‘Yes. I did warn you that I wanted you out by the end of the week, Helen. It’s hardly my fault if you chose to ignore that warning.’
‘It wasn’t a case of me ignoring it! Damn it, Jacob, do you imagine that I want to stay there any longer than I have to? It just isn’t that easy to find somewhere else in so short a time!’
‘That is hardly my concern, is it? You made your choice the other day, Helen.’
‘And the fact that Father is worried sick because he got home to find himself locked out isn’t your concern either!’
‘I didn’t intend that should happen. I assumed that your father would be at his club for the afternoon as he usually is. I didn’t set out to cause Edward any distress. Now if you don’t mind, I want to take that shower.’ He glanced at the glass partition on the shower stall, then raised a mocking dark brow. ‘Of course you are welcome to stay....’
Helen swung round on her heel and strode out of the room, steadfastly ignoring his taunting laughter. It would have afforded her the greatest pleasure to walk right out of the building, but what would that achieve? Jacob had said once that pride was a luxury she couldn’t afford, and she was starting to understand what he’d meant. If she left then it wouldn’t be just she who would suffer, but her father and Richard. It was all bound up together.
The minutes ticked by while Helen listened to the sound of the shower running and tried to work out what she should say, but when Jacob finally appeared she was still no closer to knowing what it should be. He studied her in silence for a moment, then walked over to his desk and flicked on the intercom to ask his secretary to bring in coffee. He then glanced calmly at Helen who was still standing in the middle of the room.
‘Why don’t you sit down? We can have coffee and see if we can find a solution to your problem.’
Helen glared at him with cold green eyes. ‘I didn’t come here on a social visit. And as for finding a solution that’s simple: just give me the keys to the flat.’
Jacob sat down in one of the deep leather armchairs arranged at one end of the room, leaning comfortably back as he studied her with a faintly arrogant lift of his brows. ‘And why should I do that, Helen? I told you the other day that I intended to take possession of the flat.’
‘We’ve already been over that! It doesn’t change the fact that Father and I have nowhere to live.’
‘Nor does it alter the fact that that is no longer my problem.’ He broke off as Annette tapped on the door and brought in the coffee, waiting until she had poured it and left before continuing. ‘Nor, I imagine, does it change Richard’s situation much.’
Helen sank down on to a chair, her legs suddenly too weak to support her. ‘Would you really sack him, Jacob? It’s such a dreadfully vicious thing to do, to hit at him because you can’t have your way.’
His mouth thinned but his voice remained level. ‘That seems a rather dramatic description of what I must do. I don’t enjoy the thought of it, but it makes sense.’
‘Sense? You are going to destroy Richard’s career because of some feud you have with me and my family!’ Her voice was hoarse, temper simmering in the depths of her green eyes, yet Jacob seemed unmoved by her anger.
‘It makes sense to ensure that every person I employ remains loyal to me, Helen. And how could I be confident of Richard’s loyalty once you tell him what has happened?’ He shrugged as he picked up his cup and sipped the coffee. ‘Naturally, Richard will be torn and that is a risk I cannot afford to take. I will not take any risks with Hunt Electronics. So from my point of view I am merely minimising any risks to safeguard the company.’
‘You know that’s all lies, Jacob. Lies, lies and more lies! You wouldn’t have offered Richard the job if it hadn’t been for his friendship with me!’
‘I think you do Richard an injustice, Helen. He is extremely capable. It is just unfortunate that our present situation dictates this kind of action.’ Jacob set his cup back on the tray then looked back at her in a way which made the blood start to swirl along her veins. What had she hoped to achieve by coming here? Had she really imagined that she could appeal to his better nature, that his attitude would change? If that was what she’d been hoping for then she was doomed to disappointment, because there wasn’t a hint of softening in those hard blue eyes, no trace of any human emotion like compassion. Jacob Hunt had set out to achieve an objective and that was all that mattered. It made her feel suddenly afraid.
