Hold it together. And don’t touch her, damn it, because then you’ll never be able to get an answer.
Her eyes had gone wide with confusion. Making the fury boiling under his breastbone threaten to ignite.
He’d only found out about the contract change a half-hour ago, when he’d been scanning an email from Selene while waiting to pick up a glass of champagne for Alison at the event’s crowded bar.
He’d been planning to celebrate. And he’d wanted to celebrate with her. The consortium members had been completely charmed by her, as he’d known they would be. She’d put on a convincing show, not least by excusing herself when his introductions had led on to a discussion about zoning issues on the project. One of the businessmen had laughed and congratulated him on his marriage and his beautiful wife, pointing out, ‘Only a real wife would feel comfortable making it abundantly clear she found her husband’s talk of business boring. My wife is exactly the same.’
The consortium members had agreed to sign the first phase of the deal tomorrow morning. His decision to marry Alison had been the right move.
But then he’d read Selene’s outline of the marriage-contract negotiations, and the excitement had died. His assistant hadn’t bothered to mention the change Alison had requested before now, because he’d given Selene carte blanche to negotiate the terms, telling her to refer anything problematic to his legal and financial teams. He hadn’t wanted to be too closely involved. He’d been having enough trouble forgetting about Alison while he’d waited for her to arrive in New York. And, of course, his legal and financial teams had been more than happy to strike the lump-sum payment at the end of the marriage from the contract, because it would save LN a million pounds.
But he wasn’t happy. He was furious about the unnecessary change.
The whole purpose of the payment was to keep his conscience clear. To pay off his responsibility after the marriage ended, not just towards the woman whose virginity he had taken, however unintentionally, and then exploited, but also towards the little girl who had been left destitute after that summer.
By refusing that payment, she had turned the tables on him. Made him responsible again. And guilt was not an emotion he enjoyed.
‘I just... I didn’t want the money,’ she said. ‘It was too much. You’re already giving me so much.’
It was exactly the sort of naïve, artless statement he should have expected. He tried to bank his fury. But he could do nothing to hide his frustration.
‘We agreed on the money the morning you agreed to this marriage. And then you deliberately reneged on that understanding. And you chose not to mention it before we actually went through with the ceremony. Why?’
‘I didn’t think you’d mind,’ she said, still confused, which only spurred his temper more.
‘Of course I mind,’ he said. ‘I always pay my debts. It’s an important principle of the way I do business.’ And something he’d stuck to throughout his career, even when it had meant going hungry. Because he had promised himself the night he had crawled off his father’s estate he would never, ever be beholden to anyone again. That no one would ever have the power to control him in that way. And now this woman had managed to undermine that essential tenet to the way he lived his life—without even trying.
‘Why did you even wish to change that part of the agreement?’ he said. He had offered her a million pounds; why hadn’t she taken it? Because he knew exactly how much she could use the money.
Her blush was visible even in the dark interior of the car.
‘It’s too much, Dominic.’
‘No. It. Isn’t.’ He spat the words out. ‘You’re going to live as my wife for the next six months—do you really think I want to leave you destitute again when we divorce?’ And why was it already so damn hard to say that word?
She looked shocked, which only infuriated him more. He couldn’t let this pass.
The car drew up at the Lafayette apartment. He unbuckled them both and hauled Alison out of the car. She still hadn’t said anything, but it was probably better they had this discussion in private. He didn’t want to risk another display for the paparazzi out on the sidewalk.
He marched into the lobby, ignored Manny the doorman’s jaunty evening greeting and stabbed the elevator button.
Unfortunately a couple of his staff arrived behind them, and joined them in the lift.
Her fingers flexed on his, but he didn’t release his grip as he replied to his staff members’ innocuous comments about the weather—even as the adrenaline raced through his bloo
dstream. How could he still be so aroused, when he was almost choking on his indignation?
At last the two employees stepped out of the lift and they arrived a few moments later at the penthouse apartment. He dragged her through the doors as soon as they swished open. Once they were safe in the privacy of his apartment he released her hand.
‘I want to know why you pulled this stunt,’ he said. ‘And then we’re going to have to renegotiate the contract or it’s not going to work for me.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
WAS IT WRONG to notice how hot Dominic was when he was mad?
Ally tried to corral her wayward thoughts and stick to the problem at hand.
And it was a problem. She should have told him she’d decided not to accept the pay-off. That much was obvious. But she really hadn’t thought it would be a deal breaker. And she had to wonder why it was.