Kidnapped for the Tycoon's Baby

by Louise Fuller

  She watched in disbelief as calmly he shook his head.

  ‘It’s actually a rainforest. Only parts of it are classified as a jungle. And clearly I’m not expecting us to talk there. I have a house about three miles from here. It’s very beautiful and completely private—what you might call secluded, in fact, so we won’t be disturbed.’

  Her head was spinning.

  ‘I don’t care if you have a palace with its own zoological gardens. I am not going there now or at any other time—and I’m definitely not going there with you.’

  He lounged back against the seat, completely unperturbed by her outburst, his dark eyes locking onto hers. ‘And yet here you are.’

  She stared at him in shock, too stunned, too dazed to speak. Then, slowly, she started to shake her head. ‘No. You can’t do this. I want you to turn this car around now—’

  Her whole body was shaking. This was far, far worse than missing her flight or Ram joining her on the plane.

  Leaning forward, she began banging desperately on the glass behind the driver’s head.

  ‘Please—you have to help me!’

  Behind her, she heard Ram sigh. ‘You’re going to hurt your hand, and it won’t make any difference. So why don’t you just calm down and try and relax?’

  Her head jerked round. ‘Relax! How am I supposed to relax? You’re kidnapping me!’

  Ram stretched out his legs. He could hear the exasperation and fury in her voice—could almost see it crackling from the ends of her gleaming dark hair.

  Good, he thought silently. Now she knew how he felt. How it felt to have your life turned upside down. Suddenly no longer to be in charge of your own destiny.

  ‘Am I? I’m not asking anyone for a ransom. Nor am I planning to blindfold you and tie you to the bed,’ he said softly, his gaze holding hers. ‘Unless, of course, you want me to.’

  He watched two flags of colour rise on her cheekbones as she slid back into her seat, as far from him as was physically possible.

  ‘All I want is for you to stop acting like some caveman.’ She breathed out shakily. ‘People don’t behave like this. It’s barbaric...primitive.’

  ‘Primitive?’ He repeated the word slowly, letting the seconds crawl by, feeling his groin hardening as she refused to make eye contact with him. ‘I thought you liked primitive,’ he said softly.

  ‘That was different.’ Turning her head sharply, she glowered at him. ‘And it has nothing to do with any of this.’

  ‘On the contrary. You and I tearing each other’s clothes off has everything to do with this.’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ she snapped, her blue eyes wide with fury. ‘I don’t want to talk to you about anything. In fact the only conversation I’m going to be having is with the police.’

  She sounded breathless, as though she’d been running. He watched her pull out her phone and punch at the buttons.

  ‘Oh, perhaps I should have mentioned it earlier...there’s pretty much zero coverage out here.’

  He smiled in a way that made her want to throw the phone at his head.

  ‘It’s one of the reasons I like it so much—no interruptions, no distractions.’

  Fingers trembling with anger, she switched off her phone and pressed herself against the door. ‘I hate you.’

  ‘I don’t care.’

  The rest of the journey passed in uncomfortable silence. Nola felt as though she’d swallowed a bucket of ice; her whole body was rigid with cold, bitter fury. When finally the car came to a stop at his house she slid across the seat and out of the door without so much as acknowledging his presence.

  Staring stonily at his broad shoulders in his dark suit jacket, she followed him through a series of rooms and corridors, barely registering anything other than the resentment hardening inside her chest.

  ‘This is your room. The bathroom is through there.’

  She glared at him. ‘My room? How long are you planning on keeping me here?’

  He ignored her. ‘You’ll find everything you need.’

  ‘Really? You mean there’s a shotgun and a shovel?’

  His eyes hardened. ‘The sooner you stop fighting me, Nola, the sooner this will all be over. If you need me, I’m just next door. I’ll see you in the morning.’

  ‘Unless you’re going to lock me in, I won’t be here in the morning.’

