‘Helen, I...’
‘What?’ She laid her hand on his arm, feeling the way the muscles under the thin shirt contracted immediately. ‘You are going to tell me that you don’t care, that making me admit I love you was all part of your plan?’ She laughed softly, seductively, as she smoothed her hand up his arm and down again. ‘What a monstrous lie, Jacob Hunt. You love me just as much as I love you. You always have. That is the reason why you wanted to marry me. So let’s see if you’re man enough to admit it?’
His whole body went rigid, his face taut with an emotion which someone else might have mistaken for anger, but not Helen. Her father had been right, she’d been blind to all the signs but now she was going to look at Jacob and see—really see for the first time in her life!
‘I don’t know where you got that ridiculous idea from, Helen. But I suggest that you disabuse yourself of it very quickly. Now I cannot see that we have anything left to discuss so if you’ll excuse me—’
‘You’re very busy? Is that what you are about to say, Jacob, darling?’ She stepped in front of him when he tried to move past her, one hand lifting to press gently against his chest. Under her palm she felt his heart jerk then start to beat crazily, and she smiled as she moved her fingers over the betraying signal he couldn’t hide.
‘That’s enough! I don’t know what’s got into you, Helen.’
Jacob’s eyes were burning as they met hers, his fingers bruising as they grasped her wrist and dragged her hand away from him, but Helen wasn’t deterred. She loved him and he loved her and she would be damned if she would let him ruin what they could have by lying out of some stupid sense of duty!
‘Love, Jacob. That’s what’s got into me. It’s taken me a long time to realise it, but there’s no way I’m going to let you try to ruin something marvellous.’
He pushed her away, his movements jerky and uncoordinated as he walked across the room to the window and stood there with his back towards her. ‘You’re making a fool of yourself, Helen,’ he said harshly.
Her heart turned over at the cold assertion, but from somewhere she found strength to carry on. ‘If anyone is being a fool it’s you, darling. You love me. You know you do. I don’t understand completely but I think your determination to push me out of your life has something to do with Richard and what he’s done.’
She walked over to the window and stopped just behind him. In the night-darkened glass she could see both their reflections, two separate people until she moved another slow step closer to him and they merged into one. And suddenly she knew without the slightest doubt that this had been meant. She and Jacob were two halves which made one whole, two shadows which merged, two souls which joined until eternity.
‘I love you, Jacob. I wouldn’t care if you were penniless. It won’t change how I feel. I love you.’
He swung round, his face set into harsh lines. ‘Won’t it?’ He laughed bitterly. ‘Believe me, you have no idea, Helen. That sort of strain can kill any feelings dead very quickly despite all your pretty words. Ironic, isn’t it, that I’ve spent the past few years fighting to get to the top just so that I would have something to offer you, and now this comes along?’
He turned away to walk to the desk and open a drawer. He pulled out a thick folded document and laid it on top of the desk. ‘But no matter what happens, Helen, you will be provided for. The house has already been signed over into your name along with the flat and enough shares to guarantee an income. That’s all I can offer you now, so take it.’
Helen followed him across the room and picked up the document then calmly ripped it in half and tossed it back on to the desk. ‘I don’t want the house or the flat or shares. I want you, Jacob—just you, but if you are too damned pig-headed to accept that then there’s nothing I can do about it!’
She swung round on her heel and walked swiftly towards the door, her heart thumping painfully. Please stop me, she prayed silently. Please, please, see what you are doing, Jacob! Yet she reached the door and still Jacob didn’t say a word. Helen grasped the handle, then felt her whole body jerk with reaction when behind her Jacob said suddenly, ‘Don’t go!’
Her heart was hammering so hard that she thought she would faint, but somehow she hung on as she turned to look at him. ‘Why, Jacob? Why don’t you want me to leave?’
‘Because I love you, Helen!’ The words seemed to be torn from him, his voice hoarse with strain. ‘So help me, I love you and even knowing that I should let you go isn’t enough!’
‘It is, darling. Love is more than enough. It’s everything we need.’
‘Is it?’ He came over to her then, taking her hands to hold them tightly, his eyes burning with an almost feverish need. ‘It could get tough, Helen. You must understand that. I can cope with the thought of that but I can’t cope with the thought of losing you again because of it. I’ve waited half my life for you, my love. I don’t think I could stand to have you taken from me again.’
