She spent the next half-hour exploring her new home. In any other circumstances she would have found the place delightful. An elegant dining-room opened out on to a sunny patio, and the kitchen at one side of the house. A morning-room and what she presumed was Jake’s study led out to the terrace at the front of the house, as did the extravagantly furnished salon, the imposing entrance-hall bracketed between them. The salon opened on two sides to the terraces. Strolling through the tall French windows, she found herself at the other side of the house. She walked on the edge of the terrace and, looking over, gasped. On the next level down was a free-shaped swimming-pool, the clear water sparkling in the late afternoon sun. She toyed with the idea of going for a swim, but she had no intention of allowing Jake to catch her in her bikini; she was far too vulnerable to his masculine charms, though it infuriated her to have to admit it.
Instead she wandered down the stone steps to the pool, and on down through half a dozen progressively narrower terraces cascading with flowers and vines, the warm, sweet smell of a variety of plants filling the air, and beyond the boundary wall the magnificent backdrop of the sea, and islands. It was a little bit of paradise, Lexi mused, casually leaning against the wall, her eyes skimming the perfect view. But to her, short of diving off the cliff, it was a prison...
Restlessly she turned and slowly began walking back up towards the house. How long did Jake intend to keep her here? He was a businessman based in the city of London, it didn’t make sense, but ruefully she admitted that nothing in the past twenty-four hours had made much sense. His demanding she return to him and his desire for a child were a puzzle she could not fathom. Jake had hardly been ecstatic the one time she had been pregnant; only weeks after her pregnancy had been confirmed, suddenly he had needed to work in London—pressure of business, he had told Lexi. That was a laugh. Pressure from his mistress, more like, as Lexi had so suddenly and painfully discovered.
Lexi would never forget the first meal she had shared with Jake and Lorraine after losing her baby, and the other woman’s callous comment, ‘You wouldn’t have much time for a child just now...it might be a blessing in disguise.’ With hindsight Lexi realised what Lorraine had been getting at. Jake must have already decided to end their marriage, and was just waiting for a convenient time to tell his poor little wife. A child would have been a complication Jake didn’t need. It made Lexi’s blood boil to think of the pair of them still together five years later almost to the day, and once more wrecking her life.
She stopped as she reached the edge of the swimming-pool, and closed her eyes, clasping her hands in front of her as though in prayer. Why, why, why hadn’t Jake gone ahead with the divorce she had heard him and Lorraine plotting all those years ago? Her violet eyes fluttered open and she stared down into the sparkling blue water as if it would give her the answer she sought... It could only be money...
Lexi, as far as she knew, was still a silent partner in his business. Maybe he was frightened that if she divorced him he would lose half his business, yet she had tried to reassure him on that point last night. But he insisted on believing she was mercenary. Lorraine had once tried to convince Jake Lexi was a gold-digger before they were married, and obviously now Jake believed her. It appeared the other woman had overplayed her hand. The very reason Lorraine had given for Jake not marrying Lexi in the first place was now preventing Jake from divorcing Lexi... It would be laughable if it wasn’t so tragic. God, her heart cried, wasn’t it enough that she had lost her beloved baby, given Jake and Lorraine a clear field; what had she done to deserve their continued persecution?
Bending down at the edge of the pool, she ran her hand through the cool water and brushed it over her hot forehead. It must be financial, it was the only motive that made sense. But there was something else, she was sure of it. Male ego. Pride maybe. Jake didn’t like the idea of Lexi finding someone else.
But was it that simple? She didn’t know. The Jake who had stormed back into her life was vastly different from the man she had married. She could see it in his eyes, hear it in the scathing comments he voiced, and feel it in the almost palpable hatred that flared between them. Sadly for her, passion flared between them with the same if not greater force and to her constant shame she was incapable of withstanding the force of Jake’s desire. No, not desire! Lust...and that self-knowledge was the most shaming of all.
Straightening, she glanced at the ring on her finger, once a symbol of eternal love, or so she had thought, now a cold band of possession, nothing more. Sadly she took the last few steps to the house.
