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Bella had no doubt that what Gabriel meant by that remark was that he reserved the right to try and seduce her into changing her mind any time he felt like it!
Would she be able to resist him? Living with Gabriel twenty-four hours a day, every day, would she be able to withstand a Gabriel bent on seduction?
Did she have any real choice other than to try?
‘You took me by surprise earlier, Gabriel,’ she stated bravely. ‘In future I will be on my guard against—well, against any attempt on your part to renew such attentions!’
She sounded so serious, so firm in her resolve, Gabriel acknowledged with a grudging admiration. ‘I will allow no other men in your life, Isabella,’ he warned her seriously.
‘And will that rule apply to you, too?’ she snapped.
Gabriel eyed her mockingly. ‘My own tastes do not run in that particular direction—’
‘You know very well what I meant!’ She glared her exasperation.
He shrugged. ‘There will be no other women in my bed but you, Isabella,’ he taunted.
‘I’m not going to be in your bed, either, Gabriel!’
Bella did not believe she was going to be in his bed, which, as far as Gabriel was concerned, was a totally different matter. ‘You have named your own conditions for our marriage, Isabella,’ he rasped. ‘Now I wish to tell you mine.’
Her eyes widened. ‘You have conditions, too?’
‘But of course.’His mouth quirked. ‘You did not think that I would allow you to have everything your own way?’
‘Forcing me into marrying you is hardly that!’ she scorned.
Gabriel gave another shrug. ‘You have a choice, Isabella.’
‘Not a viable one!’
‘No,’ he acknowledged simply. ‘But it is, nevertheless, still a choice.’
Bella sighed her frustration, just wanting this conversation over and done with now. She was tired, both emotionally and physically, and she needed time and space alone now in which to sit and lick her wounds. While she came to terms with the idea of marrying Gabriel Danti!
How different it would have been if this had happened five years ago. How different Bella would have felt if their night together had been the start of something that had eventually resulted in Gabriel asking her to marry him. She had been so infatuated with him then, so totally seduced by Gabriel’s lovemaking, that Bella had absolutely no doubts she would have said yes.
Instead, what they were now proposing was nothing more than a business transaction. A marriage of convenience because both of them wished to ensure that Toby’s life, at least, continued in happiness and harmony.
‘What’s your condition, Gabriel?’ she asked.
He didn’t answer her immediately, but instead walked slowly towards her, only coming to a halt when he stood mere inches away from her.
Bella eyed him warily, her nails digging into the palms of her hands as she knew herself to be totally aware of the warmth of Gabriel’s body, the clean male smell of him, the golden lights that now danced in the warm darkness of his eyes as he looked down at her.
‘What do you want?’ she snapped apprehensively, to which he gave a slow, seductive smile. A smile Bella took exception to. ‘I was referring to your condition, Gabriel,’ she added hastily.
‘My condition at this moment is one of—’
‘Your verbal condition to our marriage!’ Bella could see for herself, by the languorous desire burning in that dark gaze as it roamed slowly over the firm thrust of her breasts, and the hard stirring of his body, exactly what Gabriel’s physical condition was!
‘Ah. Yes. My verbal condition, Isabella,’ he murmured, ‘is that, in order to ensure the continued harmony of both your own family and mine, I suggest it would be better if they were all to believe that our marriage is a love match.’
Bella gasped in disbelief. ‘You want me to pretend to be in love with you?’
‘Only in public,’ he qualified.
She glared at him. ‘And in private?’
‘Oh, simply in lust will do for the moment,’ he said softly.
Bella’s gaze narrowed. ‘You arrogant son-of-a—’
‘Insulting my mother will achieve nothing except to annoy me intensely, Isabella,’ he warned her.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she came back sarcastically. ‘My intention was to insult you, not your mother!’
Gabriel was aroused, not insulted. Marriage to Isabella promised to be a feast for the senses—all of them!
She had been beautiful five years ago, like a delicate and lovely flower that blossomed to his slightest touch. But, Gabriel now realised, he had plundered only one of her petals then. Motherhood and a successful career had ensured there was now so much more to Isabella Scott, and he found it all desirable…
He smiled slowly. ‘I am not insulted, Isabella,’ he assured huskily. ‘Intrigued, perhaps, but not insulted.’
