by Maggie Cox
‘If you harbour such a desire, that could soon be remedied.’
The smile Seth gave her was melt-in-the-mouth irresistible. It had the same delicious effect as sitting in front of a crackling coal fire on a frosty winter’s day. It warmed her all over.
‘I don’t have any such desire,’ she snapped, feeling testy because she’d been caught off guard. ‘You see how different we are? I don’t even have a car!’
The faint lines in his otherwise smooth brow crinkled. ‘Why don’t you have one?’
‘I sold it to get a little extra money to pay some bills. That’s why I walked to Evergreen yesterday. Not that I mind walking.’ Suddenly wary of having his too interested regard, she started to move towards the kitchen. ‘Would you like some coffee?’
‘Are you saying that you’ll agree to talk?’
She should say no, she told herself. If she did, then that would probably be the end of it. But, as though swept away by an unexpected tide she didn’t have a hope of fighting, she found herself agreeing. ‘I don’t suppose it can do any harm...’
‘It won’t. I’m hoping that what I’m about to discuss might be of benefit to us both. And yes, I think I will have that coffee.’
* * *
Waiting for Imogen to return from making their drinks seemed interminable. As Seth sat on the sofa, resting his elbows against his thighs, he attested to having a serious amount of butterflies in his stomach. It wasn’t something that happened to him very often—if at all. But the step he was considering taking was momentous. It would change the way he lived his life completely if it came to fruition.
Yet he had two very good reasons for contemplating it. The first was his friend’s suggestion. It would open many doors for him. And the second was more personally fortuitous. He wanted to live his life differently. And the basis of that desire was the need to share his life with someone—to have a proper connection with another human being that would ensure he didn’t grow old and embittered because of the heart-rending loss he’d endured in his early life.
‘Here we are.’
Carrying a round wooden tray with their drinks on, Imogen briefly stooped down to the coffee table to arrange the crockery. As she did so the recalcitrant neckline that was proving near impossible to keep in its position glided provocatively down over her shoulder. Not only did Seth get an even closer glimpse of her translucent bare skin, he also caught sight of her arresting cleavage encased in an ebony lace bra.
The sight couldn’t help but stir his blood. Loosening his tie a little, he watched her hastily straighten up and knew that she’d caught him studying her... How refreshing to find a woman who blushed so naturally, who didn’t use it as an artifice to come on to him, he thought.
‘Thanks.’ He smiled.
‘I made some chocolate cookies earlier. Would you like to try one?’
Before he could reply, Imogen had disappeared into the kitchen again. Seth likened her to a mini whirlwind and the observation made him smile.
When she sat down again a delicious waft of engagingly sweet perfume briefly enveloped him and made his insides clench. She pushed a small plate of mouthwatering biscuits towards him and, already caught in the spell of her femininity, he couldn’t resist sampling one.
The sublime taste that filled his mouth immediately elicited his appreciation. ‘Mmm. These are terrific. You didn’t tell me what a witch you were at baking. Got any other temptations I should know about?’
Raising her cup of coffee, Imogen temporarily shielded her expression from his glance. Intuiting that his last comment had rattled her, Seth could hardly believe the woman could be so innocent. Most women would have taken it as an invitation to at the very least flirt a little...
‘I don’t bake to try to tempt people. I do it because I enjoy it. If you want to take a couple with you, go ahead.’
‘Maybe I will.’ His candid gaze leisurely roamed her face. What man wouldn’t enjoy staring into those big brown eyes? ‘Are you ready to have that talk now?’
‘I suppose so. What’s on your mind?’
‘Well...’
Holding the hot mug of coffee firmly between his hands, he took his time thinking how best to phrase his proposition. He had no idea how Imogen would receive the suggestion. She might immediately tell him to leave for all he knew, but he hoped she wouldn’t...
‘I’ve been reflecting on our situations. It came to me that we’ve both been badly hurt in the past, and understandably neither of us wants to entertain the idea of another relationship—at least not one where we put our hearts on the line. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone. I’d like a companion, if nothing else—someone I can share my life with but who wouldn’t be beholden to me emotionally. Such an undertaking would also help me in my business dealings. People immediately view men like me as more trustworthy and honourable if they are married. To cut to the chase, I’m asking you if you’d consider being that person, Imogen.’
The atmosphere had suddenly grown tense, as if an impending storm was on its way. Seth honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d experienced being so unsettled.
Shifting in her chair, Imogen took her time answering him. Just when he’d convinced himself she was going to refuse, one corner of her pretty mouth lifted in an amused smile.
‘It’s funny, but I was thinking about getting myself a companion earlier. I decided that I would get a kitten.’
He frowned. ‘A kitten? Is that really all you want to share your life with?’
‘It would undoubtedly be a lot less demanding than a man.’
‘But it would hardly help support you, would it?’
‘I don’t want anyone to support me. In any case, I’m hardly going to trust a man to help me, am I? I certainly wouldn’t risk giving up my independence to one.’
