Willingly Bedded, Forcibly Wedded (Bedded By Blackmail)

by MELANIE MILBURNE

  The sun was dappling the water as they were led to their villa, the sweet and moist fragrance of the tropics filling her nostrils as they walked past beautifully landscaped gardens.

  Once their attendant had left Jasper lifted the bottle of Bollinger out of the ice bucket and began to pour some into the two glasses. ‘So what do you think?’ he asked, handing her a glass fizzing with exquisite bubbles.

  Hayley cradled her drink and looked around the luxurious premium split-level villa with amazement. It offered the ultimate in privacy and overlooked the sparkling ocean, the private balcony complete with spa.

  ‘It’s fabulous,’ she said, taking a tentative sip of the delicious champagne. ‘But you really didn’t need to change the booking. It must have cost you an arm and a leg.’

  ‘What if it did?’ he said. ‘Since I don’t intend to go on another honeymoon in this lifetime I thought I should do this one properly.’

  Hayley felt a crushing disappointment in the middle of her chest. It had never been his intention to marry anyone, least of all her, but did he have to keep reminding her of it?

  He raised his glass to hers. ‘So let’s drink to being together for a month.’

  Hayley chinked her glass against his. ‘To a month of madness,’ she said.

  His mouth twisted as he returned the toast. ‘Is that what you think it will be?’

  ‘What else can it be?’ she asked. ‘The last person in the world you want to be married to is me, even short term.’

  Jasper frowned at the hint of despondency in her tone. ‘Listen, sweetheart,’ he said. ‘Don’t go taking it personally. Marriage has never been my thing. I told you that.’

  She looked up at him with eyes the colour of the ocean outside. ‘Don’t you want more out of life, Jasper?’ she asked in a breathy whisper. ‘You know…someone to come home to each day, someone to talk to about your life, the ups and downs, sharing in the intimacy of companionship.’

  He put his drink down with a hard little crack on the nearest surface. ‘Stop it, Hayley,’ he said. ‘Stop this nonsense right now. You know the deal. This is not permanent.’

  ‘You can’t live the rest of your life alone,’ she said. ‘Everyone needs someone some time.’

  ‘You sound like the lyrics to a song,’ he said with a lip curl of derision. ‘Get rid of your romantic dreams. I’m not your guy.’

  She bit her lip as she stared down at the dancing bubbles in her glass. ‘No I know,’ she said. ‘But it’s nice to hear the words “I love you”.’

  His forehead became a map of frowning lines. ‘I knew sleeping with you would be a mistake,’ he growled. ‘You just don’t get it, do you? It’s not your fault, you’re a sweet kid and all that, but I can’t offer you more than this brief period of time.’

  Tears of hurt shone in her eyes. ‘You used my weakness where you’re concerned to get what you want,’ she said. ‘I can see it now. You knew I wouldn’t marry you unless you bribed me into it and, just to make sure in case the bribes didn’t work, you set about to make me fall hopelessly head over heels for you.’

  He stared at her. ‘Is that what you think I set out to do?’

  Her bottom lip trembled. ‘Isn’t it?’

  He raised his eyes heavenwards. ‘I hope you’re happy now, you sick old bastard,’ he muttered under his breath before he returned his gaze to Hayley’s. ‘No, it isn’t. You’re getting physical attraction confused with other emotions.’

  ‘So you at least admit you’re attracted to me?’

  He gave her an ironic look. ‘I can hardly contest that when on a couple of occasions you’ve held the evidence in your hands or mouth, not to mention your body, now can I?’

  ‘You used me to get what you want. You saw my vulnerability and went for it like a jungle cat goes for the jugular.’

  There was a small pulsing silence.

  ‘Are you telling me you’re in love with me?’ he asked.

  Hayley couldn’t hold his piercing gaze. ‘No, of course not,’ she said. ‘I’m not that stupid.’

  ‘But you are attracted to me.’

  ‘I’m sure it won’t last very long,’ she said, scraping her pride together with an effort. ‘I’m ashamed of myself for responding to you.’

