Modern Romance March 2015 Collection 1. Кэрол Мортимер

doubt she had been flattered by the attentions of this older and seemingly charming and sophisticated man. The man she had trusted to love and take care of her.

      Xander turned to look at the other man coldly as he paused outside the closed door to his study. ‘Know this, Howard—if you hurt Samantha again, then I would also advise that you keep a watchful eye over your shoulder in the future.’ He showed his teeth in a feral smile.

      Howard’s face flushed angrily. ‘Are you threatening me?’

      ‘That wasn’t a threat, it was a promise,’ Xander assured him softly as he opened the study door before standing back to allow Howard to enter the room ahead of him.

      Xander followed close behind him and saw that Samantha was standing by the window, the sun shining into the room behind her preventing him—and consequently Howard, too—from being able to make out her expression. But Xander could tell by the stiffness of her slender shoulders, and the way her hands were clasped tightly together in front of her, that the next few minutes were going to be an ordeal for her.

      He crossed the room to stand in front of her, deliberately blocking her from Howard’s view, as he took both of her icy-cold hands in his. He was able to see how white her face was now, casting those freckles across her nose and cheeks into sharp relief, and her eyes were dark with unspoken pain as she looked up at him trustingly.

      Xander vowed there and then that he would never, could never, let down or betray this warm and vulnerable woman’s trust in him.

      ‘Ready?’ he asked softly.

      Sam wasn’t sure she would ever be ready for what she knew was going to be a very unpleasant confrontation with her ex-husband. And she still felt guilty, as well as grateful, that Xander had become so deeply involved in her personal problems. Admittedly, he had asked to be involved, but she doubted that when he had he’d realised just how unpleasant this situation was going to get. She had known from his expression earlier that he certainly hadn’t imagined her ex-husband would turn up at his apartment this morning.

      ‘Touching as this scene undoubtedly is,’ Malcolm bit out scornfully behind them, ‘perhaps you could take your hands off my ex-wife long enough for the three of us to actually have this conversation!’

      Sam had taken advantage of Xander’s short absence to steel herself against showing any reaction to seeing Malcolm again, but there was no way she could stop the nausea that now roiled in her stomach as she listened to his sarcastic taunt. She should have remembered that words had always been Malcolm’s weapon of choice.

      ‘Ignore him and look at me,’ Xander urged softly, his hands tightening about hers as she did as he asked and looked up into his warm and compassionate eyes. ‘Whatever happens, know that I’m here to protect you and Daisy,’ he encouraged gruffly. ‘That I won’t let him hurt either of you.’

      Grateful tears now blurred Sam’s vision even as she straightened her spine determinedly. ‘Let’s do this.’ She nodded.

      ‘Well done,’ Xander murmured, giving her hands a last squeeze before releasing them. ‘When I move away, go and sit behind the desk,’ he told her softly. ‘It will give you a degree of power,’ he explained as she eyed him quizzically.

      Sam smiled, sure that Xander had used that degree of power a few times himself. ‘Thank you,’ she mouthed before stepping to the side and then past him, noting Malcolm sprawled comfortably in the chair on the opposite side of the desk even as she seated herself in the high-back leather chair behind it.

      She was aware of Xander moving to stand with his back leaning against the wall behind her so he could look directly at Malcolm.

      Her gaze was icy as she looked across the desk at her ex-husband. ‘This conversation should have been left to our lawyers.’

      Malcolm’s top lip curled back in a sneer. ‘My, my, how brave you’ve become since you began sharing the bed of a billionaire.’

      ‘Stop this right now, Malcolm.’ Sam glared across the width of the desk at him as she heard Xander pushing fiercely away from the wall behind her.

      ‘So defensive on your lover’s behalf,’ Malcolm continued as he eyed the younger man speculatively. ‘Nothing to say for yourself, Sterne?’ His voice hardened challengingly.

      Xander had hoped, with the help of his warning out in the hallway, that this conversation might have at least given a semblance of civility. The older man’s continued and insulting aggression told him that wasn’t going to happen.

      ‘I don’t feel the need to defend myself to men like you,’ Xander scorned. ‘Weak men, who take pleasure in hurting women and children.’

      The older man snorted. ‘I don’t remember hearing Sam complaining at the time.’

      ‘Maybe you just weren’t listening?’

      Howard’s expression darkened. ‘You—’

      ‘Let’s just get to the point of this meeting, shall we?’ Xander sighed wearily, not sure how much longer he was willing to put up with this man’s insulting behaviour.

      ‘I haven’t finished.’

      ‘Oh, you’re finished,’ Xander assured the other man coldly. ‘You just aren’t smart enough to know when you’re down, let alone out!’

      Howard’s face twisted into fury as he sat forward tensely. ‘You arrogant bast—’

      ‘Not quite, I believe my parents had been married for almost seven months when my twin and I were born,’ Xander interrupted dismissively.

      ‘I meant figuratively not literally.’

      ‘Okay, I’ll start this conversation, if you won’t.’ Xander stared at the other man coldly. ‘For the past week you have been experiencing difficulties, in obtaining a business loan from a certain bank, I believe.’

      The older man surged angrily to his feet. ‘Are you saying you’re responsible for that too?’

      Xander gave Samantha a rueful glance. ‘I thought you said he was intelligent?’

      She shrugged. ‘I believed he was.’

      ‘Obviously you were wrong.’ Xander smiled. ‘So, let’s just cut to the chase, shall we, Howard? My lawyer has already drawn up a contract, which you will go to his office and sign on Monday morning, which declares that you agree to give Samantha the divorce settlement of one million pounds that you should have given her three years ago, as well as giving up all and any claim to Daisy, with the added agreement that you will make no attempt to see either one of them ever again.’

      ‘Are you completely insane?’ Howard laughed incredulously.

      It was everything Sam wanted, of course—except the million pounds. She didn’t want anything for herself, least of all Malcolm’s money. All she wanted was the freedom to know that she need never again fear Malcolm making any sort of claim on Daisy.

      But she wasn’t stupid enough to turn the money down either if it was given, knew that with a million pounds she would be able to put most of the money into trust for Daisy, and that the rest would allow her to raise her daughter without worrying where every penny came from.

      Was Xander really capable of intimidating Malcolm into agreeing to sign such a one-sided contract? One look at the cold determination in his face was enough to answer that.

      ‘I really should listen to Xander if I were you, Malcolm.’

      ‘Do you think I give a damn about the opinion of a little nonentity like you?’ Malcolm turned on Sam sneeringly. ‘You might be feeling all brave and fearless right now, but let’s just wait and see how brave you’re feeling once Sterne gets bored with you and kicks you out of his bed.’ Malcolm seemed to flinch then as Xander stepped forward threateningly.

      Control it, Xander told himself as he came to a halt just inches away