The Executive's Vengeful Seduction / Rich Man's Revenge

Gabrielle grimaced. “You don’t have to remind me.”

“Yes, I do. You seem to think if you ignore everything, then it will just sort itself out.”

“Maybe it will,” she said coolly.

“And maybe it won’t,” he snapped. “When your father struggles through all this to get better and finally comes home to find out his company has been decimated, will you tell him why there’s nothing left? Or will you be back in Sydney and won’t give a damn?”

She drew herself up straighter in the passenger seat. “Have you finished?”

“No I bloody well haven’t.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “God, you’re so like my father it isn’t funny. The two of you could be twins.”

A pulse began to beat in his cheekbone. “What are you talking about?”

Her heart squeezed tight. “You like things your own way, Damien. I won’t marry you. I would end up a doormat who occasionally got taken out on special occasions. Just like my mother.”

“No,” he growled.

“You desire me, but once you get bored with me you’ll move on to some other woman, and a marriage license won’t stop you.” She lifted her head high. “I want something better for myself than what my mother had with my father, and if I can’t have a warm, loving marriage, then I don’t want a poor imitation of one.”

He went very still. “You don’t know what I feel for you,” he rasped.

“Exactly.” She’d always known when he wanted her, but that hadn’t been about his feelings. He’d kept his real feelings from showing.

“We’ll talk later.” He turned away and started the engine. “Let’s get something to eat. It’s way past lunchtime,” he said, confirming what she’d just said about ignoring any feelings. “Then I need to go to my office for an hour or two.”

She hadn’t eaten a thing all day and she wasn’t sure she could. Her appetite seemed to have disappeared. “I’d prefer to go talk to Keiran again.”

His mouth tightened. “Best leave Keiran to think over things for the rest of the day. Otherwise we’re going to antagonize him more, and right now that’s probably not a good thing. I’ll give James a call after we eat. He can keep an eye on things until tomorrow.”

“Fine.” She knew what he said made sense. But tomorrow, whether Keiran liked it or not…whether Damien liked it or not…she was going to take charge and damn the consequences.

Back at the apartment, while she made ham sandwiches for a late lunch, Damien got on the phone and arranged for a rental car for her use. Then they sat on the balcony and ate lunch.

“By the way,” Damien said after a few minutes silence. “I have a dinner to attend tonight. I want you to come with me.”

She placed her half-eaten sandwich back on her plate, a little hurt by his insensitivity. “Thanks but I’ll pass. I don’t feel like seeing people when my father’s sick in hospital.”

“It’ll do you good to get out.”

Her lips twisted in a grimace. “The last thing I feel like doing is attending some business dinner with a bunch of strangers.”

“This isn’t a business dinner. It’s with friends.”

She gave a choked laugh. “I didn’t know you had any friends. Except women friends, of course.”

He arched a brow. “You sound jealous.”

“Only of their ability to put up with your delightful company,” she said sweetly, ignoring the fact that he looked so handsome sitting there with the sun’s shadow on his lean face.

He tilted his dark head, a slight smile on his lips. “Our marriage is going to be very interesting.”

She stabbed him with a glare. “I am not marrying you, Damien.”

The smile left his mouth. His gaze became shuttered. “Tonight’s a good time to introduce you to them.”

She felt as if she was going round and round in circles. “Damien, I—”

“Be ready by seven,” he said, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet.

She looked up at him, suddenly tired of fighting him, knowing he wasn’t about to give up. He’d probably even try to dress her himself if she wasn’t ready. “Okay, fine. I’ll go. But they’re all probably a bunch of boring suits, anyway.”

His eyes narrowed. “You might be surprised.”

“About you? Never. I know the sort of man you are and the sort of friends you’ll have.”

A muscle began jumping in his cheek. “I’m glad you think you know me,” he snapped, then strode back inside the apartment.

A few moments later she heard the front door close in a quiet, controlled manner. In a way she wished he’d slammed it instead.

A couple of hours later they drove up to a luxurious mansion along the waterfront at Cullen Bay. Gabrielle, dressed in a silky blue dress that had received an approving look from Damien, was proven right about his friends.