‘Pity,’ she muttered.
Gabriel’s smile widened. ‘You agree to my condition, then?’
She eyed him, totally frustrated with her lack of anything resembling control of this situation. ‘I assure you I no more want my parents and siblings upset about the choice I’m making than you want to distress your father.’
‘And so…?’
She glared her dislike of him, then grudgingly conceded. ‘And so, in public at least, I will try to ensure that it appears as if our marriage is something I want.’
‘Good.’Gabriel murmured his satisfaction as he lifted his hand and curved it about the delicate line of Bella’s jaw, instantly feeling the way she tensed at his lightest touch before moving sharply away. ‘Neither your family or my own will be convinced of our—ease with each other, if you react in that way when I touch you!’ he growled disapprovingly as his hand fell back to his side.
She gave a dismissive snort. ‘I promise I’ll try to do better when we have an audience!’
‘To merely try is not good enough,’ Gabriel told her coldly.
‘It’s the only answer I can give you for now,’ she told him wearily.
Gabriel studied her through narrowed lids, easily able to see that weariness, along with the air of defeat Bella no longer tried to hide from him.
Yes, he had won the battle by forcing Isabella’s compliance in the matter of marrying him, and in claiming Toby as his son.
But Gabriel felt little triumph in that victory as he sensed that, in doing so, he might have put the success of the entire war he was waging in jeopardy…
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘YOU make a stunning bride, Bella!’ Claudia smiled at her tearfully as she put the finishing touches to the veil before stepping back to admire her sister’s appearance.
Bella could only stare numbly at her own reflection, in a beautiful white satin wedding gown and lovely lace veil, in the full-length mirror on the door of the wardrobe in the bedroom that had been hers as a child.
Whoever would have thought, having agreed to Gabriel’s marriage proposal, that only five weeks later Bella would be standing here dressed in this beautiful white wedding gown and veil, preparing to drive to the church with her father, on her way to becoming Gabriel’s bride?
Gabriel’s bride.
Gabriel Danti’s bride.
Oh, God!
‘You can’t be having second thoughts about marrying a man as gorgeous as Gabriel, Bella?’ Claudia teased her obvious nervousness.
‘No, I can’t, can I?’ she agreed with forced lightness. ‘Go and tell Daddy that I’m ready to leave, hmm?’ she asked, waiting until Claudia had left the bedroom before turning back to look at her reflection in the mirror.
What would be the point in having doubts about marrying Gabriel when he had already legally claimed Toby as his son? The name Danti had been enough to ensure that Gabriel’s claim was dealt with quickly and positively. Toby Scott was now Tobias Danti.
As Bella would very shortly become Isabella Danti.
Even that name sounded alien to her, not like her at all. Which was pretty apt when Bella hadn’t felt like herself for the last five weeks. Even less so today!
The woman reflected in the mirror wearing the white satin gown and delicate lace veil over the dark cascade of her hair certainly looked like her, but Bella could feel no joy in her appearance, or at the thought of becoming Gabriel’s wife.
They had shared the news of their engagement with their delighted families five weeks ago. Bella and Toby had then remained in San Francisco for two more days to give Gabriel the time to settle his affairs before he flew back to England with them.
Since arriving in England, Gabriel had been staying in the house in Surrey where Bella had first met him, but coming to the cottage every day in order to spend time with Toby.
When in the company of her family and Gabriel’s they had, as agreed, given every impression that they were happy in each other’s company.
Not an easy thing on Bella’s part when the more time she spent in Gabriel’s company, the more physically aware of him she became. Until now, on their wedding day, she felt so tense with that physical awareness it was a constant painful ache. So much for her condition that this was to be a marriage in name only…
This was her wedding day, Bella accepted heavily.
And she couldn’t have felt more miserable!
‘Where are we going?’
‘On our honeymoon, of course,’ Gabriel said with satisfaction as he drove the black sports car to the private airfield where the Danti jet was fuelled and waiting to take off, the two of them having just been given a warm send-off by their wedding guests.
