“I hope so,” she responded modestly. She watched as he lifted some of the seafood soup to his mouth.
His sound of pleasure was genuine. “You’re a great cook,” he said with true admiration.
“Oh, I’m glad you like it.” She realised she’d been anxious, and his praise sent ripples of pleasure running over her.
He did like it. In fact, it was one of the nicest things he’d ever eaten. Sitting in the midst of this small, happily cluttered room, he had to harden his resolve to stop from enjoying himself. Seducing Chloe was too important to confuse with any kind of real feeling. He needed to take her from William in the way that would truly hurt the other man, just so he could throw it in his face. It didn’t matter if she was the best damned cook in the country. She was just a means to an end.
“Let’s talk about the grounds for divorce.”
Chloe nodded, and replaced the spoon onto the table. “Yikes. I guess we have to, don’t we?”
His laugh was gentle. “Yes.” He stood, and moved into the kitchen, returning a moment later with the wine he’d brought, and two glasses. She watched as he unfurled a small Swiss army knife from his key ring and lifted the corkscrew.
“You’re a boy scout, huh? Prepared for anything.”
“Believe me, Chloe, I’m the opposite of a boy scout.”
Her cheeks flushed, her eyes dropped guiltily. She was affected by him, and she didn’t want to be.
“Thank you,” she murmured, taking the wine glass he offered and lifting it to her lips. She breathed in its heady, spiced fragrance.
“So?” He prompted. “How would you like to proceed?”
For a second, she wondered if he meant her rampant sense of desire; but of course, he was talking about the legal situation. “I’ve given this a lot of thought,” she said quietly, her blue eyes focussing just over his shoulder. “I read the brochure that your firm sent me. And I think the fairest way to proceed is to claim irreconcilable differences.”
Hendrix had somehow just known she would attempt the pacifist route. “I see,” his disapproval was obvious.
“You don’t agree,” she observed, placing her wine down and eyeing him thoughtfully.
“No. I think it weakens your bargaining position. Did your husband cheat on you, Chloe?”
His breath was laboured, beneath the calm sounding enquiry.
Her violet eyes blinked. “I… why do you ask that?”
He gripped the stem of his glass tightly in his palm. “It’s relevant.”
“No, it isn’t. Unless I intend to divorce him owing to infidelity, it’s not.”
Hendrix compressed his lips. “Fine. Leave the divorce out of it for a moment. Was he unfaithful to you?”
She wanted to confide in him. She desperately wanted to tell him the truth. But she’d held all the hurt in her heart for so long that it was habit now.
“There were many reasons our marriage didn’t work out.”
Her silent defence of the bastard was galling, to say the least. “Yes. I can imagine. Let’s look at what you’ve already told me. He’s been physically abusive to you. He has blackmailed you. He left you pregnant and alone in a foreign country, and hasn’t once helped you with any of the raising of the child. And he’s cheated on you.”
Her eyes flew wide, and resentment chipped inside of her. “Why ask the question if you already know the answer?”
“To ascertain what you know,” he responded without emotion.
“Fine.” The elastic that she had wrapped around her self-control was pulling, and getting close to breaking point. “He cheated on me. A lot.”
The added qualifier jabbed into Hendrix’s chest, too. He knew that Eleanor believed herself to be in love with the man. He’d been unfaithful to his sister, as well. William had allowed her to love him, and he’d been married!
“
You would be wise to consider suing for divorce on the grounds of Adultery.”