Snowbound with the Billionaire. Carole Mortimer

is no nevertheless,’ Caro interrupted him firmly. ‘I’ve managed perfectly well on my own so far, and I have every intention of continuing to do so.’

      Jake frowned heavily. ‘We’ll talk about this further when we reach the house.’

      ‘Anything to do with giving me any of your money, for any reason, is non-negotiable, Jake.’

      ‘I’ll decide what is or isn’t negotiable.’

      ‘No,’ Caro argued shakily. ‘No, Jake, you won’t,’ she repeated more decisively. ‘I wasn’t interested in your money two years ago, and I’m not interested in it now, either.’

      Jake fingers were now clasped so tightly about the steering wheel that his knuckles showed white. ‘Then what does interest you, Caro? Damn it, I’ve never understood what it is you want from me!’

      Caro was all too aware of that.

      She had been too much in love with Jake during those first few months of their marriage to realise that he had never indicated verbally that he returned the emotion. To realise that the only time Jake let down the tight control he had over his emotions was when they were in bed together.

      Caro realised now that her lack of insight was probably because for the first few months of their marriage that was exactly where they had spent most of their time together!

      Sex—even the incredible, mind-blowing sex she and Jake had shared—wasn’t enough to keep a marriage together. Especially after Caro had learnt even that wasn’t exclusive! After growing up with a constantly straying father and a thoroughly humiliated mother, she had sworn she’d never repeat their mistakes and remain in a miserable, faithless marriage. So when she’d learnt about Jake’s infidelity she’d left him immediately.

      ‘Nothing, Jake,’ Caro told him flatly now. ‘There’s absolutely nothing you have that I could possibly want.’

      They would see about that, Jake decided grimly.

      Because he had absolutely no intention of letting Caro leave his life for a second time…

       CHAPTER THREE

      ‘LET ME,’ JAKE INSISTED, as Caro would have unstrapped Magdalena from the baby-seat before lifting her out of the car.

      Magdalena had woken up the moment Jake parked the car in front of a mellow stone manor house, and the deep green of her eyes was now fixed steadily on Jake as Caro reluctantly stepped aside to allow him to take their daughter from the back seat.

      A lump caught and held in Jake’s throat as one of Magdalena’s tiny starfish hands came to rest on the broadness of his shoulder as he straightened with her in his arms. She was heavier than he had expected, but warm, and her gaze was so trusting and open as she looked at him—in a way so reminiscent of the way Caro had once looked at him—that Jake just wanted to bury his face in the softness of her red-gold curls. To at last hold his daughter close and never let her go.

      ‘We should get this conversation over with—snow is forecast for later today,’ Caro reminded him huskily, after a brief glance at the grey and overcast sky.

      Jake straightened, his gaze completely unreadable as he turned to watch her take Magdalena’s changing bag from the boot of the car. ‘I’ll get the rest of your luggage later.’

      ‘We won’t be staying long enough to need any of the other luggage,’ Caro insisted quickly as she slung the bag over her shoulder.

      Jake gave her a pitying glance before striding off towards the house with Magdalena still in his arms.

      Caro’s unease returned with a vengeance as she hurried to follow him up the stone steps to the huge oak door. But she was prevented from questioning him about that pitying look as the door was immediately opened by a beaming middle-aged woman.

      ‘Mr Montgomery!’ the woman, obviously the housekeeper, greeted him cordially as the three of them stepped inside the warmth of the house. ‘And this must be Mrs Montgomery.’ Her smile widened to encompass Caro. ‘And little Magdalena.’ The woman’s face softened completely as she looked at the baby Jake held so confidently in his arms.