The Executive’s Vengeful Seduction by Maxine Sullivan

“Once my father’s on the mend, I’m going back to Sydney,” Gabrielle said. “Don’t forget that.”

“You’ve already made that clear.” But Damien was more than satisfied.

For the moment.

“I think I’ll go to my room. Goodnight.”

Damien inclined his head. “Goodnight, Gabrielle,” he said, watching her walk away with a sway to her hips that would draw any man’s attention. Yet he wasn’t just any man. He’d been her lover, if not her confidant.

He could feel an odd sort of anger simmering beneath the surface. An anger he wasn’t ready to face. Perhaps he’d never have to face it… once he had enough of her body.

Rich Man’s Revenge by Tessa Radley

“ I want a real marriage .”

Rico wanted to marry her. For real. “Why?”

“Because I want a son. An heir.”

Sick disappointment churned in Danielle’s stomach. “You misled me. Deliberately. Do you know how much that really pains me?”

“Pain?” He spoke so softly she strained to hear him. “I know about real pain. And all because of your father.”

“I can’t give you a real marriage.”

“Because you’re a Sinclair? A princess? And I’m a peasant?”

“No, I don’t want to marry anyone because – ”

She froze as he placed his hands on the sofa back, trapping her between his arms, and lowered his face to hers. “You’re going to give me a son in exchange for all I’ve lost at the hands of your family.”

The Executive’s Vengeful Seduction

MAXINE SULLIVAN

Rich Man’s Revenge

TESSA RADLEY

www.millsandboon.co.uk

THE EXECUTIVE’S VENGEFUL SEDUVUION

by

Maxine Sullivan

MAXINE SULLIVAN

credits her mother for her lifelong love of romance novels, so it was a natural extension to want to write her own romances for her own and others’ enjoyment. She’s very excited about seeing her work in print and is thrilled to be the second Australian to write for the Desire™ line.

Maxine lives in Melbourne, Australia, but over the years has travelled to New Zealand, the UK and the USA. In her own backyard, her husband’s job ensured they saw the diversity of the countryside, including spending many years in Darwin in the tropical north. She is married to Geoff, who has proven his hero status many times over the years. They have two handsome sons and an assortment of much-loved, previously abandoned animals.

Maxine would love to hear from you and can be contacted through her website at www.maxinesullivan.com.

Dear Reader,

This is my third book about Australian millionaires, and I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it’s been to write for the Desire™ line. I love writing stories where the hero is rich and compelling and the heroine gorgeous and feisty.

And like my first two books, this story is set in Darwin, in the torrid zone north of Australia, where I lived for many years. How fitting it seems, then, to have my heroine, Gabrielle, return home to Darwin after a long absence. Despite hiding a tragic secret, Gabrielle falls in love all over again with Damien, and it proves to be just what she needs. She realises she has come home in more ways than one.

I trust you will enjoy this story of a prodigal daughter and a powerful executive, who find each other as difficult to resist as this city in the heart of the tropics. I see it as a fitting end to this set of books and I hope you do, too.

Happy reading!

Maxine

To Kaz Delaney and Sandra Allan

Firm friends, wonderful writers.

Thanks for the laughs, ladies.

One

Damien Trent acknowledged two things when Gabrielle Kane stepped from the elevator and walked along the corridor toward her office.

She was even more gorgeous than he remembered.

And he’d been a fool to let her go.

“Hello, Gabrielle,” he said, straightening away from the wall, his gaze sliding over the soft gray material of her pantsuit that hugged her breasts and clung to her hips, down to the matching strappy sandals. She’d never looked more elegant and feminine than she did right now.

Her blond head shot up from searching through her purse, and her steps faltered. She paled. “My God! Damien?”

“You remembered?” he drawled, then felt something shift inside his chest when those blue eyes met his fullon. For a split second time reversed itself to five years ago. She’d walked into that business function with her father, and their eyes had met across the room, jolting him, making him want her.

Just like they were doing now.

She moistened her mouth, then appeared to pull herself together. “How could I forget?”

“That’s something we have in common, then.” He moved closer, pleased to see two spots of color rush into her smooth cheeks. “You’ve grown very beautiful, Gabrielle.”

Her delicate chin angled. “Is this a social visit, Damien? You’re a long way from home.”

He mentally pulled back from wanting her. He was here for a reason. “We need to talk.”

“After five years?”

His mouth tightened. She’d been the one to leave him. “It’s important, Gabrielle.”

Alarm flashed in her eyes, then was banked. “It’s my father, isn’t it?” she said, her tone without inflection now, but he’d seen her immediate reaction. She still cared for the father who’d cut her off after she’d walked out.

He cupped her elbow. “Let’s go into your office,” he said, feeling the slenderness beneath his palm, conceding that he’d missed touching her.

She turned away and with a shaky hand that was a dead giveaway she unlocked the door to a suite of offices with a sign reading Events by Eileen—The Events Organizer.

He followed her through the main reception area and into another office, taking in the plush carpet and quality furniture and fittings. “You seem to have done well for yourself.”

She walked around the desk and stood with her back to the large glass window, a breathtaking view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House behind her. “Let’s not pretend you don’t already know all about me, Damien. I’m sure whatever report you had done on me must have told you what I do and who I work for.” She crossed her arms, her face closed. “Just say what you have to say.”

So. She was going to play it cool now, was she? It didn’t surprise him. She’d always been a mixture of fire and ice. It was one of the things he’d liked about her—all that passion beneath a cool exterior.

He inclined his head at the high-backed leather chair behind her desk. “You might want to sit.”

“I’d rather stand,” she said, but her shoulders went back, as if preparing for a blow.

There was no easy way to say this. “Your father’s had a stroke, Gabrielle,” he said, hearing her gasp, seeing the shock she couldn’t hide now. “It caused a cerebral hemorrhage in his brain. It was touch-and-go so they had to operate.”

She swallowed hard. “Is he…”

“No, he’s not dead. They’re hopeful he’ll pull through and will recover fully in time.”

“Oh God,” she murmured, all pretence gone now as she finally sank onto her chair.

He watched her, seeing the whiteness of her skin and the way she bit her bottom lip, and he knew he’d done the right thing by coming to get her. “My private jet’s ready when you are.”

She blinked up at him. “What?”

“You’ll be coming home to Darwin to see your father.”

She shook her head. “No…I can’t.”

His mouth thinned. “He’s your father, Gabrielle.”

She made a choking sound. “Obviously that hasn’t worried him too much these past five years.”

It was one thing to ignore your father’s existence when he was in good health, but Russell had come close to death. It was time they sorted things out between them. Damien had told Russell the same thing not long before his stroke, when the other man appeared to be fretting over the loss of his daughter. Perhaps Russell sensed something had been about to happen.

“You were the one who walked out on him,” he pointed out. “Your father found that hard to forgive.”

“Perhaps I find it hard to forgive a few things, too,” she said, remaining firm.

He was instantly alert. “Such as?”

A wary look suddenly entered her eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Obviously it does or you wouldn’t have mentioned it.”

She looked across the desk at him. “Nothing can change the past now. Let’s just say that when I left home five years ago I never looked back.”

He arched a brow. “Never? I find that hard to believe.”

She shrugged her slim shoulders and leaned back in her chair. “That’s your problem, Damien. Not mine.”

Her comment irritated him. “You walked out on me, too,” he reminded her silkily.

Her chin rose in the air. “And did you find that hard to forgive?”

His jaw clenched. “Your note was sufficient.”

“I’m glad you think so,” she said with a touch of sarcasm.

He scowled as her comment slammed into him. “You said you wanted to end our affair,” he reminded her. “You also said not to try and change your mind.”

“And it suited you to believe me, didn’t it?”

“Are you saying you lied?” he demanded, his stomach knotting.

Her eyelids flickered, as if she knew she was in dangerous waters. She sighed. “No. It was the truth. It was over between us.”

He stared hard for a moment as something centered inside his chest. Things were far from over between them. He’d subconsciously realized that when she’d stepped out of the elevator and walked toward him like a vision from heaven.

“No, I don’t think it was over at all,” he said quietly.

She stiffened. “Really? You obviously didn’t think that at the time.”

“True. But we had other priorities back then.”

She inclined her head but couldn’t hide a hint of relief in her eyes. “Yes, we both had a lot of things going on in our lives.”

“And I let that get in the way of what was important.” He paused. “Things have changed.”

She looked startled. “Changed?”

Now that he’d seen her again, he would have to work her out of his system. In the most pleasurable way, of course.

“It’s time to come home, Gabrielle. Your father needs you.” Hell, he suddenly needed her, too.

Her gaze dropped, and she began to smooth her palms over the front of her silky jacket. Then she looked up as if making a decision. “I’m sorry. Please tell my father I wish him well, but I won’t be coming back.”

That wasn’t acceptable. “And if he dies?”

She winced, then whispered, “Don’t.”

He couldn’t let himself soften toward her. Not right now. He had a job to do. “You have to face facts. Your father is seriously ill. He needs to see you.”

“Damien, I can’t…I…”

“Not even for your mother’s sake?”

Her mouth dropped open, her eyes widened. “Wh-what? My mother? When did you talk to my mother?”

“Caroline came home a couple of days ago when she heard about your father’s stroke.”

Gabrielle clenched her hands together. “No, she would never forgive him.” Her mother would never have gone back to her father. When Caroline left, she’d sworn the marriage was over forever.

“She did. And I think you should, too.”

“You’re lying. This is a trick.”

“No tricks, I swear. Gabrielle, your mother asked that I come and get you. She needs you right now.”

She flinched. “That’s not fair.”

“I didn’t say it was,” he said as he was jabbed by an old heartache. Despite everything that had gone on, at least Gabrielle had parents who cared about her. She wasn’t totally nonexistent to them, unlike his own parents. She had a second chance with her family. He doubted his parents would have even wanted a second chance. They’d been too involved with themselves…too selfish to consider that their son might just need some of their attention.

Just the thought of it made the muscles at the back of his neck tense. “Look, if you can’t come back for your father, then do it for your mother’s sake.”

She glared at him. “I just can’t walk out of here and leave everything to the others. This is a thriving business. We’ve got some major events coming up.”

“I’m sure they can cope without you.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is?” he challenged. She was only making excuses and they both knew it.

She held his gaze for a long moment, then her eyes clouded over and she sighed with surrender. “Okay, I’ll come home. But I’m only staying until my father’s out of danger.”

“Deal.” By then he would have her in his bed again and out of his system once and for all.

The thought was completely satisfying.

Long after they were airborne and heading toward Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia, Gabrielle finished making numerous calls to explain the situation to her clients, then turned off her cell phone to take a break from it all. Before the plane had left Sydney, she’d spoken to Eileen, who’d been supportive of her situation and had made her promise to phone as soon as she was settled.

Dear Eileen. If it hadn’t been for the older woman taking her in and treating her like one of her daughters, Gabrielle didn’t think she would be as “together” as she was now. Eileen had helped her through so much.

And so had Lara and Kayla, Eileen’s daughters. Not only had she been homeless on her arrival in Sydney, but if it wasn’t for all three, she would’ve had to swallow her pride and call her father for help when she’d been in that car accident.

Her heart wrapped in pain, she looked over at Damien Trent, sitting opposite her reading some business papers he’d taken out of his briefcase. If he only knew… Oh God. No, she wouldn’t think about that. She’d think about him instead. That would give her something to do.

In his early thirties, he looked as trim and taut as ever, with dark hair and moss-green eyes that always made her catch her breath. He was a lethal combination of manhood.

Her Damien.

The man she’d loved without question five years ago. The man she’d let glimpse her soul. The man she’d have died for. How had she found the courage to walk away from him, knowing she was carrying his child?

Yet how could she have stayed when she’d known he hadn’t loved her? Their relationship had never been about emotional depth. Not on his part, anyway.

Oh, she’d had no doubt he would have married her once he’d known she was pregnant. But she hadn’t wanted that. Not after her father’s drunken rage that night telling her to go, when she’d decided then and there that she’d rather her child not have a father at all, than one who hadn’t loved its mother. She just hadn’t been able to bear the thought of Damien treating her with disdain in front of their child in the years to come. She’d been that child with her own parents, and it wasn’t a nice feeling.

No, it had been better to cut the ties back then. And from that point on she’d decided she had to stand guard and protect herself from hurt. Love brought too much pain, and she’d wanted nothing more to do with letting anyone so deeply into her heart. And she hadn’t.

Until today.

Until Damien had stepped back into her life.

All at once she realized Damien’s eyes were upon her. “Everything okay?” he asked, watching her with a light in his eyes that went beyond the sexual, as if he were trying to decipher her thoughts. It made her uncomfortable.

