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His control vanished and he plunged fast, sending her over the edge. Ecstasy burst in bright lights behind her closed eyelids and her pulse drummed in her ears. Dimly she felt him shudder as he pumped his release in her. She clung tightly to his virile body, rocking with him.
Their ragged breathing became quiet. Sated, they held each other tightly. She hoped a baby would come from their lovemaking. Emily rubbed her temple against his warm shoulder. Tonight she had hope and, for the first time, a sense that Jake wanted her. She marveled at these new discoveries, relishing them like newfound treasure. Their marriage might indeed blossom into love.
When he turned them on their sides, she was still enveloped in his embrace. He stroked her back and brushed tendrils of hair from her face. “You’re fantastic, Em.”
“You stole my line. What a lover you are, Jake. And tonight was so very special. I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me and how much hope for our future I have now.”
He held her close, his voice a deep rumble. “Good. That makes me happy, too. This is what we needed, Em. A clearer understanding. I want you as my wife. You’re important to me.”
“Jake.” She sighed with pleasure and turned her head to kiss him. A long scalding kiss that made him groan.
She lay her head against his chest. “Jake, this is the best night of our marriage.”
“I quite agree,” he said. “You have a fantastic body. You keep it hidden beneath those clothes you wear.”
“I’m sure you would’ve enjoyed having a secretary who wore skintight revealing clothes.”
“Yes, I might have. Particularly if she was as efficient and competent as you.”
“Thank you,” she said, pleased by the compliment.
“See, I told you that love will bloom,” he said with satisfaction. “I think it’s pretty damn good between us right now,” he added, smiling at her.
“Tonight has been special. I’ll remember it all my life. And I hope you’re right about love for both of us.” She stroked his chest. “Have you ever really been in love?”
“No,” he said, his smoky eyes hiding his true thoughts. “Not really. I’ve had relationships and some were longer than others and better than others, but I’ve never been deeply in love. I’ve never felt fireworks, never wanted any woman with me for the rest of my life.”
For just a moment she was quiet as she thought about that description and wished that someday she would fill it.
“You’re marvelous, Em, and our marriage is good—we’ll come to love each other.”
“You think that because you always expect to get what you want,” she reminded him as she traced his jaw with her fingers, feeling the tiny stubble of a beard. Her hand slipped lower, along the strong column of his neck and across one broad shoulder. “Fireworks don’t come with familiarity, Jake. Fireworks and a racing heart come from love at first sight. Never with convenience.”
“Perhaps. I keep asking you to have patience and faith.”
“You’ve been unbelievably generous,” she said, still amazed by his offer. “I’m surprised you don’t take a more active role in helping people. Someone helped you.”
“I will someday,” he answered casually. “I give to charities.”
“You give money, not time. And never yourself. I’m just surprised that you don’t want to get more involved.”
“I’m too busy right now. I guess I really never think about it.”
“I’ll let you know how every dime of your gift is spent and you’ll see what good you did.”
“Forget that,” he answered with amusement in his voice. “I don’t need to know about all the projects. I have a more urgent project right now.” He pulled her up and leaned closer to kiss her ear while he caressed her nape.
She raised slightly to gaze down at him. “You have an insatiable appetite for sex.”
“You bring it out in me,” he teased, and she realized this was turning out to be one of the good moments between them. Or had she just finally relaxed and accepted that he did want this marriage, that he still wanted her as his wife?
At the moment she didn’t care. Running her fingers lightly over his bare chest, she brushed his lips with a feathery kiss and then rained kisses on his neck.
“Ahh, baby,” he said, “that feels good,” he continued in a husky voice.
Her hand played over him, drifting lower over his muscled stomach, touching him. He was hard and ready again.
“Jake, you’re decadent,” she whispered in his ear, tracing the curves of his ear with her tongue.
He rolled her over, settling his weight on top of her as he kissed her passionately, starting fires anew.
Later, they showered together and made love until the early-morning hours, when she fell asleep in his arms.
When she stirred again, she was alone in their bed. It was Friday morning. Sunshine poured through open doors and windows. Upon Jake’s return, the servants had been given several days off, so she had the house to herself.