‘I don’t blame you for feeling that way, but I’m not the idiot who didn’t show up on your wedding day, Imogen. If I give my word I keep it. I’m a very wealthy man, and if you agreed to my proposition I’d take care of everything financially. You’d never have to worry about where you were going to live or how you were going to manage again. It goes without saying that I would give you a generous allowance.’
Taking a deep breath in, Seth breathed out and studied the brunette. So far he couldn’t gauge what she was feeling. There was no longer any suggestion of a smile. Instead, her expression was carefully guarded. He decided to carry on.
‘In return...I’d like you to come and live with me. That would mean that whenever I travelled abroad for work, or simply when I wanted a vacation, you would go with me as my companion. It wouldn’t mean you couldn’t do other things. I like to think that I’m a reasonable man. But I would never tolerate you bringing my name into disrepute. It’s not too onerous, but I have a somewhat public profile because of what I do, and I’ve already entrusted some very personal information to you. I wouldn’t want to risk my story being sold to the newspapers. It goes without saying that I would never reveal what you’ve told me to anyone else. What we’ve shared is just between the two of us and private. To sum up—if you’re in agreement, I’d like to make our arrangement official.’
Seth saw the colour in her face drain a little.
‘What do you mean, exactly?’
‘I’m suggesting that we do things legally and get married.’
CHAPTER FIVE
IMOGEN WAS STUNNED. So stunned that she couldn’t think, let alone speak. In a bid to engage her brain with her mouth, she gulped down some coffee. When she glanced up and saw that Seth’s blisteringly blue eyes were all but eating her up as he waited for her answer, she murmured, ‘You’re serious?’
‘Yes, I am. I don’t have time to play games, Imogen. I’ve been on my own for a long time. It wouldn’t be a one-sided arrangement. As I told
you before, it would benefit us both.’
‘And how do you work that out? Isn’t your work mainly in the States? I live and work here, Seth.’
‘I’m opening a new dealership in London, so it’s very likely I’ll be based here for a while. If I have Evergreen renovated and refurbished we could live there. In the meantime I’m going to look for another house for us to move into,’
‘Slow down a bit. I haven’t agreed to anything yet. My head’s reeling!’
Her companion sighed and scraped back his hair. ‘I realise that my suggestion must have come as quite a surprise, but I believe it’s a good one. It makes sense for us to get together and help each other out.’
‘I’m not as sure about that as you seem to be, Seth. What about my job? If I were to accept your offer, what would I do about that?’
His scorching blue gaze never left hers. ‘To start with I’d like you to give a month’s notice with the proviso that you’ll be available to me should I need you.’
‘And what am I supposed to tell my boss?’
‘You can tell her that you’re going to be married and that your new husband wants you to help him run his business.’
‘But you don’t want me to work for your business, do you? You want to hire me as a paid companion.’
A muscle flinched at the side of Seth’s jaw. He wasn’t finding it easy to hide his impatience. ‘I want you to become my wife. That’s all your boss needs to know.’
‘Don’t you think the news is going to come as a bit of a shock? Especially as she knows I haven’t been seeing anyone and that I vowed I wouldn’t for a very long time?’
‘You can tell her it all happened very quickly.’
Colouring at the thought of her and Seth having an immediate undeniable attraction to each other that would only be satisfied by them living together as man and wife, Imogen shook her head. ‘I doubt if she’ll believe that. And don’t forget I’m still dealing with a court case to try to get my deposit back from my ex.’
‘Let me speak to her about that. I’ll pay any costs that are outstanding and cover the deposit myself. You’ve already told me that you don’t need the stress of getting into a fight with your ex for it, and nor do you need to. He’s old news—gone. Erase him from your mind. From now on I’ll be looking after you.’
Despite her lack of trust that such a premise was at all likely, the declaration was irresistibly seductive. What woman wouldn’t want a man like him to take care of her? Imogen mused. But her surprise at his words mingled with not a little annoyance as she contemplated his steely-eyed glance.
‘You make it sound so straightforward and it isn’t. I don’t need you to look after me. I’m not a helpless little girl. I’m sure you mean well, but agreeing to have a relationship—any relationship as far as I’m concerned—is crazy. Is it likely that I’d want to risk walking into something that’s potentially going to hurt me again?’
Getting to his feet, Seth stared down at her. ‘If you don’t involve your emotions...and I personally don’t intend to...you won’t get hurt. As for getting to know each other—I’m sure that will happen given time.’
If he knew what she was thinking right then—that it wasn’t much of a deal to get married to someone who took care of the practicalities of the relationship but didn’t engage his feelings—she wondered if he would understand. Even though she’d been terribly hurt—her heart broken and her self-esteem in tatters after what her ex had done—deep down inside Imogen still hadn’t given up on the idea of a truly loving union with a man.