She nodded and turned away, looking out the small window at the blue sky surrounding them, then down at the unimaginable vastness below. They’d left the red dust of the Outback behind some time ago, and now she could see greenery beneath them, growing increasingly greener with each mile, and the closer they got to the coast.

Then time passed and not far in the distance, she could just catch sight of the ocean at the “Top End” of Australia. She sat there for ages absorbing it all, letting it wash over her. This was where she’d been born… where she’d grown up…been happy and sad…passionate and heartbroken.

“You’re home,” Damien said as the plane swept around over the ocean then banked toward the runway. Beneath them the city of Darwin glistened in the hot tropical sun.

A lump swelled in her throat and she had to blink rapidly. Damien was right, no matter how much she’d denied it to herself all these years. This was home. And home was where her heart was.

It always had been.

Two

Once Damien’s plane landed they stepped straight through the invisible sheet of humidity and into a waiting BMW, before speeding through the Darwin suburbs toward the private hospital.

Gabrielle tried to hold her apprehension and worry at bay, but all she could think about now was her father. All these years she’d believed she’d prepared herself for news like this, but now she knew that wasn’t possible. The emotional distance she’d worked so hard to maintain was going down the drain. No matter what had gone on between them, he was still her father and she loved him despite everything, and the thought of him dead brought a lump to her throat.

As for her mother, she was still amazed Caroline Kane had returned home to be a wife again. Her mother had been a well-paid doormat to her rich husband, but infidelity was the one thing she hadn’t been able to accept. Caroline had been distraught when she’d left the house for good after discovering that Russell had been having an affair with his secretary. She was too upset even to take her teenage daughter with her, even though Gabrielle had begged her.

Repeatedly.

God, did she really have the courage to face them both again? She knew so little about them now. They were her flesh and blood, yet they’d hurt her a great deal. How was she to treat them? Like parents? Like strangers?

Dear God, did any of that matter right now anyway? she wondered as she rode the elevator in silence, her senses conscious of Damien’s strong presence, the scent of aftershave a vivid reminder of being in his arms all those years ago.

But once they stepped out of the elevator and into the corridor on her father’s floor, she shook off her reaction to Damien’s closeness when an attractive woman stepped out of the room ahead of them. As if in slow motion, Gabrielle watched the woman turn toward them. And shock ran through her.

“Mum?” she murmured.

The woman froze. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened, only nothing came out.

Gabrielle stared back. Gone was the pretty but drab woman who’d always worn sedate clothes and her brunette hair in a bun. In her place stood a vibrant fifty-year-old woman with a stylishly cut blond bob and clothes to match.

Suddenly Caroline rushed forward. “Gabrielle!” she cried, and wrapped her arms around her daughter tightly.

Gabrielle couldn’t breathe. She stood stiffly. One part of her wanted to sink into the embrace and acknowledge she’d missed this feeling of belonging that went bone deep. This was her mother after all. The woman who’d given birth to her.

It was also the woman who’d left her teenage daughter to cope alone with an increasingly volatile father, she reminded herself.

Caroline pulled back, tears in her eyes. “Oh, my goodness. I can’t believe it’s you, darling.” She blinked rapidly, not seeming to notice Gabrielle’s lack of response. “Let me look at you. You’re beautiful.” Caroline glanced at Damien with a watery look in her eyes. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she, Damien?”

Gabrielle forced herself to glance at Damien, seeing a hard but admiring look in his eyes before he gave her mother a slight smile.

“Yes, she is, Caroline. Very beautiful.”

Despite the moment, his comment sent a tingle through her that she didn’t appreciate. She’d always known he’d found her attractive. He’d totally swept her off her feet five years ago, but hearing him say it now after so long away from him made her cheeks grow warm.

“Oh, wait until your father knows you’re here,” Caroline said excitedly. “It’ll be the best medicine.”

At the mention of her father, anguish came rushing back. “How is he, Mum? What did the doctors say?”

Caroline squeezed her arm. “Darling, he’s doing better than expected.”

“Thank God.”

“Yes, thank God,” Caroline said in a shaky voice. Then she reached up to Damien and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “And thank you for bringing my daughter home, Damien. I can’t tell you how much this means to me and Russell.”

“She was happy to come.” He turned toward Gabrielle with mocking eyes. “Weren’t you, Gabrielle?”

Gabrielle held his gaze, but her face felt tight. “Yes,” she lied.

For the first time her mother seemed to notice Gabrielle’s lack of warmth. The light in her eyes dimmed. “Darling, I know we have a lot to say to each other,” she said cautiously. “But perhaps that can wait until later? Let’s just get through this first.”

Gabrielle nodded, thankful for her mother’s suggestion. The past didn’t disappear just because her father was so ill, but neither was this the right time to air grievances.

Caroline put on a bright face. “Good. Now let’s go take a peek at your father,” she said, heading back to the room she’d just exited. “He’s not supposed to have any visitors except me, but I’m sure it’s okay for you to just see him for a moment.” At the door she stopped to look at Gabrielle. “Prepare yourself, darling. He’s not his best at the moment.”

Her mother was right, Gabrielle decided, standing beside her father’s hospital bed a little while later. Her eyes misted over as she looked down at his prone body, the white sheets and bandage around his head highlighting his ashen skin, his body thinner than she remembered.

Gently she reached out and touched his cheek. He moved his head slightly but didn’t waken, and she gave a soft cry. It was as if he knew she was there.

Just then the nurse came into the room, and in a compassionate tone advised that there should only be one visitor and perhaps Gabrielle and Damien could come back tomorrow.

Gabrielle nodded, then leaned over and kissed her father’s cheek, whispering, “I love you, Dad.”

Then she felt Damien’s hand on her arm and she looked up at him, surprised by the sympathy in his eyes. She let him lead her from the room, her mother behind them.

Outside, Caroline said regretfully, “Darling, I wish I could come home with you but I need to stay by your father’s side for a day or two, just until he’s out of danger.”

Gabrielle understood. “Mum, it’s okay. I can stay at the house by myself.”

Her mother’s eyes filled with worry. “But that’s the problem. They’d just started major renovations when this happened to your father, so I’ve let them continue while I’m sleeping here at the hospital. But a lot of strange men are working around the place and I don’t want you alone there.”

Gabrielle accepted that. She wasn’t sure she’d even wanted to stay at the house anyway. There were too many bad memories. “Then I’ll stay at a hotel.”

Her mother clicked her tongue. “Oh, but I don’t want you staying in some impersonal hotel room, either.”

“Mum, I have to stay somewhere,” she half joked, then felt a slither of apprehension when she saw Damien’s dark brows jerk together.

He turned to her mother. “Don’t worry, Caroline. Gabrielle can stay at my apartment. I’ll even rent her a car so she can get around town.”

Gabrielle stiffened. “No, that’s not necess—” she began until Damien shot her a dark look silencing her.

Her mother’s face had already filled with relief. “That’s wonderful, Damien. I’ll feel so much better knowing you’re close by.”

He nodded. “You just concentrate on helping Russell get better.”

“But—” Gabrielle began again, not wanting to stay within an inch of this man. They’d been lovers. She was still feeling the pull of his attraction. She couldn’t live with him, not even for a day.

“It’s no trouble, Gabrielle,” Damien said in a tone that brooked no objection.

Caroline gave her daughter a heartfelt hug goodbye. “Darling, let Damien take care of you for a while. Ohh, I’m so glad you’re here. And your father will be, too, once he wakes up.” Gabrielle wanted to say she didn’t need to be taken care of, but Caroline was already kissing Damien on the cheek again. “Look after my baby, Damien. She’s precious to me.”

“I will.”

Just then another nurse went inside the room, and it was obvious her mother was anxious to follow. Gabrielle knew there was nothing for it but to put her own worries aside. “Mum, go back to Dad. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, darling,” Caroline said warmly before she slipped back inside the room.

Then it was just her and Damien again.

Just as it would be at his apartment.

Sharp anxiety twisted inside her, making her testy. “You’ve got a nerve telling my mother I’ll be staying at your place. I’d prefer a hotel.”

Displeasure furrowed his brow as he took her arm and started toward the elevator. “You heard Caroline. She’s worried about you and wants to know you’re safe.”

“With you?” she scoffed.

“You’re always safe with me, Gabrielle.” He captured her eyes with his. “It’s yourself you’re not sure about.”

The breath caught in her lungs, but thankfully the elevator doors slid open and she quickly stepped inside, standing away from him, wishing it wasn’t empty.

The doors slid shut, enclosing them alone together. “It would be easier if I stayed in a hotel,” she insisted stubbornly, knowing she was fighting a losing battle but determined to fight all the same.

He glanced at his Rolex as if he didn’t care one way or the other. “My apartment has a spare bedroom. You may as well use it.” Yet when he looked up, his eyes had darkened to a jungle green, and just as untamed.

A quiver surged through her veins. “You didn’t have a spare bedroom before,” she said stupidly, saying the first thing that came to mind, trying not to let him see her reaction.

“That’s because I didn’t have this apartment before,” he drawled.

She flushed. “Fine,” she said, giving in to stop from blathering like an idiot again. “But it’s only for a few days and that’s all.”

A satisfied looked crossed his face, making her even more tense. “That’s settled then,” he said, just as the elevator stopped and the doors opened so other people could get in with them.

She and Damien moved to the back of the compartment, but she was still very aware of him. She tried to resist the compulsion to look sideways but decided one quick look wouldn’t hurt.

And that was her mistake.

His gaze lingered on her figure, making her nipples tighten beneath the light material of her pantsuit. She’d chosen the outfit because it flattered her moderate bustline and slight swell of her hips, and because she always felt good in it. The last thing she’d expected when she’d dressed this morning was an X-ray treatment from a man who’d been her lover and knew every inch of her body.

Oh God. Her staying at his apartment may have been settled, but she had the uneasy feeling nothing else had been settled at all.

Having Gabrielle in his apartment was more than Damien expected on her first day back in town, but he would take it one step at a time. He wanted her in his bed but he also wanted a willing partner and was prepared to wait until she was ready.

It won’t be a long wait.

She could fight herself all she wanted, but it was obvious she was fighting a losing battle. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He could smell that want in her…that need of desire. He felt the same. Her scent filled his nostrils…filled his apartment even now.

And all she had done was walk through to the spare bedroom, he thought with a wry smile as he remembered her cool comment that she’d see him at dinner. But she hadn’t been cool inside. He knew the two of them struck sparks off each other and that it was only a matter of time before they burst into flames.

In the meantime he didn’t mind playing with matches, he mused as he showered and changed for dinner, then arranged for dinner to be delivered.

Then he sat on the sofa to do some paperwork, though his mind kept flicking to Gabrielle and her parents. He had to admit that Russell hadn’t been the best father in the world after Caroline had left a few years earlier. And what had gone on before that, he didn’t know. He hadn’t known them then, having moved to Melbourne for a few years, building his fortune, only flying back to Darwin every so often to play poker with his best friends, Brant and Flynn.

Then one day he’d decided he missed the tropics and he’d come home for good. Fortuitously, Russell had been looking for a business partner at the time, and he’d been looking to make more money. He’d gone on to forge his own company and make his millions. It had worked out well.

Until now.

Until Gabrielle Kane had walked back into his life.

Just like she was doing this very minute as she made an appearance at the living room doorway. She was worth the wait, dressed in a sleeveless, teal-colored crocheted top and long white pants that clung to her gorgeous figure, making her look casual yet stylish.

“Hungry?” he said, putting the papers aside on the sofa and getting to his feet.

“A little.”

He started across the open-plan apartment toward the dining table nestled over in the corner. “Everything’s ready.”

She slowly followed him, then frowned when she saw the table laden with food. “Are others coming?”

“No. Just us. I ordered from the restaurant across the street.” The chef had gone a little overboard with the array of tropical salads, dishes teeming with prawns and lobster, Tasmanian salmon and barramundi fish. “I told them plenty of seafood,” he said, deliberately reminding her that he remembered how partial she’d been to this type of food.

Her eyes brightened, then she flushed. “Thank you, but I doubt I’ll do it all justice.”

“No problem. My housekeeper will be delighted to take the leftovers off my hands.” He held out the chair for her. “Sit here.”

She moved forward and did as he suggested. Once she was comfortable, he took his own seat and poured wine into their glasses.

Her gaze darted around the room. “This is a really nice apartment.”

“I know. Lucky for me one of my friends married a very talented lady who loves to decorate.”

The place hadn’t been half-bad before, but Danielle had suggested some ideas and he hadn’t had the heart to dissuade her. He and Flynn had smiled at each other as she’d enthusiastically promised a stylishly furnished apartment with class and sophistication that was ideal for executive living. And she’d lived up to that promise. The open plan of the living and dining area, abundant with natural light, soaked up the magnificent panoramic views of the harbor…her words, not his. She’d done a great job of it.

