‘It was only ever about David, and you knew that. Look, I can’t stop you calling the police. But I want to be there with him when they turn up.’
He gave a humourless laugh.
‘You really are a drama queen, aren’t you?’ He gestured towards her suitcase. ‘And how you love your props.’
‘It’s not a prop,’ she snapped, a flicker of anger catching fire inside her. ‘How else I am supposed to pack my things?’
‘You don’t need to pack. This is all just for show. Like everything else you do.’
Her head jerked up, eyes darkening with outrage.
‘Like everything we both do, you mean. You are such a hypocrite. Our entire relationship is a soap opera of your making, and you’ve got the nerve to accuse me of being a drama queen.’
‘This is not my idea of a relationship,’ he snarled.
‘Well, it certainly isn’t mine.’ She bit the words out between her teeth. ‘It’s more like living in a war zone.’
‘Then maybe you should stop turning everything into a fight.’
‘Me! What about you? You’re the one who threw a tantrum in the middle of Madison Avenue, storming off like some three-year-old.’
It was true. He had behaved childishly. But it was her fault. He might have a reputation as an ice-cold negotiator, but with Daisy his temper hovered between volatile and volcanic. It was an admission that did nothing to defuse his anger with her—or himself. In fact, it just seemed to wind him up more tightly than ever.
He stared at her coldly.
‘Oh but you throwing the ring I gave you back in my face—that was just so mature.’
‘I wasn’t trying to be mature,’ she snapped. ‘I was upset.’
‘You weren’t upset. You were gutted. As soon as you saw the ring you thought you were going to get to keep it.’
He saw the sudden startled flinch in her eyes but ignored it. ‘And when you found out that wasn’t going to happen you had a tantrum—’
‘That’s not true! Or fair. I hadn’t even thought about you giving me a ring.’
It was true—she hadn’t. At least she hadn’t thought about him doing so with such sensitivity. She’d supposed there would be a ring, but that it would be just a ring.
Remembering the effort he’d made in the restaurant to surprise her, she felt her eyes grow hot. ‘How can you accuse me of plotting to keep it?’
He could hear the shake in her voice, and knew he’d hurt her. Knew too, that he was being unfair, unreasonable, cruel. But he wasn’t about to start indulging Daisy the way his father had indulged his mother.
It was why he’d arranged this relationship with her in the first place—precisely to avoid that kind of emotional manipulation.
‘I find that hard to believe. You could hardly take your eyes off it in the car.’
Fighting tears, Daisy shook her head. Did he really think so little of her? Had it not occurred to him that she might have another, innocent, less self-serving motive for admiring the ring?
‘Not because I thought it was mine—’
Suddenly she couldn’t speak. How could she explain it to Rollo? A man who was indifferent, brutally dismissive of anything romantic. A man who dealt solely in facts. Who reduced everything to assets and liabilities. A man who was happy to fake his own marriage solely to con a business rival.
How could she expect him to understand that she hadn’t been acting?
That just for a moment, when he’d slid the ring onto her finger, everything had felt real and perfect. Just like she’d imagined it would in her fantasies of love.
Her eyes blurred.
Only, of course, it was just as phony as the rest of their relationship. What was more, it had been nothing to do with her.
Her heartbeat froze and, remembering how she had squirmed beneath his fingers, her body opening up to his, she felt suddenly sick.
No wonder he had been able to hold himself back. That had all been just an act too. Another way to demonstrate his power over her. Only that time he’d used her greedy body, not her brother, to prove the point.
‘Think what you want.’ She breathed out shakily. ‘I don’t care.’ Reaching down, she picked up the suitcase. ‘Like you said earlier, we have nothing more to say to each other, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to see David. I owe him that at least—’
She broke off, her breath catching in her throat, and, staring at her pale face, Rollo felt a dull ache of misery beating beneath his anger.
He’d told her there was nothing left to say.
What he’d really meant was that, trapped in the limo with his anger and his memories, he hadn’t known how to say it.
Every time he’d tried to start a sentence it had turned into a minefield—his usual effortless fluency deserting him, every word fraught with possible implications. So he’d done what he always did when faced with doubt and discord. He’d walked away.
Stalking down Madison Avenue towards his offices, he’d tried to clear his mind and focus on the afternoon’s agenda. Only he’d been too wound up, his body vibrating with leftover adrenalin, his brain frenziedly trying to work out how a pitch-perfect lunch had turned into Armageddon.
And when suddenly, incredibly he’d stopped caring about work and started caring about his relationship with Daisy.
He took a step forward.
‘You don’t need to see David,’ he said quietly.
‘Yes, I do.’ She stared at him wildly, her body shuddering, straining for breath. ‘I’ve let him down and he doesn’t even know it.’
The ache in her voice seemed to mirror the ache inside his chest.
‘You haven’t let him down. You saved him.’
‘No, I tried to save him—to make everything right, to make this work with you—only now you’re going to call the police—’
She was babbling, the words tumbling over each other in a torrent so fast that he had to hold up his hand to stop the flow.
‘Wait. Wait.’ He frowned, her breathless panic driving away the last of his anger. ‘I’m not going to call the police. I never was.’