‘That may be so, and I’m sure there are many women who would be only too happy to be the companion of a wealthy man like you, and have everything they need taken care of. But that’s not me. I need to make a contribution in life—not just be a taker. So all I can say is thanks for considering me, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to refuse.’
For a moment Seth’s charismatic features radiated shocked surprise. Then, breathing out an impatient sigh, he said. ‘You wouldn’t just be taking from me, Imogen. Your concern is commendable, and it reassures me that my decision is the right one. I fully expect you to do your fair share, if you undertake to commit to this partnership, and I want to emphasise that you wouldn’t be walking completely into the unknown. For instance there’s plenty of information about me on the internet, if you want to investigate. My profile is there for all to see. I’ve got nothing to hide.’
‘That may be so, but you don’t find out the truth about someone until you spend time with them. What can facts on the internet tell me about the real Seth Broden?’ Imogen was adamant that social media wasn’t to be relied upon, even though she had straight away detected that Seth didn’t like her doubting him. ‘For instance, can it tell me what your values are, or if you’re a man that can be trusted?’
‘You trusted me enough to let me spend the night on your couch and you didn’t come to any harm. If you’re willing to get to know me better you’ll discover that honesty is important to me in all my dealings. I trust that my behaviour towards you will help illustrate that.’
Sighing, she brushed her hair back from her cheek. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to get to know you. What I’ve learned about you so far pleases me. The letter that you wrote to Louisa makes me know intuitively that you’re a good man...a sincere one. But I wouldn’t want to promise you something I couldn’t deliver. Honesty is important to me, too. What if I changed my mind after we got married and decided that I’d made a mistake?’
‘I won’t pretend I wouldn’t be disappointed. But neither would I coerce you into staying. If you were really intent on ending things I’d have to respect that. I’d also ensure that I set you up with the means to start your life over again somewhere else. For instance if you wanted to start up a business for yourself or study for a new career I’d do everything in my power to help you. I can’t say fairer than that. Still...’ He paused to survey her. ‘I’d expect you to enter into our initial agreement in the spirit of genuinely trying to make it work. Do you agree?’
Although she didn’t want to deny that in truth she yearned for much more than that—that she wanted to hold out for the truly loving union with a man that had always been her dream—Imogen saw that she’d have to suppress those feelings if she was going to go through with this marriage. To forgo the loving relationship she longed for was the last thing she wanted to do—the very thought was like a splinter in her heart—but at least Seth was promising that he’d compensate her if their partnership didn’t work out. If he kept his promise it would give her a lot more options about what she did in the future, even if it was destined to be a lonely one.
She told him, ‘Yes. If I were to accept going into this arrangement you’re proposing, I promise you I’d endeavour to make it a successful one. But you know women do change their minds sometimes? I mean, if you started something that turned out to be wrong would you stick with it?’
The comment elicited a surprising smile.
‘I don’t expect you to do any such thing. But don’t you have to give something a chance before you decide it’s not working? In any case, why shouldn’t our partnership work out? We both need human contact, and what I want in my life is a warm, sentient woman. Someone I can talk to—someone who’s willing to listen to my problems when I have them and offer her opinion...as I will do for you. I want someone who’ll be there if I need to take a partner to a business function or go out to dinner, someone who’s intelligent and pretty, with a softness that reminds me not to get too cynical about life. I want someone like you, Imogen.’
Before she had time to process this statement, Seth reached down and wrapped his hand round hers. The touch of his flesh was dizzying. Then he gently but firmly pulled her to her feet.
‘I’m offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Do you want to let it pass you by and regret it for years to come?’
/>
‘I’ve had my fair share of regret, without adding any more to the list. But if I was to do this I’d need to do something useful to earn my keep besides just being there for you.’
He was still holding on to her hand, and the touch of his firm, warm skin was indisputably battering down her defences.
His response to her remark was sure and unhesitant.
‘Make no mistake. You’ll have plenty to keep yourself occupied. Living with me is going to open up a very different lifestyle to the one you’ve been used to and you’ll have to adapt to it. It’s a world where money is no object...where people literally spend millions on houses, cars and haute couture. It’s a completely different world. For instance, when you travel with me on business you’re going to have to be able to converse with some very influential men and women as we socialise. As my wife, you’re going to have to reflect everything I stand for and act accordingly.’
Imogen immediately started to disengage herself from his hand. Whilst the prospect of learning to live in the kind of world he described might be an amazing opportunity, and one that would undoubtedly help take her mind off her past disappointments and sorrows, it also frightened her right down to her bones.
She started to shake her head. ‘I don’t think I could do it, Seth. You’d best find someone else.’
‘Why? Are you telling me that you never want to be challenged? Do you always want to stay safe and predictable?’
The remark stung. ‘That’s not fair. You’re asking me to make a momentous change to my life. You’ve heard what I’ve been through. Surely you can understand why I’m unsure?’
His lips split into a smile that was nothing less than dazzling. ‘It’s okay to be unsure. It’s only human. But to let that stop you taking a risk is just plain foolish.’