‘What honeymoon?’ Bella frowned as she turned in her seat to look at him, still wearing her wedding gown and veil. ‘At no time in the last five weeks did we discuss going away on a honeymoon!’
‘We did not discuss it because I knew this would be your reaction if we had,’ Gabriel told her unrepentantly.
She scowled her frustration with his high-handedness. ‘If you knew that then, why—?’
‘It was meant to be a surprise,’ Gabriel growled.
Her mouth compressed. ‘Oh it’s certainly that all right.’
‘It is Toby’s surprise, Bella,’ he elaborated softly.
She looked at him sharply. ‘Toby’s?’
Gabriel nodded. ‘Our son confided in me several weeks ago that newly married people go away on honeymoon together after the wedding.’
Bella’s cheeks were flushed. ‘You should have explained to him—’
‘Should have explained what exactly to him, Isabella?’ Gabriel grated harshly. ‘That although his mother and father are now married, they are not in love with each other? That his mother has no desire whatsoever to spend time alone with his father?’
Bella winced. When he put it like that…!
They had spent the last few weeks, individually and together, convincing Toby that they were all going to be happy as a real family. Obviously they had succeeded as far as Toby was concerned, which was why he had decided his parents going away on honeymoon together was what a ‘real family’ did…
‘I don’t have any other clothes with me—’
‘Claudia was kind enough to pack a suitcase for you,’ Gabriel explained. ‘It is in the trunk of the car with my own.’
Well, that explained the mischievous glint Bella had seen in Claudia’s eyes earlier as her sister had stood with the other wedding guests outside the hotel to wave them off!
‘Toby also arranged to stay with your parents for the week we are away,’ Gabriel supplied. ‘With my father remaining in England and visiting him often.’
‘He’s certainly been busy, hasn’t he?’ Bella sighed as she raised her hands to take the pins out of her hair and remove the veil, her head throbbing. ‘That’s better.’ She threw the veil onto the back seat before sitting back more comfortably.
This really had been the most difficult day of Bella’s life. Starting with the conversation her father had insisted on having with her early this morning…
He had been alone in the kitchen drinking coffee when Bella had come downstairs at six-thirty, his conversation light as she had made herself a cup of coffee. Once Bella had sat down at the kitchen table with him it had been a different matter, however.
He had gently voiced his own and her mother’s worries about the haste with which Bella and Gabriel were getting married. Was she doing the right thing? Was she really sure this was what she wanted? There was no doubting Toby’s excitement but was Bella going to be happy?
Lying to her father had possibly been the hardest thing Bella had ever done.
Even now, thinking of his gentle concern for her happiness, Bella could feel the tears prick her eyes. ‘So, where have you decided we’re going on our honeymoon?’ she asked Gabriel heavily.
Gabriel’s mouth tightened at the fatigue in Bella’s tone as she made no effort to hide the fact that today had been no more than a trial she’d had to get through.
She had looked stunningly beautiful as she had walked down the aisle towards him. A vision in white satin and lace.
A vision in white satin and lace who had avoided so much as meeting his gaze. Whose voice had quivered with uncertainty as she made her vows, her hand trembling slightly as she allowed Gabriel to slide the thin gold wedding band in place. Her fingers had been cold as she’d placed the matching gold band Gabriel had insisted on upon his own finger, her mouth stiff and unresponsive as Gabriel kissed her to seal their vows. Although admittedly she had made an effort to smile and acknowledge their guests as they’d walked back down the aisle together as husband and wife.
Probably because looking and smiling at their guests was preferable to looking at him, Gabriel acknowledged grimly to himself.
‘We are flying to your island in the Caribbean,’ Gabriel told her.
‘Don’t you mean your island in the Caribbean?’ she corrected.
‘No, I mean yours,’ Gabriel said. ‘It is my wedding gift to you.’ He hadn’t meant to tell her that quite so abruptly; had intended surprising her with his gift once they arrived at their destination. He would have stuck to that plan, too, if he weren’t feeling quite so frustrated with her distant behaviour.
Bella was absolutely stunned as she stared at Gabriel in complete disbelief. Gabriel was giving her a whole island in the Caribbean as a wedding present?
