Page 46 of Twelve Nights of Nights of Christmas

Rio’s jaw tightened. ‘Evie—’

‘Sorry—it’s just that I’m finding this whole thing quite stressful, in case you hadn’t noticed. Every morning we go through the same thing. And the worst thing is, there is never going to come a point when it goes away—they have that photo for ever, don’t they? They can use it this year or next year—it never ends.’

Wondering exactly when he’d developed a conscience, Rio forced a reluctant confession past his lips. ‘Evie, they won’t use that photo.’

She looked up from the newspaper. ‘It’s all very well to say that while you’re giving them something more interesting to print, but sooner or later they’re going to get bored with our “romance” and then they’ll be on the lookout for something more juicy.’

‘I can guarantee they’re not going to print that photograph.’

‘How? Has your security team managed to track the man down?’ With a soft gasp, she dropped the newspaper on the table. ‘They found him?’

He had to tell her now. ‘Yes. We found him.’

Relief crossed her face, to be followed quickly by consternation. ‘But that doesn’t mean you can stop the photograph. I mean, he’s had loads of time to have sent it all over the place. It’s probably too late.’

‘He hasn’t sent it anywhere. My security team confiscated his camera.’

‘But how—’

‘They confiscated his camera less than fifteen seconds after he took the offending photograph,’ Rio confessed in a raw tone, telling himself firmly that he’d do exactly the same thing again in the same circumstances. ‘That’s how I know for a fact that he didn’t send it anywhere. Antonio was outside the door of the Penthouse. He apprehended the guy before he’d taken two steps.’

A heavy silence descended on the room. Evie stared at him, digesting the enormity of his confession and Rio felt the tension inside himself double.

‘You’re saying—’ she swallowed hard ‘—you’re telling me—oh, my God.’ She sank down hard on the nearest sofa, her breathing rapid. ‘There was never a risk that the photograph would be published. You told me…you let me think…’ She lifted her head to look at him and her eyes were huge and shocked. ‘How could you do that?’

‘Because it was necessary. It was the right thing to do.’

‘The right thing?’ She lifted her hands to her face and then let them drop again, clearly struggling to find the words to express herself. ‘I was almost out of my mind with worry! My grandfather is eighty-six years old and I thought…I thought…’ Her face was contorted with pain. ‘I thought it would crucify him to see that photo. I was so worried—’

‘Which is why I assured you that they wouldn’t use the pictures.’

‘But you didn’t tell me why you were so sure!’ She stood up, shock giving way to anger. ‘You arranged the photographer! You were in league with creepy Carlos!’

‘No—’ Rio interrupted her hastily ‘—that isn’t true. It was a set-up.’ He raked his fingers through his hair, wondering how, of all the difficult negotiations he’d ever made, this one seemed the most challenging. ‘But I admit that I turned it to my advantage. I had no choice.’

‘You did have a choice. There is always a choice. You could have told me the truth.’

‘I didn’t know if you were involved or not.’

‘I told you I wasn’t.’

He decided not to waste time pointing out that plenty of her sex lied for a living. In the short time he’d known her, he’d started to realise that Evie didn’t seem to think the same way as other women. ‘By the time I realised that you were telling the truth, we were already deeply involved in the pretence. I was afraid you’d walk out on me.’

‘So you used me. Is that what you’re trying to tell me?’

Unable to find an alternative take on the situation, Rio felt sweat prickle his brow. ‘Yes.’

‘But you…’ She jabbed her fingers into her hair, an expression of shocked disbelief on her face. ‘But we had sex—what was your justification for that? Were there cameras in the room?’

‘You initiated the sex.’

She gave a painful laugh. ‘Well, that’s you off the hook, then.’ Her eyes were glazed with tears. ‘You warned me you were ruthless and you told me that I’d find it easy to dump you—well, you were right. I’m dumping you. We now have the shortest engagement on record.’

‘I accept that I was wrong not to tell you,’ Rio breathed, ‘but don’t walk out.’

‘Why? Because you haven’t closed your precious deal yet? What is wrong with you? You don’t need more money but you’re so desperate to win you’re willing to do whatever it takes.’ A toss of her head sent her hair flaming down her back and she stalked back into the bedroom without glancing in his direction, flinging words over her shoulder like missiles. ‘There are some things in life that are more important than money, Rio. People’s feelings are more important. Integrity. Honesty. And if you don’t know what any of those words mean then use some of that money of yours to buy a dictionary.’

Rio searched his brain for slick words that would extricate him from this hole, but found none. His instinct was to leave her alone, but his legs had different ideas and, moments later, he found himself standing in the doorway of the bedroom, watching her.