For Lexi it was the last straw; she wanted to scream at Jake to shut up, but she knew she had to get him out of the reception before the whole damn place heard his revelation. ‘Follow me,’ she snarled between clenched teeth.
‘I knew you would see it my way, Lexi, sensible girl,’ he goaded mockingly.
She was too angry to take the lift, but preceded Jake up to the third floor and along to the far end of the corridor, her rage mounting at every step. She turned the key in the lock and opened the door. She didn’t bother to look if Jake was behind her, but stormed across the room, flinging her bag on to a convenient sofa, and turned with her back to the window.
‘Now, what the hell do you think you’re playing at, Jake? How dare you come here and insinuate about my morals, or lack of them, in front of my staff and guests? Then to announce to the world we’re married! You’ve got some damn nerve.’ She was in a full-blooded fury, years of anger and frustration racing to the forefront of her mind.
‘Is it so strange that I object to hearing my wife addressed as Mi-ss...?’ Jake emphasised cynically.
‘Dear God! You’re mad. We have been separated for five years—five years, Jake. In fact, I can’t understand why you didn’t divorce me years ago, or why the hell you are here now, instead of cavorting around London with your faithful Lorraine,’ she grated furiously.
‘Then let me enlighten you, my sweet,’ Jake drawled, a thread of steel in his voice. ‘I have come to reclaim my wife.’
Her breath caught in her throat at his sheer arrogance. Her body trembling with fury, she cried, ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Her voice shook with the force of her anger. ‘You can’t just walk into my life and say you’re going to reclaim it.’ She had hated this man for years; he had taken her girlish dream of love and family and forever and ground it in the dust beneath his feet. She was older now, a mature working woman, and no way would she put herself back in the subservient position of Jake’s wife. ‘I won’t tolerate it.’
Jake, his dark eyes fixed on her flushed and furious face, slowly strolled across the room to stop only inches away from her. ‘No more than I will tolerate some curt note from a solicitor telling me I am to be divorced.’ The deadly intent in his softly voiced comment was more frightening than if he had shouted at her. ‘You, Lexi, are my wife, and divorce is not an option, not now, not ever. Do I make myself clear?’ he prompted silkily.
She had taken as much as she could stand; he was much too close, much too threateningly male. Without warning, her hand flew in a wild arc towards his mocking face, and she yelped with pain as he stopped her before she could make contact. His strong hand like a manacle around her wrist, in one deft movement he forced her hand down and behind her back, bringing her slap up against his hard body. In a second he had both her hands pinned by one of his much larger ones behind her back, and his dark head was swooping down.
Lexi tried to fight, but his arm was like an iron girder around her slender waist. She attempted to kick him, but was quickly trapped between his powerful thighs. Heat, totally unexpected, flooded through her body at their intimate entwining, and she could do nothing to prevent Jake using his free hand to grasp her chin and tilt her small face up to his.
‘I will not tolerate violence, not even from you, Lexi.’ Then his hard mouth crushed down on hers.
Fiercely she pressed her lips together, but the savagery of his kiss was not to be denied. His teeth nipped her bottom lip and her lips parted on a startled gasp of pain. His tongue plunged into her mouth, seeking out the moist dark corners with erotic expertise that took her breath away.
She vowed she would show no response—she hated him, had done for years. His hand slid from her chin to caress her throat and lower, the kiss gentled into an evocative, teasing caress and she felt something inside her leap to instant life as she threw her head back to avoid his kiss! No—to give him better access to the soft skin of her throat. His lips found the vulnerable hollow at the base of her neck, and her pulse-rate leapt alarmingly as her body responded with long-denied passion.
His free hand stroked down and edged inside the soft cotton neckline of her dress, to caress the soft, creamy mound of her breast—she was not wearing a bra—and, as his fingers stroked the burgeoning tips, bringing them to hard aching nubs of desire, she was helpless, drowning in a sea of passion she had thought lost to her forever. She felt the force of his masculine arousal, hard against her stomach, and a low moan escaped her.
