Bought for the Marriage Bed

by MELANIE MILBURNE

  ‘No,’ she repeated, her tone holding a distinct note of bitterness. ‘I expect he was too busy preparing for his wedding.’

  Marc didn’t answer but Nina could see the sudden tightening of his jaw as if her words had annoyed him.

  She watched as he laid the baby down once more, his touch sure but gentle as he tucked the light bunny rug back into place.

  When he turned to face her she found it difficult to hold his piercing gaze as she thought of how she was deceiving him. It suddenly occurred to her what a dangerous game she was playing. Wasn’t there some sort of law against impersonating another person? Marc Marcello was nobody’s fool and if he were to ever find out how he’d been duped there would be hell to pay, she was sure.

  ‘Miss Selbourne.’ His deep voice brought her troubled gaze back to his.

  ‘Y-yes?’ She moistened her lips, somehow sensing he was going to state his intentions, all her instincts telling her she wasn’t going to like them one little bit.

  ‘I want to see my niece on a regular basis and, while I understand your aversion to such an arrangement, I think you know I will pursue this legally if you refuse.’

  ‘I’m her mother,’ she bit out. ‘No court in Australia would remove her from my custody.’

  ‘You think not?’ His lip curled. ‘What if I told them about your little affair with a certain prominent politician just a few weeks after giving birth to my brother’s child?’

  What affair? Nina thought in panic. What politician? What the hell had Nadia been up to?

  He must have seen the flicker of alarm cross her features as he added in a cool deliberate tone, ‘You see, Miss Selbourne, I have all the dirt on you and I intend to use it in order to bring about what I want. I have heard how you tried to extort money from the poor fool when he called a halt to the relationship. You have been lucky that little affair did not get the press’s attention, but one word from me and, well…’ He paused for effect. ‘You know the rest.’

  She sucked in a ragged breath, even her fingertips growing icy cold with dread as it spread through her body like the flow of mercury in her veins.

  ‘What exactly do you want?’ Her words came out like hard pellets.

  Marc waited for a few moments before he answered. Until he had seen Andre’s child—and one look told him she was indeed his—he had not really thought much further than waving a truckload of money under the mother’s nose and walking away with the baby as his father had planned. But somehow seeing Nina with the baby, the way she looked at Georgia so lovingly and cradled her so gently, he wasn’t convinced that he would be acting in the best interests of his niece by removing her from her mother, unless he was absolutely sure she was not up to the task of caring for her. If indeed he could, considering that ill-judged letter of his father’s, and its vicious rejection of the baby. The woman had a powerful weapon there, if she chose to use it.

  Which left him with only one other course of action.

  His obsidian gaze held hers determinedly. ‘I want to claim my brother’s child as my own.’

  ‘You can’t do that! She doesn’t belong to you! She belongs t-to…t-to me.’

  ‘I can, you know.’

  ‘How?’

  She shouldn’t have asked, Nina thought later. She just should never have asked.

  His dark eyes locked with hers and a persistent tickling feather of fear began to tease its way up the entire length of her spine.

  ‘I want that baby and I will do anything to have her, even if it means I have to tie myself to you to do so.’

  She blinked at him, wondering if she’d misinterpreted his chilling statement. ‘Tie yourself? What do you mean tie yourself?’

  His mouth twisted into a smile that didn’t quite reach his dark-as-sin eyes. ‘My brother refused to marry you, but I have no such scruples. You will be my wife within a fortnight or I will make sure you never see your daughter again.’ He kept his features still, knowing his bluff was convincing. But would it work?

  It took Nina a moment or two to find her voice, her head pounding with a combination of shock and outrage.

  ‘Do you seriously think I will be coerced in such a way?’ she finally spat indignantly.

  ‘I am more or less counting on it. Andre told me your main goal in life was to land a rich husband, so here I am, ready to step into the role.’

  She opened her mouth to speak again but her throat closed over at the steely determination in his dark gaze as it clashed with hers.

