Determinedly, she lifted her chin. ‘Yes. I’ll come away with you.’ Her employee Carmen was always begging her to take a break. She would be happy to cover for her.
She felt the car slow as he kissed her again, his hands stroking her hair. Then, breaking the kiss, he looked down at her, his face catching the light so that her breath caught in her throat at the absurdity of his perfect cheekbones.
‘It’s not too late to change your mind.’ Despite the teasing smile, his eyes were serious.
Her heart gave a lurch and she almost laughed out loud. Of course it was too late. It had been too late ever since that letter had turned up in her in tray.
Shaking her head, she lifted her chin. ‘No. You’re right—we do need to talk. Besides, I could do with a holiday.’
His eyes gleamed. ‘You might need another one after we get back. This one could be quite...strenuous.’
Before she could reply he leaned forward and tapped on the window. And she felt the car stop.
Stepping onto the pavement, Addie looked up at the sky. The rain had stopped and a small, pale sun was edging out from behind the clouds.
She turned to face him, feeling suddenly awkward. ‘So what happens now?’
Reaching out, he pulled her against him, sliding his arms around her waist, and the touch of his strong hands made her heart slam against her ribs.
‘You go inside and pack,’ he said mockingly. ‘We leave on Monday.’
‘Monday!’ She stared at him in shock, her ears buzzing.
He nodded. ‘My driver will pick you up at nine. Try not to keep him waiting too long.’
Addie was starting to feel somewhat overwhelmed, both by the speed of these arrangements and this unsettling reminder of Malachi’s wealth.
But, determined not to show her discomfort or lack of sophistication, she merely nodded. ‘Leave for where? New York? France? The moon?’
Even to her own ears her voice sounded high and petulant, and she blushed as he laughed softly.
‘The Caribbean. I own an island there—off Antigua.’ Glancing at her astonished expression, he grinned.
‘Y-you own an island?’ She had given up trying to play it cool. ‘What kind of island?’
‘The usual kind.’ He gave her a slow, teasing smile. ‘White sand. Palm trees. Paradise on earth.’
Her head was spinning; questions were flying in every direction. But he was already back in the car.
‘Wait!’ Stepping forward, she hammered on the window, her breath churning in her throat as it slid down.
He leaned forward, a teasing smile on his handsome face. ‘What’s the matter? Are you missing me already?’
She frowned. Away from his touch, with the cooling breeze on her skin, her head was clearing. ‘I need to know what to pack.’
He laughed, his eyes gleaming. ‘It’s a honeymoon, sweetheart. You don’t need to pack anything at all!’
CHAPTER FOUR
IN THE TINY bedroom of her apartment, Addie stood staring despairingly at the half-empty holdall on her bed. She had woken early and, after nearly an hour of lying in the darkness, had finally got out of bed with the intention of being calm and collected by the time Malachi’s car arrived to pick her up. Yet somehow she wasn’t anywhere near ready and, pushing down the swell of panic rising inside her, she sat down on her bed with a thump.
It was all happening so fast—too fast. Three days ago she hadn’t seen or spoken to Malachi for five years. Now she was going away with him for a month. Alone. Today. This morning.
The thought was like a jolt of electricity passing through her body, and mechanically she began to fold her clothes and pack them in the bag.
After Malachi had driven off she’d felt exhausted—almost as though she’d just completed some arduous Herculean challenge. Lifting her hand, she pressed her fingers to her lips, remembering the bruising heat of his kisses.
Frankly, Hercules had it easy! She’d take defeating monsters any day over trying to resist the charms of her husband who, in his own devastating way, could cause the same mayhem and misery as any three-headed dog. Unlike the three-headed dog, however, he didn’t serve some angry god. He was entirely self-serving and always, however reasonable he appeared, got exactly what he wanted.