A member of staff came in carrying a tray in one hand and a bottle in the other. He deposited the tray on the coffee table by the couch, put the bottle beside it, then left. The tray contained a selection of cheeses and crackers, two long-stemmed glasses, and a steaming cup of tea.
The Duke moved over to the tray and picked up the tea. ‘There is champagne, of course, but I thought you might prefer something a little more calming.’ He carried it over to the small table that stood next to the armchair closest to the fireplace and set it down. ‘Please. Sit.’
She didn’t want to sit. And she didn’t want tea. What she wanted was to walk out of the door and flee back to the safety of her home, or anywhere really as long it was away from his disturbing presence. But that would be to admit he affected her, and, since he’d already overwhelmed her control twice already, she decided there would not be a third time.
She was stronger than that.
So she moved over to the armchair and sat down, pointedly ignoring the tea.
He gave her an amused look, as if he’d expected exactly that, then sat down in the armchair opposite, long legs stretched out in front of him.
‘So,’ he said. ‘My proposal. Thornhaven, as you know, is my family estate and, as I’m the only child, it should automatically come to me following my father’s death. However, a couple of codicils in his will have come to light and it has become apparent that I can only inherit after two stipulations have been fulfilled. The first being that I must be married.’
Willow studied him. He didn’t seem all that cut up about his father’s quite recent death, which was puzzling. Perhaps they hadn’t got on. ‘That seems very...’
‘Old-fashioned?’ the Duke finished. ‘Yes. Remarkably so. My father was a very old-fashioned kind of man, not to mention vindictive. But that’s another story.’
It certainly sounded like a story. But not one she was interested in, sadly for him.
‘What has this got to do with me marrying you?’
‘My personal assistant found a note in my father’s papers signed by your father, promising a marriage between the Seventh Duke of Audley and your father’s eldest and yet unborn daughter.’ He gave her that predator’s smile again. ‘I am the Seventh Duke of Audley and you, I believe, are your father’s eldest daughter.’
Willow smoothed her already smooth jeans then clasped her fidgeting hands in her lap. ‘Yes, but my father said it was a gentleman’s agreement. A handshake that they both then forgot about.’
‘He certainly forgot about the note, yet that is indeed in existence.’
‘You think I’m going to agree to marry you because of some note?’
‘Of course not.’ Blue gleamed from beneath thick black lashes. ‘I’m not a fool, Diana.’
Heat rose in her face. She was letting him get to her again, wasn’t she?
Glancing away, she found herself staring at the cup full of tea. She could smell its faint, slightly citrusy scent. It looked to be her favourite kind too, Earl Grey with a slice of lemon. ‘I’m not sure why you think I’m going to marry you based entirely on some long-forgotten agreement your father had with mine. It’s nonsense.’
His laugh was soft and deep and sexy, and she remembered that too. He’d laughed down by the lake and she’d been shocked by it, since she’d never heard such a warm sound. It shocked and transfixed her now.
‘You’re right,’ he said, as if he had no idea the effect his amusement had on her. ‘It is nonsense. But I can make it nonsense that is very much worth your while.’
‘And how are you going to do that?’
The gleam in his eyes intensified. ‘With money, of course.’
‘You mean you’ll pay me to marry you?’
‘Exactly. It’s not a love match, obviously. I prefer to think of it as a business arrangement. You allow me to marry you and I pay you for the privilege of having your name on the marriage certificate.’
Loath as she was to admit it, there was a certain cool logic to the idea. And the calm, dispassionate way he talked about it, calling it a ‘business arrangement’, helped too.
Perhaps there was merit in it. Her father would at last be able to get the help he needed and she would finally be able to go to university.
She met his gaze. ‘How much are we talking about here?’
‘I take it you’re interested?’
‘In the money, certainly.’ A sudden suspicion gripped her. ‘But you knew that, didn’t you?’
He didn’t even blink. ‘Yes, I knew that. I did my research.’
She could feel herself flush again, but ignored it. ‘Give me a figure.’
He leaned back in his chair in a lazy movement. Giving every impression of being at his leisure, and yet his eyes gleamed hot. ‘How much? How does this sound?’ And he named a price that stole her breath entirely away.
It was a lot of money. A lot of money. Enough for the expensive treatments her father had wanted. Enough for an entirely new house that would enable him to live more independently than he was doing now. And definitely more than enough for her live comfortably while she studied.
‘You’re joking.’ Her voice was breathless with shock.
He didn’t seem at all bothered. ‘Oh, I assure you I’m not.’
‘But that kind of money? Purely to get married?’
‘Yes, well, you remember I said that there were two stipulations?’
Willow’s gut lurched. ‘And what is the other?’
He gazed at her steadily from beneath his lashes, that wicked smile playing around his beautiful mouth. ‘I must also have a son.’
Her eyes went wide, her mouth opening slightly.
Poor Diana. This was not at all what she’d been expecting, was it?
Achilles didn’t move, keeping his posture relaxed. He would have to go carefully here, because yes, this would be shocking to her. And her instinct would be to refuse. Which meant he’d have to walk a very thin line.
