A Scandal Made In London (Passion In Paradise Book 14)

by Lucy King

  ‘I’m not going to do it.’

  ‘Why not?’

  She stared at him. Why not? She didn’t know where to begin. ‘Well, for one thing,’ she said, opting for the least complicated reason, ‘it wouldn’t work. No one would ever believe it.’

  ‘Of course they would,’ he said, failure obviously a concept he was as familiar with as defiance. ‘People do not tend to question me.’

  Right. ‘It’s unethical.’

  A flicker of irritation flitted across his face at that. ‘It’s business.’

  ‘So find someone else.’

  ‘I don’t want someone else. I want you.’

  ‘Because it’s convenient.’

  A muscle ticced in his jaw. ‘Why else?’

  At least he didn’t bother denying it. ‘Still no.’

  His eyes narrowed minutely and the hairs at the back of her neck jumped up. ‘Think very carefully, Kate.’

  ‘I am,’ she said, determined not to be put off by her body’s infuriating response to him. ‘Do you honestly believe you can basically say you want to use me and our baby for your own selfish ends, and I’d be all, sure, why not?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well, you’re wrong.’

  His jaw tightened. ‘You will be handsomely compensated for your efforts.’

  ‘I don’t want your money.’

  ‘You were happy enough to take it a month ago.’

  At that, Kate went very still, her blood chilling and her heart thudding. Why would he mention that now? ‘What are you suggesting?’ she asked as a ribbon of trepidation wound through her.

  ‘Nothing,’ he said, not taking his eyes off her for a second. ‘Merely stating a fact.’

  ‘Then why bring it up?’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because it sounds like a threat.’

  ‘How you interpret it is up to you,’ he said smoothly. ‘However, there is also your career to consider.’

  Her stomach clenched. What did that have to do with anything? ‘My career?’ she echoed, the apprehension growing.

  ‘The ICA may take a dim view of what you get up to online, don’t you think?’

  ‘But then again, they may not.’

  ‘I imagine it would depend on who filed the complaint and how many favours they were owed.’

  ‘There’s no need for anyone else to know.’

  ‘I couldn’t agree more.’

  And there it was.

  The threat she’d heard earlier.

  Now not even thinly veiled.

  As the truth of what he was saying struck her like a blow to the head Kate went from icy cold to boiling hot, numb incredulity giving way to a burning deluge of emotion.

  The bastard.

  The complete and utter rat.

  How could she ever have thought he wasn’t all bad? He was just as cold and heartless as she’d originally believed. She’d heard he’d go to any lengths to get what he wanted, but there was clearly no line he wouldn’t cross and no weapon he wouldn’t use. He’d taken everything she’d told him that evening in his office, all those deeply personal issues of hers, her troubled adolescence and her worries about her sister, the money, and turned them against her.

  How could he do that? she wondered, her entire body shaking as the silence thundered between them. How could he stoop so low? Oh, she was such a fool to have shared. She should have known she’d come to regret it. If only she hadn’t taken his money. If only she’d been stronger. But how could he have insisted she’d owe him nothing and then demand repayment? Had he no integrity?

  Something inside her withered and died, and she ruthlessly squashed down the surge of disappointment and hurt and who knew what else.

  ‘You bastard,’ she said, her voice hoarse with suppressed emotion.

  His mouth twisted. ‘If only.’

  ‘What you’re suggesting is blackmail.’

  ‘That’s an ugly word.’

  ‘It’s an ugly concept.’

  ‘How this plays out is entirely up to you, Kate,’ he said. ‘The choice is yours.’

  ‘It’s no choice at all and you know it.’

  ‘So we have a deal?’

  He made it sound like a question, but it wasn’t. He had her in the palm of his hand. She so badly wanted to tell him to go to hell but there was too much at stake. While she might be willing to forfeit her career and even her home to retain the moral high ground and never have anything to do with him ever again, she was not risking her sister’s well-being. If she didn’t comply with his wishes, Theo would withdraw his funding. She was sure of it. Because his word clearly meant nothing.

