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She sounded as if she had been running. Or been winded.
‘And one of these days the whole world is going to realise that. Because you might have money now, Mr Silva, but you don’t have class.’
The disdain in her voice snatched at his already fraying temper, but he was grateful. This was the real Dove Cavendish. And he needed to see the snobbish, careless woman who hid behind that beautiful, serene mask.
‘Andyoudon’t have a choice.’
He felt suddenly calmer than he had in weeks. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for. He wanted to see the dawning recognition in those grey eyes that the trap had been sprung and there was no escape.
‘You see, six years ago I made a mistake. I thought our relationship had run its course. But I was wrong. I’ve realised now that you and I have unfinished business. Can you see where this is going, Dove?’ He kept his eyes on her face, wanting, needing to enjoy every quiver of shock, every shudder of understanding. ‘I think you can. You always were smart.’
Now she was shaking her head. ‘I amnotworking for you.’
‘You already are.’ Watching two streaks of colour wing along her cheeks, he felt a sharp sting of satisfaction. ‘As of this moment, you are in charge of managing the Fairlight acquisition.’
CHAPTER TWO
HEDELIVEREDTHISstatement almost casually, but his words hit her like a wrecking ball. In charge of the Fairlight acquisition?
Dove stared at Gabriel in stunned silence.
She couldn’t feel her face, but her body was so tense she felt as if she might suddenly snap and fly apart into a million pieces. What was he talking about? Had he completely lost his mind? How could he think that she would work for him after what he’d done to her? After the hurt he’d inflicted?
On her way to the war room she had told herself that seeing him again was just something to be endured, and then ended as soon as was legitimately possible. That for some reason—most likely curiosity—Gabriel Silva wanted to see the woman he had conned and cast aside. And after the shock and panic had worn off a part of her had almost welcomed the encounter. She wanted to show him she hadn’t crumbled, that she was managing just fine without him.
But it had only been meant to last a moment. She wasn’t supposed to become part of his work with Cavendish and Cox.
She pressed her nails into her palms. Surely he wasn’t being serious.
‘This is some kind of joke, right?’ Heart hammering, she searched his face, but Gabriel wasn’t laughing or smiling. He was simply staring at her steadily, calmly, like a chess player who knew that the endgame had been reached.
Finally he shook his head slowly, his piercing blue gaze never leaving her face. ‘I never joke about business.’
And now her heart felt as if it was going to burst through her ribs. A fresh shudder of panic raced through her. ‘But you can’t seriously expect me to work for you,’ she said slowly.
‘Why not?’ He tilted his head up and a shaft of sunlight carved a shadow across his profile.
Why not?His words spun slowly inside her head like a car skidding on black ice. How could he even ask that question? Had he forgotten everything that had happened between them? The lies. The betrayal. The pain.
Her pain—not his.
She felt her stomach lurch. For him, it had only ever been for show. And yet even now, six years after she’d discovered the truth, it was still so hard for her to believe that all of it—the way his eyes had softened when he’d looked at her, the catch in his breath as he’d kissed her throat—had been a lie. It had felt so real at the time. And it had been real for her—achingly, agonisingly real.
But she had too much pride to raise that with him. And what would be the point? He didn’t love her. He never had. So there was absolutely no way she was going to hint at how she had loved him.
There was a knock at the door and Becky, one of the office juniors, stepped into the room. She was holding a tray, and Dove saw the delicate Wedgwood china cups and saucers that were Alistair’s favourite, and almost certainly irreplaceable. But she suspected that wasn’t why Becky’s hands were shaking.
‘Thank you, Becky.’
‘Mr Cox said to let you know that he’ll be along shortly.’ Becky’s cheeks were flushed, and she sounded slightly breathless—as if she was about to faint. Which meant that she had also Googled Gabriel Silva earlier, and was now stunned to discover that his face matched the impossible flawless perfection of his online image.
Dove gritted her teeth as Becky put down the tray.
Be careful what you wish for, she wanted to shout at the younger woman.Looks aren’t everything.
With those blue eyes and high, hard cheekbones, he might resemble an angel, but he was cruel and dangerous and utterly without conscience. And, yes, she knew that was probably true of a lot of their clients, but this was personal.
To her, anyway.