She’d already revealed herself to be passionate and that she had a temper. And he could see, too, a certain stubbornness in the firm line of her jaw and the tilt of her chin. A woman who did not like being told what to do. And really, why should she?
If his research was correct, she’d spent the last nine years caring and providing for her father, which meant that, although she might be relatively young, she had a certain maturity. He could not simply fling some money at her and expect her to fall at his feet. Nor, he suspected, would simple charm work. At least, not to tempt her into motherhood.
He would need a more complex plan.
‘So let me get this straight,’ she said at last, her voice flat. ‘Not only do you want me to marry you, but you want me to have your child too.’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s...madness.’
Achilles spread his hands. ‘What can I say? When I told you my father was old-fashioned, I meant it.’
‘Why?’ She was sitting bolt upright in the armchair, the tea he’d brought her untouched. He hadn’t really expected her to drink it, but he had seen her glance longingly at it, and he filed the information away for future reference. ‘Why on earth would he make those stipulations?’
‘Because he’s a vindictive old bastard? Who knows? But I assure you I went over that will with a fine-toothed comb. There are no loopholes.’ He could tell her about Ulysses now, but what would be the point? She didn’t need to know.
She put her hands on the arm of the chair. ‘You can’t be serious.’
‘Oh, but I am. Deadly serious.’ He tilted his head, watching her. ‘However, I agree it’s a big ask. Hence the amount of money I’m willing to pay in recompense.’
‘You can’t possibly think I’ll agree to it.’
‘Actually, people agree to the strangest things when money is involved.’ He gave her another smile, non-threaten
ing and pleasant. ‘But I can see you’re not convinced. Well, that’s fine. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try.’ Pushing himself out of the armchair, he rose to his feet. ‘Don’t fret, Diana. I have other options.’
She blinked, clearly surprised. ‘So...that’s it?’
‘What did you expect? That I would march you at gunpoint to the altar? Of course not. That would be far too mediaeval of me. Well, don’t let me keep you.’ Achilles turned and strolled casually to the door, pulling it open. ‘You probably have a lot to do and I don’t want to take up any more of your valuable time.’
He’d unbalanced her, that was clear. Which was all part of his plan. If she didn’t like being told what to do, he wouldn’t tell her. He would coax her into it, seduce her. She was probably wise to a bit of reverse psychology, but he guessed that she wouldn’t be able to help questioning him all the same. She needed that money and desperately.
Sure enough, she said, ‘But I thought you needed a wife?’
‘And I do. Not to mention a son. But as I said, I have a number of other options.’ He raised a brow. ‘Did you think you were the only one I was considering?’
Her lovely mouth opened, then shut, a certain amount of bewilderment flickering over her face. ‘If you have other options, then why ask me?’
‘I told you. The agreement between our fathers. I thought it was polite to ask you first.’
‘Polite,’ she echoed, as if she didn’t understand the word.
‘Yes.’ He nodded towards the door. ‘Please, don’t stay any longer than you need to on my account.’
But she was now looking at him fixedly and he felt the kick of satisfaction deep inside. The hook was baited and she’d had a taste of it. All he had to do was reel her in, but again, he’d need to be careful. It wouldn’t do to rush this.
‘So what exactly are you expecting from a marriage?’ she asked. ‘Apart from a child?’
He let none of his satisfaction show. Now was the time to lay out what he wanted and there was no point holding back or making it seem less than it was. There was a time for honesty in business and there was a time for subterfuge, and now was the time for honesty.
He didn’t want anything to come back to bite him when she finally agreed, because she would agree. Of that he had no doubt.
‘If you’re thinking it would be marriage in name only then you would be wrong.’ He looked straight at her, let her see that he was giving her the pure, unvarnished truth. ‘Considering our chemistry, I would very much like to conceive a child naturally. However, until that happens, our lives will remain separate. There is no need for you to live with me, for example. And once the child is born, we can get an amicable divorce and you can go on your way. You’ll have access to the child, if you wish, but it will stay with me.’ Now was the time to add the sweetener. ‘If you agree, I will pay you the amount of money I specified, plus see to any other needs you may have. Your father may continue to live in his home with a caregiver, though I hear there are some excellent treatment facilities in the south of France, which I would be happy to pay for. Certainly the weather there is better.’
At first, he’d considered a marriage in name only and the conception of the child via medical assistance. His father’s will hadn’t stipulated any other requirements such as living together or being a proper family. He would of course raise the child himself, since there was no way he’d risk the chance of any child of his having the kind of upbringing he’d had.
But all those initial ideas had changed over the course of this meeting, coalescing into a single, bright, shining whole.
He would have her. And why not? He wanted her and she wanted him, which meant the sex would be phenomenal. And it would make conception extremely pleasurable into the bargain. And once that was accomplished, they could go their separate ways. Of course, a child needed their mother—his own mother had left when he was ten and so he knew how that felt—and he wouldn’t deny her access if she wanted it.