  She considered coming clean, telling him she was really Nadia’s twin, hoping he would understand her need to protect her niece, but his air of icy hauteur changed her mind at the last minute. She’d be damned if she would give up her niece without a furious fight, even if it cost her everything she had, including her freedom.

  She flashed him a look of pure loathing at the way he’d cleverly herded her into a corner from which she could increasingly see there might be little chance of escape. She saw the glint of anticipated victory in his dark gaze and her blood ebbed and flowed through her veins in a tide of anger and growing fear.

  ‘I suppose it’s to be expected a spoilt playboy like you would assume he can always get whatever he wants,’ she said.

  ‘I will, of course, pay you generously,’ he said, his dark eyes watching her steadily. ‘How much do you want?’

  Nina was very conscious that in her place Nadia would have asked for some outrageous sum, but something stopped her from taking the charade that far. The ice she’d inadvertently skated on to was suddenly very thin in places, but taking money in what was little more than a bribe was surely going to lead to more trouble than she could cope with at present.

  Besides, little Georgia was lying asleep less than a metre away from him, her tiny body badly bruised. She’d been lucky this time but if he took even one look beneath that vest…

  Forcing her chin upwards, she tilted her head at him, her arms folded in front of her chest, and informed him with unintentional irony, ‘If you think you can bribe me then you’ve got the wrong person.’

  His eyes flicked to her where her breasts were pushed up by her folded arms, taking his time before returning to her face.

  Nina stood silently fuming under his mocking appraisal, wondering how in the world her sister’s behaviour had brought her to this. She knew her anger should be directed at Nadia and not the man before her, but everything about him goaded her beyond bearing.

  ‘I told you before, I don’t want your money. I’d feel tainted by taking anything from you.’

  ‘Nice try, Miss Selbourne,’ he drawled back. ‘I can see what you are doing. You are pretending to be nothing like the avaricious young woman who seduced my brother, but I can see through your little act. Do not think that you can deceive me so easily; I have made up my mind, and you will do as I say, whether you accept payment from me or not.’

  Nina did her best to hide how his statement affected her while her mind raced on, wondering how in the world she was going to get out of this farcical situation. God, she was going to kill Nadia for this! Surely she couldn’t be forced to marry the man just to keep her niece? But what else was she to do? Nadia was an unfit mother and—like her—Marc apparently had enough evidence to prove it.

  ‘I want some time to think about this.’ She was a little unnerved by how like Nadia she sounded, but carried on regardless. ‘I like to look at all the angles on things before I commit myself.’

  ‘I am not here to negotiate, Miss Selbourne,’ he said intractably. ‘I am here to step into the role of Georgia’s father and I want to do it as soon as possible.’

  She looked up at him in growing alarm. There was an intransigent edge to his tone that suggested he was well used to getting his own way and would go to any lengths at his disposal to do so.

  Tell him the truth, she mentally chanted. Tell him who you really are. But the words were stuck somewhere in the middle of her chest where her heart was already squeezing at the thought of never seeing Georgia
again.

  She tried to think rationally and clearly but it was hard with him standing there watching every tiny flicker of emotion on her face.

  What if she went along with his demands for now? He’d said two weeks. Surely she’d be able to wriggle out of it by then. Hopefully Nadia would be in contact soon and she’d be able to sort something out. She had to sort something out. She couldn’t possibly marry a perfect stranger!

  Marc took her continued silence as acquiescence. ‘I will have the necessary papers drawn up immediately.’

  ‘But…’ She stopped, her heart giving another funny skip in her chest. Oh, God! What had she done? Surely he wasn’t serious?

  She tried again. ‘H-how soon do you want me to…’ She found it hard to finish the sentence as his hard eyes cut to hers with a look of total disdain.

  ‘Perhaps I should make something very clear at this point. I do not want you, Miss Selbourne. This will not be a proper marriage in the true sense of the word.’

  ‘Not legal, do you mean?’ She frowned, trying to make sense of his meaning.