“It’s lovely,” Gabrielle agreed.

“Just like you are, Gabrielle,” he said, holding her eyes with his. One day soon he would hold her in his arms. And he would show her how lovely he thought she was.

A pulse beat at the base of her throat. “You know, I’m suddenly really hungry,” she said huskily, and began piling the food on her plate.

He was too, but it wasn’t for food. Dammit, waiting was already harder than he’d expected.

It would be easier once he said what he needed to say. She wasn’t going to be so placid then, he decided, as they ate in silence for a while, listening to the soft background music, but eventually he knew he couldn’t put this off. She wasn’t going to like it.

He raised his glass in a toast. “To you, Gabrielle.”

Her eyes widened. “Me?”

“For having the courage to come home again.”

She looked pleasantly surprised as she picked up her glass and clinked it against his. “Thank you,” she said, a slight catch to her voice that unfurled something soft inside his chest.

He took a sip of wine, then said, “Your mother was pleased to see you today.”

“Yes.”

“I imagine Russell will be, too.”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you glad now that you came?”

Her forehead creased a little, her eyes growing puzzled. “Yes, I am.”

He rested back against his chair. “And you’re happy to be here in Darwin?”

She eyed him with sudden suspicion. “Okay, what’s this about, Damien?”

Leaning forward, he placed his wine glass on the table, then dropped the bombshell. “Your cousin has taken control of the Kane Property and Finance Group.”

Her cousin was an idiot.

A dangerous idiot.

She gaped at him. “Keiran? How on earth did he get involved in all this?”

Damien’s mouth tightened. “Some years ago your father sold forty percent of the company shares to him, that’s why.”

She sat up straighter. “What! Why would he do that?”

“Russell wanted to keep it in the family if anything happened to him, and Keiran worked on him until he sold him the shares.” Damien had advised Russell against it, but the older man seemed to have a blind spot where his nephew was concerned, and now his company that specialized in providing investment property finance here in Australia and the growing Asian market, was paying the price. “Your father also left written instructions with his attorney that if he became incapacitated, then you were to get forty percent of the shares as well.”

“What!”

“You each now hold forty percent of the Kane Property and Finance Group.”

She shook her head. “I don’t believe I’m hearing this.”

“Believe it.”

“Oh my Lord.” She sat there for a moment looking stunned.

“Keiran’s been at Kane’s for some years now and he knows the business. As soon as Russell had the stroke he stepped in and took over. Your cousin was always quick when there was something in it for him.”

“I know.”

He paused, then, “And that’s exactly why you needed to be here.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Her eyes widened. “Good heavens, you don’t expect me to step in and start running a multinational company, do you?”

“Why not? Keiran did. He’s already made some decisions that would give your father another stroke if he knew, and we can’t do a damn thing to stop him.” The only person who could stop him was sitting right here. “If you assume control, Keiran will hopefully slink back into his own little office where he can do no more damage.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “But Keiran owns as many shares as I do now. He’s not going to give up the top job.”

Damien could feel his jaw clench. “Let’s try him first.”

She shook her head, obviously trying to get it clear in her mind. “Hang on. Why didn’t you tell me all this back in Sydney?”

“Would you have come home?”

“I don’t know,” she said, her forehead marred with a crease. “And I don’t understand why my father left me forty percent.”

“Perhaps he expected you would come back if he needed you. And he does need you now, Gabrielle.”

A cynical light came into her eyes. “You mean he thought it was a good way of blackmailing me into coming home if he ever needed me.” She shook her head. “It’s still all about him, isn’t it?”

Damien ignored that. “Your father wouldn’t expect you to take over if you weren’t capable.”

Her eyebrows shot up as realization dawned on her. “Oh, so he’s been keeping tabs on me, too.”

He had no idea, but it was highly likely. “Russell doesn’t always take me into his confidence.” The older man had been a friend and mentor but he’d never spoken about his daughter until recently. “Look, I’ll help you. I’ve delegated some of my own business dealings to others. I’ve got the time.”

A flicker of apprehension crossed her face. “To work with me every day, you mean?”

“Yes.” And if he got to make love to her sooner, all the better.

Her beautiful blue eyes hardened and narrowed. “What’s in it for you, Damien?”

He returned her look with a level one of his own. “I want to help Russell. I owe him a lot.”

Seconds ticked by. “That’s commendable of you,” she said somewhat sourly.

His mouth tightened. “I admire Russell and what he’s achieved.”

“And look at the price he paid for it,” she pointed out. “He lost his wife and then his daughter, and now he’s losing his company. Don’t admire him, Damien. Pity him.”

“So why aren’t you?” he challenged, and saw her startled look. “Come on, Gabrielle. Tell me. Why aren’t you showing your father some pity?”

She bridled. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Under protest.”

She dropped her gaze to the table. “That may be so, but I do love my father nonetheless.” Her eyelashes lifted. “But even if I wanted to help more, there are limits to what I can do.”

“How do you know? You haven’t even tried.”

Her lip curled with sarcasm. “Your understanding amazes me.”

He took his time before saying what needed to be said. “You’re the only one who can save the company from ruin, Gabrielle.”

“What about my mother?” she said as sudden hope swept across her face. “Perhaps I can sign over the shares to her and she could stop Keiran from taking over the company. She only needs to put in an appearance and you could do the rest.”

“You would ask that of your mother? When she’s having a hard enough time as it is?”

“Yet it’s okay to ask it of me?” She grimaced, and a slight flush tinged her cheeks. “That sounded selfish. I didn’t mean it like that.”

He inclined his head. “Caroline’s got enough on her plate looking after your father right now.”

She raised her chin. “And if I don’t choose to be a part of this?”

“I don’t think you’d forgive yourself if your parents lost everything.”

She exhaled a long, ragged breath. “You really know how to tighten the thumb screws, don’t you?”

“Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do but we do them anyway.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll try,” she snapped. “But once my father’s on the mend, I’ll be leaving and going back to Sydney. Don’t forget that.”

“You’ve already made that clear.” But he was more than satisfied.

For the moment.

She placed her napkin on the table and pushed to her feet. “Somehow I’ve lost my appetite. I think I’ll go to my room. Good night.”

It was more than clear she wanted time alone. Time he could afford to give her.

He inclined his head. “Good night, Gabrielle,” he said, watching her walk away with a sway to her hips that would draw any man’s attention. Yet he wasn’t just any man. He’d been her lover, if not her confidant.

And she’d walked out on him without a proper goodbye. It had left a loss he only recognized now that he’d seen her again. A loss that went deeper than he’d expected. And because of it, he could feel an odd sort of anger simmering beneath the surface. An anger he wasn’t ready to face. Perhaps once he had enough of her body he’d never have to face it.

Three

Gabrielle retired to the spare bedroom and stood looking out the window at the harbor. Being around Damien wasn’t conducive to being clear-minded. He always seemed to be watching her, waiting for her to lower her guard. And keeping up that guard was exhausting when she had other things to think about.

God, it was mind-boggling that her father had given her forty percent of the shares in the business. Of course, she thought cynically, he hadn’t been able to bring himself to give her the remaining sixty percent of the shares—not that she wanted them.

No, he’d been hedging his bets. He’d given her limited control of the business, but had withheld twenty percent of the shares for himself just in case his incapacitation had proven temporary. And that was predictably her father. He could never let go of total control.

As for Keiran holding forty percent of the shares, well, that was a justified worry. Her cousin had always had his eye on the main chance, no matter what had been at stake, whether it be tripping her up as a kid so he could jump in the swimming pool first, or trying to suck up to her father during her parents’ separation. She had no doubt Keiran was capable of anything. She disliked him intensely. He was the one person who should not be in charge of a multimillion-dollar business.

As for Damien, it was typical he hadn’t told her about this before now. If she didn’t know him better, she’d think he was just like Keiran, keeping secrets to himself and using them for his own benefit.

Only, she knew he wasn’t like Keiran.

Not at all.

Damien wasn’t underhanded, just arrogant. She couldn’t see Damien tripping anyone to get in the pool first. He just wasn’t that kind of person. Damien would manipulate to get what he wanted—oh, yes, and he was good at that—but there was a difference. Damien wasn’t the type to lie or cheat if confronted over an issue. If Damien said something, he meant it. If he gave his word, he would stand by it.

Heavens, never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she’d ever be spending another night sleeping under Damien’s roof. And in separate bedrooms, too. And that was just as well. He’d been a sensual man when she’d met him and she knew he hadn’t changed. She could still feel the sensuality rolling off him in waves. Even now she remembered the force of his desire from the day she’d walked into that function with her father and she’d felt the pull of a man’s eyes from across the room.

Damien.

It had been that strong.

But that’s all it had ever been with him. She’d only ever known him in the physical sense, never the emotional one. For two glorious months over a tropical summer it had been all about sex and attraction on his part, while she’d fallen headlong in love with him.

And she’d wanted him to love her in return, only it was never going to happen. She’d realized that the day she’d left home for good. It had given her the strength not to look back. If she had, she would have weakened and gone running into his arms.

But not into his heart.

It had taken her years to get over him, but time and distance had put things into perspective. It had been lust, not love. Attraction, not affinity. It was important to remember that, she decided as the adrenaline pumped through her veins, taking her a long time to fall asleep. Once she did, exhaustion gave her some blessed relief from the relentless thoughts going through her head, and when she stepped into the kitchen the next morning, she felt more rested than she’d dared hope.

Until she saw Damien standing at the counter, contemplating the mug of coffee in his hands as if it held the secrets to life itself. He obviously hadn’t heard her enter because he didn’t move. Strange, but he looked sort of…lonely.

She must have made a sound because his head shot up, and a seductive glint slid straight into his eyes. “Ah, the prodigal daughter has awoken,” he drawled, his gaze going over her red sleeveless dress cinched at the waist with a belt of the same material, and matching leather pumps.

“And good morning to you, too,” she said coolly, forcing herself to ignore the pull of his physical appearance. So what if he was dressed in dark trousers and a white shirt that looked like they’d been born on him?

A lazy moment passed by as Damien considered her, then he placed his mug on the counter behind him. “I phoned the hospital earlier. Russell’s doing as well as expected.”

Her heart fluttered with anxiety at the reminder of her father. “Thank you. I was going to call shortly myself.” She moved toward the percolator on the counter, badly needing her morning cup of coffee. “I plan on going to see him soon.”

“They said not to come until this afternoon. Apparently they’ve got a couple of doctors checking him over this morning.” He must have seen her give a start. “Your mother said it was nothing to worry about.”

Her panic subsided as she poured coffee into a cup. “Then I can go see Keiran instead. I planned on it, anyway.”

“Aah, so that’s why you’re dressed like that.”

Something in his voice made her look up, and she found his eyes sliding over her again, making her catch her breath. She put the coffeepot back with a shaky hand and tried to act casual. “I’m not about to go into my father’s office in jeans and a tank top.”

“Might get some favorable comments.”

“More likely they’d direct me to the janitor’s room,” she quipped, looking at him over the top of her coffee cup.

All at once he smiled. A rare smile that knocked her off balance. For a moment she could only stare at him across the width of the room.

Then that smile faded and something in those eyes darkened and he moved forward, making her heart drop to her knees. He stopped right in front of her, took the cup out of her hand then placed it on the counter beside her.

“It’s been a long time, Gabrielle,” he said huskily, in a voice so Australian, so thick and delicious, it swirled around her heart like a long-lost friend. “Miss me?”

She swallowed. “Does a bear miss a toothache?” she managed to say, the breathlessness in her voice disturbing her.

He gave a soft laugh and slid his hands over her shoulders with an ease that only an ex-lover can have. “Hmm. I like your hair this length.” Provocatively, one finger coiled around some blond strands that curled below her neck. “It suits you.”

She shivered as his warm breath wafted over her and wrapped her in its minty scent. It seemed like only yesterday when she would have leaned into the hard wall of his chest and relished his strength. And only yesterday that they had made love with a passion that had stolen her breath away.

“You’re even more beautiful than I remember,” he murmured, his hands sliding down to her hips.

Up close, his green gaze was a caress, his male scent too enticing, the tension between them building, overwhelming her, restricting her breathing, making her forget that never again had she wanted to be close enough to see into the irises of his emerald eyes…or the grain of his skin as it weaved and dipped its way over a strong nose and lean cheekbones…nor had she ever wanted to touch the fullness of his lips, to know she’d once ached to have them on her body.

“Stop it,” she whispered, hating herself for letting him affect her like this.

“Stop what?”

