‘On a beach somewhere warm,’ he finished smoothly, blue eyes gleaming with laughter—at her expense. ‘Don’t you find the English winters cold and damp?’ he continued, both of them knowing exactly what she had thought he was going to say.
‘I love the cold and the damp of England.’ She suppressed the shiver that just talking about it gave her. ‘I can imagine nothing worse than spending Christmas on a hot beach somewhere.’ She shook her head. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, my peas are defrosting and my chicken needs cooking!’
“I love roast chicken,’ Zack told her hopefully.
‘I’m deep-frying it.’ She had just decided—stubbornly.
He shrugged. ‘I can live with that.’
Merry stared at him exasperatedly. She didn’t want to invite him to dinner. But as she looked up into his face, the arrogant set of his jaw, the unrelenting steel of his gaze, she had a feeling it wasn’t going to be her decision.
Which was ridiculous. She was thirty-seven years old, totally independent; she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to do. And spending any more time in this man’s company was not only stupid, it could be downright dangerous!
‘Okay, but you’re peeling the potatoes,’ she heard herself say—her mouth functioning in total opposition to her brain—and then she found herself wondering if he knew how to peel potatoes. After all, a man who owned a publishing company, a house in London, and a villa in France, was also sure to have that army of servants, like the one she had envisaged serving him breakfast yesterday morning. The breakfast he hadn’t been able to eat. Obviously there was nothing wrong with his appetite today! ‘On second thoughts, you can lay the table,’ she decided—if she had really decided anything at all…!
She had decided yesterday that she didn’t ever want to talk to this man again. And yet now she appeared to be doing just that…
She also had no interest in having dinner with him, either. And yet now it appeared she was going to… Even if it would be in her own home, and he was going to help her cook it!
Which was precisely what they were doing an hour later, when Dani came into the house. This time her daughter didn’t just look surprised to see a man in their kitchen—the same man as yesterday evening!—she looked pleased too!
‘Hi, Zack,’ she greeted familiarly, bending to kiss Merry lightly on the cheek before helping herself to an apple from the fruit bowl, biting into it hungrily as she sat down on one of the kitchen stools.
‘You’ll ruin your appetite for dinner,’ Merry chided indulgently; she knew from experience that nothing dampened her daughter’s love of food, and yet she maintained a model-slim body. Dani could probably eat six apples and manage to eat a full meal afterwards!
Her daughter grinned dismissively. ‘This is just to tide me over until my pizza later.’
Pizza? But Dani had mentioned something this morning about going out with some friends for a pizza this evening…
Merry had forgotten the conversation during the rush of the day, but it came flooding back to her now. And Zack Kingston had invited himself to dinner. A dinner, it now appeared, they were going to enjoy alone. Enjoy…? It was the last word she should have used to describe the next few hours she was going to have to spend in his company!
‘I believe you know my nephew,’ Zack put in conversationally, looking enquiringly at Dani. ‘David. David Kingston,’ he explained at Dani’s blank look.
Dani’s eyes widened. ‘You’re David’s uncle?’ she looked surprised—but nothing more than that, Merry noted with satisfaction. ‘I would never have guessed.’ Dani shook her head, grinning widely now. ‘You look nothing alike, do you?’
Merry turned accusingly to Zack. When she had asked him yesterday he had told her that he and David had ‘a certain similarity’. And she, she remembered now with an inward wince, had said, ‘tall, blond, and gorgeous’!
‘To look at, no,’ Zack replied. ‘But in temperament we’re very similar,’ he amended, with a mocking sideways glance at Merry.
Arrogant, opinionated, and judgemental! Thank goodness Dani wasn’t heavily involved with the younger Kingston!
‘How incredible!’ Dani jumped lightly to the floor, almost as tall as Zack in her heeled boots. ‘David’s coming out for a pizza with us; I can’t wait to tell him you’re here having dinner with my mother!’ She looked pleased at the thought.
‘Dani!’ Merry panicked at the thought of her daughter leaving her alone here with Zack.