‘I—’
He cut her off as though he hadn’t noticed her attempt to speak, his deep voice holding a note which made a shudder run through her like ice. Unconsciously, Helen held her breath, listening to the pounding beat of her heart which sounded so loud that Jacob must hear it too, but even that thought didn’t deaden the impact of his words.
‘You hold the solution to it all in your hands, Helen. Marry me, and not only will your father’s future comfort and security be assured but Richard’s career also.’
It was hard to speak, hard to force any words out, but she finally managed it as she jumped to her feet. ‘No! You must be mad, Jacob, to imagine I would ever agree to it. I hate you; all I want out of life is to find a way to get even with you!’
‘And I am offering you the perfect opportunity.’ He stood up, big and powerful as he stared down at her. ‘Marry me, Helen, and you will get to know me better than any other human being does, learn all my weaknesses, all my vulnerabilities. Imagine then how you could wreak your revenge.’ He caught her cold hands and drew her closer, his eyes burning as they searched her shocked ones. ‘Marry me, Helen, not out of love but another emotion just as strong—hate.’
His voice seemed to fill her head, the words weaving through the fear to make a horrible kind of sense. She would never be free of Jacob. No matter where she went or what she did, he would always affect her life in some way. Yet if she married him then she could find some way to make him pay for all the heartache and pain he had caused her family. Know thine enemy! Well, she would learn all she could about him and in that way ultimately destroy him!
‘Yes.’ Her voice was clear as she stared up at him. It held no note of hesitation. She might come to regret this decision but he might regret her making it even more! ‘Yes, I shall marry you, Jacob, and believe me I shall make sure that you regret the day you asked me for the rest of your life!’
Something flickered in his eyes, an emotion so raw that it seemed to scorch her before his lids lowered as he bent and touched his lips to hers in a kiss which was nothing but a sealing of their agreement, yet Helen drew back at once, oddly shaken by the feel of his mouth on hers.
‘I shall make all the arrangements as soon as possible, Helen. I see no reason to wait, do you?’
She shrugged, trying to rid herself of the lingering and deeply disturbing feel of his mouth on hers. ‘Not really. Whenever you like, Jacob. I don’t care. However, I do have one or two provisos which will need to be met before the actual ceremony.’
‘And they are?’ He sounded more amused than concerned as he walked over to his desk and rested against the edge of it.
‘Just that I want an agreement drawn up and signed by you that Father will be provided for for the rest of his life and that Richard’s job will be secure for—’ she pursed her lips as she deliberated ‘—two years.’
‘You have my word, Helen.’
She shook her head, the fiery waves swirling around her shoulders. ‘Not good enough, I’m afraid. I want it in writing, Jacob, and I want it well before the date of the wedding so that my solicitor can go through it with a fine-tooth comb!’
He laughed aloud. ‘Don’t you trust me to keep my word, Helen?’
‘I don’t trust you—period!’ Her eyes skimmed his lean figure with icy contempt. ‘Of course if you are starting to have second thoughts as to the wisdom of all this then I can’t say that I blame you. You do know what you are letting yourself in for?’
‘Oh, I know, Helen.’ His eyes skimmed down her slender body, his voice dropp
ing to a level which made the words strum along her nerves, making them tingle with heady awareness. ‘This is something I have wanted for a long time.’
She didn’t enjoy her reaction to that lazy look, the sound of that deeply sensuous voice. It sparked an anger aimed partly at him but even more at herself. ‘Then you only have yourself to blame, don’t you, Jacob, when it all turns into the nightmare it’s destined to be—for you, that is?’
‘Nightmare? Is that how you think it will turn out?’
‘How else? In fact, I’m so sure that I want another clause adding to our agreement, stating that if you decide you want to end our marriage then you will still fulfil your obligations under the terms of the contract.’ She laughed suddenly. ‘I wonder how long it will take before you’ve had enough? Six months? Less? This could turn out to be one of the most profitable decisions I have ever made!’
