‘Then why—’ Polly shook her head, realising by Laurel’s expression that the reason for her anger had nothing to do with the customer and that it was none of her business. ‘Reece is certainly making his ownership known, isn’t he?’ she said with relish.
The dark scowl reappeared over her eyes. ‘What?’ she rasped.
‘Your ring,’ Polly looked at it admiringly. ‘The girls are all agog with the size of the diamond,’ she added by way of explanation. ‘It must have cost a fortune. I—’
‘I’m sure it did.’ She thrust the hand wearing the ring into the pocket of her tailored skirt. ‘But the size and impressiveness of the ring a man gives you doesn’t mean he’s as big!’
‘I didn’t mean—’
‘I know you didn’t,’ she groaned self-disgustedly, angry with herself for taking out her frustration with Reece on poor innocent Polly; it was only natural to show interest in such a conspicuous ring. ‘I’m just—a little tense,’ she excused.
‘Pre-wedding jitters,’ Polly nodded understandingly. ‘It is an awful time, isn’t it?’
‘Awful,’ she agreed vehemently as she remembered how difficult Reece was now choosing to be.
‘I should imagine Reece’s sudden engagement has come as a bit of a shock to some people,’ Polly mused.
She was suddenly tense. ‘Oh?’
‘At the bank,’ Polly nodded. ‘After all, bankers are supposed to be staid, lacking in impulsiveness.’
Why hadn’t she thought of that? After announcing his engagement so suddenly Reece would look very stupid if it ended as suddenly! There might even be a woman in his life he was trying to fob off. No, that wasn’t Reece’s style at all; he would tell a woman if he no longer wanted her. But she could see now how he wouldn’t want to look impulsively irresponsible twice in such a short length of time. But he should have trusted her with his dilemma instead of inventing all that nonsense about showing her the error of her ways!
* * *
‘Thank you for the roses.’
Laurel turned to look at Reece, admiring the way his dinner jacket fitted his broad shoulders and tapered waist, the way his dark hair just brushed the snowy white collar of his plain silk shirt. He always dressed in taste and style, no one could dispute that.
He grinned across the table at her as they sat at the dinner table together. ‘Although I thought I was supposed to be the romantic one,’ he added with amusement.
One dark blonde brow arched. ‘You don’t like white roses?’
‘I love them. But it certainly made the senior staff sit up and take notice when the young woman walked into my office with them!’
‘Do you have any idea how difficult it was to get a florist to deliver on the same day this close to Christmas?’ Laurel rebuked.
His hand covered hers as it rested on the table-top. ‘I’m more interested in why you had them delivered,’ he told her intently.
She shrugged. ‘I didn’t have the time to leave the shop and come myself.’
‘Laurel!’ he reproved.
She sighed, having regretted the impulse that had made her send the roses half a dozen times since making the call to the florists. ‘I just realised that perhaps I haven’t been completely fair to you,’ she admitted grudgingly. ‘After all, you are helping me out. It can’t be easy for you being engaged to me.’
‘Oh it isn’t,’ he agreed gravely, the twinkle in his eyes belying his serious tone.
‘Reece, I’m being serious,’ she admonished.
He sobered, frowning. ‘I can see that you are. Would you mind telling me what isn’t fair and can’t be easy for me?’
‘The predicament you put yourself in at the bank when you announced our engagement to save my humiliation.’ And while she was grateful to him, had sent the roses as an apology for her unreasonable behaviour, she had to admit she had also done it in a way that would appeal to his sense of the ridiculous, the sending of the roses having nothing to do with being a romantic; she had guessed that he had never had a woman send him flowers before.
Dark brows rose. ‘Predicament?’
‘A sudden engagement followed by an even quicker ending of it could be very awkward for you,’ she explained impatiently.
His expression cleared. ‘How and when I choose my wife has nothing to do with anyone but myself and her. It was nice of you to think of me, Laurel,’ he said lightly. ‘But if you think I’m continuing this engagement under my terms because I fear any embarrassment to myself then forget it; I told you, I want to be engaged to you.’
