Page 175 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

Ungallant as his deception was, he had to find out as much as he could from her and he could never confide to anyone—let alone a complete stranger—that his own family had their knives out and had caught him off guard.

‘But if you do choose to leave,’ he added, ‘then the plan currently in place will likely continue.’

‘You needtime?’ she echoed incredulously. ‘It should take a man like you less than two seconds to realise dragging a teenager to the altar is a more than bad idea,’ she snapped. ‘Yet apparently, you’re incapable of rational thought on this.’

She was right and she expected him to back down. She was used to getting what she wanted. Her confident diva aura was total demonstration of the fact. Curiosity devoured his brain—all he could think about was all the things he wanted to learn abouther. Mostly inappropriate things. He gritted his teeth and summoned some self-control.

‘Your kind offer of accommodation isn’t really achoicefor me, is it?’ She stepped closer until she stood toe to toe with him. ‘Does it make you feel good to exert control over someone?’ she asked, her voice husky and low as she glared up at him irately. ‘Is that what gets you going?’

He could only stand and stare at her. Couldn’t let himself so much as breathe. Becauseshewas what got him going in this instant and another acerbic challenge like that would have him slip the leash.

‘Is that why you want a young bride?’ she challenged further, oblivious to the storm brewing within him. ‘Do you think you can mould her into your ideal wife?’

He didn’t want to control her. He wanted to be consumed in her fire. He was so tempted to take her in his hands and tease her more. Instead he dragged in a steadying breath and harshly demandedinformation.

‘Why wouldn’t Ashleigh have dared mentioned you?’

Her eyes widened.

When he’d got this inappropriately close earlier, her haughty facade had fallen and he’d seen an uncontrollable response flash—not fear but a flare of attraction that mirrored his in every way. Instant, unwanted, intense. A weakness. He saw it again now and would exploit it. Because when she was emotional she exploded and truth emerged. He had to use those tactics because he didn’t trust her. Nothing personal. He didn’t trust anyone, not when he came from a family gored by infighting. Not when his own father had been a master of betrayal. Not when he’d been forced to be complicit in his old man’s deceit.

He’d thought the worst of all that was in the past. Thought he’d made enough amends on behalf of his gluttonous father. Apparently not. He knew his aunt Cristina had suffered as a spoiled but ignored second child, as a young woman taken advantage of by a man who’d consumed everything he could from everyone he encountered. But that she would consider doing this?

He’d thought her interest in a hotel investment in the South of England was little more than a vanity project for her son. He’d missed the off-paper condition—awedding.

That told him this wasn’t about Elodie’s family’s barely-breaking-even hotel. This was abouthisfamily’s private island. The sanctuary his mother had retreated to in her despair and which had returned to the family trust since her death. The trust decreed that lifelong occupancy rights were granted to the most senior male of the family as long as he weremarried. While Ramon was the most senior male, he was single. If the next in line—Cristina’s son—were to marry, thenhecould claim occupancy—and development—rights. Ramon couldn’t allow that to happen because Cristina would use her son to destroy everything Ramon’s mother had built there.

Ramon could mount a legal challenge to amend the trust. Should’ve done that already, but since his mother’s death he’d buried himself even more in work and somehow three years had passed. But Ramon would protect his mother’s legacy by whatever means necessary—especially now he knew he no longer had the time for a protracted legal battle.

So hedidneed to know everything about the fire-breathing beauty before him. No way would his aunt allow a woman like Elodie Wallace to enter the family—which meant Cristina didn’t know about her and that could play very well into his hands. Perhaps he was the one who’d take revenge this time. Maybe he’d finally make his aunt pay for the cruelty she’d shown his mother in her grief.

‘Elodie?’ He caved in to temptation and gently cupped her face. ‘Are you persona non grata?’

She trembled slightly at his touch but she didn’t pull back. The hint of hurt crossed with courage in her eyes made his chest tighten.

Yes, he could save time, money and stress by getting married himself. The trust didn’t specify that he had tostaymarried or for how long he even had tobemarried. Because in his hypocritical family, the concept of divorce supposedly didn’t exist. But it would for him because there was no way in hell that he would ever marry for real. All he had to do was get married for long enough to invoke the occupancy rights. Maybe he would call Ms Elodie Wallace’s bluff. Right now he wanted to dothatmore than anything.

‘What did youdo?’ He provoked with a silkily patronising tone, pleased to see the instant flare in her eyes. ‘What’s really so dangerous about a little thing like you?’

‘I lied.’ She glared, finally goaded. ‘I cheated. I abandoned my responsibilities.’

There was a ring of truth in her flash that he couldn’t ignore.

‘That bad, huh?’ He tried to keep his tone light but his anger flared because he knew too well how those things damaged people. His father had lied, cheated. His mother had abandoned her responsibilities. And this woman was apparently every bit as fickle as she was beautiful and right now that pissed him off more than anything.

‘Worse.’ She was ferociously defiant.

‘Yet here you are sweeping in to save your sister from a fate worse than death,’ he snarled, because she was a contrary mix of shameless and protective.

‘Becauseshe’sinnocent.’

And Elodie wasn’t. Bitterness burned. He could never,evertrust her. Which meant she presented one problem while being the solution to another in the one stunning package. He moved closer still, needing not just to see her reaction, but to feel it. He put his hand on her waist. A tremor instantly wracked her beautiful body, but she kept her head high, captivatinghimwith her stormy gaze despite him being the one holding her. His smile was both twisted and unbidden. Without a doubt they would end up in bed together and he knew to his bones it would be mind-blowing. But that time was not now.

‘Well, thank you for your honesty,’ he muttered. ‘It seems an appropriate time to admit that I haven’t been completely forthcoming with you.’

And he still wasn’t going to be entirely honest because some family secrets he could never tell. It didn’t matter, she’d just admitted her prior deceit so she’d hardly care.

‘I’mnot the man intending to marry your sister,’ he finally said softly. ‘My cousin is.’

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