Joy drew deeply on the cigarette she was smoking, eyes narrowed speculatively behind the lingering curls of smoke. ‘A little bird tells me that Jonas had been casting those lovely dark eyes of his over engagement rings,’ she drawled. ‘And as you’re the only woman he’s been seen with recently—almost every night last week, wasn’t it…?’ She raised mocking brows. ‘I can only assume that you must be the lucky lady intended to receive whichever rock he decides upon from the exclusive collection he had delivered for his inspection to his office!’
Jonas had been looking at engagement rings? She wasn’t even supposed to give him her answer until this evening; was he so sure of her that he had the arrogance to have already chosen a ring for her? Cassandra knew he was—on both counts! And Joy was absolutely right about the amount of time Jonas had spent at her home this last week—although she had no intention of asking her sister how she could possibly have known that; Joy would just find it amusing that she should be so uptight about her knowing!
The truth of the matter was that a lot of the time Jonas had spent with them this last week had actually been concentrated on Bethany, as he became closer and closer emotionally to the child. He had come to the house straight from the office most evenings, consequently having his evening meal with the two of them too. In fact, the night before last, Jean had actually asked him before he left for the evening if she was to expect him for a meal the next night! Not that Cassandra blamed her housekeeper for wanting to know; it wasn’t easy for the other woman to keep preparing meals that could cater for a third person, if need be. The proof that it paid to know in advance was borne out by the especially sumptuous meal Jean had prepared for them all last night!
But that didn’t mean that Cassandra accepted Jonas’s arrogance in assuming he had some sort of right to eat with them every evening! Just as it was equally obvious that Jonas didn’t give a damn what she thought—he was going to do it anyway!
She hated the insidious way he was taking over her life, knew that if she married him she was going to deeply resent his totally dominating presence in her life. If she married him! Good God, they both knew she had no choice but to marry him, that her refusal to give him his answer until the time she had stated was only delaying the inevitable; she felt like a fish floundering on the end of a hook, and Jonas was slowly but assuredly reeling in the line. Nevertheless, she kept fighting until the last possible moment…
And she couldn’t for the life of her understand how Joy could describe Jonas as having ‘lovely dark eyes’; they always seemed coldly determined to her, totally lacking in warmth!
‘I don’t know where you got your information from, Joy,’ she began with rueful dismissal. ‘But—’
‘A very reliable source, believe me,’ Joy cut in with a confident smile.
Cassandra did believe her, and could only assume that Jonas had actually had the rings brought to the offices of Hunter and Kyle for him to look at, as Joy had claimed he had; he was just arrogant enough to demand such a personal service from any exclusive jeweller’s he felt inclined to use! And no doubt Colin, knowing exactly what was going on, had taken great delight in telling Joy all about it.
‘If you’ve been worrying about how far things went between Jonas and me earlier in the year—’ her sister sat forward confidingly, obviously completely misunderstanding Cassandra’s silence ‘—you needn’t be; we were never lovers. Worse luck,’ she grimaced with feeling. ‘I have a feeling Jonas would make a wonderfully unforgettable lover. Does he?’ she pounced interestedly.
Cassandra had been struck dumb by her sister’s opening words—even more so to learn that Joy and Jonas had never—Good God, that must have been a first for Joy; no wonder she had pursued him so intensely for those few months until it became obvious to her Jonas just wasn’t interested!
And Jonas hadn’t so much as touched Cassandra since the evening he had deliberately set out to prove to her that they were more than capable of enjoying a physical relationship together! Not that she had wanted him to touch her, she inwardly protested. Too much, again…? God, she would be lying if she didn’t admit she was still shaken by her physical response to him that night. How could she have been aroused by a man she hated? That in itself was frightening…
‘Don’t bother to answer; I can see he does!’ Joy chuckled as she stood up. ‘I have to go and get ready for my evening out with Colin anyway. A word of warning, though,’ she added with a grimace. ‘Make sure Mummy is among the first to hear of the engagement, otherwise she’s likely to throw an embarrassing fit!’ She hurried from the room to get ready for her date.
