The Billionaire's Bride of Innocence. Miranda Lee

Three

      MEGAN tried to ignore the direction of her husband’s coalblack eyes. Tried not to respond to the obvious glitter of desire in their depths.

      But it was impossible.

      Her nipples tightened, so did her belly, her weakness where he was concerned both exciting and annoying. It was wicked, the way he could affect her. She should have hated him for what he’d done to her. She did hate him. Sometimes.

      Don’t look at him, she lectured herself. Sit down and pour yourself some juice and simply don’t look at him!

      He was ahead of her, however, reaching for the jug before she had a chance and pouring the juice for her. She was forced to meet his eyes when he handed the glass over, his expression having changed by then from one of frustration to kind consideration.

      ‘Drink this up, there’s a good girl,’ he said with one of those warm, winning smiles of his, the kind he reserved for difficult clients. And weak-willed wives.

      Still, he wouldn’t be calling her a good girl if he looked at the painting she’d worked on all night, Megan thought with bitter irony as she lifted the glass to her lips.

      ‘I’ve decided to take you away on a second honeymoon,’ he said after pouring himself some juice as well.

      Megan blinked at him. He’d decided, had he? Just like that.

      She had to admire him. At least he could do that—make decisions. Unlike her own wishy-washy self.

      ‘I was talking to Rafe the other day,’ he went on, clearly assuming by her silence—and possibly because of the way she’d kissed him yesterday—that she was going to agree. ‘You know Rafe, don’t you? Rafe Saint Vincent, the photographer. Anyway, he was telling me about this island he went to once, Dream Island. It’s off the coast of Queensland up near Cairns. He said it was the perfect place for a romantic getaway; a tropical paradise which offers total privacy and all the luxury in the world.’

      Megan’s breathing quickened as she imagined what it would be like to go to such a place with James on a second honeymoon. He would be oh, so attentive to her, attentive and loving. And he’d make love to her as passionately and as often as he had when they’d first met.

      Because he had a new mission: to make her pregnant again.

      It was tempting. There was no doubt about it.

      Lots of women in her position would take what he was offering and go on ignoring his lies. They would even try to have another child.

      But Megan couldn’t do that last part. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

      So what are you going to do? demanded the voice of reason. The time has come to make a decision. But which one?

      Decision one: you confront James with the truth at long last and tell him what you overheard at the hospital. But, of course, if you do that then your marriage is over. You will have no alternative but to go home to your overbearing and critical mother.

      Megan shuddered inside at such a prospect.

      Decision two: you decide to live with James’s lies and give your marriage a second chance. You go on your second honeymoon and enjoy what your husband has to offer you. But you stay on the Pill till you feel ready to have another baby. Naturally, you don’t tell him you’re taking contraception because, if you do, your marriage will be over and you’ll be back home with Mother again.

      It really was a no-brainer, not the way she was feeling right at this moment. She had to experience his lovemaking at least one more time, or go crazy.

      ‘That sounds…nice,’ she heard herself saying.

      ‘Darling,’ he murmured, reaching over to take her hand in his. ‘I can’t tell you how happy you’ve just made me. I’ve missed you terribly in bed,’ he said, stroking her fingers all the while. ‘You must know that.’

      Suddenly, and perhaps perversely, she found the courage to at least give voice to one of her concerns. ‘Actually no, James,’ she choked out, even as her stomach contracted into a savage knot of desire. ‘I don’t know that.’

      His eyes betrayed true surprise, his fingers stilling on hers.

      ‘What do you mean?’

      ‘You are the big boss of Images; a very rich, very powerful man. If you’d wanted sex these past few months, you’d have had no trouble getting it.’

      There was no doubting his shock. Either that, or he was the best actor in the world.

      ‘I have never been unfaithful to you, Megan. Never! I want you and only you,’ he insisted, lifting her curled-over hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles.

      It was probably a lie, Megan thought dazedly. But a brilliant one. She could perhaps live with lies like that, if he kept delivering them with such seeming sincerity, along with some of his exquisite lovemaking.

      ‘I’ll get right on to booking a place on Dream Island as soon as I get to work,’ he continued with his usual decisiveness. ‘But before I leave, can I tempt you with some cereal? Or a croissant?’

      ‘Not just now,’ she said tersely, and pulled her hand out of his hold.

      James frowned as only James could, his thick dark brows beetling together, his black eyes glittering with instant disapproval. ‘As much as you’re looking incredibly lovely today, my darling, you don’t want to lose any more weight. Not if we’re going to try for another baby.’

      Her nostrils sucked in sharply before she could stop them.

      ‘Is there a problem with that?’ he demanded to know straight away. ‘Is it still too soon for you?’

      A hundred years would be too soon, she wanted to scream at him. Oh, God, what if she never wanted to have another baby? What if this fear never passed?

      ‘The doctor said there was no physical reason for you to have another miscarriage,’ James went on before she could find the right reply. ‘Look, you said when we married that you wanted a big family.’

      ‘Yes, I know I did,’ she said tightly. And she still did!

      It was all so impossible, Megan realised despairingly.

      ‘Tell me what’s bothering you,’ he persisted.

      ‘I can’t.’

      ‘You can, you know,’ he said, reaching over and touching her hand again. ‘You can tell me anything. Would it help if I said I already know what it is?’

      Megan snatched her hand away from under his. He knew she didn’t want to have a baby? Knew she was on the Pill?

      ‘You think you don’t want sex any more,’ he pronounced baldly as he sat back in his chair.

      Megan almost laughed, just managing to hide her reaction by looking away and picking up her orange juice.

      Any secret amusement—however perverse—was soon squashed when he rose abruptly from his chair and strode round to hers. Megan froze whilst he swept the glass of juice from her hand and banged it back onto the tray. Two seconds later, her chair had been twisted away from the table and he was pulling her up into his arms.

      ‘I should have done this last night,’ he growled as his mouth swooped.

      Megan didn’t want him to kiss her, not right now!

      But there was no stopping him.

      She tried not to respond but it was a futile struggle from the start. Her mind quickly dissolved, along with her body. There was no thought of resistance. There was nothing but blind acceptance that this was where she wanted to be. In his arms. She forgot, in the heat of the moment, that her period had arrived just before dawn that morning…

      Chapter Four

       YES!