“Damien…”

“Gabi…”

Gabi. He’d only ever called her that once before. He’d been thrusting inside her and she’d been welcoming each plunge of his body. They’d reached their climax together. It had been the only time she’d felt his equal, and not some young woman who’d been the daughter of his business partner.

All at once she had to get out of the kitchen.

It was too small.

There wasn’t enough air.

She pushed his hands off her and spun away, heading for the door, not even sure if Damien had hired a car yet for her, but willing to catch a cab if necessary. “I need to see Keiran…at the office…in case he goes out.” She was babbling but couldn’t seem to stop herself.

He came up behind her, putting his hand on her arm, stopping her but not in a forceful way. “I’m coming with you,” he rasped, the huskiness still in his voice, the desire still glittering from the depths of those green eyes.

His touch sent a tingle along her spine. “There’s no need.”

His mouth tightened and he dropped his hand. “I said I’d help and I will. Don’t underestimate Keiran. There’s power in numbers, Gabrielle.”

She sent him a wary glance. “I know my own cousin.”

“Then you know you need me with you.”

As much as she didn’t want it to be, what he said was true. She abruptly nodded her head. “Okay, but I need to get that rental car later for my own use,” she said, giving in but perhaps not as gracefully as she could, and that was more to do with needing to get away from Damien’s presence than not needing him to help her deal with Keiran.

But in the confines of his car, her mind couldn’t stop from going back to Damien. She realized that being a woman desired by him was more dangerous to her now than five years ago. Now he would want more than girlish enthusiasm in his bed. He’d want a woman’s response, slow and deliberate, not a rushed and naive eagerness. And he’d expect her to be a mature partner, able to handle a sexual relationship without too much emotion. It was a world of difference to five years ago.

She pushed all her thoughts to the side as they walked into the building that housed the head office of her father’s company. The first person she saw was one of her father’s managers she remembered from years ago. He greeted her warmly then expressed sympathy over her father’s condition.

“Thank you, James. I’m glad to see you’re still here.”

The older man’s eyes flicked to Damien then back to her. “Not for long I’m afraid. I’ve accepted a position with another company. I finish up at the end of the week.”

Dismay filled her. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Gabrielle, I’ve got nothing to lose by saying this. I’ve always enjoyed working for your father, but it’s going to be a while before he’s back on his feet. I’m sorry but I can’t work with him until that happens.”

“You mean Keiran?” she said to clarify, but knowing all Damien had told her was true.

James nodded. “I don’t mind saying I think that man’s going to ruin the company with his ideas. And I’m not the only one leaving, either. There are two heads of departments who have put their resignation in and another planning on it.” He clicked his tongue. “They’re men who are going to be taking a whole lot of experience and knowledge with them when they go, I’m afraid.”

She tried to look confident. “James, that’s why I’m here. My father wanted me to take over if anything happened to him and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Relief flared then died in his eyes. “Keiran isn’t going to step aside so easily,” he warned.

She squeezed the older man’s hand. “Keiran won’t have a choice.”

But when Damien opened the door to her father’s office and Gabrielle saw her cousin sitting behind her father’s desk like he owned the place, every instinct inside wanted to tell him to get the hell out of there.

Keiran glanced up at the interruption and for a moment looked like an animal caught in the headlights. Then he went rigid. “Well, well. If it isn’t my long-lost cousin.” He pasted on a false smile as he stood and came around the desk. “Gabrielle, how nice to see you again.”

Her mouth tightened as he pecked at both her cheeks like a chicken. “Keiran, you haven’t changed a bit.” He was two years older than her, and he’d wielded his older stance often during their childhood.

“You’re still the sweetest thing,” he joked as he glanced at Damien. But his eyes were wary beneath his blond head and they held a heartless gleam that had been in them since the day he’d been born. Now, here was one person her father should have cut off, she thought, suppressing a moment of pain that it had been his own daughter her father had ignored instead.

She stepped away. “What are you doing in here, Keiran?”

His smile flattened. “What do you think I’m doing in here? Someone had to step in when your father had his stroke.”

“Then thank you. I appreciate it but I’m here now.”

His piercing eyes contrasted sharply with his relaxed stance. “Not so fast. You can’t just walk in here and take over.”

She arched a brow. “Why not?”

He strode back around the desk. “You’ve been gone five years. And before that you never worked here in any capacity anyway.”

She refused to let him see his comment had hit its mark. “I spent a couple of school holidays working here, remember?”

“And that gives you the experience to run a multinational company dealing in property and finance, does it?”

“From what I hear, I could do better than what you’ve been doing,” she said coolly.

As if a storm was brewing, the air seemed to sizzle with electricity. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean that from all accounts you’re running the company into the ground. All our managers are leaving.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “They were old and stale. We need new blood.”

She gave a soft gasp. “That’s a callous statement.”

His lips twisted. “Perhaps I’m a chip off the old block.”

She held herself stiffly. “My father would never have dumped his employees.”

“Sure? I think if Russell kept them on, it was for his own selfish reasons.”

She didn’t want him to see that he was probably right, so she ignored that. “Look, I’m here now and I have Damien to help me.”

“No.”

She blinked. “What do you mean no?”

Keiran’s glare resented their presence. “I have every right to be in this office, Gabrielle. Just ask your friend, here. That’s why he went to get you to bring you back. Don’t fool yourself it was only about your father’s stroke.”

“I ought to hit you for saying that, Keiran,” Damien said, his eyes as cold as dry ice.

“But you can’t deny it.”

“You’re not worth refuting.”

Keiran sat on the chair with a smirk. “May I suggest you go and rethink your position. I own forty percent of this company and I intend to take it places Russell never even dreamed about.”

Gabrielle gasped, and Damien growled, “You’ve bitten off more than you can chew, Keiran.”

Keiran shrugged. “I’m in charge, Trent, whether you like it or not.” He picked up a pen. “Now. If you’ll both excuse me I have work to do. Major changes are on my agenda.”

Gabrielle stood there for a moment, stunned and shaken. “Don’t make too many changes, Keiran. I’ll only have to change them back.”

He waved a hand at the door. “Don’t let me keep you.”

For a moment Gabrielle thought Damien might leap across the desk and throw the other man out, but with a pulse ticking in his jaw, he thrust open the door and let her precede him through it.

They didn’t speak as they rode the elevator down with another couple to the parking lot beneath the building. But once they were in the BMW she sat while he came around to the driver’s side, her mind ticking over. What the devil were they going to do? If indeed they could do anything at all to wrestle the company from Keiran’s grip before he did too much damage.

Damien slid onto the driver’s seat. “Are you okay?”

She blinked. “Yes, I’m fine,” she said, but just as quickly realized she wasn’t. Whether it was because Keiran had put such a bad taste in her mouth, she suddenly felt the need to go home to where she’d grown up. All at once she wanted to touch base with something familiar.

“No, I’m not. Damien, take me home please. To my parents’ place.” She took a shuddering breath. “Just for a little while.”

He stared at her, watching her with some indefinable emotion in his eyes, then nodded. “I’ve got papers in my briefcase. I can work from there.”

Sudden resentment grew. Couldn’t he see she needed to be alone for a while? “Or you could just leave me there and I’ll get a rental car sent around.”

His mouth thinned. “I’m not leaving you alone with a group of strangers working around the place.”

She glowered at him. “Why not? Frightened I might run off with one of them?”

He swore. “Don’t be ridiculous, Gabrielle. You’re upset over Keiran. Don’t take it out on me.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry, you’re right. Just take me home, Damien.”

He started the car and ten minutes later drove through theopen gates ofher parents’home that she hadn’t seen in five long years. She gazed up at the two-level mansion of grand proportions dozing in the tropical Australian sunshine. She’d grown up playing dolls on that wide balcony around the house. And later she’d sought refuge looking through the large windows of her bedroom over treetop views to the Timor Sea and distant horizon. It had been a wonderful place to grow up. If only her parents hadn’t fought all the time in those latter years. If only she’d had a brother or sister to share things with.

Thankfully Damien strode off toward the sound of hammering in the kitchen as soon as they stepped inside, saying he would tell the workmen to take a long break, and Gabrielle left him to it.

It was an odd feeling walking up the sweeping staircase to the second floor. Five years had passed, yet it only seemed like yesterday. But as she pushed the door open to her old bedroom, her mind reeled in confusion. The room was like a time warp. Everything was the same. The bed she’d often cried her heart out on, despairing over her parents’ troubled marriage, was still covered in the same quilt. Posters of some obscure pop star whose name she couldn’t even recall still hung on the wall. And even the clothes she’d left behind were still hanging in the wardrobe…almost as if they were waiting for her return.

She swallowed a sob. A new and unexpected warmth surged through her that was a welcome relief after her tussle with her cousin today. If ever she needed proof of her parents’ love for her, here it was. They had kept her memory alive.

Just like she did with her own child.

Damien’s baby.

A baby she’d miscarried at six months because of the car accident. God, how she wanted to tell Damien about their unborn baby that she’d loved and lost. Only, she knew she couldn’t tell him…could never tell him. He may not have cared for her, but she had no doubt he would have cared for their child. And she would never want any person knowing that brand of heartache.

Certainly not the baby’s father.

Damien glanced up from his paperwork and saw Gabrielle stroll out onto the patio, then stand looking out beyond the swimming pool, over the manicured lawn and lushly landscaped gardens.

Adrenaline kicked in as he watched the sun beat down on her face, giving a glow to her smooth skin. The high humidity of the November build-up toward the wet season wisped strands of the blond shoulder-length hair at the base of her neck. God, he couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. In the past five years he’d made love to other women, some more beautiful than Gabrielle, but none of them had…what was the word he was looking for?

Connected.

Yes, that was it. None of them had connected with something deep inside him the way Gabrielle did. Something fundamental. Something that was grabbing at him even now.

He thrust his papers aside and pushed off the sofa to go to her. “I’m impressed,” he said as he stepped through the open patio doors to join her.

She spun around, her face quickly assuming a blank mask that made him want to strip aside all the layers and get to what was truly inside this woman. “You are? With what?”

He went to stand beside her at the balustrade. “You.” He saw her start of surprise. “I like the way you stood up to Keiran.”

Her mouth curved into an unexpected smile, fascinating him. “Well, now you know. You’re not the only one I can stand up to.”

He went still, caught by an invisible pull of attraction. “I can see that,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to those kissable lips.

Awareness flared in her eyes, and she quickly turned and looked down at the garden instead. “Let’s hope my father gets better soon.”

“It’s going to take some time for your father to recover enough to get back to work.” If indeed he came back at all. “Many months at best.”

She sighed. “Then there’s nothing further I can do here. I may as well leave Keiran to it.”

Damien’s gut clenched. It wasn’t just the thought of Keiran ruining everything for Russell that made his spirits sink. It was the thought of Gabrielle leaving. She would be on her way back to Sydney just as soon as Russell pulled out of danger. A week was probably all she’d stay, and that wasn’t good enough. He wanted her in his arms and in his bed. He would settle for nothing less.

Just then an idea clicked inside him and his pulse began to race. It was the answer to the company’s prayers. Surprisingly, he wasn’t averse to the idea either. Lately, he had been watching Brant and Flynn with their wives and he’d felt like he was missing out on something special that came from being a couple. And Gabrielle was the only woman he could imagine being a couple with.

“Of course, we could always combine our shares and get Keiran out that way,” he said quietly.

Her eyes were confused as she turned to face him fully. “I don’t understand. How would we do that?”

He captured her eyes with his. “I’m a silent shareholder. I own the other twenty percent.”

Her head snapped back. “What!”

“And I have the perfect solution.”

She blinked and a wary look crossed her face. “You do?”

“Marry me, Gabrielle,” he said smoothly. “Marry me and let’s make sure Keiran never takes control of Kane’s again.”

Four

Gabrielle stared at Damien, unable to believe she was hearing right. “Marriage! To you?”

The line of his mouth tightened. “That’s the idea.”

Her heart constricted. Did he know what he was asking? “But why? I mean, I know you feel my father gave you a helping hand years ago but this is going too far, Damien.”

“No. I’d say it’s going just far enough.” A look of implacable determination crossed his face. “It’s the only way to stop Keiran.”

She winced inwardly, trying to remember this was about Keiran, not about her and Damien. Yet she and Damien would pay the price. Again. Hadn’t they already paid enough?

She tilted her head. “But even if we marry, my shares belong to me and your shares belong to you. It doesn’t give us controlling interest.”

For a long moment he stared at her. Then, “It does if I sign over eleven percent of my shares to you as a wedding present.”

“What!” she exclaimed, giving him a glance of utter disbelief.

He arched a brow. “Can you think of a better way to get Keiran out?”