‘That’s it, Lexi, let go.’ His throaty voice quivered across the soft curve of her cheek, before his lips once more claimed hers. Fire coursed through her veins, lighting every nerve and sense, until she moved restlessly in an attempt to assuage the desperate hunger consuming her.
She was hardly aware her hands were now free, so lost in her abandoned descent into passion was she, nor that her dress had been slipped down her shoulders. She cried out as his mouth closed over her aching breast to tease the rigid tip with his teeth and tongue, and her own small hand grasped his muscular bicep as he bent her over his arm, his sensuous mouth suckling, grazing, teasing her into insensibility. Her other hand tangled in the thick silk hair of his head, urging him closer.
Then suddenly she was free. Her violet eyes, deep purple with passion, stared up into his darkly flushed face. ‘Jake...?’ she queried, still enslaved by his passionate assault.
Jake straightened, and with insultingly steady hands slipped her dress back up on to her shoulders. His dark eyes seared triumphantly down into hers. ‘Later, Lexi; there’s someone at the door. My luggage I expect.’
Only then did she hear the rat-tat-tat at the door. Her face burned with shame. God! What had she done? Jake had only had to touch her and she had burst into flames...
She was trembling, her legs would barely support her and, taking a few faltering steps, she collapsed on the sofa. She looked across the room as Jake opened the door to admit the young man with his luggage.
‘Put it in the bedroom, please,’ he commanded, and not a flicker of emotion disturbed the even tenor of his voice.
Lexi gazed in something like despair as the bellboy walked straight across the room and through into the bedroom, avoiding looking at her. She had employed the young man herself last year and it hurt to see him ignore her and to see the obvious embarrassment on his face. God, what had she done to deserve this? she wondered helplessly. And, resting her head in her hands, her elbows on her knees, it took every bit of will-power she possessed not to burst into tears. She could feel the moisture pricking at the back of her eyelids; she swallowed hard on the lump that formed in her throat and, slowly lifting her head, she ran her hands through the tumbled mass of her Titian hair, shoving it ruthlessly behind her ears.
She was a two-time loser, she thought bitterly. She hated Jake with a passion that had not dimmed in five long years... Yet her traitorous body still yearned for him. She cursed silently under her breath; how had she allowed the arrogant swine to walk in and walk all over her, yet again? Would she never learn?
Worse, her job was very important to her, but how was she going to be able to keep the respect of her staff after this? Even supposing she could get rid of Jake immediately, already the rumours must be rife. The manager ensconced in her suite with a husband nobody knew she had. It was a mess, a complete and utter disaster...
She felt the brush of a hand across her head, and she jumped in her seat.
‘Take it easy, Lexi; we’ll talk later. First I need to wash and change.’
She didn’t answer, she couldn’t; instead she watched with a kind of detached fascination as Jake strode across in front of her and into the bedroom. She stared at the door long after he had closed it behind him, heard the faint sound of running water, and her mind presented her with a memory of herself and Jake in the shower. She blinked furiously to dispel the image, and gazed around her.
This was her sanctuary: the pleasant lounge tastefully decorated in blue and gold, the ornate antique Italian-style furniture. The
elegant desk, the two soft blue velvet sofas, a hotel suite, but also her home, with her own books on the shelves. She was happy here, and in less than an hour Jake had destroyed her peace, her contentment, her life. It was so unfair, all she wanted was to be free of the man.
Then it hit her: she had nothing to worry about, Jake’s agreement was not necessary; in a few short weeks she could divorce him whether he liked it or not. Firmly, she took herself to task. She had been reacting, not acting, and it had to stop... She would hear Jake out, and then send him off with a flea in his ear. Maybe sexually he still had power over her. Who was she kidding? Never mind maybe, he did: her breasts were still tender from his touch; she ran the tip of her tongue over her swollen lips and the taste of him was still in her mouth. She was like a moth to his flame and always had been...
