Bride, Bought and Paid For

by Helen Bianchin

  He wanted to wring her delicate little neck. Instead he cupped her face and brought her down within touching distance…and kissed her. Thoroughly.

  When he was done, he traced her slightly swollen mouth with a gentle finger. ‘You sweet fool.’ He smiled…an expression that brought warmth to his dark eyes and softened his chiselled features.

  ‘How can you doubt it? I adore everything you are. The way your body seeks mine in the dark of night. Your generosity. How you stand up for what you believe in.’ He paused and trailed light fingers across her cheek. ‘All of it…and more.’

  Care was good. Adore was even better. Except it wasn’t love…the ultimate emotion in its simplest truth, from his heart, his soul.

  ‘You once said you didn’t do love.’

  ‘Because I’d never had it,’ Xavier revealed. ‘And failed to recognize the gift until you walked away from me.’

  Romy remained silent, absorbing his words and the many unanswered questions.

  ‘Nothing to say, querida?’

  Her eyes resembled dark sapphires, deep enough for a man to drown in.

  ‘Yet you went to great lengths to make any contact with you almost impossible.’

  He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. ‘Anger with your father for placing himself, and therefore you, in such an invidious position.’ No one defrauded him…no one.

  ‘You could have insisted on reinstating me as your mistress. It would have been much simpler. Instead, you offered a solution that bordered on blackmail.’

  ‘I wanted you as my wife.’ He paused imperceptibly. ‘Legally bound and sharing my name.’

  She’d started down this dangerous path. Now she had to play it out to the end.

  ‘And the insistence I bear you a child?’

  ‘Leverage,’ he admitted. ‘With the knowledge you could never abandon a child of your own. Our child.’ He waited a beat, his eyes impossibly dark. ‘I live in the hope you will eventually consider pregnancy.’

  Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, only to close it again. ‘You don’t use protection.’

  ‘You think it didn’t occur to me you might take the pill as an act of defiance in order to retain a measure of control?’

  Whatever had made her believe she could fool him? He knew all the angles, every twist and turn of the human mind.

  She swallowed the sudden lump that rose in her throat. ‘I hated you for making that condition.’

  ‘Among others.’

  ‘Yes,’ she reproved fiercely…aware it didn’t quite hit the mark, for things had changed. Changes that almost came full circle. Almost, but not quite.

  Xavier lifted her easily and settled her down at his side, then tucked her head into the curve of his shoulder.

  The warmth of his smile seeped beneath her skin and into her bones.

  ‘Sleep easy, mi mujer.’ He brushed his lips to her forehead. ‘And know I hold you through the night.’

  She felt a degree of peace and security, each of which would have been absent had she been alone. She wanted to thank him for being here for her, except she slid into blissful oblivion before she could utter the words.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  THE sun’s warm fingers were filtering through the closed shutters when Romy woke, and a quick glance was all it took to determine she was alone in the bed.

  There was no sound to indicate Xavier occupied the shower, and she quickly checked her watch, muttered an unladylike oath at the time and hit the shower running. Conscious, as she did so, of a degree of pain…her wrist, ribs. Everything took a little longer, and she cursed afresh at the awkwardness resulting from needing to protect her wrist.

  It was almost eight when she entered the kitchen, where Maria greeted her in surprise.

  ‘Good morning. Xavier has already left for the city, and he said not to disturb you.’

  ‘It’s a weekday. I have school.’ It would take much worse than an injured hand to prevent her attendance! ‘I need to be there,’ Romy said quietly and met the housekeeper’s doubtful look.

  ‘Do you think that’s wise?’

  Wisdom had little to do with it, and she said so.

  ‘How is your hand?’

  Sore. But painkillers with her coffee would soon take the edge off. ‘OK.’ An ambiguous answer, if ever there was one, but it was all she’d admit to as she took a tub of yoghurt from the refrigerator, added a banana, took a piece of toast and ate standing at the kitchen servery.

