Her Wealthy Husband

Lara swallowed and tried to appear nonchalant. ‘This old thing, I’ve had it for years.’

‘Whatever, the colour suits you. Hi, Helen, I promise to take good care of your niece.’

‘I know you will,’ said Helen with a fond smile. ‘Lara has a key so you don’t need to bring her back early on my account.’

Lara frowned. ‘I will be early, Helen.’

‘As you like, dear. Now you two run off and enjoy yourselves.’

Bryce’s car was an old black Ford and as he opened the door for her Lara couldn’t help remembering the day she had climbed into Roger Lennox’s car. She’d been so pleased with herself. Nothing had warned her of what was to come. She was more wary now, more attuned to the way a man’s mind worked. She had no intention of making the same mistake twice.

To her delight Bryce took her to Darling Harbour, to a seafood restaurant overlooking the water. It was magical. A myriad lights shone around them—from the buildings, from the boats, from reflections in the water, from the indigo, star-hung sky. It was perfect.

A night for romance! Lara shivered at the thought.

‘Tell me about this guy who let you down so badly.’ Bryce had ordered pre-dinner drinks and they’d chosen from the extensive menu.

She closed her eyes, not really wanting to talk about anything that would spoil this moment in time.

But Bryce was insistent. ‘You said he was a control freak. In what way?’

Lara shrugged. ‘He was a wealthy man but not a generous one. I had to account to him for breathing almost. He chose my friends, what I wore, what I did. He sold my car and kept making excuses for not buying me another, so I was trapped in the house unless he took me out. We lived miles from anywhere, not even on a bus route.’

‘And you had no inkling before you married him?’

‘I was swept off my feet. He owned the company I worked for. He indulged me; I was flattered; I was blinded by love.’ Change that to greed, she added silently, and it would be about right. She hadn’t been able to see any further than the pound signs. It was something of which she was now deeply ashamed. On the other hand it could have worked out, if Roger had been different. ‘Now it’s over and I don’t want to talk about him. It’s a part of my life I’d prefer to forget.’

‘Do you still love him?’

‘No!’ Lara’s answer was swift and fierce.

Bryce crooked a dark brow. ‘It seems to me that you’re not letting yourself forget him. He’s there all the time, haunting your thoughts. You need a friend, someone to take you out of yourself, someone to confide in, laugh with, and enjoy the real pleasures of life.’

‘And you’re proposing that you should be my friend?’ she said with derision. It was laughable. Bryce Kellerman didn’t want to be her friend. Her lover perhaps. It was there in the way he looked at her, the way his eyes devoured her body. Were they the pleasures he was talking about? Friend? Huh! Who was he trying to kid?

‘I am,’ he said, his tone serious, ‘if you’d let me.’

But it would be hellishly hard. How could he be a platonic friend to a woman as sexy and desirable as Lara Lennox? It would be well-nigh impossible. He’d spent the last few days in some kind of hell. Should he see her again or shouldn’t he? He’d been let down so many times that he was almost afraid to let himself care for anyone else. It was an odd feeling to be afraid when he’d made such a success of his business life. But for Lara’s sake he was prepared to give it a go. She needed her faith restored in mankind.

At least that’s what he kept telling himself.

She looked at him long and hard, her blue eyes probing his. ‘I’ve never had a male friend. I didn’t think it possible. I always thought that sex would rear its ugly head somewhere along the line.’

Ugly? Sex? It was the most wonderful and natural thing in the world. Obviously her husband had screwed her up on that score as well. He drew in a steadying breath, hiding the anger he felt, the questions he still wanted to ask.

‘That’s where you’re wrong,’ he said. ‘Lots of women have male friends.’

‘I don’t know any.’

‘You don’t have to know them, Lara. Simply take my word for it. So what’s your answer?’ He held his hand out across the table. ‘Friends?’

He thought she was going to refuse, had virtually resigned himself to never getting to know this stunning woman any better, decided he’d be better off for it, when slowly, and with obvious reluctance, and a great deal of courage, she slid her hand into his.

‘Friends,’ she agreed huskily. ‘Nothing more.’

‘It’s a deal.’ He enclosed her hand in both of his, feeling a desperate need to lean across the table and kiss her, seal their pact properly. Instead he looked deeply into her troubled eyes. What a beautiful shade of blue they were, cobalt perhaps, rich and unconsciously sultry, beckoning him without her knowledge.

