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“Pay no attention,” she said. But she hoped Josh was staring. He looked so deeply familiar she thought she couldn’t bear the whole situation. Callista looked so nice. She deserved to be happy. Christy’s instinct told her it wouldn’t be for long. Not with Josh. Josh wasn’t good enough. Josh’s only real fondness was for money. But Callista on her big day looked radiant in her beautiful ecru satin gown that glimmered with thousands of seed pearls. Her billowy floor-length organza veil was held off her small face by an exquisite diamond-and-pearl diadem that looked like a family heirloom.
After all that she knew, Christy still wished perversely things could have been different. That Josh could have been different from the man he really was.
“How well did you know him?” Ashe McKinnon asked her, his dark face taking on an aspect of contempt.
“I don’t think you want to listen.”
“Try me,” he clipped off.
“It’s all in the past. Another dimension.” She needed a huge breathing space from this man.
“It’d better be.” With one hand he lifted her face and turned his black gaze on her.
“What do you want to do, crush me?” She envied him his masculine strength. The hard detachment.
Instantly he eased his grip. What did he want with her? To pick her up and carry her off? To make love to her until she couldn’t even remember who Deakin was?
“Are you suggesting I could be that physical?”
“I could feel your anger.” Yet something about him was giving her a deep, languorous feeling. It was like being engulfed in the black velvet of night. What was she doing twisting and turning in this stranger’s arms? He was so totally different from Josh. With a powerful magnetism that reached through her pain. Moreover he was controlling her, pulling her closer.
“So are you going to tell me exactly why you are here? I’m certain you have no invitation.”
“I let it get away from me.” She glanced at him briefly, her lashes shadowing her eyes. “It flew into the air and blew away.” There was no comfort in this man, only astonishing heat. She kept seeing Josh and his bride out of the corner of her eye. Hurt spasmed through her. “Kiss me,” she ordered before she started to cry.
He shook her a little. “Because you want to make him jealous? Look at me.” He was going to kiss her before the night was over. He had never wanted to kiss a woman more in his life. This beautiful creature who was electric for another man. A man who had his cousin lovingly tucked into his shoulder. “You little fool,” Ashe muttered, lowering his dark head protectively over her. “There’s no way, no way, you can get him back.”
“I don’t want him back. I don’t!” She knew it was true but she couldn’t get herself together almost overnight.
“Is that a prayer?”
Her mouth was trembling beneath his brooding regard. “Could we go outside?”
“Why not? We’re leaving a lot of burning curiosity behind.”
It was not to be. Callista called to her cousin from across the room.
“Ashe!” No one had told Callista who the beautiful blond girl in the green dress was. She was extravagantly lovely to Callista’s eyes. The dress! She could never wear a dress like that. And Ashe? What was he doing with her? The two of them looked somehow torched. As if no one else in the world mattered.
Beside Callista, Josh gave a wry little exclamation. “What with all this talking I’m getting dry in the throat. I think I’ll get myself a drink. Could I get you anything, my darling?”
Callista gave him her sweet smile. “Oh, Joshua, please stay and meet Ashe’s new girlfriend. I must say I’m surprised. But then Ashe is the best of anyone at surprises.”
“I don’t know…” Josh’s mouth was indeed dry and his heart was thundering. Christy was always such a lady but he knew what angry women could do.
“Please, darling, for me.” Callista caught her bridegroom’s hand.
“I can’t do this,” Christy confessed to Ashe McKinnon as they crossed the floor.
“You can. I’ll see you through.” He took her hand and held it firmly.
“Who am I?” This wasn’t what she intended at all. “Who am I supposed to be?”
“You should have thought of that.” His reply was a little harsh. “You’re my deepest secret.”
“You mean you asked me?” She was drowning in confusion.
“Who else? I’m not going to risk Callista’s being badly hurt. Do you think you can smile?” He eyed her critically.
“Of course I can smile, you arrogant man.” A storm of outraged pride blew up in her. He had calluses on his palm. McKinnon the cattle baron. High power—high voltage. She had an hysterical desire to run from him.
“Would you just look at Deakin?” he said suddenly in a hard gritty voice. “My bet is he was trying to make a break for it but Callista stopped him.”
Even devastated by Josh’s betrayal, Christy could scarcely blame him.
“So what’s the play?” she asked through small clenched teeth. It was almost as though she’d known this man in another life, but she had no time to dwell on that.
“We’ll play it by ear,” he told her, giving her, quite out the blue, the sexiest smile.
It was so amazing it put the adrenalin back into her.