  He stared at her impatiently. ‘I don’t need to lock you in. It would take you the best part of a day to walk back to the airfield. And there would be no point. There’s nothing there. And if you want to get to civilisation that’s a three-day walk through the rainforest—a rainforest with about twenty different kinds of venomous snakes living in it.’

  ‘Does that include you?’ she snarled.

  But he had already closed the door.

  Left alone, Nola pulled off her clothes and angrily yanked on her pyjamas. She still couldn’t believe what was happening. How could he treat her like this?

  Worse—how could he treat her like this and then expect her to sit down and have a civilised conversation with him?

  She clenched her jaw. He could expect what he liked. But he couldn’t make her talk or listen if she didn’t want to.

  Her eyes narrowed. In fact she might just stay in her room.

  She would think about it properly in the morning. Right now she needed to close her eyes and, climbing into bed, she pulled the duvet up to her chin, rolled onto her side, and fell swiftly and deeply into sleep.

  * * *

  Ram strode into the huge open-plan living space, his frustration with Nola vying with his fury at himself.

  What the hell was he doing?

  He’d only just found out he was going to be a father. Surely that was enough to be dealing with right now? But apparently not, for he had decided to add to the chaos and drama of the evening by kidnapping Nola.

  Because, regardless of what he had said to her in the car, this was kidnapping.

  Groaning, he ran a hand wearily over his face.

  But what choice had she given him?

  Ever since she’d forced him to meet her at that internet café she had challenged him at every turn. But she was pregnant with his child now, and her leaving the country was more than defiance. Even though she’d said she would be in touch, he hadn’t believed her.

  His face hardened. And why should he? She had kept the pregnancy secret for months, and even when she’d had the perfect opportunity to tell him about the baby she had chosen instead to avoid him. And then tried to run away.

  But Nola was going nowhere now. She certainly wasn’t going to Scotland any time soon.

  He breathed out slowly. In fact, make that never.

  If she moved back to Edinburgh, then he would be cut out of his baby’s life. Not only that, his child would grow up with another man as his father—with another man’s name instead of his. Worse, he or she would grow up believing themselves to be a burden not worth bearing, a mistake to be regretted.

  He would do whatever it took to stop that from happening.

  Crossing the room, he poured himself a whisky and downed it in one mouthful.

  Even kidnapping.

  His chest tightened.

  What had he been thinking?

  But that was just it. He hadn’t been thinking at all—he’d just reacted on impulse, his emotions blindly driving his actions, so that now he had a woman he barely knew, who was carrying a child he hadn’t planned, sleeping in the spare room in what was supposed to be his private sanctuary from the world.

  Gritting his teeth, he poured himself another whisky and drank that too.

  So why had he brought Nola here?

  But he knew why. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said that the house was secluded. It was luxurious, of course, but it was completely inaccessible to anyone without a small plane or helicopter, and on most days communicating with the outside world was almost impossible.

  Here, he and Nola would be completely alone and they would
be able to talk.

  His fingers twitched against the empty glass.

  Except that talking was the last thing he wanted to do with her. Particularly now that they were alone, miles from civilisation.

  A pulse began to beat in his groin.

  For a moment he stared longingly at the bottle of whisky. But where Nola was concerned it would take a lot more than alcohol to lock down his libido. A cold shower might be better—and if that didn’t work he might have to go and swim a few lengths in the pool. And then maybe a few more.

  He’d do whatever was necessary to re-engage his brain so that tomorrow he could tell Nola exactly how this was all going to play out.

  * * *

  As soon as she woke Nola reached over to pick up her phone, holding her breath as she quickly punched in Anna’s number. When that failed to connect she called the office, then Anna again, and then, just to be certain, her favourite takeaway pizzeria by the harbour. But each time she got the same recorded message, telling her that there was no network coverage, and finally she gave up.

  Rolling onto her side, she gazed in silence around the bedroom. It was still dark, but unless she’d slept the entire day it must be morning. She wasn’t planning on going anywhere, but there was no point in lying there in the dark. Sighing, she sat up. Immediately she heard a small click, and then daylight began filling the room as two huge blinds slid smoothly up into the ceiling.