His mouth quirked as he obviously read some of her incredulity. ‘Do not look so concerned, Isabella. It is only a small island.’
‘Isn’t even a small island a little overkill when I only gave you a pair of cufflinks?’A frown marred her brow.
Bella had only bought the cufflinks at the last moment because Claudia, as Chief Bridesmaid, said she had to; until then Bella hadn’t even thought of giving Gabriel a gift to mark their marriage. What could she possibly give to the man who had everything?
Although Bella had noted, as they stood together in the church, that Gabriel was wearing the diamond and onyx links in the cuffs of the pristine white shirt he wore beneath the dark grey frock coat…
‘You have given me so much more than that, Isabella,’ Gabriel assured her huskily.
She looked at him warily, but she was unable to read anything from his expression. ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she finally murmured uncertainly.
‘I am talking of Toby, Isabella. You have given me a son,’ he explained evenly.
A man who had everything—except that…
‘Wow, a wedding ring and an island in the Caribbean,’ she mocked. ‘What would you have given me if I had only produced a daughter? A monthly allowance and visiting rights, perhaps?’
‘No, I would have given you a wedding ring and an island in the Caribbean!’ A nerve pulsed in Gabriel’s cheek as he answered her. ‘I would value a daughter no less than a son, Isabella, and I have no idea why you would ever think that I might. Or why it is you take such delight in insulting me!’
Why did Bella take delight in insulting him?
Because she was angry with him. Because she was angry with herself. Because she was just plain angry!
She was angry with Gabriel for forcing her into this marriage.
She was angry with herself for allowing him to do so.
She was angry because a part of her had thrilled at the sight of Gabriel as he’d stood down the aisle waiting for her, looking so devastatingly handsome in the dark frock coat and white shirt and red bow tie. She was angry because her voice had quivered with emotion as she had made her vows to him and because her hand had trembled at his slightest touch as he’d placed his wedding ring upon her finger.
Bella was angry for all of those reasons and more!
‘I’m sorry,’ she sighed wearily. ‘It’s been a long and—and difficult day.’
‘For both of us,’ Gabriel pointed out.
‘Yes.’ Bella turned her head to look at him.
Gabriel looked as strained as she felt, Bella acknowledged ruefully, lines beside his eyes and the grimness of his mouth, his skin slightly pale beneath his naturally olive complexion.
How different this could all have been if Gabriel hadn’t been in love with another woman five years ago. How different today could have been if the two of them had married because they were in love with each other now.
Instead they were two strangers who had married to protect and sustain their young son’s happiness.
Bella swallowed hard. ‘I think, if you don’t mind, that I would like to just sit here quietly for a while.’ She closed her eyes.
Gabriel did mind. If Bella thought the last five weeks had been any less of a strain for him, then she was mistaken.
In company, Bella had managed, as agreed, to maintain an air of tranquil happiness, but once they were alone it had been a totally different matter. She had shown a total lack of interest whenever he had tried to discuss the wedding arrangements with her. Had been uncommunicative on the three Sunday mornings they had attended church together in order to hear the reading of their Banns.
Worst of all, once they were alone, Bella had avoided so much as touching him…
If Bella wished to punish him for forcing this marriage on her then she could not have chosen a better way to do it than with her icy silence and her obvious aversion to his lightest touch!
‘You and your father certainly know how to travel in style,’ Bella commented lightly as she sat across the table from Gabriel in the luxurious cabin of the Danti jet, only now beginning to appreciate the wealth and power behind the Danti name.
Well…apart from earlier when Gabriel had informed her he had given her an island in the Caribbean as a wedding gift!
Bella shied away from even thinking about what she was going to do with an island in the Caribbean and instead turned her attention back to her present surroundings.
The Danti-owned jet was the height of luxury, only six ultra-comfortable seats in the spacious and carpeted main cabin, with a bar at the cockpit end, and a door to another private compartment at the other.
Gabriel had given instructions to the captain to take off as soon as they were on board and their luggage had been stowed in the cabin at the back of the plane. A male steward had then placed two long-stemmed fluted glasses on the glass table in front of them before pouring the bubbly champagne, leaving the bottle cooling in a bucket of ice beside Gabriel and then disappearing back into the galley behind the bar and closing the door discreetly behind him.
