One-Click Buy: November Harlequin Presents

by Susan Stephens

  He released her slightly, waiting for a response. Looking up at him helplessly, Cryssie thought, Well, that was my first proposal of marriage. But what a proposal!

  Suddenly her mind cleared, and she said coldly, ‘What you’ve just accused me of—that I’m a martyr to the family cause—is true to some extent, I suppose, Jed. But I do have an even deeper reason for wanting nothing to change.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I was employed by someone once who was almost a carbon copy of you—in fact in some ways you could be blood brothers.’ She looked away, knowing that he was staring at her intently. ‘And do you know what? I believed that man—believed every promise that he made. But when something happened to make me see how close I was to ruining my life I got out. Fast.’ She swallowed. ‘You accused me of being blind just now. I was certainly blind then! And it made me realise that my true happiness will only ever be found with my family. Where I am, where I’m rooted. Where I can trust. And so far nothing has happened to make me change my mind.’

  He shrugged then, and his lip curled. ‘You’re misguided, Cryssie. Take my word for it. The years will fly by, and there’ll come a time when Milo won’t need you—he’ll be off living his own life. And you’ll have given up half of yours! You’ll be redundant! And what then? Will you look around for someone else to nurture?’

  Cryssie was stung at his words, even though she knew he was right about Milo wanting his independence one day. ‘My sister will always need me—’ she began.

  ‘Don’t count on it!’ Jed replied quickly. ‘She’s a beautiful, glamorous woman. It’ll only take the right man to come along one day—someone who will understand her needs. Anyway…’ he picked up his mug of tea and drank ‘…you’ll obviously want time to think over what I’ve put to you, but be careful. This could be a turning point in your life that may never come again.’

  Cryssie felt like bursting into tears. How could he think that she’d ever accept such a proposal? That she would agree to a marriage of convenience? And it was his own convenience that was uppermost in his mind! The word ‘love’ had been conspicuous by its absence! He clearly saw her as a good business deal, that was all! And although she never really expected to marry, if it ever did happen it would be for love! And to someone who needed her as a loving partner, not a live-in PA!

  The last few minutes had almost bowled her over, but she found the strength to pick up her tea and take a sip, even though her hands were shaking. Now it was her turn!

  ‘There’s something else we need to discuss,’ she said quietly. ‘Something very serious.’

  She looked up at him. ‘Have you been in to the store—to Latimer’s—this week?’

  He frowned. ‘No, I haven’t. I’ve been caught up elsewhere. I’ve been ringing in, of course, but my managers are more than capable of holding the fort. Why do you ask?’

  Cryssie’s mouth dried. ‘You’ve not heard anything about any…stealing?’ she said hoarsely.

  ‘Stealing?’ he repeated curiously. ‘Why on earth should you ask that? There’ve been a couple of incidents of petty pilfering, I believe. That’s all. Nothing important.’

  Cryssie took a long, deep breath. ‘I’m afraid it is very important, Jed,’ she said. ‘Because it concerns Polly.’ She looked away for a second, biting her lip, knowing that the words she was going to utter would hurt her like a knife wound. ‘Polly stole a scarf—an expensive scarf—on Sunday…’ Now the words came quickly. ‘She was admiring a rack of them that they’ve got by the main entrance door, and in an act of total and utter stupidity she slipped one of them into her bag.’ Cryssie took another desperate sip from her mug. ‘Of course, the security guard saw her, stopped her, and warned her that she might face prosecution. She’s threatened to kill herself if she ever has to go to court.’ She looked up at Jed, her eyes filling with tears. ‘And the thing is, she wanted the wretched thing for me, not for herself. It was to be a present for me.’

  There was a moment’s complete silence as Jed took this in, then, ‘Your poor, poor sister,’ he said quietly. ‘How utterly traumatic for her.’

  Cryssie was amazed at the kindness of his remark. ‘How can you say that?’ she asked shakily. ‘She stole…actually stole something. And was caught!’