Yet wrong.

The house obviously belonged to moneyed people, but when she stepped inside the front door it was to find one other couple besides their hosts and a warm greeting that softened the hardness around her heart and made her feel very welcome. They were all very different from what she’d expected. And that added an insight into the man beside her that she would never have seen otherwise.

Danielle and Flynn Donovan owned the house, and Kia and Brant Matthews were obviously close friends and frequent visitors. The women were gorgeous and friendly, the two men handsome and suave, but with a slight reserve that told Gabrielle they were the same breed as Damien. They didn’t let down their guard easily.

Dinner was quite a lighthearted affair in a magnificent dining room that really showed off the house to perfection.

“This is such a lovely room,” Gabrielle said to Danielle once they’d finished the first course and there was a lull in the conversation.

Danielle flushed, looking pleased. “Thank you. That’s really nice of you to say so.”

Something occurred to Gabrielle and her eyes widened. “I’ve just realized. You were the one who did Damien’s apartment, weren’t you?”

Danielle nodded with pleasure, though Gabrielle mentally acknowledged the mention of her knowing Damien’s apartment had been noted by all of them.

“My wife is quite the decorator,” Flynn said, sending his wife a loving look. It was a look that Gabrielle herself had hoped to receive one day from the man she loved.

At the thought, her gaze slid to Damien opposite her, and saw him watching her through half-closed lids. She wondered if Damien would ever be as relaxed as the men around their wives. He’d always seemed so alone.

Appearing nonchalant, she reached for her wineglass and took a sip, but her thoughts were far from casual. Damien had never sent her a loving look like the one Flynn had given his wife. Lustful yes, but not a warm look filled with respect.

Not that it mattered. She didn’t plan on falling in love again. Nor did she plan on marrying for a long time to come, despite what Damien said. For the moment she was just going to be one of those women whose dreams of being swept off her feet were just that—dreams.

“Gabrielle Kane?” the other woman, Kia, said with a slight frown on her beautiful forehead. “Your name seems familiar. Are you from Darwin?”

Gabrielle darted a look at Damien, but Kia’s husband, Brant, pulled her gaze to him instead. “You’re Russell Kane’s daughter, aren’t you?” he said, a curious gleam in his eyes that made her wonder what he knew about her. “You’ve been living interstate for the last couple of years.”

She moistened her suddenly dry lips. “Yes, I have.”

“Oh, that’s right. Your father recently had a stroke,” Kia said sympathetically. “I remember reading it in the newspapers now. I’m so sorry, Gabrielle. How is he?”

Gabrielle inclined her head in gratitude. “Thank you.” Her voice broke a little, so she cleared her throat. “He’s heavily sedated at the moment.”

“But we’re hoping he’ll soon be on the mend,” Damien added, his voice losing that steely edge, surprising Gabrielle, making her feel less alone in her fears.

“I’m so glad,” Kia said with sincerity. She paused, her eyes a little surprised. “You know, Gabrielle. You’re not like we expected.”

Gabrielle grew a little wary, but wasn’t sure why. “I’m not?”

Kia’s lips curved into a smile. “You’re much nicer.” The other woman sent Damien an approving look. “I’m really glad Damien brought you here tonight.”

Gabrielle let out a silent sigh of relief even as she refused to look at Damien. “So am I.” And she meant it. She just wished it hadn’t been because of Damien that she was here.

Then she realized the others were looking at her as if they knew there was more to her and Damien’s relationship, but thankfully talk turned to general things while they worked their way through the rest of the meal.

Just as they were finishing dessert, the housekeeper, Louise, came into the room to tell both women that their babies were growing restless. Kia and Danielle instantly jumped up and so did their husbands, jokingly saying that they wanted to see their daughters, too.

Danielle went to leave the room, then stopped and frowned. She opened her mouth to speak but Damien cut her off, “Don’t worry about us, Danielle. We’ll be fine until you come back.”

“Are you sure?”

Damien gave a slow smile. “What man in his right mind would complain about being left alone with such a beautiful woman?”

