Their Marriage Reunited (5 page)

“This is ridiculous,” she told him furiously and he arched a brow.

“Which part was not to your liking?” he asked curiously and she glared at him.

“All of it. I can’t accompany you abroad at a drop of a hat. I want to continue working and I can’t just leave whenever I feel like it,” she told him furiously and he gave a grim smile.

“I thought that you would want to continue working so I added a clause in the back,” he told her pointing to the part that she had skimmed over.

“During the marriage I will retain ownership of Wentworth hotels restaurant and can make it my own,” she read slowly but still it meant nothing to her and she looked up at him questioningly.

“For as long as we are married you will own and run the restaurant at the hotel. We will employ enough staff so that when you are needed to go on business trips with me they will be able to run the place in your absence,” he explained and she stared at the papers in shock. It was true that having her own restaurant had been her dream but now it seemed tainted somehow that her dream would be coming alive because of him.

“Fine, but I don’t want an allowance or a new wardrobe,” she told him firmly. She had never been comfortable wearing all the trappings that came with wealth even when they had been in love and he should have known that about her.

“Unfortunately for you there are certain expectations of my wife and one of these is that she will be dressed in expensive clothes that I pay for and that show the world we are happy and united,” he told her firmly and she glared at him.

“So basically you want to dress me up like your own personal Barbie doll and parade me in front of everyone as some sort of trophy wife,” she condemned him harshly and he shrugged.

“Put it however you like but the point is that you will let me buy you the clothes and you will wear them whenever we are in the public eye,” he confirmed and she silently fumed at his high-handedness. He had never cared what she wore when they first got married.

“And what about this stupid clause about being stuck together for at least a year,” she pointed out and he frowned at her.

“You did not think that I would want to ensure you couldn’t just walk out after a month and keep the money?” he asked curiously and she took a deep steadying breath.

“But a year though? And whatever the state of our marriage? So even if you’re beating me black and blue I can’t leave?” she asked and he gritted his teeth at that.

“Does it seem likely that I would beat you?” he demanded as anger darkened his gaze and she lifted her chin to glare at him.

“How would I know? I barely know the real you anymore,” she mocked and a dark flush stole up his cheekbones.

“I can assure you that I would never hit you no matter how much you might push me to it but if you would feel better that I add a condition to the contract that you are free to leave if I lay a finger on you in anger then by all means,” he said as he added the stipulation though she could still sense his anger that she had insisted on it at all.

“And what is this stupid clause? I have no intention of getting pregnant at all,” she informed him coolly and he shrugged unconcerned.

“Then it shouldn’t be a problem for you to agree to,” he said calmly. Except that it was a problem for her. Accidents happened. And she couldn’t just forfeit any child she had but she couldn’t stay with him permanently.

“I just don’t see why it is even in there in the first place,” she explained and he gave a light shrug.

“You disappeared from my life for five years Lilly. I have no intention of giving you that sort of power with my child,” he answered and she stared at him in disbelief.

“So if I get pregnant you’re suggesting I just abandon my own child and forget he or she even exists?” she asked incredulously and he shook his dark head.

“Not at all. I am saying that if you choose to leave our marriage then you will not be taking my child with you. Visitation will be acceptable but you will have no claim on our child and no say in how he or she is raised,” he told her and it was her turn to shake her head.

“I can’t agree to that,” she told him angrily for how could he ever expect that she could even for a second think of leaving any child of hers.

“Well I will not be removing it from the contract. Either you agree to it or the deals off,” he told her and she bit her lip nervously.

“And what about taking precautions to ensure that pregnancy doesn’t happen?” she asked for she definitely didn’t want to be tied to this man permanently because of an unplanned baby.

“That is up to you. If you feel that you do not want the chance of getting pregnant then by all means use the contraceptive pill to ensure you do not accidentally conceive,” he said with a shrug and she glared at him.

“And what about using other forms of contraception? After all the pill could fail,” she said desperately and he didn’t look bothered in the slightest.