She walked back into the salon and, collapsing on an over-stuffed sofa, she glanced around. Very elegant, the furniture, a mixture of antique and modern Italian, was complemented by a selection of exquisite porcelain and bronze statuettes, a huge ornate marble fireplace with a magnificently carved over-mirror, everything in the best taste.
She sighed. Her job had been her life for years; she was not used to being idle. She had gone to college with no great career ambition, but had assumed she would end up as a translator in the foreign office. Marrying Jake and getting pregnant had changed all that. She supposed in a way she had Jake to thank for her career in hotel management. It was an occupation she loved. She had discovered that she had a flair for administration and she enjoyed meeting a wide variety of people, but it looked very much as if the career Jake had given her he had ruthlessly taken away from her again.
Restless and ill at ease in the quiet splendour of the salon, she let her glance settle on the telephone on a small table by the fireplace. Leaping to her feet she crossed and picked it up dialling the number of the Piccolo Paradiso. She had every right to check up on her job, never mind that Lorraine was now in charge. Plus she felt guilty disappearing the way she had, even though it wasn’t her fault. She should have rung earlier to make sure everything was running smoothly, and she would have done if Jake had not swept her into his bed. She squashed the quick flush of remembered pleasure, as Anna’s voice echoed down the line.
‘Pronto. Le Piccolo Paradiso.’
It was great to hear a familiar voice. ‘Anna, it’s me, Lexi—I—’ Before she could finish her sentence Anna cut in, her voice bubbling with excitement.
‘Aren’t you the dark horse? All this time you had a husband, and what a husband! He’s gorgeous. I can’t think why you ever left him. But it’s so romantic him finding you again, it made me cry—’
‘You’ve met Jake...?’ Lexi cut in, not in the least interested in the younger girl’s romantic fairy-tale image of him.
‘Of course, he was here this afternoon for a staff briefing. There are going to be a few changes, but he congratulated us all on our hard work for Mr Monicelli and hoped we would work as well for him. Wasn’t that nice? And guess what? I’m the new senior receptionist, and Franco, after two weeks’ training with the new computer Mr Taylor is having installed, is going to take over from Miss Lorraine as the manager.’
‘Yes, very nice,’ Lexi managed to get out, silently seething; obviously she was not indispensable, quite the reverse if Anna was to be believed, and that hurt... ‘So, everything is going smoothly, no problems?’ she couldn’t help asking.
‘You’re not to worry about anything, Lexi, just relax and enjoy your gorgeous husband. I know I would if I were you. In fact, he’s here again now, I’ve just sent coffee into the office for him and Miss Lorraine. Do you want me to put you through?’
‘No,’ Lexi snapped, ‘it doesn’t matter. I’ll be in touch.’ And she dropped the receiver into the cradle.
She wished she had never telephoned. Her pale lips tightened at the way Jake had so quickly organised her life, cutting her off from her career and her friends with ruthless efficiency. She stood up and walked slowly back out on to the terrace. She thrust her hands into the pockets of her dress, and strolled around the terrace, her head bent, lost in her own thoughts; she didn’t notice the magnificent sunset. Jake was playing havoc with her life, her emotions, and she could see no
way out. The fact that he had dashed straight back to Lorraine she tried to dismiss from her mind but it was there like a gnawing cancer eating at her self-esteem, her pride. Jake had destroyed her trust years ago and agreement or not, she did not trust him to be faithful to her. Had he found time to bed his mistress this afternoon? she wondered. Or maybe that was what he was doing now.
Suddenly a flash of light startled her and she jumped, her heart thudding. She sighed and looked around, surprised to notice that she had walked right around the house, and it was dark. The outside lanterns had switched on. For a long moment she gazed around. Lights glowed in the trees, illuminating the flowers and shrubs. She turned her head towards the house and outside the kitchen was a white wrought-iron dining-table surrounded by half a dozen chairs. Soft cushions in pink and blue picked up the colour of a huge parasol with an exquisite Chinese lantern suspended from its centre. A few comfortable loungers were spread around in front of the dining-room window along with a low table. As she watched, Maria bustled out on to the terrace, a loaded tray in her hand.