  ‘Because Polly is in need of help—of support,’ he replied grimly. ‘She obviously lost all confidence after Milo’s father took off, and she must feel so unwanted, so ineffectual—especially with a sister like you as an example of what she could be worth. Doing something completely out of character is typical behaviour for someone who needs consolation and reassurance.’

  He shook his head, and Cryssie could almost—but not quite—have thrown her arms around him. She would never have credited Jeremy Hunter with this level of understanding!

  She took a hanky from her pocket and blew her nose. Confessing Polly’s crime had been a terrible thing to do, especially to someone like Jeremy Hunter, and she realised that she’d almost begun to sob. ‘So…’ She sniffed. ‘Now that you know our…dark side, you’ll be wanting to reconsider your proposition. We’re in disgrace and I feel freaked out about it, to be truthful—even though I find it hard to blame my sister.’

  Now he caught hold of her again, his voice raw. ‘You idiot, Cryssie,’ he said. ‘Do you really think that my opinion of you is altered in any way by what you’ve just told me? For heaven’s sake, give me some credit, woman!’ He folded his arms around her, and despite her tortured emotions she found herself wallowing in the feel of him, of his arms wrapped around her. ‘On the contrary, this makes my—ambitions—even more worthy of consideration, don’t you agree?’ he murmured. ‘Just think. We can arrange the best possible treatment for Polly—which she is desperately in need of. And as for Milo.’ He released her and turned away for a second. ‘Nothing will be too good for Milo. He’ll go to a top school, have whatever is needed to help him grow into a fully-rounded adult. And not totally influenced by over-protective women all the time.’

  The tone of his voice was throbbing, urgent, and, despite being stung by some of his remarks, Cryssie felt herself beginning to let her mind think the unthinkable. Could she really go against all her preconceived notions and go along with his request? But what sort of a union would it be? she asked herself. He’d spelt out all the pros and cons in a way that only someone like Jed Hunter could—but, as always, it did make some sense! Could she honestly afford to turn him down? Yet what woman looked for a sensible marriage? Not that there wouldn’t be moments of passion—he’d demonstrated that side of his nature before—but…love? He didn’t know the meaning of the word. And what was the chilling phrase he’d used when describing his ex-marriage? That his ‘terms and conditions’ didn’t tally? What on earth could that have meant?

  Jed glanced at her, realising the thoughts which must be teeming through her mind. After all, what he’d just put to her had come as a complete shock—she had never had any designs on him, or his wealth, which was something he’d had to battle with from other females for most of his life. Thinking briefly of his ex-wife, he curled his lip dismissively. Ella and the woman standing so close to him were like chalk and cheese!

  The afternoon started to slip by, and presently it seemed to Cryssie that this was just another meeting that he’d called. They sat apart, not touching now, and Jed broached one or two other topics relating to work—which calmed Cryssie down and made her feel less uneasy. But she knew that he would expect her to make a decision, and that he didn’t like being kept waiting!

  But he wasn’t going to get her answer that quickly! He’d presented her with the biggest crisis she’d ever had to face, and she needed time to think it out. And who could she ask for advice? she thought miserably. Certainly not Polly. For the first time in a long while Cryssie felt lonely and insecure. The future which had seemed so straightforward now appeared fraught with impossible upheaval and drama. Jed Hunter’s input had seen to that!

  As if reading her thoughts, he said, ‘I’m going to be out of the office tom
orrow, and part of next week, so that’ll give you some time to yourself—to make up your mind.’ He smiled darkly at her troubled features. ‘Just take a step back, Cryssie, and relax. Look at the whole picture. You’ll begin to see that I’m right about this. About us.’

  Of course Mr Always Right was never wrong, she thought, staring up at him, at the strong mouth and determined jaw. But if she did agree—and it was a big if—what would everyone think? And did that matter any more?

  Suddenly he said cheerfully, ‘I’m going to take you out for dinner tonight—we’ll eat early so as not to be late getting back. Are you hungry?’

  ‘No,’ Cryssie replied promptly, completely robbed of any appetite.