Stretching, she smiled as she thought about the night. It was intimate and they had bonded. Jake had seemed as happy as she. Maybe there actually was a chance for them.
Last night had changed her feelings for him. She wondered about their depth. Was she already falling in love with him? She ran her hand over her stomach, thinking last night had been the most relaxed she’d been with him since the early months of their marriage.
She stepped out of bed, pulling on a white cotton robe. She had wanted to go back to Dallas, but now she was in no hurry. She wanted to prolong her idyll with Jake. Being with him was fabulous—this was turning into a real second honeymoon.
She thought about his abundant energy—even when relaxed, he seemed to move. Only after long bouts of work or lovemaking did he finally get quiet. The rest of his waking hours he was restless.
She smiled again when she thought about him. She was tempted to call him, but she never disturbed him when he was at work. An old secretarial habit, she was certain.
On the desk she found a note from him saying he had flown to Houston. He would be back tonight in time to take her to dinner. In his scrawling handwriting, she read, “…dinner and seduction again…”
He had underlined “seduction,” and she knew he meant it would be another night of lovemaking. Her toes curled when she simply remembered the previous night. Anticipation simmered and she planned a candlelight dinner with Jake’s favorite food—steak—and his favorite wine. She tried to think what she could do to make his homecoming as sexy as possible.
Pampering herself, she had a hot bath in their huge marble tub. She finally climbed out, wound a thick green bath towel around her and went to their closet to find something to wear. As she passed Jake’s side of the closet, a thick white envelope lying on the floor caught her attention. He must have dropped it or let it fall out of one of his pockets.
She picked up the envelope to place on his chest of drawers, but saw it was addressed in neat feminine handwriting to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Thorne.
What woman had been writing to both of them? Why hadn’t Jake mentioned it if it had been addressed to her, too? She studied the envelope.
Jake hadn’t shown it to her. The return address indicated the letter was from Hubert Braden, and she realized his nurse must have written it. Emily studied the envelope further and saw it had arrived over a week ago. Puzzled why Jake hadn’t even mentioned it, she decided he had stuffed it into his pocket and forgotten it.
She was curious about the man who had been such a big influence in Jake’s life, the father figure he wanted, and she wished now they’d spent more time visiting Mr. Braden. Since the letter was addressed to her, too, she saw no reason not to read it. She withdrew the letter and unfolded it, looking at more of the flowing cursive. Obviously it had been dictated.
Suddenly Emily stiffened, stunned by what she was reading. Jake had some explaining to do.
Three
Emily’s hands shook as she read the letter once more:
Dear Jake and Emily:
How nice it was for both of you to visit an old man. Jake, your bride is beautiful, and I can rest in peace knowing that you are married now and settled down. You are my biggest success. I have one more legacy to leave to you, but as you recall when we talked before your marriage, there are stipulations.
I have a long list of bequests in my will. Some will go to Ryan and Nick, of course. The three of you are like family to me. But I consider you the son I never had. I’ve mentored you and watched you succeed. I want the best for you.
If you and Emily have a baby, or conceive before my demise, then you will inherit the bulk of my estate. Otherwise, if there is no child, my estate will go to the charities listed below and you will receive the same amount as Ryan and Nick. I hope to see you permanently settled with the same woman. I heartily approve of your choice. Emily seems a fine young woman and I was delighted to see the pictures of both your wedding and the nursery you have ready for your first child.
I’m doing this because I want you to start a family while you are young and strong and can enjoy your children. I know how important work and success are to you, so I feel you need this incentive. Time slips away too easily.
I was too busy for children and consequently spent my last years alone. I’m meddling in your life, but that’s all I have left…
Shocked, Emily dropped the letter. She stared into space and saw Jake asking her to marry him and then later, repeating wedding vows to her. His offer to make her stay, his declarations of desire… Now she knew the true reason. He’d done it for money!
He had deceived her from the start! He’d told her he thought it was time he married, but he’d never mentioned that if he married and had a baby, he would inherit another billion dollars or more from his mentor.
“Permanently settled.…” The words leaped out at her. No wonder Jake wanted her to stay with him! Half a million was nothing when more than a billion-dollar inheritance was at stake! The enormity of Jake’s deception was like a tidal wave hitting her.
