Сьюзен Мейер – Hired: A Bride for the Boss: The Playboy Boss's Chosen Bride / The Corporate Marriage Campaign / The Boss's Urgent Proposal (страница 13)

‘The mistake was with my grandfather, not me,’ Jake retorted in some exasperation.

The butler had the last word. ‘Well, sir, that is a matter of opinion. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and supervise the packing.’

The clinch in the main reception had not been a mistake! Jake churned over Harold’s point of view as he went outside to unlock the Ferrari. He was very fond of his grandfather. He hoped the old man would not be too offended by his actions tonight. All was fair in love and war, and he’d given fair warning that he considered Melissa Rossi his woman right at the initial meeting between her and his grandfather at the birthday party.

If Merlina had not been in such a perverse mood, throwing her independence in his face, and his grandfather backing her up because it suited him, this whole affair would not have got off the ground. He was simply getting her back where she belonged. With him. No mistake about that!

Although he had to concede his grandfather might very well be besotted, given that he had proposed marriage. On the other hand, how could any of his marriages be taken seriously when none of them had lasted beyond a few years?

The discomfiting idea that Merlina might have made the spring/autumn relationship work flitted through his mind. She was a very strong-minded woman. And his grandfather was eighty years old. Maybe he’d seen this as his sunset marriage and would be very aggrieved with Jake for breaking it up.

‘Damn, damn, damn!’ he muttered, realising his action tonight might well have landed him in a very thorny place. Best he face up to it, too. No whizzing Merlina away without speaking to his grandfather first—find out how troubled the waters were and do his best not to pour oil onto them.

He took a few deep calming breaths of the cooler night air as he waited by the Ferrari to load whatever had to be loaded in the trunk. It couldn’t be much, unless the shopping spree at Double Bay had been over-the-top extravagant. He’d cram it in anyway, leaving Merlina no excuse to come back.

Impatience pumped through him, making it seem like forever before his grandfather’s valet—the invaluable Vincent—appeared, carrying an overnight case and a bunch of boutique bags. ‘Is that all of it?’ Jake asked, moving quickly to open the trunk.

‘Of course, sir. I never miss anything,’ Vincent answered loftily.

‘Well, you’ll be missing Ms Rossi very shortly,’ Jake slung at him, out of temper with the situation.

‘That will be a great pity,’ Vincent remarked, stowing the bags, then stepping back to give a reproving look. ‘Mr Byron has been very happy since Ms Rossi has come to stay.’

‘It’s not even been three days!’ Jake snapped, inwardly rebelling against the guilt building up in him. He was not used to feeling guilty about anything.

‘At Mr Byron’s age, every happy day is precious. Perhaps you are too young to appreciate that, sir.’

Having delivered this insidious hit, Vincent turned on his heel and marched back into the mansion.

Jake slammed the trunk shut, locked the Ferrari again and strode after him. Merlina had certainly had time enough to break the news to his grandfather. Why she was still lingering in the library raised a flurry of a gut-churning questions. He had to get in there and set everything straight, make sure she came away with him tonight.

A sense of urgency drove him into entering the library without knocking. His grandfather was propped against the front of his mahogany desk, looking relaxed and in control of the situation. Merlina was sitting back in the large leather reading chair, looking equally at ease with her legs crossed and her arms draped loosely on the arm-rests. It instantly struck Jake there was no tension in the air, not a smidgeon of distress. It was as though they were simply enjoying a chat together.

‘What’s going on?’ he demanded.

The curt tone raised his grandfather’s eyebrows. ‘I might ask the same question of you, Jake? You come here on the pretence of needing help at work…’

‘I did miss Merlina at work.’

The vehement claim provoked an ironic little smile. ‘No doubt you did. Nevertheless, does that excuse applying all your dynamic sex appeal to take her away from me?’

Jake felt a wave of guilty heat scorch up his neck. ‘I’m sorry but she shouldn’t marry you, Pop.’ He glared at Merlina. ‘Haven’t you told him that?’

‘Yes, I did,’ she answered wryly, waving her left hand for him to see the huge flashy diamond. ‘I offered to give Byron back his ring…’

She was still wearing it!

