‘I want to have a family.’ And she definitely didn’t want to hear about the needs he might fulfil. That would only be a temporary thing with Jake, anyway. It wouldn’t mean anything. If she gave into temptation she would just be another notch on his bedpost.

‘You want children with my grandfather?’ he retorted incredulously.

‘Charlie Chaplin was still fathering children through his eighties,’ she argued heatedly. ‘And Byron has great genes to pass on. Look at you.’

‘What about me?’

‘You’re smart, creative, good-looking. I’ll have wonderful children with Byron.’

‘You could have wonderful children with me,’ he swiftly countered, briefly taking the wind out of her sails.

She came back, blowing hard. ‘But you don’t want them.’

‘Who said I don’t want them?’

‘Do you?’

The direct challenge caught him out. ‘I haven’t thought about it.’

‘Right!’ she mocked savagely.

‘That doesn’t mean I can’t think about it.’

‘For how many years?’

He floundered and she went for the killer-strike, the bottom line. ‘I want to start a family soon, Jake. You’re a playboy who’ll only waste my time. So get out of my life and stay out.’

‘Leaving you to my grandfather?’ The expression on his face underwent a violent change. The moment of uncertainty was swallowed up by impassioned determination. ‘Like hell I will!’ he growled, reaching for her, hauling her into his embrace, his eyes glittering with a wild recklessness. ‘No way are you going to be his bride! You’re mine, Merlina Rossi! All mine!’

CHAPTER SEVEN

MERLINA was so stunned by the raw possessiveness in Jake’s voice and the sudden impact of being arm-locked against his hard muscular body, she didn’t do or say anything to stop his mouth from crashing down on hers, taking instant advantage of the gasp that had left her lips parted, his tongue invading, teasing, goading her into response, twining with hers, activating an intense flood of excitement.

Sensation exploded through her, blowing all reason from her mind, creating chaos everywhere it went, making her heart gallop, her lungs scream for air, her stomach quiver, her thighs quake. Control over anything was completely lost. Her arms struggled out of their fold to wind around his neck, spurred on by her own need to possess, to hold onto this intimate connection with him.

She kissed him back as avidly as he kissed her, again and again and again in a rampant desire to feel his lust for her, the sheer blitzing power of it, the wild urgency of it engulfing her as his arms tightened their hold, pressing her so close her breasts were almost flattened against his chest. She revelled in feeling the strong drumming of his heart, the tense muscles in his thighs, the hard roll of his erection making its indentation on her soft flesh.

He wanted her.

That intoxicating knowledge blotted out every bit of common sense she’d tried to cling to and turned her into a woman who craved every part of this man. His hands slid down her back, curling around her bottom, lifting her into a more erotic fit with his body, and she willingly, wantonly rubbed herself against him, surrendering to the primitive urge to excite the same feverish excitement coursing through her, to incite him into taking what she was dying to give.

Time and place meant nothing.

Pride was forgotten.

The need to satisfy all the secret yearnings she’d tried to argue away was overwhelming.

‘A-hem!’

The loud clearing of a throat seemed to come from a distance, an alien sound breaking into what should have remained intensely private, jolting the glorious flow of feeling. Jake reacted to it before she did, lifting his head and quickly tucking hers into the curve of his neck and shoulder, holding her protectively as he turned his face towards the intrusion.

‘Please excuse me, sir…’

Harold’s stiffly dignified voice penetrated the cocoon of Merlina’s whirling inner world and cleared some of the dizzy fog in her brain. Even as the realisation of what she’d been doing slid into it, making her acutely conscious of where she was and who she was with, she felt Jake’s chest heave for breath and a wave of tension made her stomach contract.

What would he say?

How would he explain this?

‘Mr Byron is in the library,’ Harold announced with amazing sang-froid. ‘He was wondering how long this…ah…tête-à-tête is going to take?’

‘Just a bit longer, Harold,’ Jake answered in a harsh rasp. He swallowed hard then produced a smoother tone. ‘Please inform my grandfather we will join him in the library very shortly.’

We will?

What for?