‘I’m only going upstairs to change, Mum,’ Dani assured her lightly. ‘I’ll come back in and say goodbye before I leave.’
‘I hope you all have a good time,’ Zack put in agreeably, moving so that he stood beside Merry, his arm curving about her shoulders. ‘And don’t feel you have to hurry back,’ he tacked on laughingly.
Merry looked up at him sharply, just in time to see him give Dani a conspiratorial wink. Really! The man had come here yesterday, breathing fire and accusations about her daughter, and now he was giving Dani the impression that the two of them, that he and she, were—There was no ‘he and she’!
‘Gotcha,’ Dani shot back at him before Merry could say anything. ‘I’ll be down again in about ten minutes,’ she warned teasingly, before leaving them alone in the kitchen.
Merry moved pointedly out of the curve of Zack’s arm, turning to face him accusingly. ‘Exactly what do you think you’re doing?’ she demanded, green eyes bright with annoyance. ‘Dani now thinks—She now has the impression—’ Merry could hardly speak!
‘Would you rather Dani knows I came here on a wild-goose chase yesterday?’ Zack asked. ‘That she be made aware of the fact that David made a declaration concerning her of which she has no knowledge? I spoke to David last night,’ he added at Merry’s questioning look, ‘and learnt that he’s never so much as taken her out on her own, let alone kissed her or told her he’s in love with her! What he was actually saying to me yesterday morning was that he’s seen the girl he wants to marry, not that he has actually asked her and has been accepted!’ he explained.
That was more or less the conclusion Merry had come to—once she’d been able to think at all! And, no, she didn’t want to humiliate David Kingston by telling Dani what had happened yesterday. That would only be embarrassing for everyone involved.
Besides, she had done things, made statements herself, at the same age, that hadn’t always been tactful or well thought out…
‘You told me that David looks like you!’ she attacked, not willing to let this man off the hook quite that easily. After all, he was the one who had over-reacted…
‘No, I didn’t,’ Zack denied easily. ‘I said there was “a certain similarity”. And I wasn’t referring to the way we look. David is several inches shorter than me, with the dark colouring of his mother. But he’s very like I was at his age, over-serious and hard-working—that was the reason I made the jump in assuming his relationship with Dani was an actual thing; David doesn’t make light-hearted statements.’ He looked rueful. ‘He still hasn’t. We talked a little about Dani last night, and although the relationship hasn’t gone anywhere so far, I can assure you he does intend marrying her!’
‘Dani is too young to marry anyone just yet,’ Merry insisted stubbornly. ‘No matter how serious and hard-working your nephew might be!’
Zack seemed unfazed. ‘I would say that’s for the two of them to sort out, in their own time. Hopefully, not for several more years yet’ His mouth quirked. ‘That’s definitely one aspect of mine and David’s personalities that differs. Or maybe it’s just that I’m older and so there doesn’t seem to be so much time; David has immense patience, whereas I—I don’t have any patience at all. But then neither of us are children, are we, Merry?’ he finished with satisfaction.
She gave him a startled look. ‘We..?’
He nodded. ‘David may have taken one look at Dani and decided he wants to marry her, but yesterday I did the same thing where her mother was concerned. That’s why, when you aske
d me, I counted it fortunate that I wasn’t already married. You see, there is going to be a wedding in the family after all, Merry—ours!’
She had felt this way when she was a child, riding on the merry-go-round, slightly dizzy, slightly disorientated—and very definitely speechless!
CHAPTER FOUR
THE feeling didn’t last very long—thank goodness!
‘You didn’t tell me that insanity ran rife in your family!’ she burst out, moving a suitable distance away from him. As much as the confines of her kitchen would allow!
He and his nephew were prime candidates for treatment as far as she was concerned. Dipsticks. Fruit loops. One slice short of a loaf.
However it was put, Zack Kingston was definitely deranged!
He smiled at her now, that slow, lazy smile that only made him appear more handsome. What a pity he was also insane!
‘It doesn’t,’ he answered her easily.
‘Then it’s just you and David who are afflicted,’ she accepted. A day ago she had been quietly living her life, completely unaware of the existence of Zack and David Kingston. And she would like to go back to that unawareness!