  ‘Is this about Myles again? He betrayed you. He was a player, Hayley. He was getting his rocks off with whoever was available.’

  She sent him a caustic glare. ‘No doubt it takes one to know one,’ she bit out. ‘You’re hardly one to criticise the sexual exploits of another man when you’ve set the playboy benchmark.’

  ‘At least I’m honest about my intentions. I don’t believe in making promises I know I won’t be able to keep. I told you the score from the word go. I can’t help it if you chose to ignore my warnings and get your heart broken in the process. ‘

  She looked at him through eyes glittering with angry tears. ‘You’re an unfeeling bastard,’ she said. ‘You don’t care about another person but yourself, do you? Everything you do in life is for you. It has been for years. If I was Daniel Moorebank I would be ashamed to call you my father. You’re not worthy of the title.’

  Fury suddenly flashed in his dark gaze as it hit hers. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about, you spiteful little cat. You know nothing of the situation.’

  She sent him a venomous glare. ‘From what I’ve heard from Miriam’s new husband, you’ve consistently refused to support Daniel. How can you turn your back on your own son like that?’

  ‘So you’ve met Martin Beckforth, have you?’ he asked with a derisory twist to his mouth.

  She glowered at him. ‘He came in to pick his mum up a couple of months ago when her car was in the workshop. It’s not easy being a stepfather and the job is even harder if the real father is not paying his way.’

  His mouth was set in a white line of anger. ‘I don’t mind supporting Daniel, but I refuse to support that layabout jerk.’

  ‘He’s nothing of the sort,’ she threw back. ‘He seemed very nice and extremely concerned about Daniel, who is turning out to be a handful.’

  ‘Stay out of my life, Hayley,’ he said through clenched teeth. ‘You can sleep in my bed any time you like, but stay the hell out of my personal life.’

  Hayley watched as he swung away to leave the villa, the door snapping shut behind him rattling the glasses on the silver tray.

  She didn’t see him for the rest of the evening, which made her anger towards him move upwards another notch. She felt stupid sitting in the open terrace restaurant by herself, picking at the delicious food and sipping at the wine the attentive waiter provided while the other couples sat there in romantic, companionable bliss.

  Finally she gave up and went for a walk along the beach, taking off her sandals so she could bury her toes in the powdery sand. The moon was a silver sickle in the sky and a few stars were peeping through the blue-black velvet blanket of the sky.

  She saw a lone figure standing at one end of the strip of sand, his tall, athletic frame silhouetted by the lights shining from the terrace. He was throwing tiny pebbles into the water, one after one, skimming them along the surface, the dancing movements making popping noises in the stillness of the tropical night air.

  She had seen him do the very same thing down at the Crickglades pond in the past. Even way back then she had been able to discern his moods by the force of each throw; the size of the missile had warned her on many an occasion to stay well away.

  She suspected that if a decent sized rock were available now he would be using that to vent his anger. His every movement seemed to suggest he was coiled with tension, his back was rigid with it, and as she moved closer she could see the hardened line of his jaw as he aimed another throw.

  He must have sensed her presence for he turned and looked at her, his eyes running over her like a hot flame. ‘If you’re after an apology I’m not giving it to you,’ he said, bending down to search for another pebble. He straightened and threw it as far as he could, the sound o
f it hitting the water fracturing the silence.

  ‘I felt like an idiot up there eating by myself,’ she bit out resentfully. ‘The least you could have done is brush off your surly attitude and play the role of attentive husband. That’s the deal, remember? When we’re in public we’re supposed to be acting as if everything is normal between us.’

  He stepped towards her, standing so close she felt her neck crick to keep eye contact. ‘What’s wrong, baby girl? Feeling lonely all of a sudden?’

  ‘You’re horrid.’

  ‘And you are a nosy little bitch.’

  She clenched her fists at her sides, determined not to slap him even though she dearly longed to. ‘I wish I had never agreed to this charade.’

  ‘Then why did you?’ he asked.

  ‘You know why.’

  His smile bordered on a smirk. ‘Because you couldn’t resist me? Go on, admit it, Hayley. You wanted to do it with me, didn’t you? You’ve wanted to for years.’

