Zayn had stared at her thoughtfully for a long time. So long that she thought he might change his mind. But then, he had pressed a hand to the small of her back and gently guided her from the room. The rest, had been history. The most breathtakingly beautiful romance of Julia's life, that had burned out as disastrously as it had begun magnificently.
Out of nowhere, an image of the first woman he'd been with after her came to mind. Buxom, easy, slutty; and in the photo Georgie had reluctantly shown Julia, the woman looked like she'd just rolled out of Zayn's king-size bed. Slutty Big Boobs had been just the first in a long line of women Zayn had moved onto. And though there had now been dozens and dozens, the pain had never become easier to bear. If anything, Julia felt her sense of betrayal growing in proportion to her confusion. Why? She had thought he loved her, and then all of a sudden, it was over, and he'd moved on quicker than she could say, "But you broke my heart!".
"I mean it, Zayn. You're just someone I thought I knew, years ago. I really don't want to spend another minute in your company." She pinned him with her angry glare. "Why would you even want to buy daddy's business? He deals in spice imports. Hardly your usual line of work."
"No. I will certainly either on-sell it or arrange for a manager to handle it." His tone was dismissive. He reached down and picked up a crystal glass that looked half-full of sparkling water. He lifted it to his lips and drunk it one mouthful. "It was not the business so much as the assets that come with it that attracted my interest."
Julia thought of her father's company with a mind that was slow to focus. There was the warehouse in Hammersmith, and the transportation vehicles, but other than that, it was a relatively asset poor company. She implored him with her eyes to continue.
He was more than willing. "You see, Julia, your father's business is in a lot of trouble."
Julia shook her head to deny it, but his words formed a little bridge in her mind and memory. Various pieces of knowledge suddenly slotted into place. Her father's stress, the long times between lavish holidays that had once been frequent, the downsizing of his lifestyle, and the slowly diminishing collection of antiquities every time she returned to Howard Manor.
Still, she refused to believe it. "His business is excellent. He is always picking up new contracts." She tried to think of the last time he'd said as much to her, and drew a blank.
"No, habibte. He is in a lot of debt. He has no new contracts. I made sure of that."
"You... you... what do you mean?"
"I had to be sure the incentive would be sufficient enough to guarantee your acceptance."
Julia glared at him, but she couldn't quite understand what he was saying. "What incentive? Accept what? Jeez, Zayn, stop beating about the bush and tell me what the hell you want from me."
"I have offered to buy your father's business. What Colin doesn't know is that I will only go through with the sale if you agree to marry me."
CHAPTER TWO
Julia felt her throat constrict with angry tears. “But… I would never marry you. Not in a million years.”
Dark eyes flared wide, and glowed with an anger she would never have believed Zayn capable of. Not when she’d first met him. Then again, that had been four years ago. A lot could happen in four years. If the papers were to be believed, a lot had happened to Sheikh Zayn Al-melara. “The choice, of course, is entirely yours. But if you do not agree to my proposition, I will not purchase your father’s company.”
She pulled herself up to her full, not-very impressive height of just over five feet. “I’ll have you know I have an excellent offer to join a top law firm. My salary will be more than enough to help daddy out. If he even is in financial trouble, which I find hard to believe.”
A curl of his lips showed him to be amused, rather than impressed. “Your father is in debt more than six million pounds.”
Julia felt her knees buckle beneath her and she reached out for the solid timber desk for support. “Six million pounds?”
Her voice was little more than a whisper, and it pleased Zayn to see her surprise. She had hurt and embarrassed him, and he’d been waiting a very long time to exact his revenge.
“I don’t suppose you have such an amount lying around somewhere?”
Julia’s pale brown eyes flew to his face. “You’re enjoying this.”
His shrug of pure insolence drew her attention to his broad shoulders and muscled torso. A body that had been torturing her dreams for years. “I am certainly relishing the prospect of claiming you as my wife, and taking you to my bed.”
Julia’s bow shaped lips gaped wide open. “You cannot be serious.”
Zayn closed the distance between them with two easy strides. “Oh, I was prepared to wait for you before. You were, after all only nineteen years old. And, I believed at the time, an innocent.” His lips twisted in a sneer of self-derision. “You’re a big girl now. And you have the body to prove it.”
Julia froze as he lifted a hand a ran it down her side, brushing the edge of her breast and pausing to lightly grip her hip. “This is some kind of bad dream.” She bit down on her lower lip, trying to connect the man she had once believed she loved with this demonic stranger before her now.
“On the contrary, this is a very, very good dream.” And he lowered his head and took possession of her lips, roughly, not at all like he had had kissed her in the past. Then, he had been gentle, tender and caring. Now, his lips and stubbled chin ravaged her, taking and plundering what he wanted from her mouth, making the last of her strength dissipate in waves of wanton weakness.
She couldn’t help it. She had wanted him for years, and despite his horrid behaviour, she felt a kick of lust stir in her stomach. She drew a hand to his chest, intending to push him away, but instead it clung to the soft cotton of his shirt.
Zayn lifted his head, and stared down at the woman he intended to marry. “We will marry on Friday, and travel to Naman directly afterwards.”
“No.” Julia shook her head to clear the cobwebs his kiss had woven throughout her brain. She knew it was vitally important to hold onto her determination.