But it wouldn’t be a permanent arrangement between them, not when he had no idea what kind of mother Willow would be. And after his own experiences, the last thing he wanted was to expose a child to a parent who didn’t care.
People said that love was infinite, but people were liars. Love had a shelf life. It was limited. And when it ran out, there was no more to be had. Certainly his parents’ supply had been exhausted by the time he was born and Willow’s could very well be the same.
Regardless, he couldn’t risk it, which meant the child would remain with him. Of course, his own heart had been burned out long ago, but he could pretend. He’d certainly make damn sure the child never felt the lack of care and attention. No child of his would ever feel like a ghost.
Yes, it all made perfect sense to him and he would get what he wanted in the end.
He always did.
She blinked and he could see her mind working, going over the possibilities of what he’d said.
He smiled. ‘Well, I can see you’re not interested, that’s clear.’
Her gaze abruptly focused on him. ‘You think anyone will be?’
‘Oh, I know of many women who will be.’ He allowed just a hint of heat into his eyes. ‘Like I said, I have many options when it comes to choosing a wife. And some of them wouldn’t even require any financial recompense. In fact, for some, just having access to my bed would be more than enough.’
Willow made a sceptical sound, but he could see the blush that tinged her cheeks. She was already imagining herself in his bed, he’d lay money on it.
‘However, it’s not for you, I can see that,’ he murmured, because now that he’d piqued her interest it was time to send her on her way to think about it. ‘Your father must be waiting for you. Please don’t allow me to keep you.’
She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes narrowing. Some part of her might be aware that he was playing her, but, since he wasn’t forcing her into anything, she wouldn’t be able to tell how.
But he couldn’t force this anyway. It would have to be her choice.
And if she doesn’t choose you?
She would choose him. It was inevitable. He’d weighted the dice and they would fall in his favour.
He would make sure of it.
After a second’s hesitation, Willow pushed herself out of the armchair and walked hesitantly to the door of the room. He didn’t take his eyes off her, watching her the whole way, allowing some of the heat their chemistry generated to flood the space between them in case she needed a reminder that it wasn’t only money he could give her.
She paused beside him, no sign of a flush in her cheeks now. Her eyes had lost that smoky, molten look, glittering like hard little jewels. She’d cooled, a volcano gone dormant.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, not sounding sorry in the least. ‘But I can’t give you what you want.’
‘I understand. Like I said, I have plenty of options.’ He held out his hand to her. ‘Thank you for coming.’
After a moment’s hesitation, she gave it to him, which was a mistake she’d surely kick herself for later. Because he took it in his and turned it over, laying a kiss in the middle of her palm.
Her breath caught, sparks flickering in her eyes.
So, the volcano wasn’t quite as dormant as he thought.
He was tempted to lengthen the moment, intensify it. But everything was so finely balanced that he didn’t want to push, and already the kiss might have been a step too far.
So he let go of her hand before she’d even opened her mouth to protest. ‘Goodbye, Diana,’ he said, and stepped back.
She looked as if she wanted to say something, but then, clearly thinking better of it, she only murmured, ‘Goodbye,’ and went out.
Achilles closed the door behind her.
And smiled.
CHAPTER FOUR
WILLOW STOOD IN front of the dus
ty fireplace in the living room, unclasping then re-clasping her hands, trying to stay calm. She hadn’t thought this would be so hard, and yet with her father sitting there in his usual chair, the tea she’d made him sitting on the table beside him untouched, that disapproving, cold stare on his face, she found it was more difficult than she’d expected.
She’d just finished telling him about her meeting with the Duke the night before, and what the offer had been. And then how she’d flatly refused, because she’d had to. Of course she had to. Because it wasn’t a ‘business arrangement’ after all. No, the Duke wanted them to conceive his child naturally, and she couldn’t do that. She just...couldn’t.
Especially not after reading everything that had turned up in the internet search she’d done the night before as soon as she’d got home.
Achilles ‘Temple’ Templeton, the Seventh Duke of Audley, appeared to be one of the most notorious playboys in Europe, if not the entire world, and had the reputation to prove it. Which, remembering him from the night before, did not surprise her.
That he was also the head of a worldwide, high-risk venture-capital firm did. She knew next to nothing about playboys, but had always assumed that they cared more about parties than they did about business, though it seemed that the Duke of Audley was an exception.
Then again, given his behaviour the night before and what she knew about him now, that shouldn’t be a surprise either. He was clearly a man used to negotiation, used to driving a hard bargain, and being utterly ruthless about it. He was certainly a man used to getting his own way.
He’d used those business tactics on her and she’d been well aware of it at the time. Letting her know that she was his first choice, and yet being clear that he had other options. Before putting her off-balance by ending the meeting before she was ready.
A little reverse psychology, of course. If she’d been thinking straight, she would have given him a dose of his own medicine. But she hadn’t been thinking straight. She’d been shocked and angry and overwhelmed, and he’d taken advantage of that shamelessly.
The World's Most Notorious Greek (Mills & Boon Modern) Page 5