  ‘I’m going to make you regret this, you know,’ she warned him recklessly. ‘You will seriously regret marrying me, I guarantee it.’

  His eyes glittered as he took her upper arms in his hands, his fingers biting almost cruelly. ‘You are just like every other woman I know—greedy and grasping. But I should warn you, sweetheart, that I won’t let you get away with it. If you want to thrash it out once our marriage is over I’m well prepared for it. I have some cards up my sleeve that will make you think twice about playing hardball with me.’

  Her eyes flashed at him in the moonlight. ‘I hate you.’

  ‘That’s more like it,’ he drawled as he dropped his hands. ‘I was starting to worry you were forming a bit of an attachment to me.’

  She rolled her eyes. ‘As if I would be that stupid.’

  ‘Don’t confuse good old fashioned lust with love, Hayley,’ he said. ‘We can get down and dirty whenever you want, but don’t go wrapping it up in anything other than what it is.’

  ‘I. Hate. You. I can’t bear the thought of you touching me.’

  ‘Liar.’

  ‘I mean it.’ She lifted her chin.

  He gave a mocking laugh. ‘You are so pathetic at lying. Ever since you were sixteen years old you’ve been begging me to give you a good—’

  She raised her hand and slapped him before he could say the crude word, the sound of her palm connecting with his cheek ringing in the still night air, her hand instantly burning from the contact.

  The throbbing silence was menacing. It swirled around them amongst the shadows, creeping closer and closer until Hayley was sure she was going to be swallowed whole by it.

  ‘You know,’ he said in a tone that contained an unmistakable steely edge, ‘you really shouldn’t have done that.’

  She fought hard against the trepidation that was filling her throat, making it difficult for her to swallow. ‘You asked for it,’ she said.

  ‘I could say the same about you,’ he returned, taking a handful of her hair, his fingers lifting the skin of her scalp as he brought her one step closer to his hard body. ‘You’re still begging for it, aren’t you, Hayley? You’ve been begging for it for years. You want me to throw you down on the sand at our feet and show you just how ruthless I can be. Go on, admit it.’

  He gave a taunting laugh and tapped her on the end of her nose as he said each word. ‘You. Want. Me. Want me to prove it?’

  She gritted her teeth. ‘Get your filthy hands off me.’

  He pulled her even closer, his mouth now hardly a breath away from hers. ‘Make me,’ he said, his eyes narrowed and glinting in sexy temptation. ‘Go on. I dare you.’

  Hayley was beyond thought or reason. Her body felt as if it were being fuelled by a bewildering combination of anger to push him away, and an even greater desire to pull him closer and have him do what he had suggested. She felt her toes curl into the sand beneath her feet, his body so close she could feel the pulse of his erection as it pressed against her quivering belly. His mouth met hers, or maybe hers met his—she wasn’t entirely sure who had made that last devastating movement, but when it happened it was like an earthquake rumbling through her whole being.

  His tongue met hers somewhere in the middle, curling around hers, fighting with it, subduing it and then seducing it until she felt her legs go from beneath her. The soft sand cushioned her back as he came down with her, his body weight crushing her beneath him, his long, strong legs entrapping hers.

  His hands tugged the shoestring straps of her dress down so he could access her breasts with the heat of his palms, the rough stroke of his thumbs over her nipples making them instantly peak in pleasure. His mouth came down over her right nipple, his tongue playing with it before he suckled on her, his teeth nipping at her tantalisingly before he moved to her other breast. It was wild and abandoned; the hot brand of his mouth, the rasp of his tongue and the sensual scrape of his teeth as he toyed with her, each of his caresses making her senses spin out of control.

  She tore at his open cotton shirt, dragging it from his shoulders, her mouth pressed hotly to the side of his neck where she could feel his pulse thumping. She sucked on his salty skin before using her teeth to bite him, neither hard nor gently but somewhere in between, her tongue rolling over the imprint of the mark she’d made.