He straightened away from the desk, walking slowly across the room to stop in front of her. Helen could smell the faint clean tang of soap and shampoo from his recent shower, see the dampness of his black hair which was just starting to curl at the back of his head, thick and springy and so vitally alive. It made heat swirl inside her and she looked away so that Jacob could see no hint of it, but he calmly slid his hand against her cheek and turned her face back to his.
‘It won’t be six months, Helen, nor even ten. When you marry me it will be a lifetime’s commitment. Understand?’
She drew away from him, trying hard to keep the fear from her voice. ‘Time will tell, Jacob.’
‘It will indeed.’ He turned away, sitting down behind the desk before glancing up at her. ‘So now that we have everything agreed, that appears to be that. I’m sure you will understand when I tell you that I’m afraid I can’t spare you any more time today. I shall be in touch about the arrangements.’ He opened a folder lying on the desk, then looked up again as he felt in the pocket of his jacket. He tossed her a set of keys, his blue eyes betraying little as he watched her catch them automatically. ‘These are for the flat, Helen. Tell your father that there is no need to worry. Everything has been sorted out satisfactorily.’
She flushed at the cool irony in his voice but made no comment as she walked to the door. Then she stopped, struck by a sudden unpalatable thought. ‘Richard—what—what shall I tell him?’
‘You could try the truth, I imagine. However, I am not totally unfeeling, Helen. I can appreciate that it could be embarrassing to have to tell him that you are about to marry his boss in the near future.’ He shrugged dismissively, picking up a pen from the desk and making a note on the paper he was reading. ‘Leave it to me. I shall tell him.’
‘Jacob, you will...’
‘Be kind? Was that what you were about to say?’ All of a sudden she could sense anger in him, yet she couldn’t understand what had caused it. Jacob now had everything he had ever wanted. He was the victor, to a point, in their battle so why should she sense that something had roused him to fury? However, before she could work out the puzzle he continued, his voice betraying little but a faint amusement which made her hate him more than ever. ‘Don’t worry, Helen, my love. I can afford to be generous to a loser.’
He bent his head as he turned back to his work. Helen left the office, smiling vaguely at Richard as she hurried towards the door to the corridor.
‘Helen? What is going on here?’
Richard followed her into the corridor, bewilderment clearly apparent from his tone. Helen slowed to a reluctant halt and turned back to face him, forcing a stiff little smile to her face.
‘Richard, this is rather awkward to explain. Perhaps—perhaps it would be better if you waited until Jacob had a word with you.’
He frowned as he walked closer to her. ‘What has Jacob Hunt got to do with anything? Look, if I’ve upset you in any way then—’
‘No! Honestly, Richard, it hasn’t anything to do with you upsetting me.’
‘Then what is this all about?’ He glanced around, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. ‘In fact, what are you doing here in the first place? I didn’t know that you knew Hunt that well, didn’t think you would want to from the few comments you’ve made about the man.’
‘Jacob and I—well, we have known each other for some years now,’ she admitted lamely, wondering what to do. How could she just come out and tell Richard that she had agreed to marry Jacob? It seemed so brutal.
‘I knew you two were acquainted, Helen. After all, you both come from the same area, and Jacob did buy your family’s house and business, but I didn’t realise you knew him well enough to come visiting!’
There was a hard note in Richard’s usually quiet tone, and Helen glanced almost helplessly around her. The last thing she wanted was an argument here.
‘Look, Richard, I really don’t think this is the place to start a discussion. Let’s agree to leave this until later, shall we?’
‘No, we shan’t.’ He caught her by the arm, his pleasant face unusually harsh. ‘I want to know what’s going on!’
‘I think you should tell him, Helen. There doesn’t seem any point in keeping it a secret any longer.’
She hadn’t realised there was a door leading directly from Jacob’s office into the corridor, and started nervously when he spoke just behind her. She swung round, her eyes widening as she spotted Jacob standing in the doorway watching them. He smiled thinly, his eyes holding a dangerous glimmer as they dropped to where Richard’s hand was still fastened around her arm. Richard immediately let her go and stepped back a pace, although there was still more than a trace of belligerence on his face.