Blood was rushing to his head, joining the clamouring voices telling him not to let her leave.
He took a step closer. ‘I know what I said. How it must have sounded. But I was angry. I don’t like scenes...’
He hesitated, unnerved by this sudden further breach in his defences. He never confided in anyone, and yet this was the second time he’d done so with Daisy in the space of a couple of hours.
‘Look, nothing’s changed. I didn’t come back to end our relationship. I came back to finish our argument. But that’s all it is. An argument. It’s what couples do, isn’t it?’
His heart gave a jolt. Couple was a word he’d consciously avoided his whole adult life. And an argument had always been just something to win. Only winning this time would mean losing Daisy, and he wasn’t prepared to let that happen.
Had he been thinking straight that thought would have shocked him. But he was too distracted by Daisy’s reaction, or rather the lack of it, to care.
She was staring at him, eyes huge, their brownness lost in the stunned black pupils. Then slowly she shook her head.
‘But that’s just it. We’re not a couple. We’re not anything.’ She breathed out unsteadily. ‘I don’t even know who I am half the time, or what’s real and what’s not.’ She met his gaze. ‘And it’s not just me. Earlier, I was upset—’
He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand to stop him. ‘I know it wasn’t rational or fair. But I was. Only you didn’t realise. You thought I was acting.’
A silence fell over the room.
‘And that bothers you?’
His question caught her off guard. She stared up at him wearily.
‘Yes. Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.’ Her mouth twisted. ‘I thought the boundaries would be clearer. That I’d feel different when I was being me without you. But it’s all merging and—’
She stopped.
Now it’s even more complicated, she finished the sentence inside her head.
Thinking back to how he’d touched her, her frantic response, she felt her cheeks start to burn. She’d had other lovers but it had never been like that—so urgent, so feverish. In the space of a few heated moments Rollo had blotted out the past and obliterated every sexual experience she’d had.
But she would rather run down Madison Avenue naked than let him know how strongly he affected her.
Swallowing hard, she reached down, picked up the ring and held it out to him. ‘Here. This is yours.’
Rollo stared at her outstretched hand and then slowly took the small gold hoop.
The limpid brown of her eyes heightened the flush of colour on her cheeks. She had never looked more beautiful. But it wasn’t her beauty that was making his heart pound.
It was her bravery. He knew how much it would take for him even to admit weakness, let alone reveal his deepest fears. He glanced down at the ring, turning it over gently in the palm of his hand. It was such a small thing. Easy to lose and, once lost, almost impossible to find.
Like trust.
He felt her eyes on his face and glanced away, his thoughts converging and then separating like the colours in a kaleidoscope. He’d made a deal with Daisy—and what kind of deal could ever succeed without trust?
Slowly he reached out and took her hand.
‘No, it’s yours. I chose it for you.’ Something shifted in his face, the skin tightening over his cheekbones. ‘And I didn’t mean to upset you. That’s why I came back. To tell you that.’
Daisy stared at him dazedly. It wasn’t an apology. But it was the nearest a man like Rollo Fleming would get to one. And whatever it was, he had come after her to say it.
She watched his mouth curve into an almost smile.
‘But if you really don’t want it, I suppose I could turn it into a tiepin.’
‘I do want it.’ Her lashes flickered up and, not giving herself a chance to have second thoughts, she said quickly, ‘And I want you.’
There was a fraction of a pause and then slowly he slid the ring onto her finger. And then, breathing out, he drew her close to him so she could feel his heart beating in time to hers.
‘And I want you too.’
For a moment they stood together in silence, and then she felt him shift against her and, looking up, she saw he was frowning.
‘What is it?’
‘I’m late for a meeting.’ His eyes met hers.
‘So go,’ she said lightly. ‘I’ll be here when you get back. I’m not going anywhere.’
She felt his arm tighten around her waist, the muscles in his chest growing rigid.
‘No, you’re not. But we are.’
She stared at him, confused. ‘We are?’
‘Let’s get out of here.’ He glanced around the apartment, his face creasing. ‘Out of Manhattan. Go somewhere we don’t have to pretend.’
Her pulse shivered with excitement. ‘Where do you have in mind?’
He smiled slowly and her heart contracted sharply with pity for any poor woman who might truly love Rollo. With beauty and charm like his, it was easy to forget his ruthless determination. But, looking up into his smooth, handsome face, she knew he would always be one step ahead of her. And she would be exactly where he wanted her to be.
‘I have a small cabin upstate—in the Adirondacks. It’s a bit rough and ready, but what do you think? You and me in the wilderness together?’
It sounded like a question, except she knew he didn’t expect or need a reply. But as heat uncoiled inside her, she lifted her mouth to his and gave him her answer.
* * *
‘I should warn you there are bears in the woods. Black bears. They’re a lot smaller than grizzlies, and they rarely bother humans, but you should be careful just the same.’
Leaning forward, Rollo picked up his coffee cup. Having arrived at Mohawk Lodge just twenty minutes earlier, they were relaxing in front of a panoramic view of the lake and the Adirondack Mountains beyond. In the distance the forest looked like the setting for a fairy tale but Daisy barely noticed the view.