And hey! Josh had the frozen look of a rabbit caught in a hunter’s sights. Callista, the triumphant bride, was looking from her to her cousin as if she didn’t know what was going on. Up close Christy realised Callista was older than she had supposed. Late rather than early twenties. Probably her trust fund paid out at age thirty. The evidence was Josh couldn’t wait.
“You look absolutely lovely and so happy, Callista,” Ashe told his cousin in a surprisingly calm voice. “I hope nothing ever changes that.” He slid his arm smoothly around Christy’s waist, drawing her forward. “I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Christy Parker. She wasn’t on the guest list because I didn’t know she’d be back from L.A.”
Josh, aware he had escaped some terrible danger, fell into his role of loving bridegroom, the expression on his face growing in confidence. “We know one another, don’t we?” he asked Christy, quite unforgivably, giving Christy a smile for which one really needed sunglasses. “You’re with Whitelaw Promotions, aren’t you?”
It was her moment to bring him down. To give him instant payback. Instead she nodded coolly. “That’s right. I think I know you, too.”
Josh prepared himself again for an onslaught. It didn’t come. “So tell me, how is Zack?” he asked in the nicest friendly fashion. He referred to Christy’s boss and the head of the public relations company.
“Fine.” She couldn’t possibly slip into casual mode. She was far too upset. “It’s been a beautiful wedding, Callista.” She turned her attention to the bride. “I wish you every happiness.” Amazingly she was able to say it.
“Thank you so much…Christy…” Callista finally got her voice going. “Wherever did you meet Ashe?” She looked avid to know.
“Well…”
“It’s a long story,” Ashe McKinnon said, locking Christy of the shining beauty to him, aware of her turmoil. She was as jumpy as a cat.
“A story worth listening to, I’ll bet.” Josh’s glance lingered long on Christy.
“Christy’s not talking.” Ashe’s vibrant voice was saturated in what sounded very much like sarcasm. “See you later, you two. I know how much you both want to be together.”
“Dear God!” Christy murmured almost inaudibly as they moved off. “I don’t normally drink but I feel like one now.”
“You did very well,” he assured her. “It was plain to me you wanted to slap him.”
“Whereas you didn’t?” Whatever this man said, he fired her. “I thought you came dangerously near to cutting.”
“I’m surprised you said that,” he drawled. “But then you don’t know me. If I’d been really cutting Deakin wouldn’t be standing. ‘Don’t I know you’?” He aped Josh’s lighter tones then they hardened. “Only the fact Callista is my cousin and she’s wearing a wedding dress stopped me from asking him to step outside.”
“I can’t imagine he could stand up to your flailing fists.” She shuddered. Josh would be no match for this cattle baron. He didn’t have that sort of invincible masculinity. In fact, she considered very belatedly, Josh was soft.
“My dear girl, I’d drop him in one.” He signalled to one of the fleet of uniformed waiters who hurried to his side. “Thank you,” he said gracefully, taking two glasses of champagne from the silver tray.
“I should go now,” Christy said quite sadly as he passed a flute to her.
“My dear, you should be thrown out,” Ashe quipped, not liking this beautiful witch’s misery.
“I don’t belong here.”
“I entirely agree with you, but you’re not going anywhere. Not yet. Come.” He took her arm. Held her captive. “Let’s leave all these good people to their exuberant high spirits. I expect you’re hungry?”
“No.” She shook her head, fighting for her dignity.
“I promise you you will be. Enough money has been spent on the food and drink at this reception to feed the entire Outback for a year.”
As they made their way out to the marquee society photographers got in the way. Flashes went off, capturing the two of them strolling along like a pair of lovers. Ashe McKinnon didn’t stop to supply Christy’s name. He didn’t have to, Christy thought shakily. At least one photographer knew exactly who she was since he’d photographed her at various functions a few times before. Without question a photograph of her with Ashe McKinnon at her side would appear in Vogue, or whatever magazine had the rights. No matter what, Christy held her shoulders back and her head high.
The food was indeed so sumptuous many of the guests stood gawking in awe before they finally moved in to sample the endless dishes. Ice sculptures in the form of larger-than-life swans decorated the tables, which were festooned with white flowers and trails of ivy down the centre. Billows of white tulle and satin ribbons decorated the tented ceilings with thousands of fresh white flowers including masses of white orchids flown in from Thailand. Christy had already seen the six-foot-high wedding cake, which dominated the twenty-foot-long Georgian dining room table. Obviously the happy couple were to cut the cake in the house. She hoped to be long gone by then. Why hadn’t the cattle baron thrown her out? He was a strange perverse man.