  Driving didn’t pose a problem, although leaving later than usual meant she encountered more traffic, and she entered the teachers’ common room to be greeted by fellow staff members who expressed collective concern.

  It gave her a warm feeling, brightened the morning, and she emerged in order to reach her classroom ahead of time.

  There was a need to check the day’s curriculum, and she was almost there when one of her female students crossed the hallway to command her attention.

  A pretty girl, petite in stature and blonde. A good student, Romy recalled, who, the records revealed, had entered the school’s system at the beginning of the year after settling in Sydney from Washington, USA.

  ‘Suzy. You wanted to speak with me?’

  ‘Are you OK?’ The girl seemed overly anxious. ‘I mean, really OK?’

  ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘It would be uncool if anything happened to you.’ There was a pause, then Suzy rushed on, ‘You’re my role model.’ She gave a soundless gulp, then the words began pouring out of her. ‘You’re new, and being new can be not so great. A friend saw me slip a note into your satchel and told my mom, who made me ’fess up and said I had to tell you and apologize, cos you could report it.’ She took in a deep breath and released it. ‘I’m sorry. Please don’t file a report,’ she begged. ‘I didn’t mean any harm. I only wanted you to know you’re a fab teacher.’

  Romy hid her relief. A mystery solved, innocent with no ill intent.

  ‘That’s a nice compliment.’ Now to convey an element of caution. ‘However, anonymous notes can cause suspicion.’

  The girl looked suitably remorseful. ‘I didn’t mean to alarm you.’ The possibility she might have done so, brought forth a heartfelt apology. ‘I’m so sorry. Really sorry.’ For a moment she looked stricken. ‘You’re not angry? I couldn’t bear it if you were angry with me.’

  Oh, hell. There was a little too much emotion going on here. ‘Teachers want the best for their students, and it’s good to learn their teaching skills are appreciated.’

  ‘Just not via anonymous notes.’

  ‘No.’

  Suzy’s face cleared a little. ‘You won’t report me?’

  ‘Consider you’ve received a warning this time. Just don’t do it again.’

  ‘Thank you…you’re the best.’

  At that moment the buzzer sounded, announcing assembly in the main hall, where, once the students were gathered together, the principal conducted a debriefing associated with the previous day’s attempted robbery, then he dismissed them to their various classrooms and motioned Romy to one side.

  ‘I spoke to your husband early this morning, and we agreed you should take the rest of the week off.’

  We? She doubted the ‘we’…only Xavier’s influence.

  ‘My husband,’ she said carefully, ‘should have checked with me first. I don’t require any time off.’

  ‘Nevertheless, I’ve arranged for another teacher to take your classes, starting tomorrow.’ He sought to provide reassurance. ‘You were exceedingly brave yesterday, and your action undoubtedly prevented a bad situation from becoming much worse. Consider the time off as a form of thanks from the school board.’

  To refuse would be churlish, and she thanked him.

  ‘A pleasure.’

  The temptation to call Xavier and demand an explanation was uppermost, but she was due in class. Overdue, she realized as she checked her watch.

  The morning assumed its normal pattern, and it wasn’t until lunch bre
ak that Romy checked her cellphone. Two messages…one from Xavier, another from Kassi, and a message from her father.

  She spoke to Kassi first, then hit Xavier’s private number.

  ‘You’re at school?’ He knew, damn him. The silky voice curled round her heart and tugged a little, for it conjured up images of their shared bath, his mind-blowing ministrations.

  She aimed for a light-hearted response and didn’t quite make it. ‘What made you think I wouldn’t be?’

  ‘Your stubborn-mindedness.’ She could sense the slight edge of amusement in his drawled response.

  ‘I prefer to call it dedication.’

  ‘I’ll look forward to continuing this discussion tonight.’

  ‘There’s nothing further to discuss.’

  ‘You think not? Buenos dias, Romy.’

  Sexy, she thought. Very. And she got to go home to him.

  Last night he’d said the adore word…causing her a momentary lack of speech. Were they merely words motivated by the moment? She’d been too afraid to ask.