  So fine. She’d accompany him to the odd social event if that was what he wanted. She could dangle off his arm and smile nicely for a month. Now she’d seen a glimpse of the man behind the mask she wouldn’t be taken in again. Her guard would remain well and truly up and she would never forget what a low-life jerk he really was.

  ‘We have a deal.’

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  THE FOLLOWING EVENING, Kate sat at her dressing table, peering into the tiny mirror while she fastened hoops to her earlobes and wishing she were somewhere else. Like Mars. Outwardly, dressed in a gown of green satin, all made up with her hair done, she looked a picture of sophisticated serenity. Inside, she seethed.

  Theo had wasted no time in putting his diabolical plan into action. This morning she’d received a brief text informing her that tonight they would be going out to a black-tie function. Half an hour later she’d been summoned to an exclusive store in Knightsbridge that catered for the exceptionally tall, where a personal shopper had revamped her entire wardrobe. She’d then been whisked to a salon and had emerged three hours later with a sleek up-do and a face full of make-up that was way more than she usually wore but at least did a good job of disguising the effects of a sleepless night and continued morning sickness.

  While she’d been sitting in the chair with people flitting around and dancing attendance on her it had occurred to her that what the makeover suggested was the height of insult but then she’d expect nothing less from a man who’d coldly and calculatingly used her honesty and her hang-ups to blackmail her.

  Twenty-four hours after Theo had delivered his ultimatum she still reeled with the shoddiness of it. For some reason she’d thought he was somehow more than his reputation would have her believe. Foolishly, she’d allowed herself to change her mind about him. She didn’t know why. The evidence had been flimsy at best, and, with the benefit of hindsight, granting him attributes he clearly didn’t have had been a mistake of epic proportions. She couldn’t have been more wrong about any of it, and the worst thing was it was her own fault because, while he might have manipulated her, he hadn’t exactly tricked her. So not only was the disillusionment hitting her hard, she also felt stupid and naïve and unable to trust her own judgement. Again.

  The buzzer sounded, shattering the quiet, and Kate jumped, the simmering anger and resentment she continued to feel towards Theo flaring up deep inside her. It was show-time—but, oh, how tempted she was to lift the window, lean out and tell him to get lost. But she didn’t dare risk it. She didn’t trust him one little bit. Not now.

  There was no need to hurry, though, was there? Keeping him waiting another five minutes might be petty, but it would also be deeply, deeply satisfying. So Kate calmly redid her lipstick and gave her neck another squirt of scent. When the buzzer went again, she ignored it in favour of checking her phone for messages and emails before popping it in her bag.

  It was only after the third, longer, more jabbing buzz that she figured if she didn’t want him storming up here and dragging her out she’d better get going. So she slipped on her shoes, locked up and went downstairs. At the end of the hall, she took a deep breath and pulled her shoulders back, and opened the front door to see Theo
leaning against a car, his hands thrust into the pockets of his trousers, looking decidedly unimpressed. Which was extremely pleasing and, frankly, only fair given his lousy treatment of her.

  What wasn’t fair, though, she thought, the sharp stab of triumph fading beneath an unwelcome surge of heat and an unforgivable thump of desire as she walked towards him, was how he could look so devastatingly handsome when he was so horribly, mercilessly awful. His tuxedo fitted him as if he’d been stitched into it. The snowy white of his shirt highlighted the strength of his jaw and the chiselled perfection of his features. Smouldering and dangerous were the adjectives that sprang to mind and, oh, great, now she was being bombarded with images of all the things he’d once done to her.

  ‘You’re late,’ he said curtly, pushing himself off the car and turning to open the rear passenger door.

  Kate snapped out of her trance and inwardly bristled at the icy annoyance in his tone. ‘I nearly didn’t come down at all.’