She swallowed hard. “There must be another way,” she said, trying not to let the desperation show in her voice.

“If there is I’d be glad to hear it.”

She gathered her wits about her. “Let me talk to Keiran again. I’m sure I can make him see reason.”

“Keiran will only see reason if there’s something in it for him. And I don’t think anything you offer will tempt him away from the top seat, do you?”

He was right. It would take much more than anything she had for Keiran to step aside.

“Of course,” Damien drawled, wry amusement entering his eyes. “We could always kill him to get him out of the way.”

She glared at him. “This is too serious to joke about.”

“Who’s joking?” he mocked, but there was a hardness to his tone that bode ill for the other man. “I’m just trying to make you see that marriage between us is the only alternative. It may not be what you want to hear but it’s the best there is.”

No, she couldn’t believe that.

She wouldn’t.

“Surely you don’t want to get married, Damien? More to the point, surely you don’t want to marry me?”

“I’m glad you know what I don’t want,” he snapped. “Actually, it’s time I settled down. I’m getting older and I want a wife and…” a moment crept by “…you’re the wife I want.”

She swallowed hard. For a minute there she’d thought he was going to say he wanted a family with her. She wasn’t sure if she were up to that.

But being Damien’s wife…

“Would this be a temporary arrangement?” she asked, not considering it but asking all the same.

“No.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean…”

“Once we marry, we stay married.” A muscle ticked in his cheek. “It’s forever, Gabrielle. Remember that.”

“I don’t think I could forget it,” she muttered. Then a hopeful idea came to mind. “Of course, you could always just sign over the eleven percent to me anyway. That would be a good way to repay my father.”

“No, the best way to repay your father is for us to marry. A united front will put confidence back in the company for our clients.” He paused. “Oh, and Gabrielle. I will want your parents to think this is a real marriage between us.”

Her heart thudded inside her chest. “You mean you want them to think we’re in love?”

He nodded. “Yes. I’ll tell your father about me giving you the shares, of course, but only after he’s on the mend. I don’t want him getting even a hint that we married to stop Keiran from ruining the company. It could set back his recovery.”

Damien was right about her father not needing to hear bad news. “But surely my mother should be told the truth?” she questioned, even as she told herself the point was moot.

He shook his head. “No, if we’re going to do it, we may as well do it properly. I don’t want any slip-ups in front of your father, and with your mother being under a lot of stress, it wouldn’t be fair to burden her.”

He made it all sound so rational. Yet how could she pretend to be in love with this man? And why the heck was she considering this, anyway?

She lifted her chin. “I’m sorry but I won’t marry you, Damien. My father wouldn’t want me to go that far.”

He arched a brow. “Really? I’m sure Russell would want you to do everything in your power to save all he’s built over the years. And that includes marriage to me.”

She straightened her shoulders. “Look, you can be a martyr about it, but I will not sacrifice myself like this for the sake of the company. Not for my father. And not for my mother, either,” she added, preempting him.

His eyes narrowed. “Then what about for all those people who work for your father?”

Her hands clenched. “It’s no use, Damien. Just give it up.”

“No, you need to give in. There are people depending on your decision. People like James. People who have worked for your father for years, not just here in Darwin but all around Australasia. If Keiran destroys the company then there’s going to be a hell of a lot of people out of work.”

“I can’t take responsibility for the whole damn world,” she choked. If this was what it was like at the top, then they could have it.

His dark brows jerked together. “Don’t swear, Gabrielle.”

Her eyes widened. “How can you take this so calmly? This is our lives you’re talking about ruining.”

His face closed up more than usual. “I don’t think marriage between us will ruin our lives. We may even enjoy it.”

She gave a strangled laugh. “It may not ruin yours, but it will definitely ruin mine. I don’t know what you’ve got planned for the rest of your life, but being married to you isn’t on my list.”

His green eyes darkened to near black as a hardness rippled through him like a chain reaction. His mouth opened. He went to speak.

And his cell phone rang.

He held her gaze a moment more, watching her. Then he took the phone out of his pocket and answered it. She was just beginning to take a breath when she noticed his gaze shoot to her. She tensed immediately, sensing it must be the hospital.

“We’ll be there soon,” he said into the phone, then hung up and returned it to his pocket.

“It’s my father, isn’t it?” she whispered, expecting a blow.

“He’s fine. But they’ve finished some tests and now he’s awake. Your mother said it’s a good time to come visit for a couple of minutes.”

Intense relief washed over her. “We’d better hurry, then,” she said, wishing she’d thought to give her cell phone number to her mother so that she’d always be available if anything happened. Not that she wanted to think about the worst happening, she decided, spinning on her heels to go back through the patio doors, glad to put an end to this discussion with Damien.

“We’ll finish this later,” he warned.

She had to stand her ground with him. “There’s nothing to discuss.”

Their eyes met and shock ran through her. There was a firm look on his face that said he wasn’t giving up. The thought tore at her insides and made her heart plummet to the depths of her soul. Damien always got what he wanted. It was just a pity he wanted a marriage of convenience with her. Dear God, the last thing she wanted was to be a convenience to this man.

That thought kept her resolute on the way to the hospital. She had to make sure she kept up her guard against Damien. Always, just when she thought she could hold her own with him, he’d change tack and sweep the rug out from under her. He was a ruthless businessman.

A ruthless man.

Just like her father, she reminded herself.

Of course, her father didn’t look too ruthless when she stood beside his hospital bed, his hand engulfing hers and a tear slipping down his cheek. Her eyes misted over and she leaned forward to kiss him, but ended up burying her face against his neck, careful not to cause him pain. For a split second all her hurt melted like candle wax. This was her father. And she was his little girl again.

“Gabrielle,” his shaky voice rumbled in her ears, and she swallowed hard. It had been so long since she’d heard him say her name so lovingly. Too long.

“Oh, Russell, our baby girl’s all grown-up now,” Gabrielle heard her mother say. It startled her to hear her parents actually talking civilly to each other for a change.

“Yes,” he said gruffly, and squeezed her hand again as if he never wanted to let her go.

Gabrielle took a deep breath and straightened, blinking back tears. Then her gaze fell on Damien and all at once her heart flipped over at the touch of tenderness in the back of those green eyes.

For her.

But Damien tender? Common sense told her that if he did feel any softening toward her, it was because he wanted something from her. She flinched inwardly. Oh, he wanted something all right.

Marriage.

“Sorry,” her father mumbled, pulling her thoughts away from her problems with Damien.

“Dad, shh. We’ll talk when you’re better.” Though what she’d say to him, she wasn’t sure. Deep down there was still hurt and anger over all that had happened. She couldn’t dismiss those feelings easily.

“Sleepy,” her father murmured, shutting his eyes.

She kissed his cheek. “Go to sleep then, Dad. I’ll be back tomorrow,” she said softly, sure he was asleep before she’d even finished speaking.

Her mother’s eyes filled with gratitude. “He’ll recover well just knowing you’re here.”

“I’m glad,” Gabrielle said, unable to prevent herself from still sounding wooden, then felt guilty for the tiny wince her mother tried to hide.

“Then we’ll see you tomorrow,” Caroline said, forcing a friendly tone. “The doctors don’t want him overdoing things.”

“Of course.”

After that they said their goodbyes but once in the car, Damien turned toward her, his eyes piercing. “Your father’s still got a long way to go.”

Gabrielle grimaced. “You don’t have to remind me.”

“Yes, I do. You seem to think if you ignore everything, then it will just sort itself out.”

“Maybe it will,” she said coolly.

“And maybe it won’t,” he snapped. “When your father struggles through all this to get better and finally comes home to find out his company has been decimated, will you tell him why there’s nothing left? Or will you be back in Sydney and won’t give a damn?”

She drew herself up straighter in the passenger seat. “Have you finished?”

“No I bloody well haven’t.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “God, you’re so like my father it isn’t funny. The two of you could be twins.”

A pulse began to beat in his cheekbone. “What are you talking about?”

Her heart squeezed tight. “You like things your own way, Damien. I won’t marry you. I would end up a doormat who occasionally got taken out on special occasions. Just like my mother.”

“No,” he growled.

“You desire me, but once you get bored with me you’ll move on to some other woman, and a marriage license won’t stop you.” She lifted her head high. “I want something better for myself than what my mother had with my father, and if I can’t have a warm, loving marriage, then I don’t want a poor imitation of one.”

He went very still. “You don’t know what I feel for you,” he rasped.

“Exactly.” She’d always known when he wanted her, but that hadn’t been about his feelings. He’d kept his real feelings from showing.

“We’ll talk later.” He turned away and started the engine. “Let’s get something to eat. It’s way past lunchtime,” he said, confirming what she’d just said about ignoring any feelings. “Then I need to go to my office for an hour or two.”

She hadn’t eaten a thing all day and she wasn’t sure she could. Her appetite seemed to have disappeared. “I’d prefer to go talk to Keiran again.”

His mouth tightened. “Best leave Keiran to think over things for the rest of the day. Otherwise we’re going to antagonize him more, and right now that’s probably not a good thing. I’ll give James a call after we eat. He can keep an eye on things until tomorrow.”

“Fine.” She knew what he said made sense. But tomorrow, whether Keiran liked it or not…whether Damien liked it or not…she was going to take charge and damn the consequences.

Back at the apartment, while she made ham sandwiches for a late lunch, Damien got on the phone and arranged for a rental car for her use. Then they sat on the balcony and ate lunch.

“By the way,” Damien said after a few minutes silence. “I have a dinner to attend tonight. I want you to come with me.”

She placed her half-eaten sandwich back on her plate, a little hurt by his insensitivity. “Thanks but I’ll pass. I don’t feel like seeing people when my father’s sick in hospital.”

“It’ll do you good to get out.”

Her lips twisted in a grimace. “The last thing I feel like doing is attending some business dinner with a bunch of strangers.”

“This isn’t a business dinner. It’s with friends.”

She gave a choked laugh. “I didn’t know you had any friends. Except women friends, of course.”

He arched a brow. “You sound jealous.”

“Only of their ability to put up with your delightful company,” she said sweetly, ignoring the fact that he looked so handsome sitting there with the sun’s shadow on his lean face.

He tilted his dark head, a slight smile on his lips. “Our marriage is going to be very interesting.”

She stabbed him with a glare. “I am not marrying you, Damien.”

The smile left his mouth. His gaze became shuttered. “Tonight’s a good time to introduce you to them.”

She felt as if she was going round and round in circles. “Damien, I—”

“Be ready by seven,” he said, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet.

She looked up at him, suddenly tired of fighting him, knowing he wasn’t about to give up. He’d probably even try to dress her himself if she wasn’t ready. “Okay, fine. I’ll go. But they’re all probably a bunch of boring suits, anyway.”

His eyes narrowed. “You might be surprised.”

“About you? Never. I know the sort of man you are and the sort of friends you’ll have.”

A muscle began jumping in his cheek. “I’m glad you think you know me,” he snapped, then strode back inside the apartment.

A few moments later she heard the front door close in a quiet, controlled manner. In a way she wished he’d slammed it instead.

A couple of hours later they drove up to a luxurious mansion along the waterfront at Cullen Bay. Gabrielle, dressed in a silky blue dress that had received an approving look from Damien, was proven right about his friends.

Yet wrong.

The house obviously belonged to moneyed people, but when she stepped inside the front door it was to find one other couple besides their hosts and a warm greeting that softened the hardness around her heart and made her feel very welcome. They were all very different from what she’d expected. And that added an insight into the man beside her that she would never have seen otherwise.

Danielle and Flynn Donovan owned the house, and Kia and Brant Matthews were obviously close friends and frequent visitors. The women were gorgeous and friendly, the two men handsome and suave, but with a slight reserve that told Gabrielle they were the same breed as Damien. They didn’t let down their guard easily.

Dinner was quite a lighthearted affair in a magnificent dining room that really showed off the house to perfection.

“This is such a lovely room,” Gabrielle said to Danielle once they’d finished the first course and there was a lull in the conversation.

Danielle flushed, looking pleased. “Thank you. That’s really nice of you to say so.”

Something occurred to Gabrielle and her eyes widened. “I’ve just realized. You were the one who did Damien’s apartment, weren’t you?”

Danielle nodded with pleasure, though Gabrielle mentally acknowledged the mention of her knowing Damien’s apartment had been noted by all of them.

“My wife is quite the decorator,” Flynn said, sending his wife a loving look. It was a look that Gabrielle herself had hoped to receive one day from the man she loved.

At the thought, her gaze slid to Damien opposite her, and saw him watching her through half-closed lids. She wondered if Damien would ever be as relaxed as the men around their wives. He’d always seemed so alone.