His male hormones wreaked havoc. What had he done? How could he go through with this? And how could he not? This woman had captivated him from the word go.

It was with great difficulty that he released Lara’s hand. He could feel her stiffening, getting ready to pull away, perhaps even regretting her decision. He smiled, a wide, friendly safe smile. ‘You won’t be sorry.’

‘I hope not.’ She fired the words at him, a warning glitter in her eyes. ‘Because I have no intention of letting another man mess me around. If you hurt me, Bryce Kellerman, if you go back on your word, you’ll find me a very dangerous lady. I wasn’t brought up with four brothers for nothing.’

He pulled a face, pretending alarm, loving her fiery nature. ‘I will never do anything to hurt you, Lara. I give you my word.’ He lifted his glass. ‘To us, to a true friendship.’

Lara clinked hers against it. ‘To friendship.’ And she allowed a slow smile to wipe the worry from her face.

She was beautiful, he thought, absolutely ravishingly beautiful. He loved everything about her: her silken hair; her delectable blue eyes; the wide, sexy mouth that absolutely begged to be kissed; her slender body that he wanted to urge against him; high, firm breasts that tempted him through the thin cotton of her dress. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep his hands off her.

‘How long are you planning to stay?’ He didn’t realise how harsh his voice was until he saw her sudden frown.

‘I don’t know. Aunt Helen says for as long as I like.’

‘Until you’ve got over your disastrous marriage? Is that it?’

‘I guess so,’ she agreed.

‘Whereabouts in England do you live?’ There was still so much he wanted to know.

‘In the Midlands, near Birmingham. I share a flat with a friend.’

She shared! From choice or necessity? ‘Did you get a settlement from your husband?’ The second he’d asked he realised it was a very personal question, too personal considering they hardly knew each other. Fortunately Lara didn’t seem to mind.

‘I wanted nothing from him,’ she announced bitterly. ‘I walked into marriage with nothing, I left it with nothing. He didn’t offer anything, I didn’t ask. I was glad to be free of him.’

‘Strong sentiments,’ he agreed, ‘but not very practical ones. He owed you something for the three years you gave him. Do you still work for him?’

‘Goodness, no!’ she exclaimed hotly. ‘He made me give up my job when we got married.’

‘What sort of a man is he, for God’s sake?’ Bryce was finding it difficult to contain his anger. ‘He doesn’t sound human. Didn’t your feelings, your needs, your rights, enter into the equation at all?’

‘Do we have to talk about this?’ she asked, her eyes shooting dangerous sparks of fire.

Bryce cursed his too-ready tongue and was grateful when the waiter appeared with their entrée.

Lara’s baby octopus tart served with a Kakadu plum and chilli sauce had been served at exactly the right moment. She wished Bryce wouldn’t keep questioning her. It was only friendly interest, she knew, but some things were best kept private, and her catastrophic marriage was one of them.

She ought never to have said anything, and she was definitely beginning to doubt the wisdom of agreeing to become friends. Bryce Kellerman was a dangerously sexy man; it might be impossible to hide the attraction she felt. It wasn’t love, could never be love, but she couldn’t rule out the possibility that she would enjoy him making love to her. In fact her body went warm at the very thought and she kept her head bent over her food so that he shouldn’t see the sudden surge of colour in her cheeks.

But—so long as he stuck to his side of the bargain—there shouldn’t be a problem. The trouble was, would he? Or would he fall at the first hurdle? Would they both fall? Would the temptations of the flesh be too much for them?

What had happened to the grim determination that had carried her through the dark days of her separation and divorce? She had vowed to let no other man near, not for a very long time, if ever. And now here she was, only months into her freedom, agreeing to be Bryce Kellerman’s friend. What sort of a friend, for heaven’s sake? A man as sexy as he couldn’t possibly entertain the idea of a platonic relationship.

‘You’ve gone very quiet.’

His deep tone startled her, made her look at him with wide, disturbed eyes. ‘I’m enjoying my food.’

‘You’ve been attacking that poor octopus as though it’s still alive.’

‘Oh, dear.’ She smiled suddenly. ‘Actually it’s very delicious. How’re your prawns?’

‘As tasty as prawns in a lemon myrtle sauce can be,’ he answered with an approving nod. ‘You can never fault the food here.’