  ‘We have a deal.’

  ‘I know,’ she said before adding pointedly, ‘and I, for one, don’t go back on my word.’

  Wrenching her gaze from his, which was annoyingly harder than it ought to be, she slid into the car with as much elegance as she could manage and settled back against the soft leather seat. A minute later Theo joined her, closing the door behind him with a soft thud, and instantly it felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the air. To her horror, her breath caught in her throat and her entire body hummed with a dizzying sort of awareness. Her dress, which had fitted perfectly a moment ago, suddenly seemed impossibly tight. As he shifted on the seat she realised he was too big, too near, and he smelled too good. She wanted to climb into his lap and get all up close and personal, and see if she couldn’t do something about the tired lines that fanned out from his eyes and bracketed his mouth, which was simply insane when she loathed him with every ounce of her being.

  Channelling the outrage that had dominated her emotions recently, Kate kept to her side and made herself look out of her window, but it didn’t block the heat of his gaze on her or the corresponding flip of her stomach.

  ‘You look stunning.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said, refusing to acknowledge the brief stab of pleasure she felt at his compliment.

  ‘How have you been?’

  ‘Busy.’

  ‘Shopping?’

  ‘Among other things.’

  ‘You maxed out my credit card.’

  ‘This body costs a lot to clothe well,’ she said, ‘and all this,’ she added, shooting him a quick glance and waving a hand around her face and hair, ‘comes at a price.’

  ‘It was worth every penny.’

  She was not going to respond to that. ‘Yes, well, you did say the budget was unlimited,’ she said. ‘And given how I ended up in this particular situation, it seemed the least you could do to make amends.’

  ‘Did it work?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Unusual.’

  ‘In what way?’

  ‘Money tends to fix most problems.’

  ‘But not all?’

  A pause. A flash of bleakness in his eyes. ‘No,’ he said with a faint frown. ‘Not all.’

  He was obviously thinking of the deal and the obstructive Mr Bridgeman, and Kate mentally high-fived the man she’d never met but who had to be the only person on the planet to defy him.

  ‘So what’s this evening about, then?’ she asked, abandoning the view of the heavy traffic of central London through which they were inching, and shifting to bestow on him her iciest glare.

  ‘It’s a fundraiser.’

  ‘What for?’

  ‘A charity that helps young entrepreneurs who haven’t had the easiest start in life.’

  ‘Like you?’

  ‘How would that be like me?’

  The look that accompanied his response was dark and forbidding, and she would have wondered what had caused the sudden tension radiating off him had she been remotely interested in digging deeper. ‘Well, you started in business at a young age, didn’t you? No handy trust fund or Oxbridge education.’

  The tension eased. ‘Yes.’

  ‘A worthy cause.’

  ‘Very.’

  ‘Who’s going to be there?’

  ‘Business acquaintances mainly.’

  But no friends. How unsurprising. ‘The CEO you’re trying to sweeten?’

  ‘No. He’s away.’

  Oh. ‘Doesn’t that rather defeat the object of the exercise?’

  ‘Not at all. Tonight is about building a narrative and spreading your news.’

  Her news, she noted. Not their news. Right now she was useful to him, the means to an end, but once it was done she’d be on her own and she must never forget it. ‘Why are you so keen to impress him?’

  ‘I want his business.’

  ‘I know, but why doesn’t he want to sell it to you?’

  ‘He has concerns.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘My personality,’ he said with a faint grimace that she found enormously satisfying. ‘My integrity.’

  Really? Hah. There were clearly no flies on this Mr Bridgeman. ‘He knows you well.’

  ‘We’ve never met.’

  ‘Then he disapproves of your reputation.’

  ‘Apparently so,’ he said, as if he found it impossible to believe that anyone would dare.

  ‘Astounding.’

  ‘Quite.’

  ‘Don’t you think faking an engagement to facilitate a business deal falls somewhat short of the integrity you’re keen on showing him you have?’