“Like I said Lilly, any birth control will be down to you. I have no reason to prevent the conception of our child and I am certainly not wearing condoms to make love to my wife,” he assured her and she flinched at that.

“It is hardly making love when there is no love shared and why shouldn’t you have to wear a condom? I don’t even know what diseases you might have caught in the last five years,” she said with a shudder and his lips tightened at that dig.

“I have gotten a clean bill of health from my doctor if you wish to see it,” he offered and she conceded that he wasn’t going to give in.

“Can you at least take out the part about me taking a lover during our marriage?” she pleaded and his eyes narrowed on her flushed face.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because it’s embarrassing and it shouldn’t even be there. I have no intention of taking a lover,” she told him firmly.

“I want to cover all possibilities. I don’t want to come home and find you with some other man as a way to punish me for my no doubt endless sins,” he explained and she gaped at him in disgust. What would ever make him think that she would do something like that? Why would she use some other man to make him jealous when it was obvious that it wouldn’t bother him in the slightest anyway for he had plenty of other women who would be only too happy to console him.

“I wouldn’t do that,” she told him furiously and he shrugged.

“Then you won’t have a problem signing it,” he answered. Unable to argue anymore and feeling utterly drained she signed the document regretting it even before she’d finished the last swirl of her name.

“Now what?” she asked and if her question lacked enthusiasm then she blamed it on the fact that she felt absolutely washed out.

“Now we arrange for your apartment to be cleared out and your current job terminated. I estimate that you should be able to move back in to our home by tomorrow,” he answered and she stiffened at that.

“I can’t move in so fast. I have Melissa to look after until mum’s home from the hospital for more than a few hours at a time,” she said urgently as she glanced towards the bedroom where she could hear her sisters animated chatter.

“Melissa will naturally be able to stay with us for now. I will employ a nanny to ensure she is well looked after until her mother is home,” he announced and she stared at him in disbelief. Did he think that he could just click his fingers and everything would be done his way?

“I don’t want to uproot her and give her any more ideas that things aren’t completely normal. Right now Melissa needs stability and moving her in to a house with a man she’s never met wouldn’t be normal for her,” she argued and he sighed. He should have remembered how stubborn she was.

“Melissa is a child. They adapt to new situations quickly and if you tell her that you are both going on a holiday she will be fine. If you keep sending out these defensive signals though, even she might get the idea that something is wrong,” he told her and she folded her arms around her body as she wished that she had another excuse. Anything to delay the inevitable.

“Fine,” she finally agreed and his triumphant smile made her want to hit him.

“I will send a car for you both tomorrow and arrange for your things to be moved,” he said.

“I’ll get a bus,” she argued determined that she should get at least some sense of her independence while she still had it.

“I will send a car and you will use it,” he told her firmly and she bristled at the order but didn’t try to argue again. It seemed that he wasn’t in the mood for negotiation.

“Anything else or is that it?” she demanded eager to be rid of him and he smiled again as he read her eagerness all over her expressive features.

“Just these,” he said slipping her engagement and wedding ring back on her finger. Before she could say a word though he moved closer to her and tilted her chin back so he could see her eyes that were flashing with anger and more than a hint of her pain.

“That everything?” she demanded trying to pull away but he held her fast and smiled that devastating smile that she remembered from years ago.

“Maybe just one more thing,” he answered and then he dipped his head and captured her mouth in an evocative kiss that transported her back to a time when she was with the man she loved and hadn’t been able to resist every single kiss and caress. For a moment she lost herself to the pleasure he could evoke with a single kiss then reality intruded and she remembered what he had done to her and all the reasons that she should hate him. Pulling back abruptly she glared at him even as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth as though his touch was distasteful. Something that caused his eyes to darken with anger.

“You can leave now,” she instructed but instead he moved even closer so she was forced to look him in the eyes as he tucked a stray tendril hair behind her ear and caressed her jaw.