‘You eat here often, then?’ With other women? By himself? It was a top-class restaurant. Surely a bit out of his league?

‘Only when I’m trying to impress.’

‘You don’t have to impress me,’ she said with a quick smile. ‘It’s a pricey place, we can go Dutch if you like.’

He gave a disapproving wag of one finger. ‘Don’t insult me. I would never take out a girl if I couldn’t afford it. I’m not saying I’d do it every night, but…’ He let his words trail into silence.

‘I’m honoured, then,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

Their dishes were whipped away and their main course placed in front of them. They had decided to share a seafood platter. Lara tried to concentrate on eating but was acutely aware of Bryce watching her. Ignoring him was impossible and when their fingers touched as they both went for the same oyster, she drew back swiftly, feeling as though a savage volt of electricity had zapped through her.

His eyes asked the questions not his voice. What’s the matter? What did I do?

‘That was silly of me,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Why are you so nervous?’ There was a rough edge to his tone now, a frown darkening his brow. ‘Don’t you think I’ll keep my word?’

‘Of course.’ She grimaced and gave a weak smile.

‘But you’re not sure. You keep wondering whether you’ve made a mistake.’ He shook his head, mouth suddenly grim. ‘Maybe you have, maybe I made the mistake. We’ll call the whole thing off.’

‘No!’ Lara surprised herself by the quickness of her response. ‘I don’t want that. I could do with a friend.’

‘You have your aunt.’

‘Yes, but she’s family, there’s a difference.’

‘How?’

‘If I say too much to her it might get back to my mother and brothers. They don’t know all the ins and outs of my marital problems. Actually my mother thought the world of Roger. She couldn’t understand why I walked out on him. She did everything she could to try and persuade me to patch things up.’

‘You didn’t tell her the whole story?’

Lara shook her head. ‘No. She’d warned me about jumping so quickly into marriage. It’s what she did with my father. So I always pretended to be happy.’

‘So what excuse did you give her for the divorce?’

‘I just said I didn’t love him any more, that the magic had gone out of the marriage and I wanted out.’

‘And she believed that?’ He looked faintly sceptical. ‘OK, I’ll accept that you can’t talk to your aunt. But if you’re going to behave like a skittish kitten every time we accidentally touch, then I think we have a problem, too.’

‘It won’t happen again,’ she assured him, knowing that she sounded more confident than she felt. She wasn’t even sure why she was pleading for them to remain friends. It made no sense.

As they continued to eat Bryce talked about his childhood. He was an only child and envied Lara her four brothers. ‘My parents both worked and I was left to my own devices most of the time,’ he said. ‘I’m not saying they didn’t love me, but they were so taken up with their careers that they didn’t spare me much time. I was very lonely.’

‘Where are they now?’

‘Dad died two years ago. My mother’s remarried and moved to New Zealand. He’s an OK guy and she’s happy enough. How about your parents?’

Lara shrugged and pulled a wistful face. ‘My father walked out just after I was born. My mother brought us up on her own. She never found another man. My brothers are married now with families of their own.’

‘What did she think about you coming here? Did she want to come with you?’

‘She was pleased for me. Aunt Helen’s my godmother and has always regretted that she’s seen so little of me. But my mother’s afraid of flying. She’s happy with her grandchildren around her. They go and see her most days.’

‘Have you any children?’

Lara shook her head emphatically. ‘No, thank goodness.’

Roger had been definite about not wanting to start a family. ‘I can’t bear the thought of snivelling kids around me,’ he’d said.

‘You don’t want any?’ He looked at her long and hard, as if finding it difficult to understand.

‘Of course I do,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m just glad I didn’t have any with Roger. Because as sure as eggs are eggs he would have kept them from me once we divorced.’

‘It might have helped your marriage.’

‘Nothing could have helped that,’ she said fiercely. ‘It was the worst experience of my life. In fact it’s doubtful I’ll ever get married again.’

‘That’s a mistake. Not all men are like your ex.’

‘Maybe not, but I’m not prepared to take the risk. I shall get a new, better paid job when I go back to England. I shall buy my own place and answer to no one.’

A faint smile lifted the corners of his mouth. ‘What if you meet Mr Right? He’s out there for you somewhere, you know.’

‘Maybe,’ she shrugged. ‘I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. The way I feel at the moment men are at the bottom of my list of priorities.’