Zack shook his head, perfectly relaxed as he leant back against one of the kitchen units, smiling unconcernedly, appearing completely unabashed by the fact that he had just announced his intention of marrying her.
‘David and I both have an IQ of over one hundred and fifty,’ he drawled mockingly.
‘Which just goes to prove the point of that saying “there’s a very fine line between genius and insanity”! ’ Merry cried. ‘David appears to be pretty close, but you are obviously way over the edge!’
Zack chuckled softly. ‘One of the things I like about you is your sense of humour.’
She shook her head pityingly. ‘I wasn’t joking.’
‘I know that,’ he sobered. ‘But I wasn’t joking either,’ he told her seriously.
Completely off his trolley, Merry decided. Thank goodness Dani hadn’t gone out yet; she might need some help getting Zack out of the house.
‘Mr Kingston—Zack,’ she amended soothingly as he raised his brows at the formality; no point in disturbing him unnecessarily! ‘How many women have you invited to marry you this week?’ she prompted conversationally, willing Dani to finish changing and come back down the stairs. She needed her assistance!
He met her gaze unblinkingly, although there was laughter in the depths of his clear blue eyes. ‘I can say with all honesty—’
‘Honesty is good,’ Merry encouraged, still eyeing him warily.
He gave an inclination of his head. ‘I think so too. Dishonesty engenders mistrust, and a relationship cannot be built on either of those things.’ He straightened. ‘As I told you yesterday, I am thirty-nine years old, and in all that time I have suggested marriage to only one woman. You,’ he added, so that there could be no misunderstanding on her part.
Her… Why her? What had she done to deserve being singled out in this way? Or perhaps that was it; she had made no secret of her feelings towards men and marriage, and maybe Zack Kingston was one of those men who couldn’t resist a challenge? Well, he was going to find her a lot more than a challenge!
‘I’m sure it’s a great honour, Zack,’ she told him with heavy sarcasm. ‘But my answer has to be no.’
His mouth twisted. ‘I haven’t asked you yet,’ he reminded her.
No, he hadn’t asked, but he had told! ‘I’m advising you to save your breath,’ she bit out impatiently.
‘Oh, I don’t intend asking you until I’m sure you’ll say yes,’ he assured her.
‘Indeed? Has someone given you prior knowledge of hell freezing over?’ she said pleasantly.
Zack chuckled again. ‘See what I mean? Great sense of humour.’
‘I wasn’t joking,’ she snapped. ‘I’m sure you’re a great marital catch, Zack.’ If one overlooked the insanity! ‘Passably good-looking.’ Gorgeous! ‘Rich.’ The Jaguar XJS that be had driven while he followed her home was testament to that! ‘It’s just that I’ve reached the age of thirty-seven without marrying anyone—and I have no immediate plans to change my status!’ Dani, where are you? she mentally pleaded with her absent daughter. ‘And, in the circumstances, I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to stay to dinner,’ she finished reasoningly.
‘That’s a bit unfair—since I helped to cook it,’ he protested lightly.
Peeling four potatoes, and two of them for himself, did not constitute helping her cook dinner as far as she was concerned! Although she accepted it was probably the first time Zack had ever peeled even one potato—judging by the amount of potato he had cut off with the peel, his hundred and fifty-something IQ obviously served him no useful purpose when it came to practicalities!
‘Besides,’ he went on persuasively, ‘you need someone to help you eat all that food now that Dani is going out.’
Merry’s mouth set. ‘I don’t wish to seem rude, Zack—’
‘Of course you do,’ he laughed. ‘It’s another part of your charm.’
Being rude was charming? This man certainly had a warped sense of what he found attractive in a woman. Or perhaps it was just that he was surrounded by yes-men—and women—most of the time…?
‘Thank you,’ she dismissed. ‘I think I’m beginning to understand now why it is you’ve never married before; you only want to marry women who have no interest in you!’ Although, his insanity aside, she didn’t think there could be too many of those—besides herself!