  ‘It will be legal, I would not settle for less, but it will be a paper marriage only.’

  ‘A paper marriage?’ Her finely arched brows met above her eyes.

  ‘We will not be consummating the relationship,’ he stated implacably.

  Nina knew she should be feeling overwhelming relief at his curt statement but for some inexplicable reason she felt annoyed instead. She knew she wasn’t looking as glamorous right now as Nadia customarily did, but her figure was good and her features classically appealing. It didn’t sit that well with her to have him dismiss her desirability so readily, as if she held no physical appeal at all.

  ‘You expect me to trust you on that?’ she asked with just the right amount of cynicism in her tone.

  He lifted a long-fingered tanned hand and made a sign of a cross over his chest as his eyes pinned hers.

  ‘Cross my heart and hope to die.’

  Something about his air of supreme confidence tempted Nina into giving him the sort of seductive look she’d seen her sister casting men’s way for years. She placed her hand on her hip as she tilted her pelvis provocatively, the corners of her mouth tipping upwards in a taunting little salacious smile as she drawled breathily, ‘Then I would say you’re as good as a dead man, Mr Marcello.’

  CHAPTER THREE

  MARC gave an inward smile at her overblown confidence. She was just as Andre had described, all pouting little girl one minute, raging sex siren the next. It was a heady combination, he had to admit, but while Andre hadn’t been able to contain his desire for her, temporary as it had been, Marc felt confident he was in no danger of being tested beyond his control. Nina Selbourne was the total opposite of what he most wanted in a partner.

  He loathed shallow money-hungry women who had nothing better to do than preen themselves in the hope of attracting a rich husband. He’d been surrounded by them for most of his life, with the exception of his French-born mother, who had had both style and grace without affectation.

  No, Miss Nina/Nadia Selbourne was fooling herself if she thought he would fall for her physical charms.

  ‘I am not like my brother, Miss Selbourne,’ he informed her coldly. ‘My tastes are a little more upmarket.’

  Nina wished she could slap that imperious smirk off his handsome face but knew there would probably be distasteful consequences if she did. She clenched her hands into fists and glared back at him.

  ‘I could make you eat those words and we both know it. I saw the way you ran your eyes all over me the moment I opened the door.’

  ‘I admit I was a little intrigued as to what made my brother act so incautiously.’ His lazy look took in her heaving chest and feisty gaze. ‘But I can assure you I have no appetite for vacuous women such as yourself.’

  Nina schooled her features back under control with difficulty. ‘I take it this marriage arrangement you’re proposing leaves you free to liaise with whomever you want whenever you want?’

  ‘I will do my best to be discreet if the need should arise.’

  ‘What about me?’ she asked. ‘Am I allowed to indulge myself similarly?’

  He didn’t answer immediately but she could almost hear the cogs of his brain ticking over as he considered her question.

  ‘Well?’ she prodded with an arch look.

  ‘No.’

  ‘No?’

  He shook his head in slow motion, ‘Absolutely not.’

  ‘You can’t possibly be serious.’ She snapped her brows together again.

  ‘Deadly serious,’ he said and folded his arms across the broad expanse of his chest.

  ‘You surely don’t expect me to agree to such a double standard?’ she asked. ‘What am I supposed to get out of this arrangement?’

  ‘You get to keep your child, with a rich husband thrown in as a bonus.’

  She let out her breath in a whoosh of feminist outrage. ‘I thought men like you died along with the dinosaurs. Seems I was wrong. So, how are things on Planet Chauvinism these days?’

  ‘I am not by nature a chauvinist but I am sure it will do you good to be celibate for a while to concentrate on your responsibilities as a mother.’

  Ironic laughter bubbled to her lips before she could stop it. Unlike her sister, who had lost her virginity at the age of fourteen, Nina was technically still a virgin. Technically because she firmly believed every modern woman had the right to explore her own body and find out how things worked, although she still wondered what all the fuss was about. The earth hadn’t exactly moved and she’d more or less given up on herself, deciding she was one of those women with unusually low sex-drives. But on principle she wasn’t going to let him have things all his way. He already thought her the biggest tart outside of the red-light district and a perverse little part of her was enjoying every dangerous minute of encouraging him to maintain that view.

