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Rollo studied her in silence. There was a flush of colour on her cheeks and her eyes were daring him to prove her right.

‘Depends on your definition of “much”,’ he said smoothly. ‘A half-point swing in my commodities portfolio could cost me millions of dollars.’

Daisy stared at him warily. Something was happening around her, silent and unseen.

She narrowed her eyes. ‘What do you want?’

The corners of his mouth curved upwards into a tiny satisfied smile.

‘Let’s just say that I think I’ve found a way for all of us to move on from this unfortunate incident.’

A fresh fear rose up inside her. ‘I’m not going to have sex with you, if that’s what you mean. I’d rather sell my kidneys!’

‘I believe the norm is only one.’ He stared at her impassively, his green gaze colder and harder than any emerald. ‘And don’t flatter yourself, Ms Maddox. I like a woman in handcuffs as much as the next man, but not when the only reason she’s wearing them is because she’s been arrested.’

She bit her tongue. ‘So what do you want, then?’

He scrutinised her for a long moment, almost as though he were trying to see through her or past her. It made her feel taut, trapped—vulnerable, a deer gazing into the headlights of an oncoming car.

Finally he smiled—a smile that tore the breath out of her.

‘I want you to be my wife,’ he said softly.

There was a moment of pure, absolute silence.

She gazed at him in shock, trying to catch up. The last few hours had proved unequivocally that Rollo was a cold-blooded megalomaniac, but now it appeared he was also utterly and irrefutably insane.

‘I’m sorry.’ She shook her head slowly. ‘I think I must have misheard you. I thought you said—’

‘That I want you to be my wife.’ His eyes flickered over her stunned expression. ‘You heard correctly.’

Breathing out unsteadily, she lifted her hand to her forehead, as though to ward off the insanity of his suggestion.

‘What are you talking about?’ she managed.

It must be some kind of trick or trap—another way to make her look stupid and feel small. She stared wildly round the room, hoping to find some explanation. But turning back to meet his gaze she felt a shudder of alarm ripple over her skin.

He was being serious!

She stared at him incredulously.

‘You barely know me. And we hate each other. Why would you want to marry me?’

He paid no attention. ‘Why don’t you sit down and we can talk about it properly?’

He was just like a politician, she thought desperately. Answering a question with a question. Ignoring what he couldn’t answer or didn’t want to discuss.

She opened her mouth to protest but he was already walking past her, and as she watched him take a seat behind the huge glass-topped desk she felt her ribs expand. He looked calm, relaxed, as though he often proposed marriage to young women who broke into his office in the early hours of the morning. But his eyes were alert and predatory, like a wolf watching a lamb stumble around in its lair.

‘Come on. Sit down. I don’t bite.’

It wasn’t an invitation. It wasn’t even an order. It was a dare.

She lifted her chin.

‘Fine. But I can’t see what difference talking will make. Nobody marries a complete stranger.’

Sinking into the soft leather, she felt the tiredness of the last few hours rise up beneath her skin in a wave as, lounging back in his seat, he stared past her, in a way that suggested he was pondering some deep philosophical question.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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