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But gluing her shattered pieces together would have to come later. Right now, she was still trapped on this island, her every vulnerability exposed.
She pulled herself up in bed, her jaw clenching tight. He may have imprisoned her, but hadn’t she turned the tables on him for two weeks? She scrubbed at her eyes, blinking when further tears threatened. All she needed was to stage the performance of a lifetime once again, and finally convince him that she would co-operate.
Her heart screamed with agony, strenuously fighting the thought of being separated from the owner, who had no regard for it. Fists clenched tight, she rehearsed her role, acted out every imaginable outcome in her head.
Rising, she entered the bathroom, washed away all traces of tears and touched up the blotchiness with make-up.
The sooner she confronted Zak, the sooner she would gain her freedom.
The gown she wore to Remi’s wedding had been dry-cleaned. Matching shoes located, she hurriedly dressed and retrieved her weekend bag. She exited, denying herself one last look at the room. The staccato echo of her heels fell in tandem with her racing heart as she approached the hallway leading to Zak’s study.
Her heart lurched when the door was wrenched open.
Zak stood framed in the doorway. ‘Cara, I was told you weren’t feeling—’ He stopped, his expression morphing from false concern to shock to fury when he took in her attire and the case in her hand. ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ he demanded.
‘What does it look like? I’m leaving.’
For a fraction of time she fooled herself into thinking she glimpsed utter bleakness in his eyes. Then his arrogant head reared up, his gaze icing over. ‘What happened to talking?’
‘I think we’ve said everything that needs saying.’
He jerke
d away from the doorway, bringing that deceptive, irresistible magnificence one step closer. ‘Violet—’
She stopped him with a dismissive flick of her hand, silently congratulating herself for emulating his imperious gesture. ‘There’s no point rehashing this all over again, Zak. As you said last week, it’s grown boring and tedious.’
Aquiline nostrils flared. ‘This has gone infinite ways beyond that and you know it.’
‘All I know is that you’re holding me here against my will. Your time’s up, Zak. Let’s end this now before any of this comes back to bite you.’ He opened his mouth but again she stopped him. ‘Think of the scandal that you’re courting by perpetuating this farce, and let’s be sensible about it.’
Eyes narrowed, his strong jaw worked as he stared at her with a ferocity that nearly unseated her performance. ‘You wanted to talk to me at breakfast. Was this what you intended to say?’ he asked, his voice a blade of ice.
She pretended to frown. ‘Possibly. I forget now. Blame my hormones.’ Again she sent a tiny plea for forgiveness to her baby. ‘It’s inconsequential now.’
Laser beam eyes probed her. ‘What the hell is going on here, Violet? What exactly are you trying to achieve with this performance?’
Terror struck at the threat of discovery. Somehow, she dredged up a scornful laugh. ‘You keep saying it’s a performance. Is it really so hard to accept that I’ve had enough of this place? Enough of you?’
His face grew tight, the skin surrounding his lips whitening. Still he came at her, as if he wanted to test her determination up close.
Violet stood her ground, barely holding it together when every cell in her body wanted to retreat from the overwhelming potency of him. She didn’t even dare breathe for fear that his addictive scent would demolish her. She raised her chin a fraction higher and met his gaze. ‘You have no choice, Zak. You gave me your word. Now let me go.’
For the longest time he didn’t respond. His gaze blazed with fury, but Violet caught another emotion in the grey depths. Uncertainty. A hint of vulnerability.
But soon they evaporated as his gaze dropped with sizzling intent to her belly. To the hint of a curve where their child grew. ‘You won’t get very far with what’s mine, Violet,’ he vowed.
Her heart lurched at the throb of deep possession in his voice, but it was nothing compared to the leap of her senses at the thought that leaving here today wouldn’t quite be the last time she encountered Zak. They would be tied together for ever by their child.
But at what cost? Her sanity? This deep craving she knew in her bones was more than lust? More than simple enthralment with every single thing about him?
It would shatter her completely. She knew that too in her bones. ‘I had a feeling you would say that. Expect a letter from my solicitors in the next week or so.’
He inhaled sharply. ‘Are you sure you wish to engage in legal battles with me?’ he enquired, his tone deadly.
‘Of course not. I expect a civil discourse between us concerning this baby. It’s up to you if you wish to turn it into a battle.’
He shook his head, as if he couldn’t quite grasp her response.
