Lovestorm (Harlequin Treasury 1990's)

by Jennifer Taylor

  Anxious to get rid of the unwanted caller she hurried to the door, then felt her stomach give a sickening lurch when she discovered Richard outside.

  ‘Helen, how are you? I must confess that I was surprised to see you back from your honeymoon so soon and minus your husband. What went wrong, darling? Did you suddenly realise what a fool you had been to get mixed up with a bastard like Hunt?’

  Helen forced herself to meet Richard’s taunting gaze, refusing to reply to the question. ‘What do you want, Richard? And how did you discover that I was home?’

  He laughed in a way which sent a shiver crawling down her spine. ‘I saw you at the airport. I was just on my way to book in for a flight back to the States when I spotted you and I thought I couldn’t possibly miss the opportunity to catch up on what has been happening to you, especially as your husband wasn’t with you.’ He took a step towards the door, his smile thinning when Helen made no attempt to let him in.

  ‘I see. However, I am sure you will understand that I am rather busy right now, so if you will—’

  ‘Oh, no, Helen. You aren’t getting rid of me that easily. Not until we’ve had a chance to talk and I’ve told you my news.’ He forced the door open so that he could step inside the hall, then glanced mockingly back at her. ‘If you’re worried about a repeat of the last time I paid you a visit, then don’t be. I don’t have any inclination to take another man’s leftovers. You chose Hunt and you’re welcome to him. It’s just a shame that you are probably going to regret it.’

  There was something in Richard’s voice which made the hairs on the back of Helen’s neck rise. Slowly she closed the door, her eyes never leaving his face, but he merely afforded her a taunting smile as he walked through to the sitting-room and sat down. There was a glitter of excitement in his eyes as he watched her follow him, a pent-up tension which alarmed her even though she had no idea what was causing it. She had known Richard for some time, yet suddenly she had the strangest feeling that she was seeing a stranger.

  ‘Aren’t you curious about what I meant just now, Helen?’ He relaxed back in the chair and crossed his legs, making no attempt to hide his amusement. Helen took a slow breath then forced herself to take the chair opposite him.

  ‘I’m sure you intend to tell me whether I’m curious or not, so let’s hear it, Richard. What is this earth-shattering piece of news you are longing to tell me?’

  He sat up abruptly, his mouth drawing into lines of anger as he recognised the sarcasm in her voice. Helen wondered how she had never noticed before just how different he looked when he was annoyed. They had argued infrequently, mainly because she had never cared enough to make an issue about most of the things they had disagreed on, yet somehow it had never struck her so forcibly just how Richard’s expression could change when he was crossed.

  ‘I am sure you’ll be laughing on the other side of your face soon, Helen. You and that husband of yours!’ He laughed harshly, the sound grating in the silence. ‘Did you really think that I would let you both get away with making a fool of me?’

  ‘Neither Jacob nor I ever intended that! And I resent your accusing me of it, Richard.’

  ‘Don’t bother getting on your high horse with me, sweet. I know what happened! You led me on until something better came along, or rather someone with more money, that is. That was the deciding factor, wasn’t it? Jacob Hunt could buy and sell me a thousand times over and still have change in his pocket. And that was the real reason why you decided to marry him!’

  ‘No!’ Helen jumped to her feet, her face flaming at the accusation. ‘How dare you say that? You’re wrong.’

  ‘Am I?’ He shrugged carelessly. ‘I don’t think so. In fact, I know I’m not. I’ve been hearing a few stories about you lately, Helen; about the fact that Hunt has been paying all your bills at this flat, not to mention the fact that he owns it and simply allowed you and your father to live here. That is something you just forgot to mention to me, of course. Still, it makes no difference now. As far as I’m concerned Hunt bought what you were willing to sell, so it seems that you both got what you wanted—and deserve. I wonder, though, if you’ll think it was worth it in a few days’ time? Perhaps then you will start to see what a mistake you made.’

  He stood up and smiled at her, and Helen unconsciously shrank away from the hatred she could see burning in his eyes. ‘You married Hunt for his money, so how will you feel when you suddenly discover that he hasn’t got a penny, that the whole lot has gone? Will that make you reconsider this marriage of yours, Helen?’