But she was twenty-five, a mature adult woman; surely she could resist him for the short time he would be here? Or perhaps the lovely Lorraine would appear on the scene and Lexi’s troubles would be over. She sighed. Why hadn’t Jake married Lorraine? When Lexi had settled in Italy and informed her solicitor of her address she had watched the post, expecting any day Jake’s request for a divorce. When it had never arrived she’d worried, but as the months turned to years she had gradually put it out of her mind.
Suddenly it hit her! Jake was a ruthless businessman. He had married Lexi to get his hands on the manor and turn it into a paying venture, but Lorraine had no asset Jake coveted other than her body, and he wouldn’t waste a marriage vow on that.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘YOUR turn for the bathroom.’
Lexi jumped to her feet as Jake walked back into the room, and she had to stifle a gasp at his appearance. His black hair was still wet from the shower and brushed severely back from his broad forehead, giving his ruggedly attractive features a harder, more ruthless definition. He was dressed in a conventional black dinner-suit, the perfectly tailored jacket emphasising the width of his broad shoulders, the white silk shirt contrasting sharply with his sun-bronzed skin. Pleated trousers fitted snugly over his hips. He looked magnificently male yet somehow predatory as he casually strolled across the room and lowered his long length on to the sofa.
He glanced up at Lexi, his dark gaze sliding lazily over her. ‘I’ve been travelling all night and half the day; I’m hungry, so be quick,’ he commanded. ‘And leave your hair loose; I like it that way.’
‘Now wait a minute.’ Lexi finally found her voice, he was not moving in on her and taking over her life, not again...’
‘Really, Lexi, you never used to be so argumentative. Run along and get ready, unless of course you prefer we eat here.’ His hand went to the tie at his neck. ‘It might be more intimate, at that,’ he opined mockingly.
Fuming, Lexi picked up her bag from the sofa and dashed to the safety of the bedroom. She flung her bag on the bed and stopped, her eyes widening in furious amazement. The devil had deliberately laid out a pair of black silk pyjamas on the bed—a blatant statement of intent. Well, she would show him, she vowed, marching across to the bathroom, pulling her dress over her head as she went. Jake might think he had won, but he had a rude awakening coming. She would have dinner with him, and if he refused to see sense about the divorce and go quietly, he could keep the damn suite and she would share with Anna again.
Naked, she stepped into the shower and turned on the tap, telling herself there was no way she was going to jeopardise her chance of a divorce. Another six weeks and Jake could do nothing to stop her, provided they stayed separated...
Standing under the soothing spray, she was tantalisingly aware of the lingering trace of Jake’s cologne, the vital male scent of him still pervading the air from his recent occupancy of the bathroom. She was forced to admit it was far too big a risk being in the same room as the man. She shivered and, turning off the water, stepped out. It was only fifteen minutes ago that she had been putty in his hands. His lethal male charm still had the power to make her quake, and she couldn’t afford to give in, not now. Not when she was so close to her goal.
Picking up a large, soft towel, she briskly dried herself, and walking into the bedroom opened a drawer and pulled out a flimsy cream lace bra and matching briefs. She slipped them on, and, crossing to the fitted wardrobes, extracted a pair of cream silk, softly pleated culottes with a matching sleeveless silk blouse. In seconds she was dressed, and, straightening the gold-trimmed collar that complemented the gold leather belt she cinched tightly around her small waist, she silently vowed that there was no way Jake was sharing her bed—not now, not ever, even if she ended up sleeping in the laundry cupboard! She hated him with a depth of feeling she had not believed herself capable of.
Briskly she brushed her hair and casually twisted it into a loose chignon on top of her head. The addition of a moisturiser to her face, a touch of dark mascara to her long lashes and the use of a soft pink lip-gloss to her full lips completed her toilet.
Finally she slipped her feet into high-heeled gold sandals, and, efficiently transferring a few basics from her bag on the bed to a small gold shoulder-bag, she straightened her shoulders and, taking a deep breath, re-entered the sitting-room.
The sofa was empty. She looked around; Jake was standing at the darkened window, his body in profile as he stared out into the night, seemingly unaware of her presence. For a moment she allowed her eyes to linger on him; was it tension she sensed in his huge frame? No, it couldn’t be... His hard, chiselled features were curiously still, almost brooding. He turned, and his eyes locked with hers. His expression was impossible to define, and for some unknown reason Lexi felt menaced by the fraught quality of the silence between them, but she could not tear her gaze away.