Instead he made her eat something. “Go on,” he urged. “Everyone is looking at you. Isn’t that too priceless? Of course you’re the most beautiful woman here, though I expect you still want to change places with Callista?”
She was aghast at his little cruelties. “What a pig you are. Cochon!”
“But of course you speak French,” he joked. “Anyway I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” He bent his glistening dark head over hers, a study in ebony and gold, as though he was whispering endearments.
“No need to overdo it,” she said sharply, struck again by the beauty of his eyes. Why did men have such wonderful eyelashes?
“I’m doing what I want to do. It’s even possible I’ve fallen madly in love with you.”
“And pray have you?” She could barely conceal her inner rage.
“No. We’re co-conspirators that’s all. And I’m damned if I know why. Our paths will probably never cross again.”
“Amen to that,” she flashed. This wasn’t a man you sashayed around. He was a big, powerful tough man. The sort of man she disliked.
“You don’t see me as eligible?” he mocked. “They tell me I am.”
“Why not with all that money,” she returned bleakly. Wasn’t that how it went with Josh.
“You have such command of diplomacy. I’m sure you weren’t always that cynical.”
“I was not.” There was a headache behind her eyes.
“You’re thinking about Deakin, aren’t you?” he abruptly accused, the muscles of his face tautening.
“It’s hard not to when I’ve turned up at his wedding,” she managed painfully.
“And when did you decide to do that?” He was determined to know.
“At precisely half past eleven last night,” she replied.
“What we call a snap decision? More champagne? There’s a choice. Moet or Bollinger?”
“Wouldn’t it have been cheaper, even smarter, to buy domestic?” she asked tartly, swallowing a morsel of Russian caviar.
“Mercedes thinks our champagne styles lack French subtlety.”
“She should go to more wine tastings. Even the experts have been known to be fooled.”
Inevitably other guests surged up to speak to Ashe. He appeared to be known and “adored” by everyone on the bride’s side, but needless to say none of the super-rich knew her. She only occasionally moved into their world at charity functions. But he introduced her to all his friends who turned searching but approving eyes on her. It was about time Ashe got married, they said with sly glances at her, never guessing she was wincing inside. As urbanely as Ashe McKinnon was handling all this, she just knew there was a dark side to the cattle baron. He was allowing this charade to go on to prevent a scandal. She was determined to get away from him, at the same time filled with the weird notion she couldn’t even if she tried. But her moment came. The best-looking of the bridesmaids, four in all, all dressed alike in shades of blue moire silk, determinedly took hold of his arm.
“Ashe, darling, why are you being so cruel to me…?”
Christy waited for no more. She fled across the lawn, keeping to the shadows and away from the main reception rooms, heading eastwards. If she got lost he would have to send a search party. She’d have really strange memories of all this. They’d probably stay with her all her life.
Just when she thought she was safe, a man’s hand suddenly reached for her, drawing her back into a large dimly lit room that looked like a man’s study. She had an impression of walls of books, glass cases bearing sporting trophies, paintings of winning racehorses, a desk and chairs.
“Christy!” Josh was staring down at her, soft floppy hair nearly falling into his eyes.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry, I don’t want to speak to you.” She gritted her teeth.
“Take it quietly, darling,” he begged. “God, I thought the bloody cattle baron had abducted you.”
“He’ll be coming to look for me pretty soon,” Christy warned, wanting nothing more than to have Ashe McKinnon explode into the room.
“You don’t know him, do you?’ Josh asked as if he guessed her pitiful secret.
“Pretty soon we’re going to get engaged,” Christy said briskly, wanting to see how he took it.
The generous mouth dropped open. “Be serious.”
“I am being serious,” she managed.
“You’re not!” Now he gloated. “You don’t know him. He doesn’t come to the city that often. He has a cattle empire to run.”
“I know!” Christy flaunted the knowledge. “He’s very rich.”
“You don’t care about riches.”
“I do now. It’s ironic, isn’t it? I’d say he has even more millions than your wife and mother-in-law put together.”
“You’re bitter, aren’t you?” Josh accused her, his hazel eyes raking her face and body.
“Get a grip, Josh,” she said, green eyes narrowing in contempt. “It’s okay you married your Callista. There’s a big wide world out there full of gorgeous men. Ashe McKinnon would have to be right up there at the top.”
“You weren’t on the wedding list,” Josh pointed out aggressively. “You’re a fake, Christy. You don’t know him at all.” But on his own wedding day Josh’s voice cracked with jealousy.