‘You’re really serious about it being a real one?’ she gasped disbelievingly.
‘Yes. I’ve already sent the announcement to the newspapers.’
‘You’ve what?’
‘I’m sure you heard what I said,’ he derided.
‘You had no right!’
‘Of course I did.’ He was unperturbed by her unmistakable anger. ‘I’m your fiancé.’
‘Reece—’
‘Another fault of mine I forgot to mention,’ he said pleasantly. ‘I’m stubborn!’
‘And I don’t like having someone trying to arrange my life for me.’ She stood up in controlled movements.
‘Where do you think you’re going?’ Reece’s indulgent manner was gone, his tone steely.
She looked down at him scornfully. ‘Home.’
He stood up too, throwing some money down on the table for their dinner as the waiter approached with their bill, one glance at Reece’s face enough to stop him in his tracks. ‘Not without me you aren’t.’ He helped Laurel on with her wrap. ‘We’re a couple now, Laurel.’
She was tight-lipped as they left the restaurant, snuggling down in the warmth of the Jaguar as Reece drove her home. ‘Don’t bother,’ she told him as he would have got out of the car with her. ‘You aren’t coming in.’ Flames gleamed in her eyes as she turned to look at him. ‘At least, not with me. As for the roses, I hope they’re the sort with huge thorns.’ She got out of the car.
Reece uncoiled himself at a more leisurely pace, leaning on the roof of the car to watch her as she approached the building. ‘I’ll pick you up again at seven-thirty tomorrow night,’ he drawled.
She stiffened in the act of opening the door, turning slowly. ‘I don’t seem to be making myself clear—’
‘You’re making yourself very clear.’ He looked very dark and confident in the light given off from the street-lamps. ‘But I’m still going to remain in your life until I’ve made you realise what a lucky escape you’ve had from Gilbraith and any other relationship like that one.’
Her mouth twisted. ‘You could put me off marriage completely!’
He smiled. ‘I won’t do that,’ he assured her before the door swung shut behind her.
He sounded so confident, was so determined. God, she hated the helpless feminine feelings he induced in her!
* * *
‘Where is it, Laurel?’
Her hand shook as she made herself continue in the action of switching on the lights, before slowly turning to look at Giles. He was lounging in one of her armchairs in the sitting-room, looked as if he had been doing so for some time. Just looking at him made her feel nauseous as she relived his violation of her home, fear engulfing her as she took in the knowledge that he had done it again just by being in here. And she knew by the derision in his eyes that he could tell exactly how she felt.
She stiffened her shoulders, taking off her velvet wrap with controlled movements. ‘I won’t ask how you got in,’ she finally spoke coldly. ‘Because I’m sure it’s the same way you got in two nights ago.’
‘Two nights ago?’ He looked at her enquiringly.
She gave him a disgusted look. ‘Don’t try and pretend it wasn’t you that broke in here then.’
‘You were burgled?’ He feigned surprise.
The police seemed happy to think that was all it was, the jewellery that was missing evidence of the crime—but she certainly wasn’t!
‘No,�
� she snapped.
‘You mean someone just broke in here for the fun of it?’ he taunted.
She was more convinced than ever that it had been him that wrecked her home! ‘That was part of it, I’m sure,’ she glared at him. ‘You do realise that Reece could have come up with me just now.’ She dreaded to think what would have happened if he had!
‘I checked out the window,’ Giles shrugged.
‘You… What are you doing?’ she gasped as he made a lunge for her arm.
‘Very nice,’ he murmured as he looked down admiringly at the diamond ring she wore, arching mocking brows at her. ‘Harrington really is serious about this engagement, then,’ he derided.
Laurel snatched her arm away. ‘Very serious,’ she told him with satisfaction, knowing it was true, but not in the way Giles believed.
‘Then you no longer need my ring,’ he ground out.
She gave him a pitying glance. ‘You know the conditions for its return.’
‘And you know I don’t have the money,’ Giles snapped impatiently, standing up.