Jake broke the contact; his dark eyes lowered, conducting a slow, sweeping survey of her feminine form before returning to her face, and she sensed a hint of disapproval, but why she had no idea. It was a designer outfit she had bought in the winter sale at an exclusive boutique on the isle of Capri.
‘Very elegant, and expensive, no doubt.’ Jake commented distastefully, his face hard with something like disgust as he moved towards her. ‘But I told you to leave your hair loose.’ And before she could object his strong hands had deftly unpinned her hair so it fell in a red cloud around her shoulders.
‘Your days of telling me what to do are long gone,’ she snapped, bitterly resentful, her hatred burning brighter as she remembered the months and years it had taken her simply to stop dreaming about the swine. She bit down hard on her lip. She would not let him taunt her into losing her temper; instead she deliberately swept her long hair back off her face. ‘Don’t you realise I have my position as manager to think of?’ she informed him caustically.
‘Not for much longer,’ he declared arrogantly.
Lexi knew she should demand an explanation for his remark but he was standing within inches of her, and she could almost feel the warmth of his body; the sheer animal magnetism of the man had the power to stir her senses as no one else she had ever known. Shocked and greatly disturbed, she made no comment. Instead she headed for the door; retreat was the only option she was capable of pursuing.
The dining-room of the hotel was luxurious and intimate, and, as Lexi walked across the room with Jake at her side, his large hand firmly clasping her elbow, to the casual observer they looked like the perfect loving couple. The man tall and strikingly attractive and the woman small and exquisite, her eyes sparkling and her face flushed with pleasure. Only a very close observer would see that it was rage that put fire in her eyes and colour in her face.
By the time they were finally seated at Lexi’s usual table she was so furious she wanted to hit Jake. As she had spoken to various guests, Jake had delighted in introducing himself as her husband, completely ignoring her acute embarrassment.
‘What the hell do you think you’re playing at?’ she hissed as she carefully folded her napkin on her lap. Her eyes flashed angrily across to her companion. ‘I suppose you think that was a huge joke t
elling Miss Davenport you’re my husband. Only last week she met my boyfriend; what on earth is she going to think? And she’s one of our best customers.’
Jake’s mouth curved derisively. ‘Hardly my fault, Lexi, my dear; you should have had more sense than to acquire a boyfriend when you still have a husband.’
She flung up her head, fury leaping in her eyes. ‘I don’t have a husband, I haven’t...’
‘Had me in years. I know, but tonight I intend to correct that,’ he drawled smoothly, his glance sweeping down to the deep V of her shirt, and lingering on her exposed creamy cleavage with lascivious intent.
‘That was not what I meant and you know it, you...you...pervert,’ she shot back, the colour in her face almost matching her hair.
His dark features hardened immeasurably ‘I will not tolerate opposition, Lexi. I have let you run free far too long, but not any more.’ His eyes held hers with unwavering scrutiny. ‘Fight me and I will fight back, and I can assure you I always win.’
Her eyes warred angrily with his. This was one fight Lexi had to win, to keep her self-respect, her pride. Her life. How would she have answered? She never knew, as the waiter appeared at the table.
‘Would madam and sir like to order now?’ The pointed use of madam only fuelled Lexi’s anger.
‘A pasta Genovese, followed by steak, medium, for me, and shall I order for you, Lexi darling? I know your taste so well.’ Jake’s question was a silken-voiced taunt that made her see red.
‘I’m not hungry,’ she snapped at the poor waiter. ‘No starter, and anything. Veal Marsala, whatever.’
Jake sat back in his chair, his dark eyes resting on her flushed face. ‘Is that any way for the manager to treat staff? The man was only doing his job.’
‘I never lose my temper with staff.’ Lexi managed to keep her voice low. ‘It’s only you, and your presence here, that makes me lose my temper.’
Nothing Changes Love Page 6