How could he! He had married her to get Hubert Braden’s fortune! The only reason Jake wanted a baby was to make more money. The same went for her, too—he only wanted her to stay so he could claim his inheritance.
Her stomach roiled and she felt sick, running into the bathroom to lose what little dinner she’d eaten the night before. She ran a washcloth under the tap and then wiped her face and her hands with it.
The enormity of his deception stunned her. Their entire relationship was built on lies. She looked at the letter again, skimming over it as if touching a wound—“…delighted to see the pictures of…the nursery you have ready…”
She remembered a very late night in June, two months after their wedding, when she was in Jake’s arms and he suggested they get a nursery ready.
“Em, we’re trying to start our family. Let’s go ahead and furnish a nursery.”
She had remained silent so long that he raised himself to look down at her. “Cat got your tongue?” he asked.
She drew her fingers across his chest, relishing the taut muscles. “Jake, I guess it’s superstition, but I’m a little leery of getting a nursery ready before I’m pregnant. It’s sort of tempting Fate. We’ll have almost nine months once I find out I’m pregnant.”
His smile was warm, irresistible. He combed long tendrils of hair from her face, stirring faint tingles. “Nonsense!” He nuzzled her cheek and raised his head again. “It’ll be fun. Let’s get one ready. We both had physicals before we married and were told we could have a family. I want to get the nursery ready now.”
“You sound as if you already have a theme in mind,” she said, thinking how he had to control every facet of his life.
“Not at all,” he answered easily, caressing her throat and letting his hand slide lower. “I’m leaving the design and decor totally up to you. You can run it past me, but I trust your choices.”
“If we wait, we’ll know whether we’re decorating for a girl or boy,” she argued, uneasy about establishing a nursery before she was pregnant. Not even Jake’s optimism could squelch her fears.
“There are all sorts of appealing themes that would work for either a boy or girl. You’ll work that out with a decorator. Money’s no object. I’ll talk to a contractor and we’ll have a door put in the wall that opens to the bedroom next to this one if you want the nursery close to our room.”
“Of course I do! I’ll probably have a crib in here for a while.”
“Maybe,” he said, showering light kisses on her throat and muddling her concentration of their discussion. “I’ll call a contractor tomorrow and get furniture moved out of that room so when you have a decorator, it’ll be ready.”
“Jake, this just gives me the most uneasy feeling. I’ll worry every time I pass the room.”
“Scaredy-cat,” he teased. “We’ll get it ready, then close the door on it. You don’t need to see it or go into it. You can forget it’s there.”
“Then why have it?”
“To humor me,” he answered, brushing kisses lower over her breasts at the edge of the sheet. His breath was warm and her nipples were taut, desire flaring again. She was constantly amazed how easily he could get her aroused, but she was equally surprised how effortlessly she could get Jake hard and ready. Her leg was thrown over him and she could feel his arousal.
“You are so sexy,” she whispered, biting his shoulder lightly. She nuzzled his neck, while her hand slipped beneath the sheet to run over his thigh.
Inhaling deeply, Jake had moved lower with his kisses. She’d felt his hot breath on her nipple through the sheet seconds before he’d pushed the sheet away to kiss her. He’d run his tongue over her taut bud, destroying all conversation.
Staring into space now, Emily reflected on those early months. A kaleidoscope of memories flashed in her mind—Jake constantly asking if she’d hired a decorator or started on the nursery, threatening to do so himself and finally prodding her into picking out a nursery-rhyme theme with characters from the old stories and poems. When the room was finished, she remembered his pleasure—he’d even taken digital pictures of the room. Now she understood why. Those pictures had been e-mailed to Hubert Braden, to convince him that Jake had settled with a wife and they were trying to have a baby.
Did he ever intend to tell her, or was he planning on getting the inheritance and letting her think that Hubert Braden had simply named him his primary heir?
She was certain that Jake would never have admitted his deception. Every kiss was a lie.
Revolted, she shook with rage. She should have known—she knew only too well how driven Jake was, after all. She’d watched him work, seen the drive that allowed no room for failure, seen it consume his time and energy and concentration. Why had she been so naive? She’d known she was dealing with a tiger whose natural instincts were to satisfy himself above all else. Acquiring money was what Jake thrived on.