  Yet even during their live-in relationship, it had been a word he’d never uttered…not once. And she’d hungered for it, wanting, needing the verbal confirmation of what she thought they shared.

  Was it possible he’d changed? There was a part of her that longed to believe he had.

  The afternoon classes drew to a close, and Romy collected her satchel, then she drove home, called her father, showered and changed into jeans and a top, took some fruit and bottled water from the kitchen, and settled down in the bedroom to mark homework assignments.

  It was there Xavier found her, and he stood for a moment, noting her level of concentration, the reading glasses that had slid part-way down her pert little nose…the way she bit her lip when a student resorted to idioms instead of grammar.

  She was something else. His. In a way no other woman could ever be.

  He saw the moment she sensed his presence, and he crossed the room to her side, placed a thumb and finger beneath her chin and brushed her mouth with his own, then he queried lightly, ‘How was your day?’

  A smile curved his lips as she pushed her glasses up onto her head and regarded him steadily. ‘Fine. And yours?’

  He shrugged off his jacket and loosened his tie. ‘Conference calls, meetings. The usual.’ He discarded his tie and undid the top few buttons of his shirt. ‘Shouldn’t you be resting that hand?’

  She merely gave an expressive eye roll as she leant back in the chair. ‘Two things,’ she began and earned his arched eyebrow.

  ‘Only two?’

  ‘You had no right to organize for me to have the rest of the week off. I’m capable of making my own decisions.’

  She watched as he removed his cufflinks and rolled back his sleeves. His movements were studied, and his eyes seared her own as he moved close to cage her body with a hand either side of her chair.

  ‘And the other thing?’

  He was too close, his proximity too dangerous to her peace of mind, and she felt the familiar warmth invade her body, heating it with languorous sensual need.

  ‘The notes slid among the homework assignments were harmless,’ she revealed as she made a conscious effort to still her rapidly beating pulse. ‘One of the students confessed they were merely intended as a compliment.’

  ‘You believe it?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said without hesitation.

  Xavier lifted a hand, removed the glasses perched on top of her head and placed them on the side pedestal. ‘Come share my shower.’

  ‘You only want to get me naked.’

  His soft chuckle almost undid her. ‘That, too.’

  ‘We’ll be late for dinner.’

  ‘So we’ll be late.’

  Romy’s eyes took on an impish gleam. ‘What if I’m hungry…for food?’

  His mouth twitched with humour. ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’

  ‘Uh-huh.’

  He cupped the side of her face, tilted it a little, then brushed his mouth to her own. ‘Two can play, querida. I’ll take a shower, we’ll eat, then—’

  ‘View a DVD?’

  A soft laugh escaped his lips. ‘Delay the anticipation? I can manage.’ He moved across the room and turned as he reached the en suite. ‘Will you?’

  ‘Easily.’

  She tried, she really did. But her focus for marking assignments went out the window as she became consumed by Xavier’s naked image. The tall, superbly muscled frame, the expanse of tanned skin marred in places by scars whose history he steadfastly refused to reveal. The tight butt, and his masculine attributes.

  Don’t go there…although the vivid memory taunted her, turning the blood in her veins to liquid fire.

  So why delay the moment?

  Because she’d been wrong three years ago, she acknowledged. What if she was wrong now?

  What if he was merely lulling her into a comfort zone where she accepted they could share a fulfilling life together? That a few words of affection and very good sex was enough?

  He was, after all, Xavier DeVasquez, self-made billionaire…any number of women would happily settle for less just to bear his name and share his fortune.

  Why couldn’t she?

  Because none of it mattered…except the man himself. His heart, his soul. Gifted freely, with no strings attached.

  She didn’t hear him re-enter the bedroom, nor did she witness his slightly narrowed gaze as he crossed to her side.

  ‘Put the work away,’ he said quietly. ‘And we’ll go eat.’

  Maria had fixed a delicious meal, with a vanilla sorbet and fresh fruit for dessert.

