Page 66 of 2 Books in One Bundle

You suspected, though. Which is why you can’t allow it to happen again.

Something painful ached behind her breastbone, but she brushed it aside. It was true, she couldn’t. One night, she’d promised herself. One night to take what she wanted and that’s what she’d done. But she couldn’t afford another. She couldn’t let him get under her skin more than he had already, not when control over herself was already an issue for her.

And apart from anything else, they hadn’t discussed what was going to happen now.

Perhaps it was simply about the sex, and now he’s had you he’ll put you on the first plane back to the UK.

Her stomach dropped away at the thought, which was disturbing, because why should she care? She didn’t want to stay here with him. She needed to get back home and see her father. Ask him why he’d decided to agree to Orion’s demand to marry her without even a word to her. It wasn’t something she wanted to do, but she had to do it all the same.

You don’t want to know why he thought so little of you that he sold you to one man, then when that didn’t work out, he sold you to another.

But she didn’t want that thought in her head, so she pushed it away, turning to look at the pillow next to her instead. But it was empty. She didn’t know whether to feel disappointed about that or relieved.

Regardless, there was no point lying there with all these questions. She had to get up and confront the man she’d married.

The bed was extraordinarily comfortable and she was warm, and she didn’t particularly want to do any confronting right now, but there was nothing to be gained by delaying it. So she forced herself out of bed and into the ensuite bathroom.

There was a giant white-tiled shower with big windows that had views over the snowy landscape outside and Isla stood under the warm spray of water, staring out through the glass at the winter wonderland outside even as she relished the heat of the shower.

After she got out and towelled herself dry, she went over to the chest of drawers that stood near the windows and opened them. All the clothes she’d brought with her had been unpacked and folded neatly, so she grabbed some jeans and an oversized jersey in soft, light blue cashmere and got dressed.

Then she went out and down the stairs in search of Orion.

She could smell something delicious coming from the direction of what she assumed was the kitchen so she followed the scent, coming out into a large and very expensively fitted out open-plan kitchen, with lots of stainless steel and white tiles. Near the windows that had that same pretty snow-covered lake view was a dining table set for two with cutlery, plates and cups. There was a coffee pot and orange juice, and various different spreads.

Clearly Orion was expecting for them to have breakfast together, though he himself was nowhere to be seen.

Puzzled, she checked the lounge area, but he wasn’t there either. So she went down the hall, passing another bathroom, some more bedrooms and a cosy-looking library, and then, finally, a doorway that opened out into an office.

It had the same floor-to-ceiling windows as the rest of the lodge, but the view was out towards the mountains, ridged and sharp and capped with snow. A huge rustic-looking desk stood in front of the windows and behind the desk sat Orion. His attention was on the flat screen in front of him and he didn’t look up as she entered.

She’d been subconsciously bracing herself for the reality of him after their night together, but it wasn’t until that moment that she realised that bracing herself for him was impossible.

He was dressed casually, in worn jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, and his feet were bare. His black hair was slightly tousled and it was clear from the five o’clock shadow lining his strong jaw that he hadn’t shaved. He looked thoroughly disreputable and so sexy her breath caught.

‘Good,’ he said, keeping his gaze on the screen. ‘You’re up. I’ve made breakfast for us.’

She came slowly into the room, disturbed to find the familiar fizz and crackle of electricity was prickling over her skin again. Ridiculous. Why was she still feeling it? Last night should have dealt with their physical chemistry and yet...apparently not.

Isla forced the feeling away as she approached his desk.

‘I’ve had my PR department handle the media,’ he went on before she could get a word out, ‘since there was apparently quite a fuss about our wedding. I’ve given them a statement to send out that you and I had been pining for each other all this time, and Gianni selflessly stood aside at the last minute to allow me to marry you. Yes, it’s a bit overly romantic, but the press love that kind of stuff.’ He gave the mouse a decisive click. ‘We’ll be here for a couple of weeks and I have some excursions planned. Don’t worry, you won’t be bored.’ He leaned back in his seat, his amber gaze meeting hers head-on. ‘Any questions?’

Isla had many,manyquestions, yet the moment he looked at her, all of them went straight out of her head. He’d looked at her like this the night before, when she’d put on that nightgown and he’d stared at her, intent and utterly focused. Purposeful.

Yet she didn’t want to stand there in silence. She had a plan and it didn’t involve two weeks of ‘excursions’.

‘That sounds lovely,’ she said, trying to sound cool and firm. ‘But I can’t stay, Orion. This isn’t actually a honeymoon—I mean, our wedding wasn’t even really a wedding—and I have to go home. I have to explain to the board what happened.’

Orion raised a brow. ‘Explain? Explain what? Your father and I have handled it, and the board will be fine with me as Kendricks’ new owner. And as far as our wedding not being a real wedding, I have the marriage certificate that proves otherwise.’

Irritation coiled inside her. ‘Youand he might have handled it, but how do you think that looks to the board? I’m supposed to be the CEO at some point and yet there are already deals being done behind my back, without my knowledge.’

‘As I said, I have that handled already,’ Orion stated calmly. ‘Besides, your father wanted you to marry someone, correct? Does it matter who?’

She wanted to tell him that of course it mattered who. Gianni had been chosen specifically because he was one of David’s protégé’s and well-respected by the Kendricks’ board. Someone who would bolster confidence in her, not someone who might cause them to question her leadership potential. The worst thing was that Orion was probably aware of how little they thought of her already. It was why he’d targeted Kendricks’. She was a vulnerability and everyone knew it.

Tension crawled through her, acid gathering in the pit of her stomach. The lovely warmth she’d woken up with was dissipating and reality was asserting itself, the fallout of yesterday crashing down on her.

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