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Nik held a hand up, instantly silencing them. “You are intruding on our honeymoon, but I will make a statement before I dismiss you. This is Chloe Ranier. She and I were engaged years ago, but it didn’t work out. We were too young and inexperienced to know what we wanted. Fate brought us back together recently, and we are deliriously happy now. Please respect our privacy for the next week or two while we enjoy being newlyweds. Then you can ask all the questions you want. Thank you.”
He steered her away from them even as more questions hit the air. They quickly crossed the field and went out to the parking lot to his waiting car. The reporters followed. Questions kept flying at them. Feeling violated, Chloe kept her body stiff. She was chilled inside and out. Nik wasn’t the man she had known and loved. She was married to a complete stranger.
He opened the car door for her.
She folded her arms, refusing to get into the passenger seat. “You knew they were coming. That whole thing back there, the kiss, everything, it was all for their benefit. Wasn’t it?”
“Get in or be prepared to talk to them.”
She reluctantly got inside and locked the door. Once he joined her, she demanded the truth. “Did you set that up?”
“I told you I want the news of our marriage to spread quickly. This seemed the best way to achieve my goal. By morning, everyone will know we are married.”
“You could have let me in on the plan.”
He made a face. “I wanted you to be convincing as the startled bride interrupted in an intimate moment.”
She gaped at him. “Wow. You have turned into such a cold, heartless... jerk.”
“You still can’t bring yourself to curse, can you? Cute.”
“Shut up.”
Hostility glittered in his dark eyes. Maybe it was even hatred. His jaw tightened. “If I am heartless, it is because you ripped it from my chest and smashed it to bits.”
She started to protest, but he lifted a hand.
Reporters surrounded the car. They shouted questions over one another. A few fingers tapped on her window. It was like a feeding frenzy in the shark tank.
More pictures were snapped, stolen images of a couple trying to make a quick getaway. The urge to stick her tongue out was almost too much for her. He gunned the engine. As they drove away, she fumed in silence. She reminded herself that he owned her business. Technically. The fact he could sell it without her permission glued her lips shut.
Chloe wasn’t sure how much more she could take before she totally lost her temper. If she went off on him, he might dump her bakery. Then what would she do? She needed to support her child. His child.
Chapter Seven
Later that night, they had dinner in Nik’s penthouse at his insistence. He’d told her he wanted to talk privately. No doubt the local reporters were already spreading the news of his sudden marriage to the little nobody from nowhere. She wished he hadn’t given them her full name. What if they weren’t satisfied with the main story and wanted to find out more about the girl that had taken down the country’s most confirmed bachelor? They could uncover her secret and tell the world.
Chloe sat across from Nik, fork in hand, but she wasn’t eating. Her stomach ached from having clenched muscles all day. She noticed he hadn’t lost his appetite. Her irritation grew every time he dug into his dinner.
The short, fat candle centerpiece flickered between them. It was supposed to be romantic, but just annoyed her because it was unnecessary, as was the long-stemmed rose lying next to it. Knowing he had ordered the extra touches to convince the staff they were newlyweds fueled her anger.
Using a knife and fork to cut off a piece of steak, he glanced up at her. “Something wrong with your food?”
“Not a thing.”
“Would you prefer something else?”
She fumed. “I would prefer you deal with me straight and stop playing games. I want in on the plan. What are we doing next? When are you going to be satisfied? Most importantly, when can I go home?”
He chewed his steak while staring at her face. His eyes narrowed for a moment. Then he shrugged. “Would you believe I’m making it up as I go along?”
She scoffed, because she knew him better than that. There was no telling how long he’d been plotting his revenge, but she knew he had every detail figured out. Men like Nik didn’t leave anything to chance. “No. I wouldn’t believe that.”
He took a sip of champagne. “Come to bed with me.”
Her heart nearly stopped beating.
The statement was said without an ounce of emotion, but the words put her in a state of panic. The kiss at the stadium had driven all logical thought from her brain. She needed to keep him at arm’s length. If she lost her grip on reality and fell for him again, she’d lose everything.