That cage door was closed now, Cassandra realised heavily, the bolt just had to be pushed across, and then there would be no escape…
‘Mummy, what’s an engagement?’
Cassandra was shaken out of her frowning reverie by Bethany’s innocently put question, her daughter revealing that once again she hadn’t been as deaf to the conversation going on around her as everyone had assumed she was! Cassandra quickly tried to remember what else she and Joy had—Oh, no!
‘And why does Uncle Jonas want to give you a rock?’ Bethany frowned her consternation with this puzzling fact. ‘It’s a strange Christmas present!’
Cassandra laughed with the relief that these were the only two things that seemed to puzzle her daughter about her conversation with Joy. It could have been so much worse!
‘It is indeed, my darling.’ She stood up to hug her daughter. ‘It is indeed!’
Thankfully her mother, Cassandra could tell from her behaviour when she joined them a few minutes later, didn’t seem to have heard about the possibility of an engagement between Jonas and herself from the same ‘reliable source’ Joy had; for once her sister seemed to be acting with a little tact rather than stirring up trouble when she saw the perfect opportunity to do so. That probably had something to do with the fact that Jonas was Colin’s boss—Oh, God, she was getting as cynical as Jonas himself! She should just be grateful for the fact that no one else realised quite how dependent on Jonas they all were for their future…
Whatever the reasons for Joy’s silence, Cassandra was glad of it, the time spent with her mother passing quite smoothly although a lot of that had to do with their preoccupation with Bethany’s rising excitement as the time approached for Father Christmas to come. However, her mother couldn’t resist getting in a little dig before they left, about why they couldn’t have stayed with her over Christmas instead of going home to spend it alone. Cassandra knew it was useless trying to explain to her mother—yet again—that staying here would have reminded her too much of Christmas last year, when Charles and her father had both still been alive to enjoy it with them…
And Cassandra could have done without finding Jonas waiting for them at the house when they arrived home a short time later!
His car was parked in the driveway beside the space where he knew she usually parked her Mercedes, so he had known she wasn’t at home before he even got out of his car. But he had gone ahead and rung the doorbell anyway, she realised irritably. And Jean, after his visits all week, wouldn’t think twice about letting him wait inside for her to return.
In fact, as she let herself and Bethany into the house with her key, she could hear the murmur of voices coming from the sitting-room, and realised Jean must be in there talking to Jonas still. For some reason Jonas seemed to prefer that small sitting-room where she worked and spent time with Bethany. Although perhaps that wasn’t so inexplicable; he seemed intent on invading every private as well as public part of her life!
‘Uncle Jonas!’ Bethany launched herself across the room at him.
Cassandra entered a little more cautiously, seeing from the laden tray on the table, the steam coming from the teapot spout that Jean had just brought the tray through from the kitchen; Jonas hadn’t been here very long, after all.
‘I’ll go and get a second cup and Bethany’s milk,’ Jean greeted her with a smile, ruffling Bethany’s dark locks affec
tionately before she went.
Cassandra had fed Bethany her tea before they went to her mother’s to deliver the presents, knowing that by the time they got back her daughter would be too excited to even think of eating. She eyed Jonas warily now, unsure, after her conversation with Joy earlier, what his exact purpose was in coming here tonight. He returned her gaze with a rise of mockingly questioning brows.
‘Here we are.’ Jean bustled back into the room with the extra cup and glass of milk, obviously having had everything prepared in the kitchen.
Cassandra smiled at her gratefully, just about to speak when Bethany chirped up again—and left her standing with her mouth open, gulping in air!
‘Uncle Jonas, why are you giving Mummy a rock for Christmas?’
Her intrepid daughter had done it again, frowning up at Jonas now as she sat comfortably ensconced on his knee!
‘Don’t look at me!’ Cassandra protested as he did just that, Jean wisely taking this opportunity to excuse herself hastily on the pretext of preparing dinner, giving Cassandra a questioning look before she quietly closed the door behind her as she left.