  ‘Well, that’s too bad,’ he said. ‘Because after any important discussions I’m always starving!’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Go and tidy up, and I’ll book a table somewhere rather special that I know.’ When she didn’t move, he pulled her roughly to her feet. ‘Come on—I promise you that you won’t be able to resist what’s on offer. And it’ll be a small celebration to mark the next important step which I hope you’ll be taking!’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE following Wednesday evening, sitting in the room which he used as his office at Shepherd’s Keep, Jed stared at his computer with blank eyes. The several meetings he’d attended over the previous few days had been productive enough, but throughout his time away from the area his main and overriding thought had been his proposal of marriage to Cryssie—and her refusal! That was not going to be the last word on the matter—even though he knew he had some way to go to make her see the validity of his plans. But…he’d succeed. Oh, yes, he’d succeed.

  He got up and moved across to stare out of the window. The gardens looked equally lovely at night-time, he thought briefly, etched out as they were by beams from the spot lights. He knew Cryssie would love seeing it like this…her child-like reaction would be spontaneous. Here would be the perfect setting to make her change her mind, he mused.

  His jaw clenched at his own situation—a situation he’d never imagined he’d find himself in. Trying to convince a female that he was good marriage material! Women had always found him attractive—he’d known that since his teens—and he’d enjoyed every minute of the attention he’d got. He was also aware that wealth—for which he had to thank his parents—was a powerful aphrodisiac. But the big downside was that those two advantages brought their own problems, and meeting so many members of the opposite sex had made him realise that it would never be easy to choose one woman whom he could trust—and tolerate—and who would be useful to him. And who didn’t have her eye on the main chance. He admitted that he’d thought Ella would fit all his criteria when they’d first got together, but no one could have guessed how that would turn out!

  He turned away, annoyed that his ex-wife had crept into his thoughts. It was Cryssie whom he had to win over, and getting to her through her family seemed the way to do it. Because he knew that they would always come first. He shrugged. He didn’t care which route he used, just so long as he got there in the end.

  His mobile rang suddenly, interrupting his reverie.

  ‘Jed? I want to speak to you…I must speak to you…’ Cryssie said, and hearing her voice made him smile.

  ‘Of course…When?’

  ‘Now—tonight. I need to speak to you…in private.’ There was a pause. ‘It’s important.’

  He grinned to himself. Of course it was!

  ‘I’ll pick you up in about forty minutes.’ He hesitated, thinking quickly. ‘There’s a country pub I know. Where we won’t be disturbed,’ he added.

  Cryssie’s knees trembled as she put down the receiver. How was he going to take this! She knew very well that he didn’t like having his plans overturned but—well, for once in his life he was going to have to accept it. And what about her? she asked herself, her shoulders drooping for a second. Was she really letting this opportunity slip away for ever? And—much, much more vital—could she close the door on a relationship that she had never dreamed would ever come her way? Every time they had been close, and he had touched her, had left an indelible mark on her consciousness, her memory. She swallowed hard on the lump in her throat.

  She made her excuses to Polly, who glanced at her anxiously.

  ‘Are you going to see Jed?’ she asked.

  ‘Umm…yes, I think so,’ Cryssie replied vaguely, hating the way she was always having to be evasive to Polly—and to everyone else. Well, that was all going to stop! If she could gather up all her strength to face her employer with the unpleasant facts, she might be able to return to the straightforward and uncomplicated life she’d lived before she’d met him.

  Presently, as they drove into the countryside, he glanced across at her. ‘I’m very flattered that you seem so anxious to see me, Cryssie,’ he said. ‘I hope you’ve been doing a lot of thinking!’

  Cryssie closed her eyes for a minute, to stop the tears she felt from actually materialising. And why was she about to cry? she asked herself. Was it for Jed, or Milo, or Polly…or for herself? She was honest enough to admit that this time her tears were purely selfish.

  Jed drew up outside a small pub almost at the end of a narrow country road. It was well-lit and inviting, and as he went in before her Cryssie wished that time would stop, and that there wouldn’t be any need for her to inform him of the drastic step she was about to take. Not just because she knew he would be absolutely furious, but because she was practically being ripped to pieces by her divided loyalties. To her colleagues, to her family, but mostly to him!