Tears stung Helen’s eyes as she reached up to brush his cheek with a kiss of infinite tenderness, loving him more than she’d thought possible. ‘That won’t happen, Jacob. I love you. I always have. I think deep down I knew it and that’s what scared me, why I always ran from you. But no matter what happens it won’t change my feelings for you. Has Richard done much damage?’
Jacob drew her into his arms and held her as though he would never let her go again as he brushed fleetingly tormenting kisses over her face. ‘Basically, no. If it had happened at any other time then its effects would have been minimal, but I’ve been putting together a rather large deal recently which has stretched the company’s assets to the limit. It appears that Richard has been liaising with an American firm which is one of our biggest rivals. They have been trying to get their hands on shares in Hunt Electronics to make a takeover bid and Richard has been putting them in touch with possible vendors.’
Helen gasped. ‘That’s awful! How could he do such a thing?’
Jacob smoothed his hand down her cheek before bending to kiss her lingeringly. ‘Because he was jealous of my marrying you, sweet. I don’t applaud his methods, but I can understand them.’
‘But what will you do? Can you stop them?’
‘I aim to try. They’re offering a lot of money for the shares and I know it’s going to be a big temptation to a number of shareholders. If I could meet the price and offer to buy them myself then there would be no problem, but right now that’s impossible. There is a chance that I will be able to get backing from one of the big banks, but if anything goes wrong then I could lose the lot.’
‘But it won’t, Jacob.’ She laughed softly. ‘I called you tough and ruthless once and that’s what you are, only this time I do mean it as a compliment. If anyone can pull the company through then it’s you, Jacob! And I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover that fewer of those shareholders than you imagine will be willing to sell. They know who they can rely on, Jacob, and you won’t let them down!’
Jacob smiled suddenly, holding her so close that she could feel the heavy thud of his heartbeat joining with hers. ‘I’ll do my damnedest, Helen. With you standing beside me then, yes, I think it will be all right.’
‘Of course it will. We’ve waited too long for this to let it go now just because of your stubborn male pride!’
‘Insults shouldn’t go unpunished, Helen.’
Her eyes loved him. ‘Mmm, I can hardly wait. But you deserve me calling you a few names. I love you, I need you. Just you, Jacob—nothing else.’
He twined his fingers through her hair, pulling out the pins so that it fell in glorious waves around her shoulders. ‘I’m crazy about you, Helen. I have been since the first time I laid eyes on you all those years ago. I saw you and fell in love, it was as simple as that. I think I must be the luckiest man alive because finally every dream I’ve had has come true.’
‘For me too.’ She gave a tremulous smile, the depth of Jacob’s feelings for her overwhelming her. She didn’t deserve to be
loved like this, but she would spend her life making sure that he never regretted it. When he bent and kissed her she responded eagerly, her lips clinging to his as she let him know how she felt, let him understand that all the waiting hadn’t been in vain. Jacob was the only man she would ever want, and she told him that as he moved his mouth to her neck to trail disturbingly sensuous kisses along it.
He framed her face in his hands, his eyes burning into hers. ‘If I don’t get you somewhere where I can make love to you soon, Helen, I’ll go crazy!’
She nibbled his mouth, drawing away when he started to respond. Glancing over her shoulder she cast a pointed look at the soft leather sofa, then disentangled herself from his arms. With a slow deliberation she unbuttoned her jacket and tossed it carelessly aside, then looked back at him, one brow arching as her hands went to the long zip at the back of her dress before she started to inch it down, loving the faint groan Jacob gave. When she had pulled the zip all the way down, she kicked off her shoes then stopped, a faintly questioning look on her face.
‘Last time I did this, Jacob, you stopped me.’
He gave a short, hoarse laugh, reaching for her to pull her hard against him, intent written clearly on his face and in the depths of his eyes. ‘That was a mistake I have no intention of repeating!’
Helen smiled as his mouth claimed hers, her eyes closing on a wave of joy. They had made mistakes, both of them, but they were all in the past. Now they had the future to look forward to, a future filled with love—and love could never be a mistake.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-8541-5
Lovestorm
Copyright © 1994 by Jennifer Taylor
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Lovestorm (Harlequin Treasury 1990's) Page 16