  ‘You find the prospect of being responsible amusing?’ His tone dripped with contempt.

  She coiled a strand of her long hair around one finger, hoping he wouldn’t notice her chewed nail as she affected another seductive pose.

  ‘You’re a laugh a minute, Mr Marcello,’ she said. ‘All this talk of being celibate is hilarious. I haven’t been celibate for ten years and I’m not about to start for you or anyone.’

  Anger briefly flashed across his features as he looked down at her. Nina saw his hands tighten into fists as if he didn’t trust himself not to reach out and touch her.

  A flicker of sensation unexpectedly erupted between her thighs at the mere thought of any part of his tall hard body touching her. She began to imagine what that firm disapproving mouth would feel like crushed to hers, his tongue searching arrogantly to duel with hers. She felt her breasts start to tingle and, almost without realising she was doing it, her tongue came out just a fraction to sweep over the surface of her lips.

  Marc felt the sharp tug of sudden errant desire hit him in the belly like a closed fist punch. He struggled to control it, annoyed with himself for being tempted when he’d been so assured that he would be able to resist her, but something about her struck at him deeply. She positively oozed with sexual confidence, the smoky grey of her eyes and full-lipped mouth making his skin lift in anticipation of feeling her touch.

  He decided to strike a deal with her even though he had cause to wonder if he was shooting himself in the foot in the process.

  ‘Since you seem unwilling to agree to my terms, I am willing to make a small compromise,’ he announced. ‘For the period of one month following our marriage we will both remain celibate; how about that?’

  She pursed her lips as if considering it. ‘One month? Hmm…I think I could just about manage that.’

  His jaw tightened and she gave him another sexy smile. ‘But no longer or I’ll go out of my mind. But then, from what I hear of you—’ she ran her eyes over him from head to foot as if undressing him thread by thread ‘—maybe you will too.’

/>   ‘I think I will manage to contain myself,’ he responded coolly.

  ‘I take it you don’t have a current mistress?’ She sent him a lash-fluttering glance.

  ‘I am not currently close to anyone.’

  Nina couldn’t help wondering how good he might be when he was close. He was the whole knee-trembling spine-loosening package, even though it irked her to admit it. He was handsome beyond belief, his dark mesmerizing eyes promising explosive passion from within their glittering depths. His mouth was currently stretched into a hardened line of derision but she was in no doubt of its power to persuade if he allowed himself a moment of weakness and brought his head down to hers.

  The pram near the window suddenly gave a squeak of protest as Georgia shifted in her sleep.

  Marc swung his gaze to the pram before turning back to face Nina, his voice low and deep with concern. ‘Is she all right?’

  Sending him a now-see-what-you’ve-done look, Nina went over to soothe her. The mewing cries stopped as soon as her hand stroked Georgia’s tiny legs, the gentle rhythmic movements sending the infant back to sleep within a couple of minutes.

  Nina was intensely aware of the watchful gaze of Marc Marcello a short distance away. She could almost sense his cool assessment of her, no doubt weighing up her skills as a mother.

  Once she was sure the baby was soundly asleep she turned and faced him, her grey eyes meeting his with as much equanimity as she could.

  ‘You said earlier you intended to marry within two weeks. Why the hurry?’

  ‘My father is terminally ill. He wishes to see his only grandchild before he dies. There is not much time.’

  ‘A fortnight isn’t very long.’ She gave her bottom lip a surreptitious nibble.

  ‘I will see to all the details. You do not have to do anything but turn up at the registry office.’

  Nina knew it was pathetic of her to be feeling disappointed, but if by some quirk of fate she had to go through with this, her lifelong dream of a beautiful white wedding in a city cathedral was going to have to be shelved indefinitely.