Danielle laughed. “Oh, you’re such a smooth talker.” She winked at Gabrielle. “Watch out for him, Gabrielle.”

Gabrielle tried to smile but it felt forced. Her heart was thumping, and not just because she would be alone with Damien. She was so thankful the housekeeper hadn’t brought either of those babies into the dining room. She wasn’t sure she could bear it.

She waited until the others left the room, then put her napkin on the table and stood. “I need some fresh air,” she choked, hurrying toward the patio doors. They were closed to keep the room air-conditioned and she prayed they weren’t locked. They weren’t.

But as she stepped outside onto the well-lit terrace, the humidity that swamped her was as heavy as her heart. She stood there for a moment, letting it overwhelm her, welcoming the pain…the ache of loss.

“You don’t like children?” Damien said from behind her, making her jump.

She schooled her features into a blank mask before slowly turning around. “What makes you say that?”

“Gut instinct. Most women usually fuss over babies and all that motherly stuff.” His eyes pierced the distance between them. “You didn’t.”

She held his gaze. “Perhaps I have other things on my mind.”

“Like what?”

“My father.”

He inclined his head, conceding the point as he came toward her. “For your information, Kia’s baby, Emma, is only a few weeks old. Danielle’s little girl, Alexandra, is about nine months.”

“I’m sure they’re gorgeous,” she said, her heart breaking even as she was surprised he knew the ages of his friends’ children.

“They are.”

She wanted to ask if he liked children. And if he ever planned on having another one day. Only, she couldn’t say that. Not to the man who’d unknowingly fathered one child already. A child who had died.

She swallowed hard and tried not to let him see her anguish. “Your friends are really nice,” she said, pushing aside her heartache.

“Not boring suits at all, eh?”

She winced. “No.” She felt bad now for being so judgmental about them.

“Apology accepted.”

Her eyes widened. “I didn’t apologize.”

“I know,” he said with a slight smile as he came toward her.

She was suddenly too aware of how close he was. Quickly she turned away to look out over the lush landscape. “Um, this is a beautiful house. And this garden is just lovely.”

Desperately she tried to concentrate on the beauty of the well-lit setting. A light breeze dipped palm fronds in the swimming pool, and flowers from the frangipani trees spread a blanket of white over a patch of lawn. Hibiscus provided splashes of red-orange color.

He put his hand on her arm and turned her back to him. Something deep kindled in his eyes. “Not as beautiful as you,” he murmured, pulling her toward him.

Oh God. Five years ago she’d lacked the know-how to control her crazy feelings for him. Now she could feel the same craving for him gnawing beneath the surface.

“What do you want, Damien?” she said huskily, unable to stop herself from savoring the warm, male scent of him rising up in the pocket of air between them. At a subconscious level, it tantalized her senses and turned her legs to jelly.

His gaze dropped to her mouth. “You.”

His head began to lower, and she unwillingly swayed toward him. Dear Lord. Suddenly five years was too long between kisses.

In the space of a heartbeat, he molded her mouth to the fullness of his own. Unable to ignore the taste of warm memories, she groaned and kissed him back, as a wonderful sensation quivered through her. Heat licked at her veins and she needed no further coaxing to let him venture into the hollows of her mouth while she clutched at his shoulders and let him intoxicate her.

Long moments later he broke off the kiss. She watched a pulse beat wildly in his throat, her mind staggered with incredulous wonder. She hadn’t known it until now, but she’d missed this feeling of sharing and being one.

With him.

And then reality hit at the sound of the others coming back into the living room.

He stepped back and gestured for her to precede him through the patio doors. “After you,” he murmured, the huskiness still lingering in his voice, affecting her, making her legs feel shaky as she hurried inside.

After that, the rest of the evening was nerve-racking for Gabrielle. Damien appeared to enjoy his friends’ company, but whenever he looked at her, the desire in his eyes made her heart thud against her ribs.

Yet knowing she’d tapped a raw nerve back there on the patio gave her strength. She was glad their kiss had affected him as much as it had her. It made her feel not so needy. The downside was that it made her vulnerable. How could a woman not feel stirred knowing she’d touched a chord inside a man like Damien?