‘Can I help?’ Lexi asked.
‘No, signora,’ Maria declared disappearing back through the patio door into the kitchen.’
Lexi sighed and sat down on the nearest lounger. Lying back against the soft cushions, she stared up into the night sky; it was so peaceful, but the turmoil in her heart would not be stilled.
‘Did you miss me?’ A drawling voice made her heart leap, her eyes widen in shock.
‘Jake...’ She sat up, swinging her legs to the floor, and stared up into his shadowed face.
‘Well, did you?’ he asked, his hand reaching out to catch a tendril of her hair and twist it lightly around his finger, before curving it gently around her small ear, his finger lingering on the soft lobe and pulling gently.
He was still wearing the shorts and shirt, his hair somewhat rumpled and a day’s stubble darkening his hard jaw. He looked incredibly sexy and his teasing smile promised everything. Lexi shook her head away from his hand. She was confused and angry. How did he manage to affect her like this? Every time he came near her, touched her, his masculinity hit her like a blow to the heart.
‘Some half-hour,’ she snapped, angry anew at his casual disregard for her feelings. She had come down earlier at his instigation only to find him gone, and gone to the lovely Lorraine. He had a damn cheek asking if she had missed him.
‘You did miss me, Lexi, though getting you to admit it is probably impossible. Sorry about before, but I had an urgent call and had to leave.’
‘Says you,’ she scorned, knowing full well where he had been.
‘At least I was only gone a couple of hours, Lexi darling.’ Jake gave her a derisive smile. ‘Unlike you, who vanished for years without a word.’
Lexi felt her temper flare, and getting to her feet she looked straight up into his hard face. ‘And I’m sure you missed me,’ she drawled scathingly, knowing very well that he had been desperate to get rid of her.
‘Yes. Yes, I did.’ His soft-voiced confession had Lexi’s eyes flashing wide open in disbelief.
‘Tell it to the marines,’ she snorted inelegantly, and would have walked past him, but Jake caught her arm.
‘That’s your answer to everything, Lexi. Run away. I had hoped you might have matured in the last few years but it seems I was wrong, you’re the same selfish child you always were.’ His fingers bit into the flesh of her bare arm and she flinched at the pain. ‘It doesn’t matter to you who gets hurt—not your husband, your friends, Meg and Tom.’ His upper lip curled in a cynical sneer. ‘Just as long as little Lexi has what she wants.’
He had some nerve calling her immature and selfish, but his mention of Meg did hit a nerve. ‘I wrote to Meg,’ she defended, ignoring the way her heart-beat accelerated as she stood next to Jake.
‘Once, posted in Bahrain; the poor woman thought the white slavers had captured you.’ One dark brow arched with sardonic amusement. ‘You might fetch a good price, at that.’
His gaze roved over her in insolent appraisal. Much as she imagined a white slaver would look. Realising the idiocy of her thoughts—Jake might be a lot of things but a white slaver he was not—Lexi said, ‘No,’ her lips twitching with amusement. Knowing Meg, she should have realised the old woman would think of something like that. But Lexi had given the letter to a visiting Arab guest to post when he left, not wanting to reveal her whereabouts, too hurt. It was her one regret that she had not kept in touch with the old couple, but she hadn’t wanted to be reminded of her old life at Forest Manor; it was too painful.
‘So, you think it’s amusing?’ Jake’s smile was chilling. ‘Did it never occur to you we would worry, wonder for your safety? I was, and still am, your husband, responsible for you.’
‘I’m sure you set Meg’s mind at rest,’ Lexi snapped and tried to jerk away from him as the full meaning of his words sank in. He had the cheek, the gall, to pretend their parting was her fault. ‘You always had a way with words and women,’ she said sarcastically as he pulled her violently back to him, anger flashing between them like lightning.
His dark eyes narrowed to mere slits as he looked down at her. ‘God, but you’re a bitch!’ Rage darkened his rugged features, and Lexi gasped, her heart lurching in her breast. ‘You don’t care, you really don’t care for anyone but yourself.’