Hubert Braden probably wouldn’t approve of Jake getting a divorce. He’d seemed inordinately pleased by their marriage, and now she understood why Jake was fighting to keep her. A half a million dollars to stay was an insignificant investment for him, yet he knew it would dazzle her. She wouldn’t be able to turn him down. His declarations of affection, his request that she give them a chance to fall in love—all lies!
Tears of anger and frustration streamed down Emily’s cheeks. Never in her life had she felt so betrayed and exploited.
Jake the Snake. The nickname fit. Rage blazed in her, growing with every passing minute. She realized now why he’d wanted to marry her in the first place. He must have seen her as the naive secretary, impressed by him. He’d probably thought she’d be so blinded by his money, she’d do whatever he wanted. Jake was calculating and shrewd, and she was certain he’d thought it all out. Society women would make far more monetary demands on him than she would.
She was angry with herself for being so gullible and trusting Jake completely. How dare Jake deceive her! And why did he have to have the inheritance? Why did he want it badly enough to delude her about it? He was already a billionaire—why did he want so much more? She knew he thrived on wealth and he equated money with success. But how greedy was he?
Later, when Jake had Hubert’s money, had he planned on dumping her and keeping his child? Or would he get rid of them both? She suspected there were only two things in life Jake truly loved—himself and money. Was he scrambling to be the world’s richest man? If he had political ambitions, they had to be presidential. Jake would never settle for anything less than the highest possible office.
Well, he could keep his half million. She was getting out of this marriage. She never wanted to see Jake again.
Unable to remain still, she rushed to the closet for a suitcase. She was getting out of Jake’s life and she couldn’t go fast enough. Their marriage was over.
Packing furiously, she knew when she walked out of his life, she would leave most everything he’d given her behind. She glanced at the letter and yanked it up. She made the bed, smoothing away every wrinkle in the expensive gold-and-white satin duvet, propping elegant gold-and-white accent pillows across the bed. With care, she placed the letter in the center of the bed where Jake couldn’t miss it or its implications.
She suspected Jake would try to hold her to her promise to stay for six more months as his wife. He’d probably include sex in that bargain, too. But she didn’t want Jake’s baby anymore. Thank heaven she wasn’t pregnant.
Or was she?
Memories of their lovemaking just hours earlier rose to haunt her. She pressed a palm to her flat tummy, suddenly scared that she might already be carrying his baby. She swayed and closed her eyes, praying that she wasn’t. Surely, if she hadn’t gotten pregnant in all this time…
“Please,” she whispered. “I don’t want Jake’s baby.” They had made love for hours, all through the night. She clamped her mouth shut and prayed again that she wasn’t already carrying his baby. She was not going to be a part of Jake winning Hubert Braden’s inheritance!
As far as she was concerned, Jake broke their vows when he deceived her. She couldn’t get out of this sham marriage soon enough.
Barely aware of her tears, Emily stormed around the room, finding her cell phone. She called one of Jake’s pilots and ordered a plane to be readied in three hours. As the pilot stammered and tried to put her off, she tightened her grip on the phone.
“Look, do I have to get Jake to get a plane here for me?” she asked sharply, her patience shredding. “I want to get back to Dallas to my family as soon as possible.”
“No, ma’am. I’ll be there and ready to go to Dallas by noon,” the pilot replied.
“Thank you,” she said, and snapped her phone closed. Fury made her pack faster.
Her hands shook as she flung clothes into her suitcase. She looked at the velvet box with the diamond necklace. If she sold it, she could give the money to the church. She grabbed up the jewelry Jake had given her, tossing it into her suitcase, determined to get rid of every glittering bit of it.
Seething with anger, she showered and dressed in beige slacks and a matching shirt, then tied her hair behind her head with a silk scarf. As noon approached, she set her suitcases by the door. While she waited for the driver to come pick her up, she looked around the extravagant villa, remembering time spent with Jake in every part of the house. When he’d been with her, Jake had always been working toward a goal—as surely as if he’d been doing battle in a boardroom.