Appearing nonchalant, she reached for her wineglass and took a sip, but her thoughts were far from casual. Damien had never sent her a loving look like the one Flynn had given his wife. Lustful yes, but not a warm look filled with respect.

Not that it mattered. She didn’t plan on falling in love again. Nor did she plan on marrying for a long time to come, despite what Damien said. For the moment she was just going to be one of those women whose dreams of being swept off her feet were just that—dreams.

“Gabrielle Kane?” the other woman, Kia, said with a slight frown on her beautiful forehead. “Your name seems familiar. Are you from Darwin?”

Gabrielle darted a look at Damien, but Kia’s husband, Brant, pulled her gaze to him instead. “You’re Russell Kane’s daughter, aren’t you?” he said, a curious gleam in his eyes that made her wonder what he knew about her. “You’ve been living interstate for the last couple of years.”

She moistened her suddenly dry lips. “Yes, I have.”

“Oh, that’s right. Your father recently had a stroke,” Kia said sympathetically. “I remember reading it in the newspapers now. I’m so sorry, Gabrielle. How is he?”

Gabrielle inclined her head in gratitude. “Thank you.” Her voice broke a little, so she cleared her throat. “He’s heavily sedated at the moment.”

“But we’re hoping he’ll soon be on the mend,” Damien added, his voice losing that steely edge, surprising Gabrielle, making her feel less alone in her fears.

“I’m so glad,” Kia said with sincerity. She paused, her eyes a little surprised. “You know, Gabrielle. You’re not like we expected.”

Gabrielle grew a little wary, but wasn’t sure why. “I’m not?”

Kia’s lips curved into a smile. “You’re much nicer.” The other woman sent Damien an approving look. “I’m really glad Damien brought you here tonight.”

Gabrielle let out a silent sigh of relief even as she refused to look at Damien. “So am I.” And she meant it. She just wished it hadn’t been because of Damien that she was here.

Then she realized the others were looking at her as if they knew there was more to her and Damien’s relationship, but thankfully talk turned to general things while they worked their way through the rest of the meal.

Just as they were finishing dessert, the housekeeper, Louise, came into the room to tell both women that their babies were growing restless. Kia and Danielle instantly jumped up and so did their husbands, jokingly saying that they wanted to see their daughters, too.

Danielle went to leave the room, then stopped and frowned. She opened her mouth to speak but Damien cut her off, “Don’t worry about us, Danielle. We’ll be fine until you come back.”

“Are you sure?”

Damien gave a slow smile. “What man in his right mind would complain about being left alone with such a beautiful woman?”

Danielle laughed. “Oh, you’re such a smooth talker.” She winked at Gabrielle. “Watch out for him, Gabrielle.”

Gabrielle tried to smile but it felt forced. Her heart was thumping, and not just because she would be alone with Damien. She was so thankful the housekeeper hadn’t brought either of those babies into the dining room. She wasn’t sure she could bear it.

She waited until the others left the room, then put her napkin on the table and stood. “I need some fresh air,” she choked, hurrying toward the patio doors. They were closed to keep the room air-conditioned and she prayed they weren’t locked. They weren’t.

But as she stepped outside onto the well-lit terrace, the humidity that swamped her was as heavy as her heart. She stood there for a moment, letting it overwhelm her, welcoming the pain…the ache of loss.

“You don’t like children?” Damien said from behind her, making her jump.

She schooled her features into a blank mask before slowly turning around. “What makes you say that?”

“Gut instinct. Most women usually fuss over babies and all that motherly stuff.” His eyes pierced the distance between them. “You didn’t.”

She held his gaze. “Perhaps I have other things on my mind.”

“Like what?”

“My father.”

He inclined his head, conceding the point as he came toward her. “For your information, Kia’s baby, Emma, is only a few weeks old. Danielle’s little girl, Alexandra, is about nine months.”

“I’m sure they’re gorgeous,” she said, her heart breaking even as she was surprised he knew the ages of his friends’ children.

“They are.”

She wanted to ask if he liked children. And if he ever planned on having another one day. Only, she couldn’t say that. Not to the man who’d unknowingly fathered one child already. A child who had died.

She swallowed hard and tried not to let him see her anguish. “Your friends are really nice,” she said, pushing aside her heartache.

“Not boring suits at all, eh?”

She winced. “No.” She felt bad now for being so judgmental about them.

“Apology accepted.”

Her eyes widened. “I didn’t apologize.”

“I know,” he said with a slight smile as he came toward her.

She was suddenly too aware of how close he was. Quickly she turned away to look out over the lush landscape. “Um, this is a beautiful house. And this garden is just lovely.”

Desperately she tried to concentrate on the beauty of the well-lit setting. A light breeze dipped palm fronds in the swimming pool, and flowers from the frangipani trees spread a blanket of white over a patch of lawn. Hibiscus provided splashes of red-orange color.

He put his hand on her arm and turned her back to him. Something deep kindled in his eyes. “Not as beautiful as you,” he murmured, pulling her toward him.

Oh God. Five years ago she’d lacked the know-how to control her crazy feelings for him. Now she could feel the same craving for him gnawing beneath the surface.

“What do you want, Damien?” she said huskily, unable to stop herself from savoring the warm, male scent of him rising up in the pocket of air between them. At a subconscious level, it tantalized her senses and turned her legs to jelly.

His gaze dropped to her mouth. “You.”

His head began to lower, and she unwillingly swayed toward him. Dear Lord. Suddenly five years was too long between kisses.

In the space of a heartbeat, he molded her mouth to the fullness of his own. Unable to ignore the taste of warm memories, she groaned and kissed him back, as a wonderful sensation quivered through her. Heat licked at her veins and she needed no further coaxing to let him venture into the hollows of her mouth while she clutched at his shoulders and let him intoxicate her.

Long moments later he broke off the kiss. She watched a pulse beat wildly in his throat, her mind staggered with incredulous wonder. She hadn’t known it until now, but she’d missed this feeling of sharing and being one.

With him.

And then reality hit at the sound of the others coming back into the living room.

He stepped back and gestured for her to precede him through the patio doors. “After you,” he murmured, the huskiness still lingering in his voice, affecting her, making her legs feel shaky as she hurried inside.

After that, the rest of the evening was nerve-racking for Gabrielle. Damien appeared to enjoy his friends’ company, but whenever he looked at her, the desire in his eyes made her heart thud against her ribs.

Yet knowing she’d tapped a raw nerve back there on the patio gave her strength. She was glad their kiss had affected him as much as it had her. It made her feel not so needy. The downside was that it made her vulnerable. How could a woman not feel stirred knowing she’d touched a chord inside a man like Damien?

She breathed easier when he left the room to take a call on his cell phone, but his return sent a flutter of panic through her. There was an odd look in his eyes.

It was hard.

And determined.

She tried to ignore an uneasy feeling, but her heart jumped in her throat when not long after he suggested they leave. He didn’t mention to the others she was staying with him. Not that it was anyone’s business, and certainly Damien would never find the need to explain such a thing to anyone. Not even to his friends.

He didn’t speak on the way home, either, but the tension increased within the confines of the car. Would he try to get her in bed? It certainly wouldn’t worry him if he did, of that she was certain.

As soon as they stepped inside his apartment, the door to the spare bedroom appeared to be far too close for her liking. She darted a look at him beneath her lashes and saw a muscle ticking in his jaw. Her stomach tied itself in knots.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to seduce you,” he mocked, striding over to the bar.

Her brows rose. “You’re not?”

“Not yet anyway.” He poured himself a small amount of scotch.

She moistened her lips, all at once certain there was something else going on here. “How…generous of you.”

There was a moment’s pause, then, “I’ve decided to wait until our marriage.”

Frustration clawed through her. “Damien, will you please stop—”

“Tomorrow.”

The air whooshed out of her lungs. “Wh-what?” He took a swallow of his drink. “We’re getting married tomorrow, Gabrielle, like it or not.”

She gasped. “Look, I told you—”

“Keiran just lost a three-million-dollar contract.”

Her head reeled back. “Say that again.”

“That phone call I took was from James. Keiran lost a deal your father had been working on for the past year.” He paused as he slammed the glass down on top of the bar. “Now. Don’t you think it’s time we got married?”

Five

The next afternoon Gabrielle married Damien in a simple ceremony held in his apartment, and Damien signed over eleven percent of Kane Property and Finance Group shares to her.

The only “family” Damien wanted to invite were his two best friends and their wives, and his attorney. No one else knew. Everything had to be kept secret so that Keiran wouldn’t get wind of the marriage and do something underhanded to prevent it, if indeed there was anything he could do about it.

As for her parents, Damien suggested it was best not to tell them about the wedding until afterward. The excitement might not be good for her father, and her mother might let something slip to Keiran, especially since Damien had said later that Caroline had no idea about the shares.

Still, it had been hard for Gabrielle to visit her parents earlier that morning and act as if nothing momentous was about to happen. Thankfully, her father had been sleeping and her mother had asked Gabrielle to sit with him while she went home to shower and change. It had been a blessed relief not to have to put on a brave face. Nor was Gabrielle sure she wouldn’t have begged her mother to stop her from doing a crazy thing like getting married two days after returning home.

And it was a crazy thing to do, she kept thinking when Kia and Danielle arrived carrying a gorgeous white sheath of a dress with a miniveil, and a posy of glorious miniature yellow roses. Suitably horrified at the speed Damien had arranged everything, they gave him a scolding about rushing the bride off her feet, yet they all knew why.

Thank goodness she didn’t have to play the blushing bride in front of everyone, Gabrielle told herself while she was dressing, with Kia and Danielle sympathizing over her predicament in the background. Brant and Flynn’s attitude was that Damien was doing the right thing, which made all three women smile wryly at each other in a moment of bonding.

Of course, once the ceremony was over and she stood next to the ladies beside a table covered with scrumptious food, she was on autopilot as she sipped at her champagne. The men had gone out on the balcony on the pretext of admiring the panoramic ocean view, but were deep in discussion instead.

“You know something, Gabrielle,” Kia said. “Damien reminds me so much of Brant and Flynn. Handsome. Gorgeous. And wonderful husbands once you get past the wall of detachment that’s inherent in men like them.”

Sudden despair wrapped around Gabrielle’s heart. She was sure Damien would be just like her father. And she would turn out just like her mother.

“Good heavens, your hands are shaking,” Kia exclaimed in a sympathetic tone. She squeezed Gabrielle’s arm. “Honey, we understand. Danielle and I felt the same way about our guys when we first met them.”

Danielle nodded in agreement. “That’s right. And one day we’ll tell you all about it, but not now. It would take too long to explain why Flynn thought I was after his money,” she said with rueful smile. “But I do want to say one thing—trust that it will work out for the two of you.”

Gabrielle appreciated their kindness, but there was so much that they didn’t realize. For one thing these women didn’t know about her and Damien’s past affair. Nor about her miscarriage—the one Damien didn’t know about, either.

Just then she looked up and saw the three men coming back inside the apartment through the sliding glass doors. Damien looked magnificent in a dark suit and white shirt and was grinning at something one of the others had said. It was a striking smile that curled her toes and sent her heart thudding against her ribs.

And then he saw her staring at him and he paused briefly, before his mouth tilted in a sardonic grin. “I hope you ladies aren’t plying my new bride with alcohol,” he said, walking toward them.

Kia gave a light laugh. “Of course we are.”

“I have something much better.” He nodded at the waiter, who proceeded to hand out fresh glasses of champagne.

Despite his relaxed air, those piercing eyes studied her thoughtfully for a moment, giving nothing away. And then she saw a hint of satisfaction lurking at the back of them, and fear rippled through her. Fear, not of Damien himself, but of where all this was leading. He may not have planned to marry her when he’d brought her back from Sydney, but he certainly intended to profit from all this…in more ways than one.

He held up his glass. “A toast. To my new wife.”

From somewhere deep inside her, she managed to raise her own glass and smile right back at him. “And here’s to my old husband.”

That evening, alone with Damien on his luxury yacht, Gabrielle ignored the man beside her and purposely focused her gaze on Darwin Harbor. In the remaining light, she watched as other boats sailed past them over the deep, calm water, the sound of laughter and clinking glasses sometimes drifting through the air, early evening being all about relaxing and having fun.

Not for them, of course. She didn’t want to be here. It was under duress and Damien knew it. So she wasn’t feeling particularly friendly toward him right now.

Okay, so he’d looked handsome and virile as he’d motored the vessel out himself, then dropped anchor, the cream polo shirt enhancing his well-built body as he’d moved, the black trousers molding perfectly to his long legs.

She’d always loved looking at his profile, and he looked even more attractive this evening with the water reflecting on his face. There was something very potent about the picture he made, and she felt a tremor inside knowing she was now married to him.