He laughed once more, not at all perturbed by her insult. ‘That’s quite an interesting theory, Merry.’ He moved to pour some of the wine from the half-bottle that had been left from the evening before, handing her one of the glasses. ‘Completely untrue, of course. But interesting.’ He sipped his wine thoughtfully. ‘I would just like to repeat that I had never asked any woman to marry me before I met you.’
‘Then why change the habit of a lifetime?’ Merry prompted desperately, taking a thirsty gulp of her wine—a wine, moreover, that was supposed to be sipped and enjoyed, not thrown down the throat like its cheaper imitators. But this man, with his determination, was starting to grate on her nerves.
‘You see,’ he grinned. ‘Life with you will never be boring!’
‘I can be boring—if that’s what it takes to get rid of you!’ she assured him.
Zack folded his arms. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ And, as if to prove his point further, he made himself comfortable on one of the kitchen stools.
‘I’m thirty-seven—’
‘You don’t look it,’ he assured her admiringly.
‘A single mother—’
‘We can have more children, if you would like them,’ he confirmed softly.
Merry glared at him. He had deliberately misunderstood the statement. ‘I spend my days working—’
‘Wonderful,’ he agreed.
She drew in a breath. ‘My nights—’
‘We’ll get to your nights in a moment,’ he butted in. ‘I’m interested in what sort of work you do.’
‘It’s completely unnecessary for you to know what work I do—considering we are never going to meet again after tonight!’ Merry glared at him.
Zack remained unruffled. ‘Humour me,’ he encouraged.
She had been humouring him for the last ten minutes; in any other circumstances she would have got as far away from him as possible. But as it was her home he was the one who had to leave. Something he didn’t seem inclined to do!
She turned off the heat beneath the potatoes, having no interest in eating them now; a proposal of marriage was sure to rob her of her appetite! ‘I teach,’ she told him abruptly.
‘Subject?’
She sighed. ‘Art,’ she told him, tensing as she waited for his scorn.
She had heard all the criticism about teaching art, mostly that it was a waste of time—her own and her pupils’. She didn’t happen to agree with those critics, felt there was so much more to individuals than t
heir academic capabilities, that there was an artist of some sort inside everyone.
‘I should have guessed,’ he murmured softly. ‘There’s a certain style to the way you look and dress,’ he explained at her frowning look.
Merry looked down at her long floral skirt and the skimpy black top she wore with it. ‘Today’s “style” is a charity shop,’ she told him dryly. ‘And yesterday’s was post-Dani; I don’t have a lot of spare cash to spend on stylish clothes for myself.’ She gave a pointed look at his own expensively tailored clothes.
‘I acknowledge the put-down, Merry,’ he accepted. ‘But I certainly wasn’t being patronising—as you thought I was,’ he guessed correctly. ‘Some people have a style of their own, so much so that they look good in whatever they wear—you are one of those people.’
There wasn’t a lot she could say to a remark like that. Fashionable clothes had never been something she was too interested in—just as well, in the circumstances. But over the years she had developed a certain style she considered her own, one that suited the slenderness of her figure and the dark wildness of her long hair. What surprised her was that Zack Kingston had recognised it as such…
Now who was being patronising? Wasn’t she giving in to a little reverse snobbery here? Which was totally unlike her. She liked her life the way it was, loved her job, being mother to Dani, and never minded that most people had more money than she did. Even if she had money herself, there was nothing about her life she would want to change. Well… Perhaps one thing. But that was only a dream of hers…
‘Thank you,’ she accepted huskily.
‘Don’t be too quick to thank me, Merry,’ he replied, blue eyes alight with wicked humour. ‘I’ve also spent a considerable amount of the last twenty-four hours imagining what you would look like without the clothes!’
She drew in a shaky breath, colour burning her cheeks as she stared at him wide-eyed. ‘You—’
‘I’m off now, Mum.’ Dani bounced back into the room, lovelier than ever in a brown fitted top and brown jeans that hugged the perfection of her statuesque figure. ‘Enjoy your evening.’ She grinned at both of them.
The Man She'll Marry (Presents Plus) Page 3