LITMIR.BIZ

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middle of the room as a horrible thump of recognition hit her in the chest at the sight of a group of people standing next to the large picture window.

      Angry resentment rattled through her as she relived the whispered taunts and cruel asides she’d been the victim to from this very group of people after the scandalous news about her father came out.

      ‘Vultures,’ she whispered to Jack, ‘who used to call themselves friends of my family, until they called in their loans and sold us out to the press.’

      Looking up into his handsome face, she was a little afraid of what she might see there. Would he be sorry now that he’d brought her here tonight?

      But instead of showing concern, his eyes darkened with anger. ‘No one here will dare say a word to you, I promise you that,’ he growled, putting her in mind of a wild animal defending its territory. ‘If anyone so much as smirks in your general direction I’ll make sure they regret it.’

      Her heart leapt at his show of protectiveness, but she knew she couldn’t really expect him to step in for her; this was her problem to deal with, not his. ‘As heartening as this display of macho chest-beating is, I can’t expect you to hang around by my side all night, ready to jump in and defend my honour,’ she joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere. She didn’t want this to have any kind of impact on his business deal.

      ‘Yes, you can, Em. You’re my wife and I’m staying right here next to you.’

      The resolve in his eyes gave her goose bumps. She knew he meant every word he said—could feel it in the crackling atmosphere around him. He would look after her tonight, if she needed him to.

      ‘Emma, look at me,’ he said quietly, cupping her jaw in his hands and drawing her closer to him so she was forced to look him in the eye, her pulse playing a merry beat in her throat.

      ‘You’re the bravest person I know,’ he said. ‘You didn’t slink away and give up when everything went to hell for you and I know you won’t give these idiots the satisfaction of breaking you tonight either. This is an opportunity for you to show them just how incredibly strong you are and how much you’ve achieved despite the cards being stacked against you. You should be proud of yourself. I’m proud of you. Proud to call you my wife.’

      The air beat a pulse between them, as she rolled his pep talk around in her mind. He was proud of her? Proud to be her husband? Hearing those words suddenly made her anger at the people here fade into the background. She could handle anything they said to her if she truly had Jack on her side. There wasn’t anything they could do to hurt her any more.

      Buoyed by that uplifting insight, she gave Jack a grateful nod and a smile.

      ‘It means a lot to me to hear you say that, Jack.’ She turned and took his arm again, wrapping her fingers tightly around his biceps, feeling him pull her more tightly against his body.

      To her surprise, Jack then marched them straight up to the group, who were staring at them with a kind of cynical fascination.

      ‘Do you have something you’d like to say to my wife?’ Jack growled at them and she was both astonished and amused to see them all take a small step backwards and shake their heads as one.

      ‘We were just saying what an impressive couple you make,’ a red-faced man who used to go out shooting with her father said in a faltering voice. ‘And that you’re a very lucky man to have such a beautiful wife, Westwood.’

      The whole group nodded in agreement, but Jack didn’t move away from them, giving every last one of them that unnerving weighted stare that Emma knew from first-hand experience he was so good at employing.

      ‘And that we’re sorry we weren’t more supportive about your situation after your father died, Emma,’ a tall, moustached man with a slight stoop said hurriedly. ‘It’s good to see that you’re happy and settled now though,’ he added.

      Emma coolly nodded her thanks, knowing he didn’t mean a word of it.

      Not that she cared one jot.

      ‘It’s all water under the bridge,’ she said, smiling serenely to show them just how little they meant to her now.

      After that, they strode confidently around the room, arm in arm in a show of solidarity, with Jack loudly and proudly introducing her to everyone as his wife, and her floating around on a cloud of happy contentment.

      * * *

      Jack’s gaze followed Emma as she walked back towards him after getting her glass refilled at the makeshift bar that Rob, a prospective business partner, had set up in the corner of his grand living room.

      She really was breathtaking to behold. Her head was held high and her body language confident, showcasing the natural elegance and poise he admired so much in her.

      Emma had been brilliant with Rob, laughing at his jokes and showing interest in his tales of his children and their schooling. She’d asked him intelligent questions and had clearly listened to the answers because she was able to comment on them with thoughtful insight. Even Rob’s wife was charmed by her, which was an unexpected bonus. The woman was known for being standoffish with the wives of her husband’s business acquaintances, but Emma had managed to break through her wall of cool and engage her in a conversation about interior design and the woman had even gone so far as to give Emma a quick tour of their newly decorated bedrooms.

      He’d been intrigued to see how genuinely interested Emma was in talking about the redecoration she’d done to his house. Considering how little time she’d had to get it done, he was hugely impressed by what she’d achieved. And she really seemed to have enjoyed it too, judging by the gleam in her eye and the flush in her cheeks when they’d looked over the improvements together.

      It seemed she was a natural.

      And far too talented to be wasting her time serving drinks at parties.

      He ran a hand over his hair, watching with a growing sense of impatience as she stopped to talk to a woman who pointed at the dress she was wearing and gave her a complimentary smile.

      Even though he’d been flat out with work, he’d not been able to keep his mind off the knowledge that she’d be there in his house when he got home each evening—and, even more frustratingly, that he wouldn’t be returning to one of her beguiling smiles and her soothing embrace.

      After having time away from her for the last week or so, which had given him more of a chance to ruminate on what she’d revealed after they’d visited his parents’ house, he realised that her heartfelt admission seemed to have broken the evil spell his pride had held over him since they’d parted ways.

      He ached to be on friendlier terms with her, rather than having to step so carefully around her as he had been doing.

      Hopefully the plan he’d put in place for when they were finally able to escape this party would set him on a path towards that.

      ‘Did you manage to speak to Rob alone? Is it a done deal?’ Emma murmured into his ear as she finally made it back to where he stood.

      The soft caress of her breath on his skin chased shivers up his spine.

      Taking a steadying breath, he turned to look her in the eye; hyperaware of his pulse beating an erratic rhythm through his veins as he looked into her beautiful face and saw only genuine interest and concern for him there.

      Was there still something there between them? And could there be something again, even after all this time?

      He pushed the thought away, knowing he was playing with fire even considering the idea.

      ‘Yes, I’m all done here. It’s time to go,’ he told her, detecting a flash of relief on her face.

      He made a mental note to pay her back tenfold for putting herself out for him like this. Her willingness to help him proved she was still the same big-hearted, generous person she’d always been. This travesty with her father hadn’t broken her—in fact, like the age-old adage, it had only made

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