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instant answer. It bothered her very much.

      After all, she was probably just one of several women Nick had been involved with during his visits to England. No doubt one of those other women would be quite happy to join him for a late supper. And whatever else was on offer…

      Hebe realised that fidelity in their marriage was something else they hadn’t discussed. The thought of Nick in bed with some other woman was totally unacceptable to her, but if she told him that he would probably laugh in her face!

      ‘Not in the least,’ she assured him dismissively.

      His expression darkened ominously. ‘That’s what I thought,’ he rasped. ‘But once we’re married, Hebe, get used to the idea that I will be the only man in your life. In your bed. Is that understood?’ he prompted hardly.

      She eyed him challengingly. Nick had unwittingly played right into her hands. ‘And does the same apply to you?’

      ‘Oh, yes, Hebe,’ he murmured throatily as he took a step towards her, easily taking her in his arms and moulding her body to his. ‘Keep me happy in your bed, and I promise I’ll stay there,’ he assured her throatily before his mouth claimed hers.

      This wasn’t quite the answer Hebe wanted to hear, but now Nick was kissing her she could no longer think straight.

      She didn’t have a single lucid thought in her head but her desire for him as his tongue moved tantalisingly over her lips to part them and deepen the kiss.

      His hands moved up to cradle each side of her face, holding her mouth up to his as he explored with his tongue, sucking the moist warmth of her own tongue into his mouth and gently biting, arousing emotions in her that caused a pulsing warmth between her legs. Her whole body was trembling with need when he finally lifted his head to look down at her desire-drugged eyes and full, still-parted lips.

      ‘Yes.’ He murmured his satisfaction as he released her. ‘I don’t think pretending to be in love with you is going to be any hardship at all! Sure you still want me to leave, Hebe?’ he added tauntingly.

      Yes!

      No…!

      Of course she didn’t want him to leave; she would much rather have just melted in his arms.

      But the relevant word in his statement was ‘pretending’, and that was all being in love with her would ever be to Nick—a pretence.

      ‘I’m sure,’ she murmured huskily.

      He gave a dismissive shrug. ‘Your loss.’

      Oh, yes, she knew that, Hebe acknowledged heavily as she watched him go, waiting until the apartment door had closed softly behind him before dropping weakly down into an armchair.

      How was she going to be able to bear being married to a man she loved but who felt nothing but contempt for her?

      A man who only had to touch her to melt her to the core of her being…!

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      ‘STOP looking so worried, Hebe,’ Nick told her derisively as she sat beside him on the drive to her parents’ home. ‘Didn’t I already prove last night that my performance in front of your parents will be faultless? As yours had better be when you meet my parents,’ he added grimly.

      Hebe eyed him sharply. ‘I’m going to meet your parents…?’ She simply hadn’t given Nick’s family a thought, and realised she had no idea what it consisted of, besides his ex-wife Sally and Luke.

      ‘Well, of course you’re going to meet my parents,’ Nick came back impatiently. ‘And the rest of the Cavendish clan eventually too, no doubt.’ He gave her a brief glance. ‘I thought you understood, Hebe, my main home is in New York.’

      ‘You’re expecting me to move to New York with you?’ She gasped in dismay.

      She had assumed England would be their main home, had never even imagined that Nick would expect her to—

      But why hadn’t she? Her wants and wishes hadn’t been of too much importance so far in this relationship.

      In fact, Nick seemed to be of the opinion that if he kept her ‘barefoot and pregnant’, and satisfied in his bed, she should just be happy with the fact that he was keeping her at all!

      She didn’t want to move to New York, Nick realized irritably. Yet another mistake he had made where Hebe was concerned!

      ‘I’d have thought most women would love living in New York. But if you prefer we’ll buy a house in England.’ He sighed. ‘It ultimately makes no difference to me where we live, I suppose.’In fact, the more he thought about it, a house out in the London suburbs, with a big garden for their child to play in as it grew up, didn’t sound like such a bad idea.

      She was eyeing him uncertainly. ‘You would really do that…?’

      ‘Why not?’ He shrugged. ‘I can travel to Paris and New York from here as easily as I can travel to London and Paris from New York.’

      Of course he could, Hebe acknowledged frowningly. And if he had become bored with her in his bed by then he could also see whatever women he chose when visiting those other cities!

      ‘Fine,’ she accepted abruptly, turning to look sightlessly out of the window.

      This visit to her parents was a nightmare as far as Hebe was concerned. How could she possibly manage to convince them that she was marrying Nick because she loved him when every conversation they had seemed to end like this? When it was only on a physical level that the two of them seemed to find any compatibility at all?

      ‘Here.’

      She turned to find Nick holding out the ring box from last night.

      Her expression darkened as she looked at it. ‘I told you—I don’t want it,’ she said forcefully. Not even to convince her parents of their relationship could she wear that—that insult of a ring!

      Nick sighed heavily. ‘Will you just take the damned box, Hebe? So that I can use both hands to drive?’ He rasped his impatience with her stubbornness.

      She took the box gingerly from his fingers.

      ‘Don’t just look at it—open it!’ Nick bit out irritably.

      She gave him another frowning glance before opening it. Inside was a thin gold band supporting a medium-sized yellow stone surrounded by six smaller diamonds…

      ‘It’s a yellow sapphire,’ Nick told her abruptly. ‘The colour reminded me of your eyes.’

      Tears instantly stung those eyes. Something else she had discovered about pregnancy was that tears came all too easily. In fact, emotions altogether came all too easily.

      This ring was delicately beautiful—exactly the sort of ring she would have picked herself, given the choice.

      And Nick had chosen a yellow sapphire because it matched the colour of her eyes.

      ‘It’s beautiful,’ she told him breathlessly.

      ‘Then put it on,’ he encouraged.

      She took the ring from the box and slid it onto the third finger of her left hand. It was a perfect fit.

      She looked up at him shyly. ‘Did you manage to get your money back on the other one?’

      ‘I didn’t even try,’ he drawled ruefully. ‘I’m keeping it for our tenth wedding anniversary. Or the birth of our fourth child—whichever comes first!’

      Fourth child…?

      Nick spoke about this marriage as if it would be a permanency rather than an expediency.

      Something until this moment Hebe hadn’t thought he meant it to be at all.

      ‘It really is a lovely ring, Nick. Thank you,’ she told him softly.

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