‘You’ve allowed me into your life,’ he pointed out.

Lara gave a wry smile. ‘Am I crazy, or what?’ Was he hinting that she couldn’t be as anti-men as she proclaimed? Was he hoping that their friendship would turn into something more? Had he tricked her?

‘You’re not crazy, Lara.’

His warm smile made her stomach muscles bunch. This was going to be so much more difficult than she’d first thought.

‘You’re a very lovely lady who’s gone through a hard time. And I’m going to do my best to restore your faith in mankind.’

‘It’ll take a lot of doing.’

‘I have the time.’

Lara began to feel uncomfortable. Best change the subject. ‘How did you meet my aunt? She thinks very highly of you.’

‘As I do of her. She’s a great character—warm, kind, witty, charitable. We met at a mutual friend’s. I was fixing a door hinge and she asked whether I’d repair a broken rail on her veranda. We struck up a friendship and I go to see her whenever I can.’

‘That’s kind of you,’ said Lara. ‘Actually I think she regards you as the son she’s never had. What work do you do besides helping my aunt out when she’s in need?’ She still couldn’t believe that all he did was odd jobs. He simply didn’t look the type.

‘All sorts,’ he declared with a vague shrug, pausing in the act of spearing a succulent prawn.

‘You can’t tell me you left school or college, or whatever, with no qualifications, no job in mind.’ She refused to accept that.

He grinned wryly. ‘Well, let’s see. I started in law then decided it wasn’t for me. So I took a course in electronics, then computer programming.’ He studied the prawn on the end of his fork before popping it into his mouth. ‘If something interests me I find out all I can about it. I suppose I’m a bit of a jack of all trades and master of none. I’m a dab hand with a drill and a saw.’

‘I see. Where do you live?’ The more they talked the more interested Lara became, and she was unaware that she was asking the same sort of questions that Bryce had fired at her.

‘I have a little place not too far away. I’ll take you there if you like?’

‘Maybe one day,’ she agreed. But not yet, not until she got to know him better. Her aunt might trust him but it was early days. All Lara knew was that he’d eyed her lasciviously when they’d first met, and now he’d agreed to an innocent friendship. It didn’t add up.

‘You still don’t trust me?’

Lara was aghast that he’d read her thoughts. ‘What makes you think that?’

‘The look in your eyes. Your husband really did a hatchet job on you, didn’t he? It’s going to be my pleasure to prove that I’m nothing like him. Tomorrow I’ll pick you up and we’ll go out on the harbour. Would you like that?’

Although Lara would have liked to say no, that it was too soon to spend so much time together, she found herself nodding. ‘I’d love it.’ He’d cleverly guessed she would be attracted by the harbour.

His smile reached out and hustled her heart into overdrive, sent a hot, warning prickle over her skin, and for the rest of the evening Lara felt an awareness that was troubling. This shouldn’t be happening, she thought. I’m off men completely. What has this man got that is so compelling?

It was an easy answer. He oozed sex appeal. But it was not only that. Most men who were good-looking thought they were God’s gift to women and expected to be worshipped. Bryce wasn’t like that. She had thought so in the beginning but was quickly discovering her mistake.

He was forceful; he liked to get his own way—he’d shown that when he’d insisted they become friends—yet he was considerate too, more of a gentleman. He would never harm her, she was almost sure about that; her feelings would always be considered. Her aunt’s recommendation had been enough, but her own gut instinct confirmed it.

At the end of the evening she felt mellow and happy, and much more relaxed than she had in a long time. Bryce dropped her off at the door with the promise to pick her up at ten the following morning. She thought he was going to kiss her, felt the rapid thud of her pulses as his head swooped low, but all he did was drop a light kiss on her brow.

‘I’ve enjoyed this evening, Lara,’ he said in his deep, toe-curling voice. ‘I hope you have, too?’

She nodded, suddenly shy. ‘I have, very much.’

‘And I’m looking forward to tomorrow.’

‘Me, too. You’re very kind. You don’t have to go out of your way to entertain me, you know.’

‘Believe me,’ he said with a slow smile, ‘I wouldn’t do it unless I really wanted to.’

Those magnetic, smoky eyes of his darkened as he looked at her, sent tantalising shivers down her spine, twisted her stomach into knots. It was time to go in. She turned her key in the lock. ‘Goodnight, Bryce. Thank you again for a lovely evening.’