She had been wasting her time earlier at her mother’s when she had tried to divert Bethany away from this subject, and obviously failed miserably; Bethany had just decided to wait until she saw Jonas again so that she could ask him for the explanation her mother either couldn’t—or wouldn’t!—give her.
‘Bethany has been listening to her aunty Joy,’ Cassandra said, as if that explained everything.
And Jonas looked as if perhaps it did!
‘I see,’ he mused, smiling down at Bethany as she cuddled up against him. ‘Well, it isn’t the sort of rock you think it is—’
‘But—’
‘Hey.’ He tapped the little girl playfully on her button-nose. ‘You’re going to ruin Mummy’s surprise for Christmas if you carry on like this.’
‘Ulp!’ Bethany grimaced before clamping her lips together, shooting Jonas an apologetic look, perfectly understanding this reasoning.
As Jonas had known that she would, Cassandra realised irritably. Why hadn’t she thought of that…? Because she wasn’t thinking very clearly at all at the moment, she acknowledged resentfully.
‘I didn’t think,’ Bethany groaned apologetically. ‘It won’t be—’
‘Why don’t you just drink your milk while Mummy and I have a cup of tea, and let me worry about that, hmm?’ Jonas encouraged firmly. ‘Then we can all have a game of Mousetrap before your bedtime while Jean is cooking our dinner—’
‘Bedtime!’ Bethany echoed protestingly. ‘But I—’
‘You could always try to stay awake this year to see if you can catch Father Christmas delivering the presents into your stocking upstairs,’ Jonas added temptingly.
Bethany’s eyes went huge at the thought. ‘Do you think I might?’
Cassandra certainly hoped not! The last thing she wanted was to wait hours for Bethany to fall asleep before she could even begin organising her presents. And she couldn’t stand here and witness the closeness that seemed so natural between Bethany and Jonas, feeling claustrophobic, trapped by their rapport. It was almost as if Jonas already lived here, that she and Bethany were his family. And that they could never be, not even if Jonas did succeed in forcing her into this marriage she didn’t want!
‘I’ll go and find the game,’ she suggested desperately, needing to get out of the room for a few minutes at least.
Jonas looked up questioningly, easily reading the panic in her gaze, seeming to mock those feelings. Seeming? He knew exactly how desperate she was feeling as even time worked against her!
Cassandra leaned heavily back against the door once she was outside in the hallway. How was she going to be able to stand this? How?
* * *
‘Why don’t you just let me give you the shares, Jonas?’ she asked him later, much later, when Bethany was at last in bed, although, Cassandra was sure, not asleep; her daughter was taking Jonas at his word and trying to stay awake long enough to catch Father Christmas in the act! ‘My father’s ten per cent,’ she added as Jonas just looked at her with raised brows, perfectly relaxed as he sat in the armchair opposite her, their meal eaten. ‘It’s what you want, after all.’
The intimacy of their sitting across from each other like this in the comfort of the small sitting-room, the fire enveloping them in a warm glow, was a completely erroneous one: Cassandra was as tense as a bow-string!
‘I want to take care of Bethany too,’ he rasped. ‘And you will be giving me those shares—as a wedding present!’
She stood up agitatedly. ‘And I get your silence as mine,’ she scorned. ‘That doesn’t sound like much of an exchange to me!’
Black eyes narrowed ominously, although Jonas remained sprawled in the armchair, perfectly relaxed in black sweater and dark grey trousers. ‘You get a damn sight more than that, and you know it!’ he rasped.
Continued financial security for all her family. A secure future for Bethany—something she wanted as desperately as he did. Would he relent if she were to tell him exactly what had happened…? No, came her immediate answer; knowing Jonas, he would still twist it around so that she came out as the villian of the piece. Because he wanted to think that of her. She didn’t know quite why; it was just an inescapable fact.
He looked at her with cold eyes. ‘I want your answer, damn it,’ he grated. ‘Now! I’ve waited long enough.’
She returned his gaze like a cornered rabbit. Good God, she wasn’t the hunter, he was, and he was merciless in tracking down his prey!