  Romy tried to do the food justice, but there were questions for which she needed answers. Questions she was hesitant to ask in case the answers were not what she wanted to hear.

  One issue, however, figured largely in her mind, and she voiced it as she pushed her plate to one side.

  ‘I intend to go to school tomorrow.’

  Xavier regarded her carefully as he replaced his flatware. ‘It’s not going to happen.’

  ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘We’re flying to Lizard Island in the morning for a four-day break.’

  Lizard Island was an exclusive luxury resort situated north of Cairns in Far North Queensland.

  ‘That’s impossible.’

  ‘Nothing is impossible, querida.’

  His presence dominated the room, and she stood to her feet in a bid to be free of him, gathering plates and flatware together, and carrying them through to the kitchen where she proceeded to rinse and stack the dishwasher.

  He followed in her wake, and she was achingly aware of him as he disposed of leftovers with ease of movement, finishing the task in unison with her.

  For a few seconds her gaze locked with his, and she was disarmed by his smile.

  ‘You mentioned viewing a DVD?’

  It was on the tip of her tongue to say she’d changed her mind. She was tired…not sleepy-tired, but so consumed with conflicting emotions she craved solitude. And if they were to leave early in the morning, she should pack.

  Yet, conversely, she didn’t want to retire to the bedroom. For it was there she came undone.

  All it took was the brush of his hand, his lips…and she lost all rational thought.

  ‘Yes. The movie had good reviews,’ she managed quietly. ‘I missed seeing it in a cinema.’

  ‘Then let’s go watch it, hmm?’

  The media room, with its plush leather recliner seating, large screen and soft lighting, provided a private, intimate home cinema, and Romy retrieved the DVD, slotted it into the player, then settled into a comfortable chair while Xavier used a remote to dim the lights.

  The actors were superb in the parts they portrayed, the plot quirky and electrifying, and the last thing she remembered was a terrifying car chase through the streets of San Francisco…the spectacular resolution of which she missed.

  At one point, Xavier carefully shifted her from the chair onto his
lap and tucked her head into the curve of his shoulder…where he kept her until the DVD ended, before taking her to their bed—to sleep.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  THE TROPICAL WATERS gleamed a translucent green above coral beds as the Hinterland flight transfer from Cairns began its descent onto Lizard Island.

  Powdery white sand covered the various-shaped coves and small promontories, and provided a contrast to the dark green shrubbery.

  An island paradise frequented by the wealthy, catering to those who enjoyed tranquility, pampering, fine food and wine in luxurious surroundings…at a price. A place where visitors came to relax and unwind, away from the hype and buzz of the city, and the cares of a stressful lifestyle.

  It was beautiful, Romy noted as they were met, greeted, and delivered with friendly deference to their Sunset Point accommodation…one of a few villas set high on a ridge offering sea views filtered through native bushland.

  Polished timber floors, an outside deck with chairs and a hammock, and stylish modern furniture and amenities graced their villa, and Romy executed a graceful turn as Xavier took care of their bags.

  ‘I love it here,’ she said with sparkling enthusiasm. ‘One could easily become an indolent sybarite without any effort at all.’

  Casual wear, Xavier had advised as she’d rushed to pack before they’d left early that morning, and she’d slipped a bikini and swimsuit, with matching sarong, shorts, a pair of tailored trousers and two tops, jeans and a sweatshirt in case the evenings grew cool, trainers, together with personal items into her bag.

  Consequently, unpacking took very little time, and when it was done, Romy tucked her hand in his and tugged him towards the door.

  ‘Let’s go explore.’

  Magic, she thought as they walked down onto the beach. It was easy to slip off her trainers and walk barefoot in the sand. Impossible not to paddle along the foreshore, and she laughed as Xavier followed suit.

  There was a relaxed, comfortable feeling between them as he curved an arm along the back of her waist, and a warm chuckle escaped from his lips when she kicked a playful splash of water against his legs.

  ‘I should take you to task.’