‘Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle?’ she spat back furiously.
‘I know this,’ Jake responded in a bitingly menacing voice. ‘You strolled into our London apartment, agreed to our deal, and, before I could open the champagne, you were dashing out having informed me casually you were going on holiday and never wanted to see me again.’ His free hand reached up and grasped a handful of her hair, pulling it loose from its slide and tangling in the red locks. ‘You’re a very beautiful woman, but you know how to put the knife in, Lexi; that was a master-touch, leaving the little wedding-anniversary present on the hall-table.’
‘Sorry I couldn’t do better,’ she gritted, ‘but I was short of cash at the time.’ She was surprised he had even noticed the gift she had left, when he’d had his new love to occupy him.
‘Oh, I got your message all right. Leave the poor sod a gift and he won’t worry; after all, you were recovering from losing our child. Post-natal blues—naturally I would allow you a holiday, even though it was so hastily arranged. I called your precious Dr Bell and he was of course all in sympathy with the little wife. A holiday was the best cure; he had suggested it himself to you, and, as for your not wanting to see me, he assured me you didn’t mean it—it was part of your depression, et cetera et cetera,’ he drawled with icy cynicism. ‘A week later, when I began looking for you, it was too late; you had vanished.’
‘I’m amazed you bothered, in the circumstances,’ Lexi said scathingly, while her mind absorbed the fact that Jake had looked for her. Why? She could not possibly have been wrong about what she saw and heard that day in their apartment. Could she? No. She shook her head.
‘Foolishly, I was labouring under the impression that you were still depressed and might actually need me.’ His strong features were harsh in the dim light. ‘You thought you were clever, but not clever enough, Lexi. You will never make a fool of me or get away from me again, that I can promise.’
‘That makes me quake in my shoes,’ she snapped back defiantly. ‘As I remember, you were never great on keeping a promise.’ Thinking of his broken marriage vows, she felt an urge to hurt him as he had hurt her which compelled her to add, ‘With your record I should be home free and wealthy in a few weeks.’ He was a callous brute who had blackmailed her into his bed and she despised him for it. But the brush of his thigh against her, the warmth of his body ignited a trembling awareness.
Jake jerked her head back. ‘You couldn’t resist reminding me. But this time it will be different. I have enough money to last a hundred lifetimes, enough to satisfy even you, and, my God, I intend to make damn sure you satisfy me, Lexi,’ he drawled cynically. �
�And after this morning I don’t think you will find our reconciliation so arduous.’
She stared at him. She had the strangest feeling she was missing something vital, but then their eyes met and fused, and her legs turned to jelly at the harsh intention she saw in his eyes. ‘No.’ Her neck hurt as he pulled her head further back. ‘No, you can’t do this to me,’ she cried desperately.
‘Yes,’ Jake said thickly. He dragged her towards him, and she struggled, hitting out at him with her clenched fist, anywhere she could reach. ‘I can do what I like with you, my less than loving wife.’
‘I hate you...’ His dark head descended. She tried to twist away, but his superior strength defeated her.
‘Then I’d better give you reason,’ he growled, his hard mouth grinding down on her, pushing her lips apart against her teeth. Her head swam, and she was sinking beneath the savage onslaught of his plundering possession. Jake’s head lifted and she gasped for air.
‘What the hell—Maria?’ he snarled and Lexi staggered on trembling legs; she was free.
She sank down on to the lounger, breathing hard. She raised her hand to her mouth, a trembling finger tracing her swollen lips.
Jake looked down, his black brows jerking together as he saw her gesture. ‘You will not wipe me out of your life as easily again, and don’t you forget it,’ he grated angrily, and, turning, walked towards where Maria was setting the table.
Lexi heard his brief instruction to the housekeeper. ‘Hold the meal fifteen minutes, Maria.’ And she watched with hurt, angry eyes as Jake strode into the house.
Dinner was a silent affair. Lexi tried to avoid looking at the man opposite her. Jake had walked back on to the terrace five minutes earlier and, with a curt instruction to Maria to serve the meal, had issued an equally curt command to Lexi.
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