‘I know you had it—just as I know you were the one who broke in here two days ago.’ She looked at him accusingly. ‘If you had taken the trouble to ask I could have told you the ring wasn’t here,’ she derided. ‘As it isn’t here now,’ she added softly.
Fury glittered in his pale blue eyes. ‘Then where the hell is it?’
She looked at him coldly. ‘Where you can’t touch it.’
He gave a scornful laugh. ‘You’re way out of your league, Laurel,’ he warned softly. ‘Give me the ring back and I’ll just get out of your life.’
She shook her head. ‘I can’t do that.’
His eyes iced over. ‘Would you like me to talk to Harrington about you?’ he asked pleasantly.
Laurel stiffened. ‘Concerning what?’
‘The amount of nights I stayed here with you for one thing.’
They both knew he had never stayed anywhere with her, and after their night together so did Reece! She gave a tight smile. ‘I somehow don’t think he would believe you,’ she drawled.
‘Oh, I think he might be persuaded—’ Giles broke off at her confident expression. ‘My God,’ he said slowly, wonderingly. ‘He’s had you himself, hasn’t he?’
She winced at the crudity of the statement, nodding aloofly. ‘Reece and I are lovers, yes,’ she confirmed haughtily.
Giles gave a mocking laugh. ‘And the two of you are still engaged?’ he taunted.
Her head whipped back at the derision in his voice. Obviously he believed her incapable of a hot-blooded response to any man. She had thought so herself until her night with Reece! But he had brought out responses in her that were totally new and overwhelming.
‘What’s the matter, Giles?’ she came back hardly. ‘Can’t you accept the fact that Reece is a better man than you’ll ever be?’
‘He’s certainly a braver one!’ he scorned. ‘I’d be frightened of freezing to death in your arms!’
‘Get out of here,’ she said dully.
‘Don’t worry, I’m going.’ He walked leisurely over to the door. ‘I have a warm and willing wife waiting for me at home.’
‘She’s welcome to you!’
He smiled. ‘Next time I come back you had better have the ring where you can get it,’ he warned.
‘Next time you come back use the doorbell,’ she told him coldly.
‘The single lock you put on your door while you’re out isn’t enough to keep me out,’ he scoffed. ‘And if I don’t get the ring next time I may just decide to take that ice cube you’re wearing in exchange; it looks as if it might be worth a few thousand.’
‘Reece would find you if you did that,’ she claimed confidently.
He paused at the open door. ‘Considering how determined you are that he shouldn’t know how stupid you’ve been I very much doubt that you would ever tell him you gave it to me!’
Laurel was shaking badly by the time he left. First Reece’s bloody-mindedness, and now this! How much more could she take? And what was the point of it when all said and done? If Giles no longer had the money then he didn’t have it, threats and warnings weren’t going to make it suddenly appear. She was going to lose the only good thing left in her life, and she couldn’t lift a finger to stop it. Unless… No, there was no way she could go to either Robert or Reece and ask them to lend her money. She hadn’t asked anyone for anything in so long she didn’t even think she would know how to go about it!
And she couldn’t stay here for the night either. She changed into warm denims and a thick high-necked sweater the same blue as her eyes, packed some clothes for the morning in a small overnight case, knowing she wasn’t going to be able to stay in this apartment again, intending to look for somewhere else to live as soon as she could.
The sofa seemed even more uncomfortable tonight, her problems going round and round in her head. She almost fell to the floor in fright as a knock sounded on the door. It was two o’clock in the morning, who could be knocking on a shop door that time of night? God, not another burglar! Burglars didn’t knock, stupid, she chastised herself, staring apprehensively at the door as the handle was turned.
‘I know you’re in there, Laurel,’ Reece’s voice rasped through the glass. ‘And you had better open this door before I really lose my temper!’
CHAPTER SIX
SHE could see him through the glass now as she approached the door, and what she saw didn’t encourage her to open the lock. It had been snowing for some time now, everywhere gleaming white, and the black-clothed man looked all the more ominous against its brightness. Black cords moulded to his long legs, a black cable-knit sweater beneath the familiar black body-warmer, the only light in his harsh face the angry glitter of his golden eyes.