She breathed easier when he left the room to take a call on his cell phone, but his return sent a flutter of panic through her. There was an odd look in his eyes.

It was hard.

And determined.

She tried to ignore an uneasy feeling, but her heart jumped in her throat when not long after he suggested they leave. He didn’t mention to the others she was staying with him. Not that it was anyone’s business, and certainly Damien would never find the need to explain such a thing to anyone. Not even to his friends.

He didn’t speak on the way home, either, but the tension increased within the confines of the car. Would he try to get her in bed? It certainly wouldn’t worry him if he did, of that she was certain.

As soon as they stepped inside his apartment, the door to the spare bedroom appeared to be far too close for her liking. She darted a look at him beneath her lashes and saw a muscle ticking in his jaw. Her stomach tied itself in knots.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to seduce you,” he mocked, striding over to the bar.

Her brows rose. “You’re not?”

“Not yet anyway.” He poured himself a small amount of scotch.

She moistened her lips, all at once certain there was something else going on here. “How…generous of you.”

There was a moment’s pause, then, “I’ve decided to wait until our marriage.”

Frustration clawed through her. “Damien, will you please stop—”

“Tomorrow.”

The air whooshed out of her lungs. “Wh-what?” He took a swallow of his drink. “We’re getting married tomorrow, Gabrielle, like it or not.”

She gasped. “Look, I told you—”

“Keiran just lost a three-million-dollar contract.”

Her head reeled back. “Say that again.”

“That phone call I took was from James. Keiran lost a deal your father had been working on for the past year.” He paused as he slammed the glass down on top of the bar. “Now. Don’t you think it’s time we got married?”

Five

The next afternoon Gabrielle married Damien in a simple ceremony held in his apartment, and Damien signed over eleven percent of Kane Property and Finance Group shares to her.

The only “family” Damien wanted to invite were his two best friends and their wives, and his attorney. No one else knew. Everything had to be kept secret so that Keiran wouldn’t get wind of the marriage and do something underhanded to prevent it, if indeed there was anything he could do about it.

As for her parents, Damien suggested it was best not to tell them about the wedding until afterward. The excitement might not be good for her father, and her mother might let something slip to Keiran, especially since Damien had said later that Caroline had no idea about the shares.

Still, it had been hard for Gabrielle to visit her parents earlier that morning and act as if nothing momentous was about to happen. Thankfully, her father had been sleeping and her mother had asked Gabrielle to sit with him while she went home to shower and change. It had been a blessed relief not to have to put on a brave face. Nor was Gabrielle sure she wouldn’t have begged her mother to stop her from doing a crazy thing like getting married two days after returning home.

And it was a crazy thing to do, she kept thinking when Kia and Danielle arrived carrying a gorgeous white sheath of a dress with a miniveil, and a posy of glorious miniature yellow roses. Suitably horrified at the speed Damien had arranged everything, they gave him a scolding about rushing the bride off her feet, yet they all knew why.

Thank goodness she didn’t have to play the blushing bride in front of everyone, Gabrielle told herself while she was dressing, with Kia and Danielle sympathizing over her predicament in the background. Brant and Flynn’s attitude was that Damien was doing the right thing, which made all three women smile wryly at each other in a moment of bonding.

Of course, once the ceremony was over and she stood next to the ladies beside a table covered with scrumptious food, she was on autopilot as she sipped at her champagne. The men had gone out on the balcony on the pretext of admiring the panoramic ocean view, but were deep in discussion instead.

“You know something, Gabrielle,” Kia said. “Damien reminds me so much of Brant and Flynn. Handsome. Gorgeous. And wonderful husbands once you get past the wall of detachment that’s inherent in men like them.”

Sudden despair wrapped around Gabrielle’s heart. She was sure Damien would be just like her father. And she would turn out just like her mother.

“Good heavens, your hands are shaking,” Kia exclaimed in a sympathetic tone. She squeezed Gabrielle’s arm. “Honey, we understand. Danielle and I felt the same way about our guys when we first met them.”