  ‘What are you talking about? Has—has something happened to Jacob’s business?’ It was hard to control the fear she felt, but she struggled to do so as she tried to make Richard explain.

  ‘Mmm, you might say that. You see, Helen, I wasn’t at all happy with the way things turned out, and put my mind to doing something constructive about it. And would you believe that fate was on my side?’ He glanced at his watch then back at her. ‘I wish I could stay to explain more fully but I do have that plane to catch.’ He walked to the door, then stopped to look back. ‘I hope Hunt thinks that you were worth it, because very soon you are going to be all he has left, and that is assuming that you decide to stay with him, which I doubt. Goodbye, Helen. I don’t imagine that our paths will cross again so I wish you luck. You and your husband are going to need it. Oh, and if Hunt ever asks why it happened then don’t be shy, tell him straight that it was all because of you!’

  He left, closing the door quietly behind him. Helen stared at it with wide, shocked eyes as she tried to make sense of what he had said, but that was impossible without knowing more details. She ran after Richard but when she reached the foyer there was no sign of him there nor in the driveway outside. He must have had a taxi waiting for him and left at once.

  Slowly she made her way back to the flat and closed the door again, her whole body cold with fear. If only she knew what Richard had done then maybe she could have found some way to rectify the damage, but she had no idea what form his revenge had taken. How bitterly ironic that after everything that had happened and her final realisation that Jacob wasn’t to blame, he might suffer because of her! Yet somehow she had to find a means to stop it happening if she could, even if it meant contacting Jacob.

  Three hours later, Helen put the telephone down for the last time, admitting that she was beaten. She had tried more than a dozen times to get through to Nassau and each time met with the same courteous response, informing her that the storm had made communications impossible at present but to try again in the morning when, hopefully, the faults would have been cleared. All she could do now was follow that advice, but it wasn’t easy knowing that Jacob was in danger of losing everything unless she found some means to prevent it.

  Still worrying about it, Helen switched off the sitting-room lamps then went to her room and undressed. Pulling on a thick fluffy towelling robe she made her way to the bathroom and ran the shower. The water was deliciously warm, soothing some of the tension from her body, and she stayed in it for ages until finally she switched it off. She reached for a towel to dry herself then stopped when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror over the basin.

  There was a small dark bruise on the top of her arm and she touched a fingertip to it, remembering with an achingly vivid clarity how it had happened last night when Jacob had been unconsciously rough in his lovemaking. His hands had gripped her arms, his blue eyes burning with desire as he had stared down at her in the very moment when his body had joined with hers in the final act of possession.

  ‘Jacob!’ His name was no more then a whisper as it fell from her lips but it filled her mind and body with his presence. They had spent such a short time together in their bitter marriage, yet suddenly Helen knew that no matter what happened she didn’t regret it. Jacob had said that it would be a chance for them to discover new things about each other, and he had been right. Jacob wasn’t the man she had thought him to be. He was tough and uncompromising, but he h
ad a strength a weaker person could lean on. He was ruthless in his drive to get to the top, but he would never ask more of another person than he was prepared to give himself tenfold. He hadn’t set out to ruin her father, but had offered help when it was desperately needed. She had been so very, very wrong about him for all these years and now he was going to suffer because of it.

  She turned away from the mirror and ran a hand across her eyes to wipe away the fruitless tears, then slipped the robe back on to make her way back to her bedroom. She paused uncertainly in the hallway as she saw the light spilling from the sitting-room. She could have sworn she’d switched all the lamps off before, but then she’d had her mind on other things.

  Walking swiftly into the room, Helen went to the desk and bent to switch the lamp off, then stilled with shock when a familiar voice spoke. ‘Leave it on, Helen. You and I have a lot to discuss before this night is over.’

  For a second she couldn’t seem to move let alone speak, her hand poised above the switch, her body rigid with shock. Then Jacob continued and broke the spell he had cast on her.

  ‘Damn you, Helen, don’t you think I deserve more? At least the courtesy of your waiting to say goodbye rather than taking off the way you did?’

