AllFreeNovel
Share Us
'You and I are going to be married as soon as possible.'
A brittle laugh escaped her. 'You're mad. I'm not marrying you. You said yourself marriage is a trap, and you are not the only one who has no desire to fall into it.'
A dark brow lifted sardonically. 'Oh, I think you will.' Coming down beside her, he gathered her into his arms.
'Sex is no solution,' she managed to get out before his lips closed over hers once more.
Her head fell back against the cushions and her mouth opened instinctively for his. His fingers pulled the band from her hair and wound into the tangled curls. His other hand edged beneath her wool sweater, easing it up, her lacy bra along with it, until his hand was cupping her breast, his long fingers stroking her rosy nipple into instant arousal, while his tongue searched the dark, moist hollow of her mouth to devastating effect. She tried to tell herself he was deliberately seducing her, but his onslaught was too practised, too intense. Before she knew it she was lying full-length on the sofa, her sweater pushed up under her armpits, his hard body over her, as his hands continued their tormenting, wandering over her breasts, the firm swell of her hips, and down her long legs, encased in clinging denim, in confident knowledge of her helpless arousal.
He seduced her utterly. It had been too many weeks since she had felt his touch, and her body writhed against him in aching need.
Abruptly he released her love-swollen lips and lifted his dark head. 'You want me; you can't deny it. I could take you now.' His fingers trailed teasingly over her turgid breasts. 'You will marry me next weekend. Our child will have two parents, and we... we will have this,' he growled, his head once more lowering, but this time to nip teasingly at her breast.
Jacy could barely breathe, her nipples tight, engorged with her surging blood. An ache was arrowing from where Leo's hand covered her groin through every nerve and sinew in her body.
'Say yes...' His mouth whispered the words against her throat. 'You know you want to.' And, raising his head, his derisory gaze lingered on her swollen, pouting lips.
That was the terrible part, she thought in self-hatred. Leo was right, and he knew it. He drove her crazy—he always had and probably always would—but that was no basis for a marriage. 'Anyway, I may not even be pregnant,' she stalled.
'How late are you?'
'Two weeks,' she mumbled, and, glancing warily up at him, she noted the dull flush of passion along his cheekbones. It was a two-way street, she realised, this explosion of the senses whenever they touched.
'Well, then, I'll make arrangements for you to see the doctor on Tuesday and we will be married next Saturday.' His fingers trailed seductively over the soft, creamy mound of her breast, and she couldn't think straight.
'But we don't love each other,' she objected.
'Love is a vastly overrated emotion. What we have is much better.' His fingers plucked at her breast and he chuckled as her body instinctively arched beneath him. 'You're the most responsive woman I have ever b
edded, the chemistry is perfect between us, you're pregnant with my child... Many a marriage started with less.'
'No, I won't.' She tried to push him away, the thought of all his other women cooling her over-heated emotions immediately. 'There are other solutions.' He could have visiting rights or something, she thought feebly. She just wasn't cut out for his kind of open-ended commitment, and sadly she recognised it.
'Well, you're not aborting my child.' He swore furiously and hauled her upright and in a deft movement had her sweater back down where it belonged. 'You haven't got a choice.' His jawline hardened. 'Liz and Tom are your friends. He has a glittering career before him, possibly chairman of the bank, but only with my contract under his belt. Do I make myself clear?'
'You ruthless bastard,' she swore unsteadily.
'Maybe.' His hard, dark eyes held hers with cruel mockery. 'But I'll make damn sure my child is not...'
CHAPTER NINE
Leo and Jacy were flying direct to Corfu; Leo's parents had insisted on it. His father, unable to fly because of recent heart surgery, had not been able to attend the simple civil marriage ceremony that morning in London. Instead, Leo had informed Jacy that a large family party had been planned for the evening at the Kozakis villa.
'They know the circumstances of our marriage and it will be easier for you to meet them all at once and get all the ribald comments over with immediately,' he vouched with wry amusement.
Jacy saw nothing amusing in the situation at all; her full lips tightened in a grim line. The past week had been sheer hell. On Tuesday Leo had dragged her to a Harley Street doctor, and her pregnancy was confirmed the same day. After that Leo had overridden her every objection like a steamroller flattening everything in its path. How he had convinced Liz and Tom of their hasty desire to marry she had no idea. But they had quite happily stood as witnesses at the ceremony. Leo—damn him!—had done his work well, she acknowledged. Even Liz, her best friend, had been totally convinced it was the love match of the decade.
The two girls had spent last night together and Jacy could have told Liz the true state of affairs, but her conscience wouldn't let her. She would not destroy Tom's career and she had no doubt that Leo would carry out his threat without a second thought. Suddenly it struck her as rather odd! Liz had made it easy for her. She had not been her usual inquisitive self at all last night, or this morning when the limousine had called at the house to collect them for the nine o'clock service. Liz had hurried her along with a few platitudes. Jacy had pinned a smile on her face and played her part to perfection. The wedding breakfast had been just that, except in the glamorous surroundings of the Dorchester Hotel.
A shaky sigh escaped her; now she was strapped into an aircraft seat next to Leo in the rear of an elegant lounge of a private jet, flying into a totally alien lifestyle with a man she despised. But did she? Deep in the secret corners of her mind a tiny voice reminded her that once her only wish in life had been to marry Leo.
'Are you worried at meeting my family again?' Leo reached for her hand, and she shrugged him off.
'Not in the least.'
'Then why the long sigh?'
'It's not every day one gets forced into marriage,' she said curtly.