  In amongst his ragged breathing she heard him groan as his hand pulled up her dress, tugging her tiny lacy knickers to one side so he could find the pulsing heart of her. She felt the plunge of his fingers inside her wet warmth and whimpered in delight, her pelvis lifting to bring him deeper. She tugged at the waistband of his shorts, pulling them down, his aroused body jutting towards her scented core like an arrow to a target.

  She gasped in pleasure at the first deep thrust, her fingers digging into his taut buttocks to anchor herself as he drove again and again, each time harder and deeper until she was panting to keep up to his frantic rhythm. His body rocked against hers, his chest slick with sweat as he brought her closer and closer to the point of earth-shattering rapture. She could feel it building in every nerve in her body, her back arching, her legs tensing as with one last mind-blowing thrust he tipped her over the edge into the cascading, thunderous waterfall of her release.

  She felt his pumping action inside her as she floated in the shallows of satisfaction, the burst of his life force dragging a deep guttural groan from the depths of his chest as he finally let go. She felt the aftershocks through the skin of his back, his muscles twitching as her fingers drifted over him.

  But she felt herself instantly shrink in shame as soon as he lifted himself off her, his expression brooding as he reached for his shorts and shirt. ‘You’d better cover yourself,’ he said. ‘I can hear someone coming.’

  She scrambled to her feet, pulling her straps back over her shoulders, the rest of her dress falling into place around her knees as she turned and stumbled to the path that led back to their villa.

  Jasper waited until she’d disappeared around the curve of the path before he bent down to the sand and picked up her sandals. He dangled them from one hand for a moment, and then at a much slower pace followed in the direction she went, a heavy frown settling between his brows.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  HAYLEY CAME OUT of the shower a long time later, pointedly avoiding Jasper’s eyes as she came into the main bedroom suite.

  ‘Hayley, we need to talk.’

  She turned her back and rummaged through her open suitcase for her nightwear. ‘I’d rather not, if you don’t mind,’ she clipped out.

  She heard him let out a frustrated sigh before she felt his hand on her arm turning her around to face him.

  ‘Listen to me, Hayley,’ he began.

  She slapped at his hand as if it were a mosquito. ‘I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want anything to do with you. You’re an arrogant pig, that’s what you are.’

  His hold tightened. ‘Will you shut up and listen to me, for God’s sake?’ he growled.

  She fought against the tremble
of her bottom lip. ‘You took advantage of me,’ she accused.

  His expression hardened. ‘I did not do any such thing. You could have stopped me at any point but you didn’t. You were with me all the way.’

  Her eyes flashed with blue and green sparks of anger. ‘You make it impossible to resist you, that’s why! I hate you for that!’

  ‘It’s hardly my fault if you have no self-control.’

  ‘You’re the one with no self-control,’ she threw back. ‘You didn’t even use protection.’

  His eyes bored into hers. ‘That’s what I want to talk to you about. Are you on the contraceptive pill?’

  ‘I don’t have to tell you my personal details,’ she said. ‘We’re only going to be together a month. I don’t have to even tell you my shoe size if I don’t want to.’

  ‘I already know your shoe size. You left your sandals on the beach.’

  ‘I also left my dignity on the beach,’ she tossed back. ‘Did you happen to pick that up as well?’

  It was a full thirty seconds before he spoke, each and every one of them seeming endless as he stood looking down at her with those dark, unfathomable eyes.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said at last, his voice sounding rough and uneven. ‘I probably hurt you.’

  Hayley felt her defences ambushed by his change of tone. Her anger melted and she suddenly felt close to tears. ‘It’s all right,’ she mumbled, looking away. ‘I shouldn’t have slapped you. I detest violence of any sort. I’m deeply ashamed of myself.’

  He captured her chin and brought her gaze back to his. ‘No, you shouldn’t have slapped me, but then I probably goaded you into it. We do seem to have the strangest effect on each other, don’t we? One minute I want to shake you until your teeth rattle and the next I want to bury myself inside you and explode.’

  Hayley felt the sharp tug of desire in her lower body at his gruff confession. ‘I feel like that too,’ she whispered.