‘Open the damned door, Laurel,’ he ordered again, stamping his cold feet in the snow, rubbing his chilled hands together.
She clicked the lock, stepping back as he pushed his way inside.
‘God, it isn’t much warmer in here,’ he glared. ‘What the hell happened to the heating?’
Obviously being a ‘morning man’ didn’t extend to the very early hours, Reece’s mood terse and impatient. ‘It goes off at night,’ she shrugged dismissively.
He strode through to the office, looking down disgustedly at the blanket she had thrown back before getting off the couch. ‘And you were going to sleep here,’ he accused, sparks in his eyes.
‘It isn’t that bad—’
‘The Antarctic is warmer!’ he grated.
‘Reece—’
‘Is this where you were last night, too?’ he demanded forcefully.
‘If you will just calm down—’
‘Calm down!’ he repeated furiously. ‘When I got home I telephoned your flat to see if you were all right, when I got no answer I thought, “she’s sulking”—’
‘I do not sulk,’ she snapped.
‘You sulk,’ he stated flatly. ‘So I tried again an hour later—’
‘I could have been asleep!’ she accused.
‘Not in your own flat you couldn’t,’ he glared. ‘Because you haven’t been there the last two nights! Your neighbour told me, the same neighbour as last night,’ he pointed out aggressively.
‘Oh dear,’ she grimaced.
‘She certainly didn’t take kindly to being woken up at almost two o’clock in the morning!’ he snapped.
‘Who would?’
‘Indeed,’ Reece bit out harshly. ‘She told me you had left a couple of hours before with a man.’ He watched her with narrowed eyes.
Her cheeks flamed bright red. ‘That’s a lie,’ she instantly denied. ‘I left alone. Good God, what does the woman do, stand with a glass against my wall?’
‘I wouldn’t know,’ he dismissed curtly. ‘I’m more interested in who the man was you didn’t leave with.’
Laurel’s gaze was suddenly evasive. ‘There wasn’t a man—’
‘It was Gilbraith,’ he instantly guessed. �
��What did he want?’
She contemplated denying he had ever been there, but the mood Reece was in he was likely to turn violent if she tried to avoid answering him again. And he already looked as dark as the devil! ‘His ring, of course,’ she admitted with a sigh.
Golden eyes narrowed. ‘Did you tell him I have it?’
‘No,’ she answered harshly.
‘Why not?’
She moistened dry lips. ‘I—I didn’t want to involve you,’ she said lamely.
‘Not involve me!’ he predictably scorned. ‘You’re wearing my ring now, Laurel, and I want Gilbraith out of your life once and for all.’
He wanted, did he! ‘And what about what I want?’ she demanded angrily.
‘I’m going to take care of that, too,’ he grated, thrusting her coat at her, taking a quick inventory of the room before striding over to pick up her overnight case. ‘Is this all you have?’ he rasped.
‘Yes. But—’
‘I-would-advise-you,’ he spoke in a controlled voice, bundling her out of the shop and across the pavement to the silver Jaguar, ‘not-to-say-anything-more.’ He threw her case into the back of the car before pushing her into the passenger seat. ‘Not unless you want to be made love to in the front seat of a Jaguar,’ he threatened angrily as he climbed in beside her.
‘I…’ The glittering intent in his eyes as he turned to glare at her was enough to instantly silence her. He really meant it!
‘You can talk now,’ he told her harshly once he had thrown her suitcase down on the bed in his spare bedroom, looking at her challengingly, his chin thrust out determinedly.
How she wished she dare lash out and punch him on that chin, but somehow she had a feeling that the mood he was in he might react in kind—and she would definitely come out the worst in that encounter!
She looked at him steadily. ‘You aren’t sharing this bed with me tonight,’ she told him abruptly.
He relaxed slightly. ‘I’m not?’ he drawled.
That helpless feeling was washing over her again! ‘No,’ she insisted aggressively.
‘Fred missed you last night,’ he told her huskily.
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