“Just a small warning, sweetheart. Every time you try to wipe away the touch of my kiss I will simply repeat the process,” he informed her and before she could even grasp his meaning he kissed her again but this one was more of a punishment as he took possession of her mouth and forced her to respond. As he pulled away he caught her hand before she could wipe away another kiss and instead placed his lips to the wildly beating pulse at her wrist with a devastating smile meant only for her.

Long after he had gone she continued to sit there and wondered just how she had any hope of surviving the next year when she could barely keep herself together for one hour in his company. The problem was that he knew how to break her apart and put her back together with ease. Only before she had loved and trusted him but now she barely even recognised the man who would be sharing her bed. Everything that she had once loved about him seemed to have vanished and in its place was this hard unyielding man who wouldn’t give an inch.

How was she going to survive the next year living with him? Sharing a life with him? And loving him? No, that couldn’t happen. She was absolutely determined that could never happen. She wouldn’t give him the power to destroy her twice. She would just have to find a way of keeping things casual and not letting her heart get involved. No emotion meant no chance of him stomping all over her fragile heart for a second time.

By the next morning Lilly was starting to get used to her lack of sleep. Despite being exhausted she had found herself lying awake long after she had gone to bed her head spinning with all the thoughts going round. Eventually she fell in to a fitful sleep but she woke early with a pounding head and a sick feeling in her stomach. Dragging herself up she showered quickly and stared in to the mirror unable to believe how ill she looked. Her face was so pale it was practically white and slight bruises showed beneath her eyes where the lack of sleep had taken its toll. Running a hand through her damp hair she returned to her room to choose an outfit while wishing that this sick feeling would disappear.

Choosing an outfit proved harder than she had thought. What did one wear when being blackmailed back in to their husband’s bed? All her dresses while having the added effect of making her look more attractive also made it look like she was making an effort for his benefit which she definitely didn’t want him thinking. Her normal attire of jeans and a top seemed too relaxed as though she were making a statement that she wasn’t going to change for him. While that was certainly true she didn’t want him thinking that he bothered her so much that she had to make a statement. What she needed was something neutral that made her seem indifferent to him and unconcerned about moving back in to his home.

Having finally decided on black trousers and a casual red top she paired it with black shoes and made her way downstairs. Melissa was still asleep and she was too edgy to relax though she gave it a good go as she turned on the TV and tried to lose herself in one of her favourite shows. It didn’t work and she worried her lower lip with her teeth as she tried to forget that this would be her last morning to herself.

She had called her mother the day before and told her that she had found a way to pay off their debt. While relieved her mother couldn’t help but be suspicious when she found out that Lilly had decided to move back in with Connor. She had refused to accept the money if that was the only reason that Lilly was going back to him and so Lilly had done the only thing she could. She had lied. She had told her mother that Connor had agreed to give her the money but that after seeing him again she had realised how much she missed him and they had decided to give their marriage another go. Although her mother had been sceptical at first she had finally come round and now believed that Lilly really was in love with her husband again. It probably helped that her mother hadn’t known exactly what happened between them. She had known that they had lost a child and had thought that was what had driven them apart. Lilly was too ashamed to tell anyone about Alexis.

She felt more alone than ever now. She couldn’t confide in anyone about Connor or her worries about being back there with him. Even Angelica believed that she was going back to him because she loved him. It was almost too easy to fool people in to believing that this was her choice when the truth was she was terrified of going back to him.

The day passed in a blur as she tried to keep Melissa entertained while she let people in to pack away her life and ship it off somewhere else. By the time the car arrived she was too worn out to be worried and she kept a faint smile in place as Melissa bounced around in excitement.

Too soon they were there and Lilly stared up at the large house with some trepidation as memories assailed her. It would have strengthened her resolve if all the memories had been bad but the problem was that they hadn’t been. Nearly all her memories from this house had been good. From lazy days in bed making love to her husband to the laughing arguments they’d had over what music to listen to. It made her long for those days to be back and she wished she could forget the betrayal and simply go back to the way things were. It was that sort of thinking that was dangerous to her heart and she steeled herself before opening the door and helping Melissa out first.