She frowned. ‘Why would you want to marry a woman who doesn’t love you—?’
‘Love!’ he echoed scornfully, sitting forward now. ‘I imagined myself in love once.’ His mouth twisted self-derisively. ‘I quickly learnt that it’s a fleeting emotion at best. A trick of the senses—’
‘But you’re wrong!’ She shook her head. ‘So wrong. Love is everything.’ She held her arms up expressively. ‘Being in love with someone is everything. It can make the world a brighter, fuller, happier place—’
‘Or a darker, more painful, achingly desolate place!’ Jonas put in harshly, a nerve pulsing in his cheek now. ‘I don’t want love, Cassandra; in fact I would run a mile from it! What I want is your answer,’ he repeated uncompromisingly. ‘What is it to be, Cassandra, scandal or marriage? The choice is all yours.’
And what a choice it was!
She turned away from the hard cruelty of his face, staring out of the window at the moon as it shone down from the clear starlit sky. A full moon. A hunter’s moon…?
God, she was becoming hysterical now. Jonas was only a man—a coldly autocratic man, to be sure, but only a man none the less. And he could be gentle and caring with Bethany, so that core of hardness didn’t go all the way though—Who was she trying to kid? The man was probably kind to children and small animals and merciless to everything else—especially a wife he despised!
But the hunter’s moon shone down inexorably—and she heard the lock turn on the cage door…
Cassandra turned slowly back to face him, satisfaction flaring in those probing black eyes as Jonas easily read the resignation on her face. But if he thought he was going to have it all his own way he was mistaken!
‘Yes, I’ll marry you, Jonas,’ she told him flatly. ‘But that’s all I’ll do,’ she added even as the light of triumph deepened in his eyes.
A wariness entered his face now. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
Her head went back in challenge, and she sincerely hoped he couldn’t see how her legs were trembling with the effort it was taking to stand up to this man who was still such an enigma to her. ‘Marriage in name only, Jonas,’ she told him shakily. ‘That’s what I mean.’
He returned her gaze steadily. ‘A marriage of convenience,’ he finally scorned.
‘There’s nothing in the least convenient to me about this marriage!’ she glared, eyes glowing emotionally.
His very stillness was what was unnerving now. ‘Do you really think you’re in a position to make conditions?’ he spoke softly.
God, how she would love to wipe that satisfaction off his face, knock his legs from under him, tell him to go ahead and do his worst! But she knew that she couldn’t do that…
‘I can’t believe, Jonas,’ she told him pityingly, shaking her head disgustedly, ‘that you’ve reached thirty-five years of age without learning that things aren’t always what they seem.’ She spoke with controlled vehemence now.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘Would you care to explain that remark?’
If he were any other way than he was… ‘No,’ she said dully, swallowing hard.
‘I thought not!’ His mouth twisted disparagingly. ‘And in this “marriage of convenience”, Cassandra, who does get to share your bed?’
‘No one.’ She shuddered at the thought. ‘I don’t want that sort of relationship with anyone.’
‘Your response to me on Sunday didn’t indicate that,’ he drawled, brows raised mockingly.
Colour burnt in her cheeks as she remembered all too clearly that time she had spent in his arms; she was still more than a little stunned at her unexpected response to him. She should have known he wouldn’t be above reminding her of her weakness; as he had already said himself, he was certainly no gentleman, in or out of business!
‘Another one of those occasions, Jonas, when things aren’t always what they seem!’ she snapped her resentment of his mockery.
‘And what about my bed, Cassandra?’ he taunted softly. ‘Who gets to share that?’
‘Whoever you damn well please!’ she bit out tautly; this man might scorn love as an emotion but she didn’t doubt his sexuality, knew only too well how experienced his lovemaking was, what pleasure a woman could find from his caresses. Which was why she was terrified of sharing his bed herself; if this man made love to her completely, she might forget her dislike of him, and if she did that… It didn’t bear thinking about! ‘As long as it isn’t me, I don’t care!’ she added vehemently.
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