Having hopelessly compromised her dismissive stance with Jake by succumbing to a reckless disregard of realities, Merlina tried desperately to collect her wits before having to face up to the man who was still intent on not relinquishing his hold on her. She couldn’t find the strength or will to break free of him. In any event, it was utterly untenable to put on an act of shocked outrage at the liberty he had taken with her when she had responded so unmistakably. So positively.

‘Very well, sir,’ Harold solemnly intoned and the click of the door being shut signalled his exit.

Jake inhaled even more deeply than before, then released his hand clamp on her head, dragging his fingers softly through her hair as he breathed out her name. ‘Merlina?’

Her real name.

Hearing it spoken by him in such a caring tone made her heart lurch.

She wanted him to say more, to tell her he was as shaken as she was by the force of the passion that had swept away any rational thought. But the gentle tug on her hair meant he wanted her to lift her head and look at him. Dragging in a deep breath of her own to feed much-needed oxygen into her brain, she obliged him, realising that to see would probably be more telling than to hear.

There was no amusement in his eyes. No spark of triumph. His face was deadly serious and his gaze locked onto hers with a magnetic intensity that made any evasion impossible. ‘I want you. You want me,’ he stated unequivocally, then punched home his point. ‘You can’t marry my grandfather.’

There was no denying the wanting. And she hadn’t intended marrying Byron, anyway. Where this was leading with Jake she didn’t know. Maybe nowhere. But what had just happened made hanging on to the pretend engagement impossible. The game was over, regardless of what the final outcome might be.

‘You’re right,’ she sighed. ‘I can’t marry your grandfather.’

‘Good!’ The word was loaded with relief and satisfaction. ‘I’m glad we’ve got that settled.’

The fact that he was focussing on breaking her relationship with Byron felt wrong to Merlina. Yet wasn’t it what he had come to accomplish? The real truth burst through the seductive possessiveness which had drawn her into surrendering to his will. Jake simply wanted her free of other commitments so he could play with her.

‘But I’m not coming back to work with you,’ she flung out emphatically, her eyes challenging any ownership he thought he’d secured.

‘We’ll talk about that later,’ he said brushing her off. ‘Right now we should go to the library and break the news. The sooner it’s done, the better.’

He had her hugged to his side and walking her to the door before Merlina’s mind caught up with processing his intention. She stopped dead, not sure how the scene would play out in the library. She and Byron had an understanding and she wanted to talk to him alone.

‘No! You’re not to do that,’ shot straight out of her mouth.

Jake frowned at her belligerent resistance. ‘Do what?’

‘I’ll tell Byron myself.’

‘You need me in support,’ he insisted, not liking the idea of her separating herself from him.

Was he worried she might change her mind?

Rattling his confidence seemed like a very good idea to Merlina. Jake Devila was altogether too fond of getting his own way. She was not about to let him direct her life again. As far as she was concerned the rules of their relationship had changed.

‘It’s cowardly to lean on someone else when the message to be delivered is so personal,’ she argued. ‘It’s up to me to tell him. You would only aggravate the situation, Jake.’

‘But I’m part of it.’

‘Only in so far as you showed me I hadn’t given enough weight to one of the factors in my planning,’ she said as archly as she could, hoping to downplay the treacherous depth of her feelings for him.

He was shocked. ‘You were using me as a measure?’

‘Wasn’t that your intention?’

‘No…yes…no…’ He shook his head in angry confusion. ‘I did what I’ve wanted to do for a long time.’ His eyes blazed with absolute certainty. ‘And don’t tell me you didn’t want it, too!’

‘A case of having my curiosity satisfied, Jake. Thank you for the experience. Now if you’ll excuse me, Byron is waiting.’

The verbal exchange had diverted his attention from keeping her strongly secured at his side. She had pushed out of his hold and was heading for the door before he recollected himself to produce another pitch.

‘You can’t go on staying here, Merlina. It would be rubbing salt into the wound. I’ll wait and drive you home after you’ve spoken to my grandfather.’

Byron would not be wounded. He was far more likely to be elated at having manipulated his grandson into open action and impatient for a report on how well his tactics had succeeded.