The door opened before they reached it and there he was. It made Lilly suck in a sudden breath at the sight of him for how many times had he opened the door to her and she had drunk him in like a woman starved before they had found themselves wrapped in each other’s arms. Clearly he was remembering the same thing if his smug grin was anything to go by and she stiffened her spine as she led Melissa in to the house.

“Wow, it’s huge,” Melissa announced in awe as she stared round in childlike excitement. Lilly wished that she could show the same enthusiasm but she barely even glanced at her old home as she avoided Connor’s knowing gaze and instead focused on her little sister glad that she had something else to focus on.

“Wait until you see your room,” Connor told her and they both turned wide eyes on him at that. Melissa’s eyes glittered with excitement while Lilly’s were accusatory. Just what was he playing at?

“Her room?” Lilly questioned coldly and he sent her a disarming smile as though everything were just the way it used to be.

“Of course. I made sure that they made it in to a room fit for a princess with new dolls and games and all sorts,” he told Melissa who was nearly jumping about in excitement.

“Can we go look?” Melissa begged and Lilly gave a wan smile.

“Of course,” she said and would have gone to the stairs if Connor hadn’t caught hold of her wrist stalling her.

“Actually I thought Carmen would be better to show you the room while I have a quick chat with Lilly,” he told Melissa who seemed to weigh that up before giving him a beaming smile.

“Okay,” she said and a young woman stepped forward to take her hand and lead her upstairs with squeals of excitement echoing down to them.

“What do you want?” Lilly asked as silence descended between them and he sent her a questioning glance.

“I have to want something in order to spend time with my wife?” he asked curiously and she rolled her eyes. He was playing up the caring husband role when they both knew that wasn’t who he was.

“I should make sure Melissa’s alright,” she told him as she tried to follow in their direction but he caught her around the waist before she could take more than a step and spun her round to face him.

“What have you been doing to yourself?” he asked huskily as one of his hands came up to frame her face and his thumb ran lightly over the dark circle under her eye.

“Nothing. I’m fine,” she said trying to pull free but he simply pulled her closer.

“You’re clearly not fine Lilly,” he told her as he ran his gaze speculatively down her frame. No doubt noticing all the imperfections, she thought angrily. Probably comparing her with all his other women who would never have dared to grace his presence looking anything less than perfect.

“You might have forced me back here but let’s not pretend that you’re the loving husband concerned about my welfare,” she told him coldly and he stilled as his gaze narrowed on her pale face.

“Let’s call it a healthy concern for the woman who will be sharing my bed then, hmm?” he asked and she shook her head in disbelief.

“I told you. I’m fine,” she repeated and he shook his dark head as he took her face gently between his hands.

“You’re anything but fine,” he countered and she tore herself free from his hands.

“Well can you blame me? It’s been a stressful few days,” she reminded him and he gave a slow nod.

“Okay. We’ll leave it for now,” he allowed and she sighed.

“Thank you,” she said as she went to follow after Melissa only to halt again as he caught her to him and placed a brief kiss against her parted lips.

“Dinner’s at eight,” he told her as he pulled away and she gave him an uncertain nod before ascending the staircase and following the sound of childish chatter until she found Melissa.

Lilly stopped dead in the doorway as she surveyed the large room that looked like a little girl’s paradise. The room was all pink with frills and princess pictures everywhere. There was every toy imaginable scattered around the room and Melissa was happily playing in the middle of it all. It made her heart ache to think that if things had been different it could have been her daughter playing in here. Shrugging off the feeling Lilly summoned a smile and stepped in to the room where she spent the next few hours playing pretend with Melissa and her dolls.

After tucking Melissa in to bed she descended the stairs to the dining room and was disturbed to find the table set for two with romantic flowers and candlelight. She didn’t want any of the romance or reminders of how things used to be between them and it disturbed her that he was going out of his way to try and make things how they used to be.

“I was just going to come track you down,” Connor said from behind her and Lilly spared him a quick glance.