  She gasped. But it wasn’t the daylight or the blinds or even the room itself that made her hold her breath. It was the pure, brilliant blue sky outside the window.

  Heart pounding, she scrambled across the bed and gazed down at a huge canopy of trees, her eyes widening as a group of brightly coloured birds burst out of the dark green leaves. She watched open-mouthed as they circled one another, looping and curling in front of her window like miniature acrobatic planes, before suddenly plunging back into the trees.

  She had been planning on staying in her room to protest against Ram’s behaviour. But ten minutes later she had showered, dug some clean clothes out of her suitcase and was standing by her bedroom door.

  Her pulse began to beat very fast. If she opened that door she would have to face Ram. But sooner or later she was going to have to face him anyway, she told herself firmly.

  And, not giving herself the chance to change her mind, she stalked determinedly out of her room.

  In daylight, the house was astonishingly, dazzlingly bright. Every wall was made of glass, and there were walkways at different levels, leading to platforms actually within the rainforest itself.

  No doubt it had been designed that way, she thought slowly. So that the wildlife could be watched up close but safely in its natural environment.

  Her heart began to thump.

  Only some of the wildlife clearly didn’t understand the rules, for there on the deck, standing at the edge of an infinity pool, was one of the most dangerous animals in Australia—probably in the world.

  Unfortunately there was no safety glass between her and Ram.

  She was on the verge of making a quick, unobtrusive retreat when suddenly he turned, and her breath seemed to slide sideways in her chest as he began slowly walking towards her.

  It was the heat, she thought helplessly. Although she wasn’t sure if it was the sun or the sight of Ram in swimming shorts that was making her skin feel warm and slick.

  She tried not to stare, but he was so unbelievably gorgeous—all smooth skin and golden muscles. Now he was stopping in front of her and smiling, as though yesterday had never happened, and the stupid thing was that she didn’t feel as though it had happened either. Or at least her body didn’t.

  ‘Good morning.’ He squinted up at the sky. ‘I think it still qualifies as morning.’ Tilting his head, he let his eyes drift casually over her face. ‘I was going to come and wake you up. But I didn’t fancy getting punched on the nose.’

  She met his gaze unwillingly. ‘So you admit that I’ve got a reason to punch you, then?’

  He grinned, and instantly she felt a tug low in her pelvis, heat splaying out inside her so quickly and fiercely that she thought she might pass out.

  ‘I’m not sure if you need a reason,’ he said softly. ‘Most of the time I seem to annoy you just by existing.’

  She gazed at him in silence, trying to remember why that was.

  ‘Not always,’ she said carefully. ‘Only some of the time. Like when you kidnap me, for instance.’

  There was a short, pulsing silence, and then finally he sighed.

  ‘We need to talk about this now, Nola. Not in a week or a month. And, yes, maybe I overreacted, bringing you here like this. But you’ve been building a life, a future, that doesn’t include me.’

  Her heart gave a thump. ‘I thought you wanted that.’

  ‘What if I said I didn’t?’

  His eyes were fixed on her face.

  She breathed out slowly, the world shifting out of focus around her.

  ‘Then I guess we need to talk.’

  ‘And we will.’ His gaze locked onto hers. ‘But first I’ll give you the tour, and then you’d better eat something.’

  The tour was brief, but mind-blowing. The house was minimalist in design—a stunning mix of metal and glass that perfectly offset the untamed beauty of the rainforest surrounding it.

  Breakfast—or was it brunch?—took longer. A variety of cold meats, cheese, fruit and pastries were laid out buffet-style in the huge sunlit kitchen and, suddenly feeling famished, Nola helped herself to a plate of food and a cup of green tea while Ram watched with amusement.

  ‘I have a live-in chef—Antoine. He’s French, but he speaks very good English. If you have any particular likes or dislikes tell him. His wife, Sophie, is my housekeeper. She takes care of everything else. So if you need anything...’