  There was no mistaking Jacob’s anger, and Helen steeled herself as she stood up and turned to look at him. For a moment her gaze lingered on the hard set of his jaw, the glint of steel in his deep blue eyes before she looked away and took a shuddering, desperate little breath which did nothing to steady the crazy tempo of her heartbeat.

  ‘How did you manage to get here so fast? There were no seats left, I was told. I—I’ve been trying to contact you all evening.’

  ‘Have you? Why? Struck by a sudden attack of conscience, were you, my sweet?’ He smiled as he walked across the room towards her. ‘I find that hard to believe. But for your information I chartered a plane to fly me back. Fortunately I had kept hold of a key to the flat so had no difficulty in letting myself in.’ He laughed softly, scant amusement in the sound of his voice. ‘Did you really think that I would let you go like that, Helen?’

  ‘I left you a note, Jacob. It—it explained why I had decided to go.’ She wished her voice didn’t sound so reedy-thin, but it was the way he was looking at her, his face filled with icy contempt. Abruptly she turned away to pour herself a drink she didn’t want, and sipped it while she watched him over the rim of the glass.

  ‘Ah, yes—the note. We mustn’t forget that. Was that why you were trying to contact me, darling? To make sure that I had found it? I did, of course.’ He dug his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, tossing it on to the table next to her. ‘It was all very clear, Helen. Did it take you long to work out what you would write to get it down in such precise terms?’

  ‘Our marriage was a mistake, Jacob. You must realise that as I do. It will be better for both of us if we accept that and end it.’

  ‘So you think that divorce is the answer?’

  Helen’s heart gave a shuddering lurch at the thought, but she nodded. ‘Surely it makes sense?’

  ‘Perhaps it does—to you.’ He took another slow step towards her, his voice grating with anger. ‘Did you have this all planned right from the beginning, darling?’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean!’ She backed away from him until she came up against the edge of the table, afraid of the fury she could sense building in him.

  ‘Why be coy? It must give you a certain satisfaction to see your plans reach fruition the way they seem to have done.’

  ‘You’re talking in riddles, Jacob! Unless you care to explain then I can’t see any—’

  ‘Oh, I’ll be happy to explain just so that we have it all out in the open, so that you know that I understand what you were up to.’ With lightning speed his hand snaked out to catch her wrist and pull her to him so that he could glare down into her white face. ‘It was well done, I’ll give you that. Last night you let me make love to you, although perhaps you hadn’t allowed for the fact that you might enjoy it as you did, and that’s why you were so upset this morning. Then you waited your opportunity and walked out, leaving behind that careful little note informing me that you think it better if we end our marriage and that I should start divorce proceedings.’ He hooked a finger under her chin to lift her face so that he could look straight into her eyes. ‘That was the real coup de grâce, wasn’t it, sweet?’

  ‘You’re wrong, Jacob! It wasn’t planned. How could it have been? I didn’t know that there would be a storm, let alone that we—that we...’ She broke off, her face flaming as she heard him laugh harshly.

  ‘That we would make love? You seem to find it difficult to say, yet you didn’t appear to find it so difficult to do, and that surprised me, Helen, once I realised you were a virgin. Yet last night you lay in my arms and made love with me without a qualm and I have been asking myself why ever since. Was it because you were overcome with desire for me?’ He shrugged, his fingers biting into her flesh as she tried to free herself. ‘Possibly, but I imagine that came as rather a shock, something you hadn’t planned on. I imagine what you really intended was to hit back at me, and what greater blow to a man’s ego could there be than for the woman he has spent the night making love to to walk off without a word of farewell—just a note claiming that it had all been a mistake.’

  Helen’s head was reeling from the accusation but somehow she knew she had to convince Jacob he was wrong. It seemed imperative she do that! ‘No! It wasn’t like that. I didn’t plan it, Jacob.’ She struggled to find the courage to go on and make an admission which would leave her so very vulnerable. ‘I—I made love with you last night because I wanted to and not for any other reason.’