However, the resolute purpose in Jake’s voice made her pause. Did he really want to be with her or was this all about winning? It was true that the natural progression from breaking the engagement would be to leave Byron’s home, but that was really irrelevant. She needed to know how much Jake cared about her.

She glanced back, her heart pounding with the hope of seeing something other than a determination to get his own way on his face.

‘Harold will organise someone to pack your things and load them in the car,’ he went on, alpha male taking charge, expecting her to fall in with him.

‘I can call a taxi,’ she said, flouting his arrangements, trying to probe his feelings.

‘No.’ His eyes glittered with battle-readiness, warning her he’d take the fight to any ground she stood on. ‘You’re coming with me, Merlina.’

She instinctively defied his power to beat her into submission, her chin lifting in rebellion. ‘Why should I?’

He gave her an all encompassing look that forcefully conjured up the intimate knowledge she’d given him, his gaze travelling over her curves, making her flesh prickle and heat at the mutual memory of how completely she had abandoned herself to the desire he had stoked with his kisses.

‘Because we have unfinished business together,’ he said, silkily evoking the prospect of complete sexual satisfaction.

Merlina shivered, knowing if she let him take her home, he’d expect to go to bed with her. The choice was hers right now.

Unfinished business…

There was a terrible truth in those words. A terribly seductive truth. She wanted this man, more deeply than she’d ever wanted any other, and the primitive tug to take what he was offering before she moved on, eroded the reasoning that it would just be another brief affair in his playboy life.

She would be hurt when he finished it, as he undoubtedly would when his pleasure in her waned, but at least she wouldn’t die regretting not having had this experience with him. On the other hand, submission did not sit well with her. Let Jake sweat on her decision! It would be good to know how strong his desire for her was.

‘Do what you like,’ she tossed at him, as though she didn’t care. ‘I have to go and tell Byron I can’t marry him.’

Jake watched her stiff-backed exit, barely controlling the cave-man urge to catch her, throw her over his shoulder and carry her off to his car. Merlina Rossi hadn’t just burrowed under his skin. She was tearing at his guts. And not conceding him anything, despite the fact she had definitely—definitely—been his for the taking a few minutes ago. If Harold hadn’t come in…

But now she’d retreated to their old battle-ground, meeting his challenge and dumping it back in his lap. Though at least he’d won something from her. The intolerable engagement with his grandfather was over. He’d blown that perverted little enterprise apart. It was just as well Harold had come in and caught them at it. Harold was an unimpeachable witness. No way could Merlina make out she hadn’t been complicit in what had happened.

Not that she would.

Too much integrity in her bones.

It would be completely against her grain not to deliver the full measure of whatever she took on—work, marriage, coming out of a cake. That kind of absolute commitment made the thought of having sex with her even more exciting. He’d had a taste of what it would be like. He wanted more. Much more.

Spurred into pursuing this aim, Jake went looking for Harold, finding him in the kitchen, overseeing preparations for dinner. He requested a private word and explained the need to expedite Ms Rossi’s departure from her ex-fiancé’s home tonight.

‘Are you sure this is Ms Rossi’s wish?’ Harold queried, frowning over Jake’s plan.

‘I advised it and promised I’d execute it,’ Jake stated unequivocally, giving the butler a wise man to man look. ‘It is a matter of sensitivity, as you must understand, Harold. Ms Rossi is in the library, breaking off her engagement to my grandfather. Once it’s done…’

‘Yes, I do see where you’re coming from, Mr Jake, but—’ he shook his head ‘—I’m not sure this hasty decision would meet with Mr Byron’s approval.’

‘A clean cut is always best, Harold,’ Jake asserted.

‘I suppose the packing up can always be undone, should it not be desired after all,’ the older man mused. ‘And it would expedite matters if events turn that way…’

How else could they turn, Jake thought impatiently. Obviously the butler just didn’t like taking these orders from him, even though he must know they were appropriate in the circumstances.

‘Very well,’ Harold finally decided. ‘If you’ll unlock your car, Mr Jake, I’ll have Ms Rossi’s belongings carried out to it. I will be very sorry to see her go. Such a lovely, lively young woman…’

‘Who didn’t mean to make a mistake but did,’ Jake cut in, wanting action, not more words.

