole new fleet of boats, which I’ve already looked into ordering. Then your offices would need to be totally revamped, everything brought bang up to date.’
Simone widened her eyes. ‘Is that necessary?’ It was an entirely unexpected suggestion, and she couldn’t see his reasoning behind it. What was wrong with her office?
‘It’s very necessary. A new image will do the business a world of good,’ he answered bluntly.
Cade clearly knew what he was talking about, and it was his money he was spending, so who was she to argue? ‘So, tell me about your company,’ she said finally, not realising that it looked as though she was agreeing to his suggestion.
Cade smiled and settled back into his seat. This was clearly a subject he relished. ‘I started with one boat, specialising in corporate charter, and was amazed how quickly it took off. Of course, the season’s shorter in the UK, but I did very well. I ended up buying more vessels even after one season.’
‘I’m pleased for you,’ she said, and surprised herself by meaning it. Cade had exactly the right outlook on life to succeed in whatever he did, and she felt sure that her father’s trickery had helped make him into the tough businessman he was today.
‘How big is your fleet?’
‘To be honest, I’m not sure,’ came his staggering answer. ‘I’ve expanded into Europe, so the company is growing at an incredible rate.’
Simone raised her brows. ‘So much so soon!’ She didn’t realise how sour her voice was. ‘You must be very good at it,’ she conceded. ‘I wish my father had had your acumen; I wouldn’t be in the trouble I’m in now. Actually, I think he only passed the business on to me because it was failing. Except that he didn’t tell me. I was thrilled and so grateful, and now look at the position I’m in.’
‘You’re forgetting that you have me to bail you out,’ he said with a droll smile. ‘Your money worries are over.’
He looked calm and reassuring, happy to be of help, and yet she knew perfectly well that beneath the surface lay a cold, calculating brain, and that he was going to walk all over her. She desperately needed his help—he was her lifesaver—but she couldn’t rid her mind of the fear that one day she would regret her decision.
‘I’d like to go home now,’ she said quietly.
‘Home?’ he repeated, crooking one eyebrow. ‘Have you already forgotten we’ve struck a deal? Your place is here with me.’
Simone hadn’t expected him to want his pound of flesh so instantly, and fire flared from her deeply purple eyes. ‘Forgive me, but I don’t remember setting a date and time for the deal. No job starts immediately.’
‘Job?’ Distinct amusement curved his mouth and added creases to the corners of his eyes. ‘Is that how you see the title of mistress? Interesting! But of course you must go home.’
Instant relief filled Simone, though her reprieve was short-lived.
‘You’ll need to collect whatever clothes and toiletries you might need—and perhaps tell your father what you’re doing.’
‘So I’m expected back here this evening?’ she questioned, panic in her voice now.
‘You have a problem with that? We can of course forget the whole thing. I’ll sit by and watch your company sink into the Pacific without trace, and then I’ll pick up the threads and establish myself a very profitable concern.’ His voice dipped lower and his eyes locked into hers. ‘Would you like that, Simone?’
The expression on her face was his answer.
‘No, I didn’t think so. Excuse me a moment…’ He summoned his driver to have the car ready, and when it came she had no choice but to accompany him out of the hotel to the waiting limousine.
She didn’t speak for the entire journey, far too conscious that in a few hours’ time she would be sharing Cade’s bed. It would be the ultimate sacrifice, and would mean that the family business would be safe for ever. She was doing all this for her mother’s sake. At least that was what she kept telling herself. It couldn’t be that she hungered for Cade’s body, could it? No! She wanted to put money back into the bank in the sure knowledge that her father would be unable to touch it. How he would hate that. And how happy she would be.
When they arrived at her house she scrambled out of the car. ‘I won’t be long,’ she promised, and ran up the steps, unaware that Cade had silently followed until he took the key from her hand. ‘Allow me.’
‘There’s no need,’ she declared in panic. Was there to be no respite from this man? She had hoped for breathing space before committing herself to him. Instead he wasn’t giving her a second’s time to herself. Was he afraid that she might change her mind?
He turned the key and pushed open the door, stepping inside before her. The alarm was set and Simone turned it off, accepting the fact that her father was not home. Perhaps that was just as well! She didn’t want the two men to meet.
‘I find it hard to believe you’re still living in this house,’ he said with a surprising change of subject, moving further along the hall towards the family room. ‘Doesn’t it bother you? Where did you live when you were married—not here, surely?’
Simone couldn’t see that it was any of his business. She loved this house. It was where she had been born and brought up, and she would always call it home.
‘We bought a house,’ she told him quietly. ‘But I came home when it didn’t work out.’ And now she hadn’t the money to live anywhere else. Her time would come, though; her saviour was right here beside her, a stepping-stone to a better life.
Simone didn’t realise that she was staring at Cade until he took a step closer, his eyes on her lips, and she sensed that he was going to kiss her again. She moved quickly. ‘I’ll go and pack my bags,’ she said quickly in a tight, strangled voice.
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