  His jaw tightened and his expression hardened. ‘Once the papers are signed it won’t matter.’

  Did he really mean that? He must. After all, she had direct experience how single-minded and immovable he could be when he wanted something, didn’t she? ‘How long do you think it’s going to take?’

  ‘As long as is necessary.’

  ‘What if the deal never comes off?’

  ‘That’s not going to happen.’

  Hmm. ‘Yes, well, while your confidence is impressive,’ she said, managing to inject a pleasing note of disdain into her voice, ‘I’d be happier if we put a time limit on things.’

  He arched one dark eyebrow. ‘Conditions, Kate?’

  ‘It’s a fair one, you have to admit.’

  ‘You’re in no position to negotiate.’

  Damn. He had her there. ‘So that’s a no?’

  ‘That’s very much a no.’

  Then she’d better put her back into this ridiculous farce so that Daniel Bridgeman sold Theo his company asap and she could get on with her life. ‘I have another one,’ she said coolly. ‘One that’s not as easy to dismiss.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘I might have agreed to this little charade, fake engagement, whatever, but I do not consent to kissing or inappropriate touching or anything else like it.’

  For a moment Theo didn’t respond. Instead, his gaze dropped to her mouth and for some reason the temperature inside the car rocketed. Her head spun and her mouth went dry and an unforgivable punch of lust hit her in the gut.

  ‘I wasn’t aware I’d asked you to,’ he said, sounding so in control, so uninterested, she envied him.

  ‘Just making sure.’

  ‘I’ll keep it in mind.’

  And she ought to keep in mind the reason she was here—the blackmail. ‘So my job is to enhance your personality and show Mr Bridgeman your softer side?’ she said, pulling herself together and focusing.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘A Herculean task when you don’t have one.’

  ‘I have no doubt you are up to the challenge.’

  ‘Aren’t you concerned I might muck it up?’

  ‘Why would you do th
at?’

  ‘I’ve never had a boyfriend, let alone a fiancé.’

  ‘You’re a quick learner,’ he said, something about his tone heating her blood and melting her stomach despite her resolve to remain cool and aloof. ‘You’ll soon pick it up.’

  Kate thought of glaciers and straightened her spine. ‘How do you know I’m not planning to sabotage things in revenge for the way you blackmailed me into this?’

  ‘Are you?’

  ‘I might be.’

  ‘I wouldn’t,’ he said mildly, although she could hear his warning loud and clear.

  ‘If only I still had my virginity to sell,’ she said wistfully, half meaning it.

  ‘Regrets?’

  ‘Do you care either way?’

  Something flitted across his expression, but it was gone before she could even try and identify it. ‘No.’

  ‘No, well, why would you?’ she said, feeling the tiniest bit stung despite herself. ‘When you own the world, I guess you don’t need to worry so much about other people’s feelings.’

  ‘I guess not,’ he agreed impassively.

  ‘So brusque,’ she said with a shake of her head. ‘So serious. So steely.’

  ‘Is that a problem?’

  ‘Not particularly, although I guess it depends on your perspective. It seems to me, though, that a real girlfriend might expect the occasional smile. A fiancée definitely would, I should think.’

  ‘How would you know?’

  Ooh, that was harsh. But fair, she grudgingly had to admit. ‘Well, what do you think?’

  ‘Me? I have no idea.’

  She stared at him, surprise momentarily nudging everything else out of the way. ‘None?’

  ‘None.’

  ‘But you must have had a girlfriend.’

  ‘Must I?’

  ‘Haven’t you? Ever?’

  ‘I don’t have the time.’

  Oh, dear.

  She’d assumed at least Theo would know what he was doing, but it now seemed as though it was a case of the blind leading the blind. How had he thought this approach would ever work? Was he nuts?

  ‘Right,’ she said, resenting him even more for putting her in this position. ‘Well. Let’s hope I’m not the only one who’s a quick learner.’