It raised the older man’s eyebrows. ‘I imagine it would be very easy for a young lady to make a mistake with you, Mr Jake.’

‘The mistake was with my grandfather, not me,’ Jake retorted in some exasperation.

The butler had the last word. ‘Well, sir, that is a matter of opinion. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and supervise the packing.’

The clinch in the main reception had not been a mistake! Jake churned over Harold’s point of view as he went outside to unlock the Ferrari. He was very fond of his grandfather. He hoped the old man would not be too offended by his actions tonight. All was fair in love and war, and he’d given fair warning that he considered Melissa Rossi his woman right at the initial meeting between her and his grandfather at the birthday party.

If Merlina had not been in such a perverse mood, throwing her independence in his face, and his grandfather backing her up because it suited him, this whole affair would not have got off the ground. He was simply getting her back where she belonged. With him. No mistake about that!

Although he had to concede his grandfather might very well be besotted, given that he had proposed marriage. On the other hand, how could any of his marriages be taken seriously when none of them had lasted beyond a few years?

The discomfiting idea that Merlina might have made the spring/autumn relationship work flitted through his mind. She was a very strong-minded woman. And his grandfather was eighty years old. Maybe he’d seen this as his sunset marriage and would be very aggrieved with Jake for breaking it up.

‘Damn, damn, damn!’ he muttered, realising his action tonight might well have landed him in a very thorny place. Best he face up to it, too. No whizzing Merlina away without speaking to his grandfather first—find out how troubled the waters were and do his best not to pour oil onto them.

He took a few deep calming breaths of the cooler night air as he waited by the Ferrari to load whatever had to be loaded in the trunk. It couldn’t be much, unless the shopping spree at Double Bay had been over-the-top extravagant. He’d cram it in anyway, leaving Merlina no excuse to come back.

Impatience pumped through him, making it seem like forever before his grandfather’s valet—the invaluable Vincent—appeared, carrying an overnight case and a bunch of boutique bags. ‘Is that all of it?’ Jake asked, moving quickly to open the trunk.

‘Of course, sir. I never miss anything,’ Vincent answered loftily.

‘Well, you’ll be missing Ms Rossi very shortly,’ Jake slung at him, out of temper with the situation.

‘That will be a great pity,’ Vincent remarked, stowing the bags, then stepping back to give a reproving look. ‘Mr Byron has been very happy since Ms Rossi has come to stay.’

‘It’s not even been three days!’ Jake snapped, inwardly rebelling against the guilt building up in him. He was not used to feeling guilty about anything.

‘At Mr Byron’s age, every happy day is precious. Perhaps you are too young to appreciate that, sir.’

Having delivered this insidious hit, Vincent turned on his heel and marched back into the mansion.

Jake slammed the trunk shut, locked the Ferrari again and strode after him. Merlina had certainly had time enough to break the news to his grandfather. Why she was still lingering in the library raised a flurry of a gut-churning questions. He had to get in there and set everything straight, make sure she came away with him tonight.

A sense of urgency drove him into entering the library without knocking. His grandfather was propped against the front of his mahogany desk, looking relaxed and in control of the situation. Merlina was sitting back in the large leather reading chair, looking equally at ease with her legs crossed and her arms draped loosely on the arm-rests. It instantly struck Jake there was no tension in the air, not a smidgeon of distress. It was as though they were simply enjoying a chat together.

‘What’s going on?’ he demanded.

The curt tone raised his grandfather’s eyebrows. ‘I might ask the same question of you, Jake? You come here on the pretence of needing help at work…’

‘I did miss Merlina at work.’

The vehement claim provoked an ironic little smile. ‘No doubt you did. Nevertheless, does that excuse applying all your dynamic sex appeal to take her away from me?’

Jake felt a wave of guilty heat scorch up his neck. ‘I’m sorry but she shouldn’t marry you, Pop.’ He glared at Merlina. ‘Haven’t you told him that?’

‘Yes, I did,’ she answered wryly, waving her left hand for him to see the huge flashy diamond. ‘I offered to give Byron back his ring…’

She was still wearing it!