  Jacob barely glanced at her pleading face as he let her go and picked up the bottle of whisky to pour some into a glass. ‘Indeed? How flattering, if I could believe it.’ He tossed the whisky back, then set the glass down with a gentleness which was far more scary than any show of anger might have been. ‘Last night was something you had planned, the same as that contract we signed. Perhaps you couldn’t pin it down to a certain day or time but whenever it happened you were prepared to use it to your advantage. I congratulate you, Helen, you have a shrewd head.’

  ‘Jacob, I—’

  He cut her off as though she hadn’t spoken, his voice like ice. ‘That contract was quite precise, wasn’t it, darling? If I decide to end our marriage within the first six months, then all the conditions will be met. But did you really hope to push me into doing that?’ He laughed softly, dangerously. ‘Sorry, Helen, but this marriage of ours will end only if and when I decide it will!’

  He strode past her, his very bearing one of arrogant contempt, but there was no way this side of heaven that Helen was letting him leave after saying that! She ran after him, her nails biting through the fabric of his pale blue sweatshirt, her eyes glittering with fury. ‘How dare you, Jacob? How dare you accuse me of planning such a thing?’

  ‘Easily.’ He smiled coolly. ‘You’ve never made any secret of why you married me, have you? You set out to pay me back for all those supposed wrongs I’ve done your family. So what better way than to take me for every penny you can get? But I’m afraid you’ve misjudged me, Helen.’

  Jacob’s eyes held hers in a look which would have scared her rigid if it hadn’t been for the anger she felt. ‘If I had intended to hit back at you, then tell me why I’ve spent the past three hours trying to contact you! I could have let Richard get on with his rotten plans and sat back and watched you suffer. Frankly, I’m sorry I didn’t do that!’

  Jacob’s eyes narrowed. ‘What are you talking about? What is Richard up to?’

  ‘I don’t know, and that’s what frightens me!’ Suddenly her anger drained away and she let her hand drop from his arm in a gesture of despair. ‘I don’t know what he’s been up to.’

  Jacob took her by the arm and steered her back to a chair, making her sit down. ‘Tell me what he said, e
very word.’

  Helen’s hand trembled as she ran it over her face. That Jacob should imagine her capable of that—but was it any wonder when they had spent these years inflicting wounds upon each other?

  ‘Tell me, Helen.’

  Jacob’s voice was softer but it held a note which told her that he still believed what he’d accused her of. But for now she had to forget that and concentrate on what Richard had done. She couldn’t bear the thought of Jacob suffering any more because of her. ‘Richard arrived not long after I got back here. He’d seen me at the airport and followed me when he realised I was by myself.’ She saw Jacob stiffen and understood at once the reason for it. ‘Nothing happened, Jacob. Richard—well, he said a lot of things I don’t need to repeat, but the gist of it was that he had decided to get even for being made to look a fool.’

  Jacob swore colourfully, his face grim. ‘So what did he tell you he had planned?’

  Helen shook her head, the heavy red hair swinging around her shoulders. ‘He didn’t. He just said that by the time he was through you’d have nothing left. He seemed so sure of himself, Jacob!’

  He smiled grimly. ‘Did he indeed? Then I shall have to find out what he’s been up to.’ He glanced down at her, his eyes watchful. ‘I wonder why you decided to warn me, though.’

  She looked away from the searching gaze, her heart shuddering wildly. Jacob had been full of anger when he’d come after her tonight, yet it wasn’t anger which seemed to flow between them now but something else, something which scared her even more. When Jacob drew her to her feet she kept her face averted, but he made her look at him.

  ‘Do you still hate me, Helen?’ His voice stroked every taut nerve, making her body hum with sensation. When her shocked eyes met his, all her uncertainties showed clearly in their cloudy emerald depths.

  ‘No. I—I don’t hate you.’

  There was a moment when Jacob seemed to be turned to stone as his eyes held hers, then he bent and kissed her hard with a kind of savage triumph, his lips branding her with his mark. When he drew back just as abruptly and started towards the door, Helen took a step after him then stopped as he looked back, held there by the burning glitter in his eyes, the note in his deep voice. ‘I’ve waited a long time for this, Helen. A very long time indeed!’