Page 7 of His Wedding Day Revenge

Draco had seen her and he had definitely recognised her.

She had read retribution in his face. Draco was not a forgiving man. Remembering his expression, she shivered, her overactive imagination conjuring up an ancient god about to do a lot of smiting!

Even if that smiting was in a twenty-first-century legal as opposed to lightning-bolt way, when you were Draco Andreas that could cause some damage!

Draco had recognised her, all right.

‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ Draco began, his lightly accented warm velvet voice awakening dormant interconnected nerve endings under Jane’s skin in a tingly, painful way. ‘Firstly I owe you an apology for the unauthorised tree-felling.’ He paused to allow the big murmur to die down before continuing. ‘I will not excuse what happened. There is no excuse. I understand your anger. I, too,’ he declared sombrely, ‘am angry.’

Someone beside her clapped and as Draco’s eyes went to the spot and he smiled, everyone there thought he was smiling at them, but Jane was willing to bet that she was the only one whose stomach muscles were dipping and who had an embarrassing ache between her legs.

It was all she could do to stop herself yelling out, It wasn’t me. I would never cheer you... Kiss, touch, taste—that was another matter!

She cleared her throat and reminded herself that all that wild, wanton behaviour was in the past.

The next part of his speech was lost on Jane. It took all her resources to resist the tug of the closed door and the freedom outside, freedom from the insidious sense-killing sound of his voice, and some increasingly disturbing thoughts about his mouth, which was beautiful and sensuous. He had a tongue that knew its way around... Stop that, Jane!

The entire section of his speech that passed over her head must have been good because this time the applause was more widespread. There were even a couple of grudging grunts of approval from a few of the most vocal critics, who had yesterday been calling for dire punishment to be visited on anyone that worked for his firm.

Draco had won them over. Always inevitable, she thought as she glanced around her at the rapt faces turned to the charismatic figure who now held them in the palm of his hand.

The way he had once held her breast in his hand, and in her head she heard his voice telling her it was the perfect size... She gave several sharp shakes of her head, took a deep breath and loosened her top where it chafed her painfully engorged nipples. Under the circumstances it seemed pretty pointless to pretend that the years had lessened her susceptibility to his male aura.

But fancying Draco Andreas hardly makes me unique!

Her lips twisted in a cynical, self-mocking little grimace as she glanced at the villagers. There had to be more than a few heads filled with fantasies involving the tall Italian billionaire, which was fine so long as they stayed fantasies. It was the common-sense-killing reality of falling for Draco that was dangerous.

Of course he had won over his audience; it was what he did. It seemed amazing now that when they had met, she hadn’t known who he was. That fact had seemed to amuse Draco, and even when she had known the details she had still not taken on board the mind-boggling extent of his power, wealth and fame.

It was a measure of her infatuation and self-delusion that she had thought even for one insane moment she would have fitted into his life.

That she could make herself the sleek, elegant creature who drifted along at his side saying all the right things to all the right people.

The only way it could have worked was if she’d never opened her mouth, which would probably have suited Draco. He had literally never spoken about his tech company or his role in the world of finance. Their conversations had revolved around the Tuscan estate, his face lighting with genuine enthusiasm as he’d described the place that was to be her home...the perfect place, he’d said, for bringing up children.

It was what she had wanted to hear, she thought sadly. He had been offering her what she had always longed for.

Refusing to acknowledge the pain that came with the thought, she told herself that she had her family now and it would be all the family she ever needed.

As for a man to complete her little family, she didn’t think so. Mattie took up all her time and energy. As for sex, since Draco her libido had gone into hibernation and she wasn’t about to wake it up, unless one day she was able to separate emotions from sex, and that she couldn’t imagine.

She closed down the inner dialogue and tuned back in time to hear Draco say, ‘I acknowledge that mistakes were made in the execution of our project.’

She risked another look and saw him spread his flattened palms wide in amea culpagesture. ‘I take full responsibility, and I assure you that immediate steps will be taken, are being taken, to rectify the damage done to the woodland. A comprehensive tree-replanting scheme will tomorrow be initiated, ensuring the preservation of this beautiful ecosystem for generations to come.’ Draco outlined his plans for environmental restitution before seamlessly shifting from the eco-project to community welfare, revealing a grander vision that seemed to resonate with the villagers.

You had to give it to the man, Jane thought, trying to view his words objectively—and failing miserably—but his delivery was sincere, if a little too slick. The cranky addition made her feel a bit happier.

‘I understand the importance of community,’ Draco said, his gaze sweeping across the faces before him. ‘And in recognition of your patience and understanding, Andreas Company will fund the restoration of the local church roof—a symbol of our commitment to the well-being of this village.’

Nice touch, Jane admitted silently as a ripple of appreciation flowed through the hall. Draco Andreas, the master of persuasion, was weaving a narrative that endeared him to the hearts of the villagers.

He hadn’t needed to use his powers of persuasion to get her into his bed, she recalled, her cheeks heating at the memory of that first time, the look of shock on his aroused, flushed face when he had realised he was her first. She pushed the memory away and tuned back in time to hear Draco say, ‘As a further gesture of goodwill, I am extending an invitation to a member of this community...’ Draco announced, his eyes subtly searching the crowd.

Jane pulled back, shifted uneasily in her seat and felt as if they had landed on her. Paranoia, she told herself, looking at the grey hair of the man sitting in front of her and channelling inner calm.

And failing miserably.

‘We are hosting an alternative energy eco-training course at my estate. I believe local representatives should be involved in shaping the future of green technology, and, after what has happened to your community and how you responded so robustly, I feel that your insights are invaluable.’

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