‘I think it would be better if you both came into my office. It will be far less public.’ Jacob disappeared inside the room, leaving Helen no alternative but to follow him. He closed the door, then leant back against it, studying Richard’s set face before his gaze settled on Helen.
‘Have you told him yet?’
Helen shook her head, feeling colour swimming into her face at the sheer embarrassment of the situation. She was extremely fond of Richard and the last thing she wanted was to cause him any distress, but it seemed events were out of her hands now.
‘Told me what? Look, Jacob, I know something is going on and I want to hear what it is!’ He paused, his face going suddenly pale. ‘Did you ask Helen here to help soften the blow when—when you fire me?’
Jacob smiled slightly, his eyes catching Helen’s and holding them for a moment which was full of meaning. She dropped her gaze away from his mocking one, feeling sick. ‘No, I can honestly say that your job is guaranteed safe for the next couple of years, Richard.’
Richard sagged visibly with relief, but was still obviously confused. ‘I am delighted to hear it, but I still don’t understand what’s happening.’
‘I can appreciate that. I’m afraid this has been rather unexpected for us too, hasn’t it, Helen?’ Jacob walked over to her and slid his arm around her shoulders as he smiled down at her in a way which made her palm itch to slap his arrogant face. Didn’t he understand how awful this would be for Richard? Didn’t he care? Apparently not, because he continued in the same unapologetic tone, ‘Helen has just agreed to become my wife.’
‘Your—Helen?’ The shock on Richard’s face was almost her undoing. Helen took a half-step towards him, then stopped when Jacob’s hand tightened around her shoulder. She glanced up into his deep blue eyes, seeing the determination etched so clearly in their depths, and knew she had to go along with what he’d said.
‘It’s true, Richard,’ she said gently, hating herself for inflicting pain on the other man. ‘I know it must come as a shock for you and I’m sorry. I—I didn’t want you to find out this way.’
‘It doesn’t matter how I found out! In heaven’s name, Helen, why didn’t you tell me before?’ Richard made an obvious effort to control himself. ‘I just wish you had warned me that something like this was on the cards, then perhaps I wouldn’t feel such a fool!’
‘Richard, I...’
‘I think I just explained that neither Helen nor I foresaw this happening. I don’t see any need to go into further explanations.’ Jacob’s fingers still bit into her flesh, hard yet strangely reassuring now, and unconsciously Helen took a step towards him, flushing when she saw that Richard had immediately noticed. She felt dreadful for hurting him this way, even though there had been no promises made, no commitments. Had she always known in her heart that Richard wasn’t the man for her? Perhaps, but that didn’t help soften the blow he’d just been dealt. And the worst thing was that she was powerless to explain to him the real reasons she was marrying Jacob.
She stared at Richard in silent apology but he ignored her, his smile tinged with bitterness as he turned to Jacob. ‘Then there doesn’t seem anything left to say. Forgive me for not offering congratulations, but from my point of view this is hardly a cause for celebration.’
‘I can appreciate that. However, if it will be any consolation to you, Richard, then you have my word that I shall do everything in my power to make Helen happy and not regret her decision to marry me.’ Jacob betrayed little by that cool statement yet Helen felt her temper rise. She already regretted agreeing to marry him and she had only made the decision minutes ago!
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she had changed her mind when she caught his gaze and all the fire went out of her. If she did that, then they would all be back to square one. Richard might never find out, but one of the reasons for this marriage was to save him from whatever Jacob had planned!
Suddenly she couldn’t stand it a moment longer, and pulled away from Jacob’s hold, walking swiftly to the door before glancing back with tears shimmering in her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Richard. I hope that one day you will be able to accept what I’ve done.’
She hurried into the corridor but got no further than a few yards before Jacob stopped her, his face thunderous as he glared down at her. ‘And what was that supposed to mean? If you imagine that I am going to allow you to tell Jackson the reasons for our marriage, then think again! Whatever you and he had going is past—understand?’
Lovestorm (Harlequin Treasury 1990's) Page 4
