Claiming His Wedding Night. Lee Wilkinson

good and showed that her father was more or less recovered, she would tell him the truth.

      When the time had come for John to go to Los Angeles, he had refused to let her accompany him, saying there was no point in her simply hanging around a hospital all that time. She would be much better off at home.

      ‘After all,’ he had added, ‘it’s not as if you’ll be on your own. Martin will be there.’

      Truth to tell, she had been pleased to stay behind. It had given her a few precious days to be with Jared.

      That sudden taste of freedom had gone to both their heads, and when he had suggested a trip to Las Vegas she had eagerly agreed.

      All the tawdry glitter of that city in the desert had seemed to be right and romantic, and she had been blissfully happy to be with the man she loved, with no idea how it was all going to end…

      Feeling suddenly chilled through and through, Perdita snapped off the thought and brought her mind back to the present.

      What had made him mention Las Vegas? she wondered. She didn’t for a moment believe it was just an idle remark. Jared never did or said anything without a good reason.

      Which meant it would only be playing into his hands to ask.

      Holding on to her facade of composure as best she could, she ate her toast in silence while she waited for him to finish his coffee.

      As soon as he had, she gathered her courage and said, ‘Now perhaps you’ll be kind enough to tell me what all this is about?’

      ‘All what?’ he asked innocently.

      ‘This…whole thing.’

      ‘You mean our meeting? But surely you—’

      ‘Don’t try to play games with me,’ she broke in angrily. ‘This must have been planned right from the start.’

      ‘That’s quite true,’ he admitted.

      ‘So it was you who made sure Salingers approached my father to suggest they might have a solution to all his company’s financial problems?’

      ‘Right.’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘Why do you think?’

      ‘You planned to wait until the very last minute and then withdraw your offer of help.’

      ‘Wrong.’

      ‘I don’t believe you…Your intention was to watch JB Electronics go down.’

      ‘Now why should I want to do that?’

      ‘Revenge.’

      ‘Ah…I can’t deny revenge is sweet.’

      ‘But after three years! Surely you’ve moved on? Forgotten the past?’

      ‘Have you?’

      Watching all the colour drain from her face, he said, ‘It wouldn’t appear so.’

      ‘Even if things aren’t forgotten,’ she argued desperately, ‘surely they cease to hurt so much? Anger cools…’

      ‘I’m not so sure about that.’

      Though his tone was quiet, almost pleasant, she began to shiver.

      Seeing that slight betraying movement, he smiled a little. ‘Though I am sure of one thing. As the old saying goes, “Revenge is a dish best served cold”.’

      ‘So I was right,’ she choked. ‘You are planning to stand by and gloat while Dad’s company goes under?’

      ‘You’re quite mistaken.’

      He sounded as if he meant it and, brought up short, she gazed at him, perplexed.

      ‘Then what are you planning? There has to be some reason for…’ The words tailed off as a frightening thought struck her.

      ‘For you being here?’ He smiled coldly. ‘Oh, yes, there’s a reason. More than one, in fact.’

      With a boldness she was far from feeling, she demanded, ‘Well, are you going to tell me? Or would you prefer me to guess?’

      ‘What is your guess?’ he asked interestedly.

      Her throat dry, she said, ‘That I was right about you wanting revenge…I just got the wrong person.’

      When he made no attempt to deny it, she swallowed convulsively. ‘So this whole thing was set up just to lure me to the airport and on to the plane…Well, it can’t possibly work!’

      ‘It’s worked so far,’ he pointed out.

      ‘But it’s kidnapping! And, in case you haven’t realized, kidnapping is against the law.’

      Her attempt at sarcasm only made him smile.

      ‘How can you call it kidnapping? You got on the plane of your own free will.’

      ‘But when I wanted to get off, you wouldn’t allow me to.’

      ‘My dear Perdita, surely you realize that people can’t just get off a plane and start wandering about on the runway.’

      Realizing it was fruitless to keep arguing, she relapsed into silence.

      If luring her here was so he could extract some kind of revenge—and he had failed to deny her accusation—how far did he mean to go? Was it his intention simply to scare her? Give her an uncomfortable couple of hours before letting her go?

      Or could he have something altogether more sinister in mind?

      No, surely not.

      She had accused him of kidnapping without seriously believing it. All the indications were that he was now a wealthy and respectable businessman with a position to maintain. Not some kind of criminal.

      But, whatever, it would do no good to let him see how rattled she was.

      Taking a deep breath, she said, ‘Very well, you’ve won so far. But now what? If I don’t get back to the office soon they’ll wonder where I’ve got to, and if Dad doesn’t hear from me before too long he’ll start to worry.’

      ‘There’s no reason why you shouldn’t phone him. And the office too, if it comes to that.’

      ‘You won’t try to stop me?’

      ‘Certainly not. After all,’ he added sardonically as she reached for her bag, ‘we can’t have your father worrying about you.’

      His words echoing in her head, she froze. What could she possibly tell her father that wouldn’t worry him half to death?

      Watching her, well aware of her dilemma, Jared suggested, ‘Perhaps it would make more sense to talk business first? That way, if you can convince me that the company is worth saving, you’ll have something positive to report.’

      Though she deeply mistrusted him and was convinced that any discussion would be futile, seeing nothing else for it, she agreed, ‘Very well.’

      ‘Before we start, it might be an idea to move to somewhere more comfortable.’

      Rising to his feet, he pulled back her chair and seated her in one of the soft leather armchairs, before summoning the steward to clear away the remains of breakfast.

      As soon as Henry had cleared the table and whisked away the trolley, Jared moved to join her.

      Settling himself opposite, he stretched his long legs negligently and, his eyes on her face, waited.

      When she said nothing, he invited, a shade mockingly, ‘Go ahead.’

      But the reasoned arguments and the facts to support them that she had previously rehearsed had fled and, faced with a mental block, she hesitated.

      Apparently appreciating her difficulty, he suggested, ‘Why