Her husband.

All at once he turned his head toward her. His moss-green eyes stared across the table and into her own with a burning intensity. “You were a beautiful bride.”

She realized she was gripping her wineglass so tight she might break it. She forced her fingers to relax. “Thank you.”

“You won my friends over well and truly,” he added.

She grimaced. They both knew Brant and Flynn approved because they thought she was doing the right thing for the business. “I’m sure Kia and Danielle feel a certain…empathy for me.”

His slight smile noted her comment. “The girls might be able to relate, but you can’t discount the fact they are very happily married.”

She met his gaze levelly. “They’re in love, Damien. We’re not.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “You’re right. Here’s to not being in love,” he drawled, lifting his glass of white wine.

Five years ago she would have been devastated by his words, but she knew she was beyond that now.

She raised her glass and clinked it against his. “That’s a toast I can relate to.”

“And to us,” he added.

She pulled the glass back. “There’s no such thing as ‘us,’ Damien. There’s you. And there’s me. Two separate entities.”

“Not after tonight.”

The pit of her stomach began to churn. “I could scream, you know.”

“So could I.”

The comment was so unexpected that her lips twitched.

“Is that a smile I see?” he teased, sounding as if he was truly amused. It was a glimpse of how it could have been if only…

She remembered what their marriage was about. “No,” she said, not looking at him, instead looking everywhere but at him. “I have nothing to smile about.”

A moment passed by. “You’re my wife now,” he said with quiet emphasis. “Accept it.”

She lifted her chin as she looked at him. “I guess I should be honored to be Mrs. Damien Trent?” she said sarcastically, even as she suppressed a tingle at her new name.

“Naturally.”

She made a choking sound. “Your arrogance astounds me,” she said, and caught a look of surprise on his face that in turn surprised her. He really had no idea his words had come across as arrogant. He really did believe she should be honored to marry him.

As if!

No way would she be grateful to a man who forced her into… She winced inwardly. He hadn’t forced her into anything. Yes, he’d married her for his own purposes. And yes, he’d married her for her father’s sake—but for an honorable reason.

She hadn’t quite thought about it in this light before, but by marrying her today he was showing what kind of man he was—an honorable one. He must have had a good upbringing.

Suddenly she realized, Damien hadn’t mentioned his parents today, not once. And she’d been too preoccupied and busy to ask the question.

Now she had the time. “Why didn’t you invite your parents to the wedding, Damien?”

He tensed. “It would be a bit hard. They’re dead,” he said in a clipped tone that didn’t ask for sympathy and would accept none.

A wave of compassion swept over her. And as strange as it seemed, she felt a little sad that she’d never get to meet the parents of this man. Five years ago they’d been on a round-the-world cruise, though she suspected he wouldn’t have introduced her, anyway. About the only other thing she knew about him was that he didn’t have any brothers or sisters, and even getting that out of him had been like asking for state secrets.

“What happened?” she asked sympathetically.

The line of his mouth flattened. “My father picked up some sort of bug during their cruise. It killed him before he could get proper medical attention.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh my God. That’s dreadful. Your poor mother. Did she—”

“She died two years ago.”

She listened in dismay. “I’m so sorry, Damien.”

“Thanks,” he said, looking out to sea, making her think he had hidden depths she was only now beginning to notice.

“So you’re all alone in the world?” she said, trying to find what made this man tick.

He looked at her with eyes turned hooded and dark, a sure sign she’d touched a nerve. “If you want to think of it that way, yes.” Then as if he’d had enough talking, he rose up from his chair like some god ready to sacrifice a virgin. If she’d had time she would have laughed at the thought, but her heart was jumping inside her chest as he came around the table toward her.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

He stopped in front of her, took the glass out of her hand, and pulled her to her feet, his hands circling her waist. “What do you think I’m doing?”

“No, Damien.”

Something lazily seductive seeped into his eyes. “Yes, Gabrielle.”

“Damien, I’m not ready—”

“I’m five years ready.”

She blinked. “Are you saying…you’ve been celibate for five years?”

He snorted. “I’m a man, not a saint.”

Of course. How silly of her. “Then what did—”

“Shhhhhh.” He lowered his head and kissed her. She inhaled sharply and his tongue swept into her mouth, sweeping aside her objections like he did with everything else.

The sheer passion behind it…the possessiveness in it…took her breath away. She melted into him with a low moan, a part of her dismayed at how easily she weakened, another part gloriously alive, reveling in the feel of his lips against hers.

And with each passing moment those firm, manly lips hardened with increasing hunger, growing more urgent and demanding. She returned his kiss, her heartbeat throbbing in her ears, his scent hugging her lungs until all she knew was him.

He lifted his mouth and sent her a heated look, and a private message passed between them. He, too, remembered how it had been. A delicious shudder swept over her. She could almost taste the saltiness of his skin and feel the heat of his body as they lay entwined in bed together.

“It’s time, Gabrielle.”

“Time?” she asked breathlessly, delaying the inevitable, though she wasn’t sure why now.

“For our bodies to do the talking.”

Before she could say anything…or do anything except admit to herself she had a need for him…he put her hand in his and drew her along behind him, down the stairs to the cabin below.

She allowed him to lead her, all at once feeling this was meant to be. She could no more stop this from happening than stop the tide from turning. She didn’t want to stop it now. Deep down she’d known that all along.

And then they were beside the bed and Damien stood looking at her, the lights from the deck filtering in through the windows, giving their world a pearly glow.

A sense of intimacy swirled around them as his fingers feathered up her arm, igniting little sparks where they touched her skin…up over the curve of her shoulder…along her collarbone…under her hair at her nape, admiring the blond strands cascading over his fingers.

“My blond beauty,” he murmured, and brought her mouth to his once more, this time capturing it in a slow and sensuous possession.

She dissolved against him, loving the way his sinewy body embraced hers, his needing her as much as she needed him. And she was lost. As lost as any woman had a right to be when in the arms of a man she’d once loved.

Moments crept by before he eased away from mouth. “It’s been a long time for us,” he said, placing his lips against the column of her throat.

Ahh! She tingled at his touch, every pore in her body recognizing him, acknowledging him. It was five years since he’d made love to her like this. In her dreams it had sometimes seemed like yesterday. In her nightmares it had been forever.

“Say it, Gabrielle. Say you missed this, too.”

She stretched her neck back allowing him access to the base of her throat. “Yes,” she whispered. “I missed this.”

His grunt of approval made her head spin as his hands slipped around to her back and slowly lowered the zip of her dress. The material fell to her waist and she stood in her lacy black bra, her nipples swelling in anticipation, her pulse rioting with need. She wanted to feel his mouth against her breasts.

“Mine,” he said, his voice rough with need, arching her up for his indulgence, his eyes darkening as he took what was so willingly offered.

“Yes,” she murmured, then gasped at the touch of his lips closing around a nipple.

He sucked hard, the lace emphasizing the abrasive action of his tongue, and she clutched at his shoulders as he moved to the other breast and repeated the rhythm, creating wonderful little bursts of ecstasy within the very core of her.

Then he undid her bra and it fell to the floor. Her breasts spilled into his hands and she moaned aloud with sheer pleasure when he began to fondle them. Oh my, did he know what he was doing to her?

Then those hands…those superb male hands…slipped over her rib cage, his firm fingers kneading her skin. Her dress began to slip downward, over her hips, her stomach… and all at once she was conscious of what he would find, and she stiffened, preparing herself for the moment he felt her scar. It didn’t take long.

His fingers stopped on the flat skin of her stomach. “What the hell!” He put her away from him, twisting her toward the light shining in through the window to get a better look.

A flush seared her cheeks. “I’m sorry, I—”

“What happened?” he demanded, holding her hips firm, a muscle jerking in his cheek, an angry look exploding in his eyes. Angry and…pained.

She tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let her. “A car accident. I know it looks horrible but—”

“No,” he growled. “It doesn’t.” And he fell on one knee to place his lips against the two-inch jagged scar radiating downward from her belly button.

She shuddered helplessly. Of all the things she expected, it wasn’t that he would touch her with such sensitivity. In a strange way it made her proud of him. Proud to be his woman, if only in a physical way.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“No need,” he muttered, and placed his lips against her scar one more time. Then his hands left her hips and cupped her bottom, pulling her forward and pressing his face against the very intimate part of her.

Her heart stopped for a long moment as he held her like that, as if discovering her scent again and reveling in it. She grasped his shoulders before her legs buckled beneath her.

He took a deep breath and moved back to slowly peel her panties down her legs. Leaning on him, she stepped out of them, but he stayed where he was, just looking at her.

Suddenly she felt self-conscious. Damien had been her only lover. And it had been five years since he’d seen her naked body like this. She went to cover herself, but he made a sound low in his throat and pushed her hands away, then began kissing his way upward, his lips like silk along her thighs, over the blond curls hiding her femininity, skimming up over the sensitized skin of her breasts before anointing each nipple again, then moving up further and settling on her mouth.

His tongue danced with hers as he pulled her against him, his hardened body straining the material of his pants, sending a flash of heat through her. She was ready for him. More than ready.

“I want to feel you against me,” he rasped, and stepped back, stripping the clothes from his body so fast he made her head spin. She wanted to say “take your time, let me look,” but a more-eager part of her had a need low in her stomach at the sight of his obvious arousal.

He sank down on the bed behind him, drawing her close, positioning her so she stood between his legs. His mouth began to tease her nipples and she closed her eyes, welcoming his touch, winding her fingers through his hair, holding his head tight between her hands.

Just when she thought she could no longer stand, when a cry of pleasure was about to burst from her lips, he lay back on the bed and slowly stretched her out alongside him, so they were facing each other.

She moaned, and buried her face against his throat, savoring the touch of every inch of masculine skin lining hers. Dear heaven, she only had to guide him inside her and they would be one.

For several long seconds they lay there, as if he too, were soaking up the feel of skin against skin, the rocking of the boat giving a lulling sensation to their lovemaking.

Then he leaned up on his elbow and slowly began to trace a fingertip over the top of her breasts, his finger scorching everywhere he touched, down her cleavage pressed tight by the angle of her body.

“Look,” he ordered thickly, his gaze descending between them. Her limbs quivered as she looked down to where their bodies touched. All the way down.

Man against woman.

“A perfect fit,” he said, his eyes now locked on hers.

She swallowed tremulously. “Yes,” she said, growing warm and welcoming, a wantonness forming in her lower limbs.

All at once he rose up over her toward the bedside table and took a condom out of the top drawer. “Here,” he said, handing it to her, a pulse beating in his neck.

The breath stalled in her throat. “Oh but—”

“You want me to wear it, don’t you?” he challenged in a raw mutter.

She moistened her lips. She couldn’t think. Yes. No. “Um…yes.”

“Then put it on me,” he rasped with his usual arrogance, only she couldn’t seem to respond in kind. Perhaps because she could see her effect on him. He couldn’t hide how he was feeling right now; it was an empowering thought.

She tried to open the small foil package but her fingers shook and she dropped it. Giving her a look that said he was pleased she wasn’t an expert in this, he took it and ripped it open with his teeth, then held it out to her.

But she didn’t take it just yet. Swallowing hard, she looked down at him and felt a sizzle run through her. She had wanted to touch him before, and now she would.

She reached out and slid her hand around his erection, hearing a groan rise up from his throat, making the breath hitch in her throat. His skin felt warm under her palms. Warm and vital and so very Damien.

Without warning he muttered, “No more,” then put his hand over hers and released her fingers from around him. In the blink of an eye, he rolled the condom on himself, moved her back against the bed, then nudged her thighs until she opened herself to him.

Only, he didn’t enter her just then. He waited, looking down at her with darkened eyes, the cords in his neck straining as he held his body above her…waiting…

“Come into me, Damien,” she said, sliding her palm over his chest.

And that was enough. On a groan, he pushed himself into her wet warmth.

Slowly.

Exquisitely.

Filling her with a sense of completeness.

Even five years ago their lovemaking hadn’t been as rich as this. It was much richer now in intensity, in depth, in experience.

And then he kissed her deeply as he moved erotically in and out. She loved the way he explored her inner womanhood with a thoroughness and pleasure that stamped her as his own, leaving no part of her untouched.

She moaned and inched toward the peak of desire. Unable to hold out against such an onslaught, she shut her eyes giddily. And she told herself to wait. That she wanted it to last forever. But her body wasn’t about to stop from rejoicing in their mating.

She escalated higher and higher, with nothing to hold on to except this man within her. “Damien, please… Damien, I need you…Damien…”

“Gabi,” he rasped, and she felt him pulsing into her, her own femininity cupping him tight in her climax, welcoming his sheathed essence.