  He found a quiet corner table for them in the lounge bar, and looked down at her curiously as he pulled out a chair for her to sit down. ‘Would you like a glass of champagne?’ He smiled at her mischievously. ‘I hope this is to be a celebration!’

  She didn’t look up. ‘You choose,’ she said dully, and he turned at once to go to the bar.

  Presently he returned, with a glass of champagne for her and an orange juice for him. Cryssie immediately took a gulp of her drink before glancing up and looking at him for the first time. Those intense windows of his soul had their usual impact, and she blurted it out before losing her will-power. ‘I cannot work for you, Jed. Nor marry you. I’m sorry. Something has happened which makes it impossible. It’s over between us. Please don’t say anything to make me change my mind. Please!’

  Now the tears began to flow, and he let her weep silently for several seconds. ‘You will give me the privilege of an explanation, I hope, Cryssie?’ he said flatly.

  Taking another clean tissue from her bag, she dabbed at her eyes and nose, realising that she must look a complete mess. She hadn’t even put a comb through her hair since she’d come home from work. She looked up, her eyes red and swimming, and suddenly the words poured out while he listened.

  ‘A few days ago,’ she began, ‘Dave and Joe—two of the senior members of staff—called us all together with a serious proposal. They want to start a co-operative and for us to continue trading under another name—“New Hydebound”. Dave’s got a relative who’ll let us use a restored barn on his land where we can set everything up. There’s good dry storage space for supplies, and a sort of office space for the computers.’ She paused to drink some more wine before adding quickly, ‘And they seem to have done their homework. They’re getting a loan from the bank and putting up their houses as collateral.’

  She paused, biting her lip until it hurt. ‘And I’m forced to go with them—because it would be almost impossible without Rose and me. Between us we’ve always done the cataloguing, ordering, invoicing—all the technical stuff a newcomer would take months to grasp. And the accounts have always been my job.’ She didn’t dare look him in the eye. ‘So how could I say, well, you all carry on, because I’ve got a super job lined up with the Hunter group—I don’t need New Hydebound?’ She shook her head helplessly. ‘If I did that, the whole idea would almost certainly stall.’ She gulped, closing her eyes briefly. ‘As for your ot
her…offer—well, that’s irrelevant now, isn’t it? I’ve simply got to throw my lot in with this idea, help to make it work.’

  Jed gave a snort of angry derision. ‘And what makes you think you can succeed where the Lewises so dismally failed?’ he began.

  ‘It’ll take time,’ she said quickly. ‘But we’ve got a sound customer base, and everyone likes to support something new, support the underdog.’ She looked away. ‘I think it was when Frank, who’s in charge of stock control, shed tears because all is not lost after all that my mind was made up.’

  ‘Very touching,’ Jed remarked dryly.

  ‘I will return all the money you’ve already paid me as soon as I can,’ she said, swallowing hard as she spoke, and wondering when she was going to be able to do that!

  ‘And what are you all going to live on until these big orders start rolling in?’ he asked sarcastically.

  ‘Well, the final bonuses you’re paying will be sufficient for the time being,’ she began, ‘and—’

  ‘Hmm. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so hasty or so generous,’ he said, and Cryssie looked up at him sharply.

  ‘You did promise…’

  ‘Of course,’ he agreed curtly.

  ‘I just cannot deny them this chance,’ she said miserably. ‘I can’t let everyone down.’

  ‘You’re not so worried about letting me down!’

  ‘I am worried!’ Cryssie protested, the tears threatening again.

  ‘And apparently not too upset about Milo and Polly’s prospects either, are you?’ he began, and she flared up at his words.

  ‘Don’t you dare keep bringing them into this,’ she said, so fiercely that one or two other drinkers looked up in surprise. ‘Anyway, somehow or other I’ll make sure we have enough to get by!’ She drained her glass. ‘I’ve never had to rely on anyone before. And as for you, Jed, and your needs—losing my services isn’t the end of the world. You’ll find someone else to do exactly as you want.’