  Fingers tightening around her teacup, Nola met his gaze. ‘Like what?’

  He gave a casual shrug. ‘I don’t know. What about a bikini? You might fancy a swim.’

  His eyes gleamed, and she felt something stir inside her as his gaze dropped over the plain white T-shirt that was just a fraction too small for her now.

  ‘Unless, of course, you’re planning on skinny-dipping.’

  Ignoring the heat throbbing over her skin, she gave him an icy stare. ‘I’m not planning on anything,’ she said stiffly. ‘Except leaving as soon as possible. I know we have a lot to talk about, but I hardly think it will take more than a day.’

  He stared at her calmly. ‘That will depend.’

  ‘On what?’

  He was watching her carefully, as though gauging her probable reaction to what he was about to say. But, really, given everything that he’d already said and done, how bad could it be?

  ‘On what happens next. You see, I’ve given it a lot of thought,’ he said slowly, ‘and I can only think of one possible solution to this situation.’

  Her nerves were starting to hum. She looked over at him impatiently. ‘And? What is it?’

  He stared at her for a long moment, and then finally he smiled.

  ‘We need to marry. Preferably as soon as possible.’

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  NOLA STARED AT him in stunned silence.

  Marry?

  As her brain dazedly replayed his words inside her head she felt her skin grow hot, and then her heart began to bang against her ribs. Surely he couldn’t be serious.

  She laughed nervously. ‘This is a joke, right?’

  For a moment he looked at her in silence, then slowly he shook his head.

  She stared at him incredulously. ‘But you don’t want to get married.’ Her eyes widened with shock and confusion. ‘Everyone knows that. You told me so yourself.’ She frowned. ‘You said marriage was a Mobius strip of emotional scenes.’

  Watching the pulse beating frantically at the base of her throat, Ram felt a flicker of frustration.

  To be fair, her reaction wasn’t really surprising. He’d spent most of the night thinking along
much the same lines himself. But, as he’d just told her, marriage was the only solution—the only way he could give his child the right kind of life. A life that was not just financially secure but filled with the kind of certainty that came from belonging.

  He shrugged. ‘I agree that it’s not a choice I’ve ever imagined making. But situations change, and I’m nothing if not adaptable.’

  Adaptable! Nola felt her breathing jerk. What was he talking about? As soon as she’d shown the first signs of not wanting to do things his way he’d kidnapped her!

  ‘Oh, I see—so that’s what this is all about.’ She loaded her voice with sarcasm. ‘Dragging me out here, trying to coerce me into marrying you, is just your way of showing me how adaptable you are.’ She gave a humourless laugh. ‘You’re about as adaptable as a tornado, Ram. If there’s anything in your path it just gets swept away.’

  ‘If that was true we wouldn’t be having this conversation,’ he said calmly.

  ‘How is this a conversation?’ Nola shook her head. ‘You just told me we need to marry. That sounds more like an order than a proposal.’

  His eyes narrowed. ‘I’m sorry if you were hoping for something a little more romantic, but you didn’t exactly give me much time to look for a ring.’

  She glowered at him, anger buzzing beneath her skin. ‘I don’t want a ring. And I wasn’t hoping for anything from you. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve managed just fine without you for the last three months.’

  His gaze didn’t flicker.

  ‘I wouldn’t know,’ he said softly. ‘As you didn’t bother telling me you were having my baby until last night.’

  Pushing away a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t told him sooner, she gritted her teeth. It had been wrong of her not to tell him that she was pregnant. But marrying him wasn’t going to put it right.

  Only, glancing at the set expression on his face, she saw that Ram clearly thought it was.

  Forcing herself to stay calm, she said quickly, ‘And I’ve apologised. But why does that mean we need to get married?’

  Ram felt his chest grow tight. Did he really need to answer that? His face hardened and he stared at her irritably. ‘I would have thought that was obvious.’