“I’m not really hungry. Think I’ll just go to bed,” Lilly told him as she realised that she didn’t feel up to a night of seduction or meaningless chatter.

“Sit down Lilly,” he said and she frowned at him.

“I really don’t think I could eat anything,” she said firmly as she began to back away but he didn’t take his dark gaze from her.

“Which is why you’re wasting away. Now sit down,” he said equally firmly and still she hesitated.

“You can’t just force to me to eat when I’m not hungry,” she snapped and he raised one brow.

“No, but be warned that if you go upstairs I will simply fetch you back here,” he told her and with a huff of disgust she finally sat down silently fuming and determined that she wouldn’t acknowledge him in the slightest.

No sooner had she sat down than a housekeeper appeared with two plates that she set in front of them and then she silently disappeared again. It felt strange having staff wait on her. Even when they’d first been married they hadn’t employed anyone but a cleaner as they’d wanted to do everything for themselves but it seemed Connor’s tastes had now changed.

“Eat up,” Connor instructed and Lilly gave a deep sigh as she turned her attention to the homemade beef stew that sat before her. It had been one of her favourites when they had first married and she was surprised he even remembered.

Lilly took a few bites and was amazed at how delicious it was but she couldn’t manage much more than a few mouthfuls before her stomach began to rebel and instead she just pushed the food around her plate while drinking the wine instead.

“If you keep this up you’ll be drunk before dessert,” Connor warned her and she glared at him over the rim of her glass.

“I didn’t realise that living with you also meant I had to eat and drink when you told me to,” she said flippantly and he gave a rough sigh.

“Fine,” he responded and before she could guess what he had planned he had pushed back his chair and stormed in to the kitchen giving Lilly a brief reprieve from his overwhelming presence. A very brief reprieve she acknowledged moments later as he reappeared again.

“Let’s go,” he instructed and Lilly stared at him in confusion.

“Go where?” she asked uncertainly and he came over to help her up from her chair.

“To bed. You clearly don’t want to sit here and have a normal conversation over a nice meal so let’s go to the one place we were always completely in tune,” he said making Lilly suddenly wish that she’d made more of an effort with the meal.

“I thought I’d sleep in with Melissa tonight. Make sure she settles in alright,” Lilly protested and his expression hardened.

“No,” he answered with a hint of steel that she chose to ignore.

“She’ll be nervous about sleeping in a new place,” Lilly told him and not a hint of emotion showed on his face.

“Which is why she has a nanny next door in case she wakes up,” he informed her.

“I still think it would be better if I stay with her,” she said but Connor had clearly had enough.

“Lilly, either you walk up these stairs by my side or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you there myself,” he warned and realising that he was serious she reluctantly followed him up the stairs.

The master suite looked exactly the same as she remembered it and she fought the urge to flee. May as well get it over with now since it was obvious that Connor wasn’t going to let her have a few days to adjust.

“You can use the bathroom first if you like,” he offered and with a dark glance his way she selected a pair of pyjamas from the drawer and entered the bathroom. After changing quickly she washed her face, brushed her teeth and let her hair down. She ran her hands loosely through it and then gave up on hiding out. What was the point of staying hidden away in here when it wouldn’t change anything?

Taking a deep breath she exited the bathroom and barely even glanced his way as she slid beneath the covers and turned on her side to face away from him. It didn’t stop her from being acutely aware of every move he made. And when he finally exited the bathroom and slid in to bed beside her she was fully aware that he was naked just inches from her. Expecting him to reach for her and exercise his bedroom rights she was stunned when instead he switched the light off and everything went quiet and still. She remained where she was tense and barely breathing as she wished she were anywhere but there.

“For god’s sake Lilly, just relax. I’m not about to jump you,” Connor said in to the darkness and she stiffened.

“I am relaxed,” she lied and he snorted.

“Right, that’s why you’re hanging on to the edge of the bed for dear life,” he said mockingly and before she could retaliate he reached out and scooped her in to his arms so she was pressed firmly against him. Parts of her more so than others.