She was still reeling from the trip in his private helicopter. Or rather, the way Rollo had held her hand during the entire flight, his leg pressing against hers, his mouth temptingly close as he pointed out landmarks and filled her in on the history of the region.
She nodded, then frowned. ‘Did you say bears?’
He put his cup down carefully, his eyes narrowing.
‘What’s up?’
‘Nothing.’ She met his gaze, then sighed. ‘I just didn’t realise your whole life was like this.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like... So amazing.’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t really think about it.’
‘I suppose you get used to it,’ she said slowly.
But somehow she couldn’t imagine a life in which owning a helicopter and a lakeside cabin would ever be anything other than incredible. It was another reminder of the differences between them.
But right now she needed to concentrate on what they shared, not on what they didn’t, and, putting her cup down, she said brightly, ‘So how about that guided tour you promised me?’
The cabin was delightful. Set in seventy-five acres of unspoilt meadows and forest, it was built of timber and stone but it shared the same high-spec luxury as the penthouse. And letting Rollo show her around had been the right decision. As they walked outside onto the deck, where a swing bed swayed gently in the warm breeze, her stomach tumbled over with happiness as she felt his hand close around hers.
‘So, do you fancy a swim?’
She frowned. ‘I don’t know. What’s the water like?’ she said cautiously.
‘Probably quite mild.’
Glancing up at his face, she rolled her eyes. ‘I might need a second opinion before I whip out my bikini. I’m not entirely sure I trust your judgement.’
Lifting her hand, he tipped it sideways so that the stones in the ring caught the light.
‘I thought you liked your ring.’
‘I do.’ She pinched his fingers playfully. ‘I was talking about this place. You said it was a “small cabin.”’ Glancing inside at the huge stone fireplace and vaulted, beamed ceiling, she shook her head. ‘“A bit rough and ready,” you said. I was expecting bare floors and no electricity.’
Not a soaking tub and a French chef.
Looking up, she fell silent. He was staring at her steadily, eyes dark and unblinking, and then he tugged her towards him and she clutched at his arms as her legs seemed to slide away.
‘I can do rough,’ he murmured and, lowering his head, he brushed his mouth across hers. Fingers splaying around her waist, he pulled her closer, his breath warm against her throat. ‘And I’m certainly ready.’
Her head was spinning... Her body melting like wax near a flame.
Only not with longing but with shame.
Picturing the way he’d pulled away from her, knowing how impossible it would have been for her to do the same, she felt a flicker of doubt and fear.
He felt it too and, lifting his head, his gaze focused steadily on her face.
‘What is it?’
She hesitated, her eyes shying away from his. She wanted him so badly. But she couldn’t give herself to him. Not now she knew his desire was motivated by power, not passion.
‘Daisy? Daisy?’
His voice was insistent, inexorable. It was a voice she could not refuse.
‘Yesterday when we... When you—’
She frowned. There was a tremor in her voice and she knew that her eyes were bright with tears.
‘I know you wanted sex. But I also know that you didn’t want me.’
It had been a guess—a theory. But as he gazed down at her in silence she felt a rush of misery so intense that she couldn’t bear to look at him. Pushing against his chest, she edged away, fixing her gaze on the shimmering mass of water.
&
nbsp; ‘You’re wrong.’
She lifted her face to his, her heart leaden in her chest.
‘So why did you stop?’
How could you stop? she wanted to ask, remembering the strength and the violence of her longing for him. How could he have been so coolly detached?
But, glancing at his handsome face, she thought he looked anything but detached now. Instead he looked strained and unsure.
He shook his head, the skin tightening across his cheekbones.
‘Short answer—I’m an idiot. I wanted to prove to myself you were optional. That demonstrating my willpower was more satisfying than you could ever be. But I was wrong. On both counts.’ He grimaced. ‘The last twenty-four hours have been the most uncomfortable of my entire life. And all I managed to prove is that I can’t actually function because I want you so badly.’
She breathed out, her heart pounding with a mix of shock and relief and a stunned, helpless happiness.
But she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. He had hurt her. And, yes, she knew it was because he hated losing control. But he had to understand that although that might be a reason for his behaviour it didn’t excuse it.
‘How do I know that’s true? That you want me? You might be pretending.’
His eyes narrowed and then her heart rate seemed to double as he pulled her firmly against him and she felt the hard length of his erection pressing against her.
‘Trust me, Daisy. This is real. And it’s for you. Just you.’
Reaching out, he touched her face gently and the warmth of his fingertips sent a tremor through her body.
‘You’re all I think about. All I’ve been thinking about since I kissed you in my office. It’s like I’m living from one moment to the next. But if you won’t believe what I say then maybe I’ll just have to show you instead.’
And, lowering his mouth, he kissed her. It was a kiss like no other. Hotter, deeper. And his mouth possessed her with a ferocity that wiped out all conscious thought.
As his hands moved lightly over her back and shoulders and neck she shivered beneath their touch, head swimming, body swaying against his as he nudged her backwards. She bumped into the swing, felt wood scraping her bare legs, and then, slipping his hands around her waist, he lifted her up onto the mattress.
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