‘I’ve persuaded Merlina to hold on to it,’ his grandfather went on.

‘Why?’ Jake thundered, a mountain of confusion and frustration welling up and crushing all sense of guilt.

‘My boy, I’ve lived long enough to be worldly about these little peccadillos. Just a flash in the pan, so to speak. It will burn out in what? Three months at most? What’s your judgement on this, Merlina?’

She sighed. ‘Maybe three months, Byron.’

‘And what if it isn’t?’ Jake grated.

‘I can wait,’ his grandfather said blithely. ‘When it’s over and she’s feeling sad and sorry, I’ll be happy to cheer her up again.’

‘Don’t count on it being over in a hurry,’ Jake warned, the violence he’d felt earlier raging through him again, spurring him on to say, ‘I might just marry Merlina myself.’

It shocked his grandfather out of his confidence. ‘You don’t mean that.’

Merlina also gaped at him in surprise. ‘And give up your playboy life?’

‘We’ll talk about that if we come to it,’ Jake threw at her, instinctively shying away from such a total commitment. He addressed his grandfather, wanting this irksome confrontation ended. ‘I’m sorry for putting you out but you shouldn’t have rushed into this breach, Pop. Merlina and I had a connection going before you met her and I’m not about to walk away from it.’

‘Seems to me you didn’t appreciate her enough. Don’t forget that I will, Merlina,’ came the swift counter-argument.

‘Just butt out of this, Pop!’ Jake demanded in exasperation. ‘Merlina, I’ve got your things in my car. Let’s go now. Enough has been said.’

No argument, which was some relief. She rose obligingly from her chair, but then he had to suffer through her going to his grandfather, kissing him on the cheek and saying warmly, ‘Thanks for everything, Byron. You’ve been very kind.’

‘You will always be a pleasure to me, my dear,’ came the benevolent reply. ‘Take care. My grandson still has a lot of growing up to do.’

Jake’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t about to stay and argue that point here and now. His primary goal was get Merlina away and obliterate any chance of her reconsidering a marriage to his grandfather, who was still clearly capable of charming birds off trees.

At last he had her arm securely tucked around his for the walk out to his car. She was coming with him willingly enough, but the ostentatious ring on her engagement finger was still glinting provocatively at him. Not for long, he vowed. Before they went to bed together, he would make her take it off.

Then he would make damned sure she would never want to put it on again!

CHAPTER EIGHT

I MIGHT just marry her myself…

He’d said it. He’d actually said it. The big M word. Merlina tried reasoning that the stunning declaration had emerged under extreme provocation, but her mind was dizzy with the possibility that Jake could mean it. He surely wouldn’t say it just to get her back working for him, and it didn’t seem likely that he’d say it to win against his grandfather. It was too big.

With her head whirling and her insides wildly tremulous at being physically connected to Jake again as he walked her out to his car, Merlina couldn’t help feeling thrilled at the forceful purpose in his every step, his determination to carry her along with him. He wanted to be attached to her. He wanted to be intimate with her. And only three days ago she had given up on Jake and his freewheeling world.

Had she been right to play Byron’s game?

In a way, it had been like tricking Jake into rushing down a path he might not have normally taken, and she was still carrying on a deception with Byron’s engagement ring. Yet if she hadn’t done it, would she have ever had a chance of getting this close to Jake Devila? A chance of marrying him? On the other hand, would he make a good husband? Would he be a good father? How could she believe it?

Right now he was helping her into the passenger seat of his red Ferrari. The flashy sports car did not suggest the psyche of a family man. Completely the opposite, in fact. It was probably crazy to think about marrying him. An affair was definitely on the cards and Merlina couldn’t deny she was terribly tempted by the exciting experience of having Jake as a lover. But she was nervous about it, too. He’d had so many women. How would she compare?

He shut the car door and swiftly strode around the bonnet to take the driver’s seat. The tall, athletic maleness of him shot quivers through her stomach. She would soon have the chance to see him naked, feel him naked. So many times she had fantasised such a scene taking place. Now that the hot, hard reality of it was rushing in on her, she was scared of it.