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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘BRANDON,WENEEDto talk about what’s going to happen when we return to the UK.’ Lacey sliced into the juicy char-grilled tuna steak and tried to keep her voice nonchalant.
But, as her husband lifted his head across the table, the green of his irises flickering with jade fire in the glow of torchlight, and the waves lapping lazily against the nearby shore the only sound, it wasn’t easy to ignore the heady pulsing of her heartbeat.
Their honeymoon would be over tomorrow—and it had been nothing short of idyllic. She’d indulged in every pleasure—they’d made love all over the island, as she discovered things about her body she had never known. And she’d thrown herself into every new adventure Brandon had suggested—from snorkelling on the reef, to abseiling into a private cove, to an exhilarating jet-ski safari out to a sand bar where the staff had been waiting to serve them a three-course lunch.
It had bothered her that Brandon had refused to spend the night with her in her bungalow. He’d given her some excuse about not being a good sleeper the night of their mind-blowing tryst at Jewel Falls. But she had been determined not to panic. Patience was the answer. Getting to know her new husband would be a long-term project, because she knew from the little Brandon had confided in her about his past he had been alone for a very long time. He wasn’t used to sharing... Not a bed, not a life and certainly not his secrets.
But she knew they had also both been avoiding any difficult conversations about their life together going forward. She’d been okay with that up to now. This week had been a chance to enjoy themselves, to let their guards down, at least a little bit. But when they returned to the UK they’d have some important decisions to make about how their family life would be organised—as she began the mammoth task of reinventing her stalled career.
She couldn’t stay in Wiltshire indefinitely. The kind of work she was looking for was mostly based in London. And Ruby had mentioned her old nursery friends that morning during their last video chat—she missed them, and it made sense for her to return to the nursery she loved.
He swallowed, his gaze narrowing. ‘What do you wish to discuss?’ he said, but he didn’t sound pleased at the prospect.
She ignored the foolish blip in her heart rate. This was the kind of conversations a wife had with a husband, and a mother had with the father of her child, something they both needed to learn how to do.
‘I got a text from an old colleague atSplendourtoday. ApparentlyBuzzonline magazine are looking for a feature writer, and I’m going to apply for it next week.’
He put down his knife and fork, his jaw clenching and his brows flattening into a sharp from. ‘Buzz? Isn’t that owned by Roman Garner?’
‘He has some shares in it, yes,’ she said, not sure why that should be a problem. Garner Media was a rival of Cade Inc, but the small online publication could hardly be seen as a competitor to any of Cade Inc’s huge portfolio of news titles.
‘Then the answer’s no.’
‘I’m sorry, what?’ Lacey stiffened, shocked, not just by the outrageous statement but the brittle, uncompromising tone.
‘You heard me,’ he replied. ‘I don’t want you working for that bastard.’ He picked up his cutlery again and sliced neatly into his steak as if the conversation was over.
‘I wasn’t asking your permission, Brandon,’ she said flatly, trying to contain her anger at the dictatorial way he was behaving. ‘I was simply letting you know what I plan to do.’ Had she been kidding herself about the progress she thought they’d made this week?
It seemed as if she had. When his gaze rose back to her face, the look in his eyes was intractable. Did he really not understand?
‘If you want a job, I can find you one at Cade Inc,’ he said.
‘I can’t work at Cade, Brandon. I’m your wife,’ she said, her voice rising as she tried to control her indignation.
‘So what?’ he replied, not budging an inch.
‘So everyone would know I got the job because I was married to you. It would make my working relationship with my colleagues untenable, surely you can see that?’ she finished, her anger downgrading a notch when he gave her a curt nod.
At last, a concession.
But then he ruined it.
‘Fine, how about I buyBuzzfor you? If you own the title, you being my wife shouldn’t be an issue. And you’ll be able to decide how much or how little you do.’
‘Don’t be daft, Brandon.’ Was he actually serious right now? ‘I appreciate your willingness to do something so...’Overwhelming, OTT, insane...‘So generous,’ she settled on. Maybe in his own dogmatic, dictatorial way, he was trying to be helpful. ‘But I haven’t got the experience to own and operate a title like that.’
Nor did she particularly want to. Writing was what she enjoyed. ‘And, anyway, you hate celebrity media,’ she added, beginning to wonder if she had completely misconstrued his objections to her taking the job withBuzz. Was this really just about his dislike of Roman Garner? A need to dictate her role in their marriage? Or something much more fundamental? Because his solution was out of all proportion to a problem that didn’t really exist. ‘I don’t want you to buy me a magazine,’ she said. ‘I just want to work. My career is important to me.’
‘Why?’ he said. ‘Why isn’t being Ruby’s mother enough?’ he added.
It was her turn to frown at the harsh question, the accusatory tone.
But suddenly she remembered what he had told her about his own mother. Was it possible his objections had nothing to do with Garner, or her need to work, and everything to do with the way his mother had once abandoned him for money?
She heaved a sigh.