Danielle nodded in agreement. “That’s right. And one day we’ll tell you all about it, but not now. It would take too long to explain why Flynn thought I was after his money,” she said with rueful smile. “But I do want to say one thing—trust that it will work out for the two of you.”

Gabrielle appreciated their kindness, but there was so much that they didn’t realize. For one thing these women didn’t know about her and Damien’s past affair. Nor about her miscarriage—the one Damien didn’t know about, either.

Just then she looked up and saw the three men coming back inside the apartment through the sliding glass doors. Damien looked magnificent in a dark suit and white shirt and was grinning at something one of the others had said. It was a striking smile that curled her toes and sent her heart thudding against her ribs.

And then he saw her staring at him and he paused briefly, before his mouth tilted in a sardonic grin. “I hope you ladies aren’t plying my new bride with alcohol,” he said, walking toward them.

Kia gave a light laugh. “Of course we are.”

“I have something much better.” He nodded at the waiter, who proceeded to hand out fresh glasses of champagne.

Despite his relaxed air, those piercing eyes studied her thoughtfully for a moment, giving nothing away. And then she saw a hint of satisfaction lurking at the back of them, and fear rippled through her. Fear, not of Damien himself, but of where all this was leading. He may not have planned to marry her when he’d brought her back from Sydney, but he certainly intended to profit from all this…in more ways than one.

He held up his glass. “A toast. To my new wife.”

From somewhere deep inside her, she managed to raise her own glass and smile right back at him. “And here’s to my old husband.”

That evening, alone with Damien on his luxury yacht, Gabrielle ignored the man beside her and purposely focused her gaze on Darwin Harbor. In the remaining light, she watched as other boats sailed past them over the deep, calm water, the sound of laughter and clinking glasses sometimes drifting through the air, early evening being all about relaxing and having fun.

Not for them, of course. She didn’t want to be here. It was under duress and Damien knew it. So she wasn’t feeling particularly friendly toward him right now.

Okay, so he’d looked handsome and virile as he’d motored the vessel out himself, then dropped anchor, the cream polo shirt enhancing his well-built body as he’d moved, the black trousers molding perfectly to his long legs.

She’d always loved looking at his profile, and he looked even more attractive this evening with the water reflecting on his face. There was something very potent about the picture he made, and she felt a tremor inside knowing she was now married to him.

Her husband.

All at once he turned his head toward her. His moss-green eyes stared across the table and into her own with a burning intensity. “You were a beautiful bride.”

She realized she was gripping her wineglass so tight she might break it. She forced her fingers to relax. “Thank you.”

“You won my friends over well and truly,” he added.

She grimaced. They both knew Brant and Flynn approved because they thought she was doing the right thing for the business. “I’m sure Kia and Danielle feel a certain…empathy for me.”

His slight smile noted her comment. “The girls might be able to relate, but you can’t discount the fact they are very happily married.”

She met his gaze levelly. “They’re in love, Damien. We’re not.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “You’re right. Here’s to not being in love,” he drawled, lifting his glass of white wine.

Five years ago she would have been devastated by his words, but she knew she was beyond that now.

She raised her glass and clinked it against his. “That’s a toast I can relate to.”

“And to us,” he added.

She pulled the glass back. “There’s no such thing as ‘us,’ Damien. There’s you. And there’s me. Two separate entities.”

“Not after tonight.”

The pit of her stomach began to churn. “I could scream, you know.”

“So could I.”

The comment was so unexpected that her lips twitched.

“Is that a smile I see?” he teased, sounding as if he was truly amused. It was a glimpse of how it could have been if only…

She remembered what their marriage was about. “No,” she said, not looking at him, instead looking everywhere but at him. “I have nothing to smile about.”

A moment passed by. “You’re my wife now,” he said with quiet emphasis. “Accept it.”

She lifted her chin as she looked at him. “I guess I should be honored to be Mrs. Damien Trent?” she said sarcastically, even as she suppressed a tingle at her new name.

“Naturally.”

She made a choking sound. “Your arrogance astounds me,” she said, and caught a look of surprise on his face that in turn surprised her. He really had no idea his words had come across as arrogant. He really did believe she should be honored to marry him.

As if!