Bella had totally avoided even looking at her own glass of champagne as it reminded her all too forcibly of that night with Gabriel five years ago. The last thing she needed to think about at the moment was that!
Gabriel nodded now. ‘As you and Toby will also do now that you are Dantis.’
The sinking feeling in Bella’s stomach owed nothing to air-sickness and everything to the realisation that that was who she really was now.
Isabella Danti. Wife of Gabriel.
‘No doubt Toby will be impressed,’ she answered.
‘But not you?’
Bella was more nervous than impressed. Nervous of being really alone with Gabriel for the first time in five weeks. A quivering wreck just at the thought of spending a week alone with him on her Caribbean island.
She shook her head. ‘I’m not four years old, Gabriel.’
‘No, you are not, are you?’
Bella shot Gabriel a swift glance, not in the least reassured by the intensity of his chocolate-brown eyes as his gaze met hers and held it captive.
She physically had to turn her head away to break that gaze before she could stand up abruptly. ‘I—I think I would like to go into the other room and take off this wedding gown.’
‘An excellent idea, Isabella,’Gabriel murmured huskily.
Bella frowned up at him as he rose slowly to his feet, his height and the width of his shoulders at once dominating the cabin. ‘I think I’m quite capable of changing my clothes on my own, thank you,’ she told him sharply.
Gabriel gave a mocking inclination of his head. ‘I thought you might need some help with the zip at the back of your gown.’
Good point, Bella realised. The wedding gown was medieval in style, with long, close-fitting lace sleeves that tapered to a point at her wrist, their snug fit making it impossible for Bella to reach the zip that ran the whole length of her spine without risking ripping the sleeves at the seams. It hadn’t been a problem earlier today, because Claudia had helped her to dress, but Bella couldn’t say she was exactly comfortable now with the thought of Gabriel helping her to undress…
Comfortable? The thought of Gabriel touching her at all was enough to send her already fractured nerves into a complete tailspin!
She was never going to wear this gown again anyway, so what did it matter if she did rip the sleeves?
‘I’m sure I can manage, thank you,’ she replied distantly as she turned away.
‘I need to change into less formal clothing, too,’Gabriel insisted quietly as he reached the door to the back compartment before Bella and held it open for her to enter.
Bella looked up at him uncertainly, knowing by the hard challenge she could see in his eyes that Gabriel expected to continue—and that he was actually enjoying!—arguing with her. On the basis that some sort of response from her was better than none, perhaps? Probably, Bella acknowledged wryly, even as she experienced a perverse desire not to give him that satisfaction.
‘Fine,’ she accepted airily before striding past him into the cabin at the back of the plane.
Only to come to an abrupt halt as she found herself, not in another sitting-room as she had supposed, but in a room totally dominated by the king-size bed in its centre!
Gabriel’s eyes darkened with amusement when he saw Bella’s stunned expression as she took in the luxuriously appointed bedroom with its fitted wardrobes, gold thick-piled carpet, and the deep gold and cream silk linen that covered the bed, several throw cushions of the same rich material against the sumptuous pillows.
Unfortunately Bella didn’t stay stunned for very long as she turned to look up at him accusingly. ‘I hope you don’t have any ideas about adding my name to the list of women you’ve no doubt seduced in here!’ she snapped.
Gabriel’s humour faded at the deliberate insult. ‘You have the tongue of a viper!’
She raised mocking brows. ‘It’s a little late for second thoughts, don’t you think, Gabriel? We were married earlier today, remember?’
‘Oh, I remember, Isabella,’ he rasped harshly. ‘Perhaps it is time that I reminded you of that fact also!’ He closed the door gently behind him.
Bella took a step back as she obviously read the intent in his eyes. ‘I meant what I said, Gabriel—I am not about to become another notch on your mile-high bedpost!’
Gabriel’s jaw clenched as he took that same step forward. ‘I meant what I said five weeks ago, too, concerning the right to change your mind about our marriage being in name only!’
Her eyes widened in alarm. ‘Not here!’