A long moment later she was left with one thought and one thought only. The last time they’d made love he’d called her Gabi. And he’d been inside her back then, too.

* * *

The next morning Damien kept his eyes closed as he enjoyed the slight rocking of the boat and inhaled the scent of Gabrielle in the tropical air. It woke his body, arousing him with the pleasure of the night.

Many pleasures of the night.

He rolled on his side and reached for her, but his hand found a cool cotton sheet instead of a warm body. His eyes opened. She was probably in the bathroom. Or making coffee in the galley.

He listened for any sound of her. All was quiet. He sniffed the air and waited. Any minute now the aromatic smell of coffee would tantalize his nostrils. When nothing happened, he eased into a sitting position and looked around the cabin. Unless she’d jumped overboard, she’d still have to be on the yacht.

His heart started to thump. Or perhaps she’d taken the dingy. If she had, he’d kill her, he decided, throwing back the sheet, his gut knotting as he pulled on his trousers. He didn’t bother about a shirt as he took the stairs two at a time.

When he found her on the top deck, it took a moment to steady his heartbeat. Then he strode toward her and hauled her into his arms.

“Damien, what the—”

He dropped a fierce kiss on her lips. It was supposed to be an angry kiss for being foolish enough to leave him. Only, after a moment or two, with her palms flattened on his bare chest, he found he was more hungry for her than angry, more searching than punishing. He wanted her to know how waking up this morning without her had felt. It had been the same feeling he’d experienced five years ago.

He broke off the kiss and muttered, “There’s no escape.”

She looked confused. “I wasn’t trying to escape.”

Okay, he’d panicked. He wouldn’t do it again. “Tell me about the car accident.”

Her face closed up and she stepped out of his arms and went to sit down on a seat. “Why? Am I imperfect now, Damien?”

“No.” She was too damn perfect to look at. That was the problem. He winced inwardly. No, he didn’t quite mean that. Gabrielle wasn’t just about her looks.

She leaned back and stared up at him, gorgeous in white pants and a lime-green top. “What do you want to know?”

“How it happened. When did it happen. Everything.”

Her lips, still slightly swollen from his kiss, curved in a wry smile. “You don’t ask for much, do you?”

He didn’t find it remotely funny. “I’m telling, not asking.”

Her eyes clouded over. “Yes, that’s more your style.”

“Gabrielle, you’re procrastinating.” His eyes narrowed. “What are you hiding?”

She looked startled. “Nothing,” she said, much too fast for his liking. She moistened her delicious mouth. “Er…it happened a few months after I went to Sydney. I was a passenger in a car with one of Eileen’s daughters, Lara. This drunken idiot came out of nowhere and his car hit the front passenger side and some metal buckled and cut me.”

“Sweet Jesus!” The thought of it made him taste bile.

All at once she was looking at him as if realizing his shock. “Damien, I’m fine,” she said gently.

Her tone didn’t soothe him. He felt savage. Like he wanted to commit murder. “What happened to this idiot? He’d better be in jail.”

“I don’t know. I was in hospital for a few days, then I was too busy getting back on my feet.”

“If I’d known…” he growled, a burning sensation in his throat. “If Russell had known…”

An uneasy look entered her eyes. “Thankfully neither of you did.” As quickly, she drew herself up, a certain coolness taking over. “And thankfully neither of you had a say in my life after that.” She paused for effect. “I just wish you didn’t have a say now.”

The muscles at the back of his neck tensed. “You’re married to me, Gabrielle. From here on in, whatever happens, I want to know about it.”

Her eyes flashed with cynicism. “It didn’t take long for you to start trying to control me.”

He stared hard at her. She’d taken that the wrong way. He was concerned for her, not controlling. He wanted to make sure she’d didn’t get hurt again. God, he hated thinking about her trapped in a car. About her lying in hospital.

His jaw clenched. But if she preferred to think the worst of his motives, then let her. He wasn’t explaining himself to anyone.

He made a move toward the stairs. “Get your things together. We’re going back to shore.”

Six

When they arrived back at the apartment, Gabrielle half expected Damien to carry her off to bed, and firmly squashed a sense of disappointment when he strode straight over to the dining table and started sorting through his briefcase.

“You’re working now?” she asked, then realized how that sounded. “I mean, aren’t we going to see my parents?”

He glanced at his Rolex, his attitude telling her he was a busy man. “I’ve got a couple of calls to make, then we’ll go break the news of our marriage to your mother. We’ll leave it up to Caroline to decide whether to tell Russell yet or not.”

Gabrielle swallowed, feeling guilty. In a way she didn’t really feel she should feel too guilty about it. Not after everything her parents had put her through. Yet she did.

“And by the way,” he added. “I’ve ordered a Porsche to replace the rental car.”

Gabrielle groaned, feeling swallowed up by him. “You did?”

“And I’ve told your ex-boss, Eileen, we were getting married.”

Her eyes widened in dismay. “You didn’t!” Now this she did feel guilty over.

“I had to give her some reason why I was having your things sent up here.”

She couldn’t believe he’d done all this without asking her. “You really are a piece of work, aren’t you?” she snapped, then spun toward the spare bedroom, intending to use the phone in there. “I’d better phone her on the other extension and explain.” Eileen had been so good to her and would be disappointed not to have been invited to the wedding.

“Gabrielle?”

She stopped at the bedroom door. “What?”

“You’re in the master bedroom now,” he drawled, nodding his head at the other bedroom door. “With me.”

A tremor of desire quaked through her body. “Master bedroom?” she scoffed. “Oh, goodie. I can sit at your feet and feed you grapes all day.”

His expression relaxed into a smile, and it was devastating. “I can’t see you being part of a harem.”

“I’m amazed you appreciate that.”

His eyes dropped to her breasts. “Oh, I appreciate you just fine, Gabrielle.”

She moved slightly to cover her tingling nipples beneath her lime-green top. “Don’t you have some calls to make?” she pointed out sourly, intending to shower and change out of her white slacks and into something more suitable for the office, just as soon as she spoke to Eileen.

His lips curled faintly upward. “They’ll be brief.”

“Well, I could be a while,” she said, letting him know he’d caused problems and now she had to clean up his mess.

He ignored that. “I’ll come get you when you’re ready.”

“So you have X-ray vision and can see through walls now?” she derided. “I think you’ve been eating too many carrots.”

“No, grapes,” he mocked, then strode out onto the balcony, already pressing the numbers on his cell phone, already forgetting her.

She didn’t smile, though she secretly appreciated the smart comment. And she was still appreciating it after talking to Eileen, and then an hour later when they took her mother aside and told her the news. Gabrielle had already insisted that she wanted to be the one to tell her mother, though how on earth did she explain without telling her the true reason?

She didn’t expect Caroline to burst into tears. “Mum, I’m sorry but it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.”

Caroline dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “But I’m your mother, Gabrielle. I would have liked to be at my only child’s wedding.”

Damien put his arm around Gabrielle’s shoulders and pulled her close. “Caroline, we knew you’d be torn about leaving Russell’s side, so we decided it was best we didn’t tell you until it was over.”

She still looked hurt. “But couldn’t you both have waited until Russell was better?”

“I’m sorry, no,” Damien said quietly but firmly. “I wanted Gabrielle to marry me and I couldn’t wait a moment longer for her.” He looked down at Gabrielle with a warm look in his eyes that totally shook her, then he squeezed her shoulder, urging her to back him up, making her realize it was all a front.

“Yes, that’s right,” Gabrielle confirmed. “We just couldn’t wait. I’m sorry,” she said, feeling really bad now. She knew her parents loved her. She didn’t like causing them pain, despite how much they’d caused her.

Caroline sniffed. “You must love each other very much,” she said, relenting.

“We do,” Damien said without hesitation, and for a split second Gabrielle actually thought he meant it. Her heart gave a thud, then settled down to reality.

“Russell will be pleased,” Caroline said. A frown marred her forehead. “But perhaps we shouldn’t tell him until I speak to his doctor?”

“Good idea,” Damien said. “And look, I know Russell’s been too sick to have visitors, but don’t let Keiran in to see him just yet. He might slip up and give it away about our marriage, and I’d hate to set Russell back because he received a shock.”

She nodded even as she looked startled. “Keiran knows about your marriage?”

“Not yet. We’re on our way to the office soon to tell him.”

“Oh, good. He’ll be so surprised. And delighted, too, no doubt. He’s taken on a big responsibility trying to fill Russell’s shoes, always phoning me and checking to see how your father is doing. He’s been such a comfort.” She smiled warmly. “As you both have.”

“Don’t worry, Caroline,” Damien said. “We intend to help him as much as we can.”

Her mother’s brow rose. “We?”

Gabrielle knew she had to tell her mother their plans. “Mum, Damien’s going to help me run the company until Dad gets better.”

Her mother’s face lit up. “Really?”

“Yes.” Deliberately she didn’t mention Keiran. If her mother asked, she would say he intended to help out in another capacity at the office.

“That’s wonderful, darling. I’m so proud of you.” She glanced at Damien. “Russell always thought of you as a son, Damien. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled about this.”

Damien cleared his throat. “He’s been like a father to me, too, Caroline,” he said, sounding gruff.

Caroline gave a light laugh. “Good heavens, I now have a son-in-law. Who would’ve believed it?” She winked at Gabrielle. “And maybe one day I’ll be a grandma?” she teased, a sudden speculative light in her eyes.

Gabrielle stiffened, but she was sure only Damien felt it. “Not yet, Mum. I have too much to do to help Dad first.”

Caroline looked only slightly disappointed. “That’s okay, darling. But I look forward to the day when you’re ready to give me a little grandbaby.”

Gabrielle swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure that day would ever come again.

As if Damien knew she was uneasy, he changed the subject. “How about when Russell’s better we have another ceremony? A big event with lots of family and friends. What do you think, Caroline? Would you and Russell like that?”

Caroline’s eyes lit up. “Oh yes, that would be wonderful.” Then the light in her eyes dimmed. “Of course, I’m not sure where I’ll be once Russell gets better…”

Gabrielle’s heart thudded to a halt. “Mum?”

Caroline patted her hand. “Darling, I came back because I love your father and he’s sick, but I don’t know whether he still loves me.”

Gabrielle was horrified. She’d thought her parents were back together. “Mum, of course he does.”

Caroline frowned. “To be honest, I’m not sure.” Then her mother fluttered a dismissive hand. “But this is about you and Damien, not me and Russell. And I promise that no matter where I am I’ll come back for another ceremony.”

Gabrielle was having trouble trying to come to terms with her mother’s admission that she hadn’t resumed her marriage, so she was thankful when Damien stepped in and suggested they leave.

“Don’t let the comment about grandchildren worry you,” he said on the way out of the hospital. “Your mother’s just doing some wishful thinking. It’s only natural.”

Somehow she found the strength to pretend she didn’t care that her parents should have already been grandparents. If only…

No!

Instead, she shot Damien a glare. “Did you know they weren’t actually back together?”

“Yes,” he said, opening the car door for her.

“What! You told me—”

“That your mother had come home because of your father’s stroke. She did.”

“But—”

“Let them work it out themselves. We have other things to worry about right now.” He took her elbow and guided her onto the passenger seat. “Keiran being one of them. He’s bound to be difficult.”

The thought of facing Keiran kept her quiet as Damien closed the door and came around the other side of the BMW. A short while later they entered her father’s office to find her cousin again behind the desk, looking so self-satisfied she wanted to wipe that look right off his face. Thank goodness she’d dressed in a short black skirt and cream silk blouse that looked very businesslike.

“Keiran,” she said, walking over to the chair in front of the desk and taking a seat as Damien went to stand by the window. “Do you realize you lost the company a three-million-dollar contract?”

Keiran suddenly looked wary. “They wanted more than we could give. We don’t have the resources for what they wanted.”

“No,” she snapped. “My father would have bent over backward to find a way to keep that contract.”

Keiran glared at her defiantly. “I did all I could.”

“I’m sure you did. But this company isn’t only about you and what you can and can’t do, Keiran. It’s about being a business. About keeping people in jobs.”

Keiran stiffened. “Don’t come in here and start preaching to me on how to run things, Gabrielle. I’m in charge now and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Correction. You were in charge.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t start that again. You and Damien are—”

“Married.”

He flinched, then quickly recovered. “So?”

She leaned forward and slapped a copy of the marriage certificate and the document transferring the shares on the desk. “We’re married. We were married yesterday. And Damien’s given me eleven percent of his shares as a wedding present,” she said, enjoying dropping that bombshell. She made a point of standing up. “So thank you for holding the fort, but I’ll take over now.”

“Like hell you will,” Keiran snapped, his face turning an ugly red.

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