‘I’ve persuaded Merlina to hold on to it,’ his grandfather went on.

‘Why?’ Jake thundered, a mountain of confusion and frustration welling up and crushing all sense of guilt.

‘My boy, I’ve lived long enough to be worldly about these little peccadillos. Just a flash in the pan, so to speak. It will burn out in what? Three months at most? What’s your judgement on this, Merlina?’

She sighed. ‘Maybe three months, Byron.’

‘And what if it isn’t?’ Jake grated.

‘I can wait,’ his grandfather said blithely. ‘When it’s over and she’s feeling sad and sorry, I’ll be happy to cheer her up again.’

‘Don’t count on it being over in a hurry,’ Jake warned, the violence he’d felt earlier raging through him again, spurring him on to say, ‘I might just marry Merlina myself.’

It shocked his grandfather out of his confidence. ‘You don’t mean that.’

Merlina also gaped at him in surprise. ‘And give up your playboy life?’

‘We’ll talk about that if we come to it,’ Jake threw at her, instinctively shying away from such a total commitment. He addressed his grandfather, wanting this irksome confrontation ended. ‘I’m sorry for putting you out but you shouldn’t have rushed into this breach, Pop. Merlina and I had a connection going before you met her and I’m not about to walk away from it.’

‘Seems to me you didn’t appreciate her enough. Don’t forget that I will, Merlina,’ came the swift counter-argument.

‘Just butt out of this, Pop!’ Jake demanded in exasperation. ‘Merlina, I’ve got your things in my car. Let’s go now. Enough has been said.’

No argument, which was some relief. She rose obligingly from her chair, but then he had to suffer through her going to his grandfather, kissing him on the cheek and saying warmly, ‘Thanks for everything, Byron. You’ve been very kind.’

‘You will always be a pleasure to me, my dear,’ came the benevolent reply. ‘Take care. My grandson still has a lot of growing up to do.’

Jake’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t about to stay and argue that point here and now. His primary goal was get Merlina away and obliterate any chance of her reconsidering a marriage to his grandfather, who was still clearly capable of charming birds off trees.

At last he had her arm securely tucked around his for the walk out to his car. She was coming with him willingly enough, but the ostentatious ring on her engagement finger was still glinting provocatively at him. Not for long, he vowed. Before they went to bed together, he would make her take it off.

Then he would make damned sure she would never want to put it on again!

CHAPTER EIGHT

I MIGHT just marry her myself…

He’d said it. He’d actually said it. The big M word. Merlina tried reasoning that the stunning declaration had emerged under extreme provocation, but her mind was dizzy with the possibility that Jake could mean it. He surely wouldn’t say it just to get her back working for him, and it didn’t seem likely that he’d say it to win against his grandfather. It was too big.

With her head whirling and her insides wildly tremulous at being physically connected to Jake again as he walked her out to his car, Merlina couldn’t help feeling thrilled at the forceful purpose in his every step, his determination to carry her along with him. He wanted to be attached to her. He wanted to be intimate with her. And only three days ago she had given up on Jake and his freewheeling world.

Had she been right to play Byron’s game?

In a way, it had been like tricking Jake into rushing down a path he might not have normally taken, and she was still carrying on a deception with Byron’s engagement ring. Yet if she hadn’t done it, would she have ever had a chance of getting this close to Jake Devila? A chance of marrying him? On the other hand, would he make a good husband? Would he be a good father? How could she believe it?

Right now he was helping her into the passenger seat of his red Ferrari. The flashy sports car did not suggest the psyche of a family man. Completely the opposite, in fact. It was probably crazy to think about marrying him. An affair was definitely on the cards and Merlina couldn’t deny she was terribly tempted by the exciting experience of having Jake as a lover. But she was nervous about it, too. He’d had so many women. How would she compare?

He shut the car door and swiftly strode around the bonnet to take the driver’s seat. The tall, athletic maleness of him shot quivers through her stomach. She would soon have the chance to see him naked, feel him naked. So many times she had fantasised such a scene taking place. Now that the hot, hard reality of it was rushing in on her, she was scared of it.

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