Helen was waiting up for her. Lara expected a rash of eager questions; instead her aunt said worriedly, ‘I’ve had a phone call from your mother.’

CHAPTER THREE

LARA’S eyes shot wide. Panic set in. ‘My mother is all right, isn’t she? Oh, Lord, I knew I shouldn’t have left her.’

‘Of course she’s all right,’ assured her aunt quickly. ‘It’s just that Roger’s been in touch and—’

‘Roger?’ queried Lara loudly. ‘What the devil did he want?’

‘He was asking about you. He apparently wants you back.’

‘What?’ Her mouth fell open; her heart slammed into her shoes. ‘I wouldn’t even want to be in the same room as him. I hope my mother told him where to get off. Would you mind if I rang her?’

‘I said you’d do it tomorrow.’

‘I’m going out with Bryce again tomorrow,’ she said, remembering.

Helen beamed. ‘You had a good time, then? He’s lovely, isn’t he?’

‘Yes, he is nice,’ she agreed, ‘but I don’t want you getting any ideas, dear aunt. We’ve agreed to be friends, and that’s all.’

Helen’s brows rose, as if to say, How can two beautiful people like you not fall in love? But she made no comment, merely smiled.

And when Lara went to bed she asked herself the same question. How could she stop herself falling in love with Bryce Kellerman?

Lara looked in astonishment at the speedboat hitched up behind Bryce’s car. ‘You’ve surprised me. I imagined we’d be going on one of the harbour cruises.’ And she couldn’t help wondering how he could afford such a boat. These things didn’t come cheap. Obviously doing odd jobs paid better than she’d thought.

‘I wouldn’t have you all to myself, then.’ His voice was low and sexy and deeply meaningful.

Alarm bells rang in Lara’s head. Had she underestimated this man? ‘It sounds as though your motives are not entirely honourable, Bryce Kellerman,’ she said sharply.

Immediately his smile faded. ‘I can assure you that wasn’t my intention, Lara. I thought it would be fun. But if—’

She shook her head, instantly regretting her harsh words. ‘You don’t have to change your plans. It’s just that it wasn’t what I expected.’ Or was it that she was afraid of spending so much time alone with him? She had thought there would be other people around, no chance for quiet, intimate conversations such as they’d had last night.

‘Good, we’ll get going, then.’ There was a grimness to his mouth now as though she’d annoyed him with her suspicions. And in the car he hardly spoke.

She had no idea where they were when he drew up at the water’s edge, reversing expertly down the ramp. He kicked off his shoes as he let the boat slide into the water, and only then did he speak. ‘Do you think you could hold the boat steady while I park the car?’ he asked with exaggerated politeness.

Lara nodded, wishing she’d said nothing of her suspicions because already it was spoiling the day.

Soon they were out on the harbour, the boat bouncing over the waves as Bryce opened the throttle, and Lara loved every minute. She wished she could tell him. But his face was still set and he didn’t look once in her direction.

Or so she thought. As she smoothed sun cream on her arms, legs and face, Lara was unaware that Bryce watched, that his smoky grey eyes were grave in their appraisal, that his fingers tightened on the wheel.

When Harbour Bridge came into view Bryce slowed down and they cruised gently into the harbour. It looked different from the water, the sails of the Opera House appeared first beneath the bridge, then Centre Point, the Post Office tower, the towering office blocks. It was an exciting skyline.

And then they were off again. Sometimes Bryce took his time; sometimes he skimmed the waves at breakneck speed.

The silence between them lengthened and Lara deeply regretted her earlier outburst. What should have been a pleasurable day was proving most uncomfortable. Bryce was polite but that was all. He wasn’t friendly and funny and entertaining like he had been last night. And it was all her fault.

Unable to stand the tension any longer, she said quietly, ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’

He looked at her then, and he slowed down, let the engine idle. ‘When I said I wanted you all to myself it was a figure of speech. I had no intention of forcing you to do anything you didn’t want to do. I thought it would be a pleasure.’ His nostrils flared as he spoke, a tough mask over his face. ‘I was forgetting that you think all men are control freaks.’

Lara winced. ‘Maybe not all men.’

‘But you’re not prepared to give anyone else a chance.’ His eyes were hard and condemning. ‘If that’s the case then I see no point in us continuing our—er, friendship.’ He hurled the word contemptuously.