Page 62 of 2 Books in One Bundle

Isla shoved that thought away and turned to face Orion, her heart thudding hard in her ears. Answers, that’s what she needed now, not passion.

‘Why did you marry me, Orion?’ she asked abruptly. ‘What was so important about me that you felt the need to pay off Gianni and buy Kendricks’ in order to have me? I need an answer.’

He didn’t reply for a long moment, still staring at her, the weight of his gaze driving all the breath from her lungs. ‘I saw an opportunity,’ he said at last. ‘And I took it.’ He pushed himself away from the doorframe and took a step into the room. ‘Do you remember that function at the National Gallery? Some fundraiser, I think it was.’ He took another step, full lazy, predatory grace.

Isla stared at him, her heartbeat getting louder, electricity prickling everywhere. Of course she remembered that fundraiser, how could she not?

Sometimes, when she’d been a kid and things had been difficult at whichever foster home she’d been in, she would slip away to a gallery or a museum and spend time looking at beautiful things. It was a cheap way to distract herself, and art especially was her favourite.

She shouldn’t have sneaked away that night at the National Gallery, because her attendance had been required. Yet there had been a special Van Gogh exhibition on, and she hadn’t been able to resist the temptation of looking at one of her favourite paintings.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I remember.’

‘I found you looking atStarry Night,’ he murmured and took another step, getting closer. ‘I asked you what you found so interesting about it and you told me.’ Another step. He was so tall, she felt dwarfed by him. ‘You talked about the paint, and the layers and the brush strokes. You talked about movement and luminosity.’ Another step. His eyes had gone from dark amber to brilliant gold. ‘But the most luminous thing in the gallery that night was you.’ A final step brought him so close she could feel his heat, smell his scent. ‘And I want to know why.’

Her heartbeat was frantic now, the electricity between them morphing into a delicious kind of exhilaration. It was such a strange feeling, almost akin to fear, though not fear for her life or that he’d hurt her. More the kind of fear you experienced being on an extremely fast roller-coaster, knowing you couldn’t get off and that the only thing you could do was surrender to the moment and the breathless excitement of it all.

The only other time she’d felt that same thrill was standing in front of a particularly beautiful painting. Getting lost in the colour, becoming absorbed by the layers of paint and the brushstrokes and the play of light...

She’d known who he was when he’d entered the small gallery—most people in the business sector know who Orion North was—though they’d never actually met. She’d felt vaguely unsettled by his presence and her instant, electric response to him, and she’d been trying to think of a way to leave without being too offensive, when after a moment’s tense silence, he’d asked her about the painting.

It had been the last thing she’d expected and had been so surprised, she’d answered him. She hadn’t talked about art to anyone before and so had been hesitant to talk about it with a complete stranger. Yet he’d remained silent, and because she hadn’t liked the silence, she’d started to speak. Then, before she knew what she was doing, she’d shared everything she knew about it and that was a lot since she researched all her favourite artists and paintings extensively.

He hadn’t said a word the whole time, though she’d felt him watching her. And when she’d finished, all he’d said was, ‘Fascinating.’ Then he’d turned his back on her and walked out.

She’d felt like an idiot in that moment, as if she’d shown him something precious and he’d crushed it under his foot.

She stared up at him now, remembering that feeling, wanting to step back and put some distance between them, yet also bizarrely wanting to get closer.

‘You remembered?’ she asked stupidly. ‘I thought I’d bored you.’

‘You didn’t bore me.’ He was staring at her with such intentness she could barely breathe. ‘Quite the opposite in fact.’

‘But...’ Her heart was beating even faster now. ‘You just...walked away.’

‘Of course, I walked away.’ He lifted a hand and casually pulled one of the pins in her hair out and dropped it. ‘It was either that or demand to know why you were the most luminous thing in the whole damn gallery.’ He pulled out another pin. ‘I didn’t think you’d appreciate that.’

She should stop him. She should tell him to leave her hair alone, that she could take out her own pins, but she couldn’t seem to form the words.

He’d thought she was luminous...

No one had ever thought she was that. Too volatile. Too quiet. Too obedient. Lots of potential. But neverluminous...

‘So you married me for...that?’ She couldn’t keep the raw husk of emotion out of her voice. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘Like I told you.’ He calmly took another pin out and then another. ‘When I see an opportunity to acquire something I want, I take it.’

‘So I’m an acquisition?’ Freed from its pins her hair was starting to slip out of the carefully constructed wedding up-do. ‘Like a company you target?’

‘Yes.’ Carefully he lifted both hands and threaded his fingers through her hair, combing through it so her curls tumbled to her shoulders and down her back. A quiver ran through her. ‘I take companies and examine them. Then I dismantle them and figure out what’s working and what isn’t, what’s broken and what’s not. What parts to keep and what to get rid of. That’s why I told David I wanted to marry you. I’m hoping that once I dismantle my fascination with you, I’ll finally be able get rid of it.’

Her breath had gone and all she was aware of was the pull of his fingers in her hair and how much she liked it. How much she liked being a fascination to him too, especially after years of being only a source of disappointment.

‘Seems extreme.’ She made no move away from him even though she knew she should. ‘To pay off my fiancé and do a deal with my father to buy a whole company in exchange for me.’

His mouth curved. ‘I’m not a man known for moderation when it comes to business. All or nothing, Snow White.’ His fingers curled into her hair, holding her in a gentle grip. It was possessive that grip, and she found it unspeakably erotic. ‘I don’t regret paying off your fiancé—he accepted my money without protest which only goes to prove he wasn’t good enough for you. And since buying Kendricks’ was the only way I could get you, I had to buy it. I’m not a man who likes to lose.’

Her heart was beating way too fast. ‘It was leverage too, wasn’t it? To get me to do what you wanted.’

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