‘Of course he wasn’t in love with me.’ She nodded, bitterly, awkwardly hurt. ‘Who would want me, right?’
A frown flashed in Elias’s eyes, but she was too far gone to give a damn.
‘Marriages aren’t always some ideal romantic fantasy, Elias,’ she said harshly. ‘Sometimes marriage is a practical solution to a real problem. But you don’t have any clue about real problems in your high-flying, billionaire party world.’
Elias stiffened. ‘What’s the problem?’
As if she was going to tellhim?
He leaned closer, his fingers tightening. ‘What’s the problem, Darcie?’
She glared back, angrily marvelling at the arrogance and ignorance of him. He was literally blocking her path to where she wanted to go.
‘I hate you,’ she muttered. ‘This is all your fault.’
She was furious with him for appearing—unannounced, uninvited, ruining everything she’d worked so hard for, for so long. His timing could not have been worse. And she was even more furious because part of her had leapt to life at the sight of him. The stupid hormone-driven sexual part that she’d almost managed to completely ignore. And it was firing up again.
‘What gives you the right to turn up where you were never invited? All because I dared to walk out on you?’ She rose on tiptoe to slam her truth right into his face. ‘There was never going to be a good time to leave you. There is always some imperative deal you’re working on—you’re always pushing for more.’ Part of her admired him for that. She’d learned from him. ‘But you know what, Elias? This wasmydeal. Myonedeal. It was the only one I’veeverwanted and it was my only shot to get it and you’vewreckedit.’ Her breathing quickened and her heart was racing and racing and she was terrified of bursting into tears.
‘He’s a jerk,’ Elias shot back savagely. ‘It was obviously never going to last.’
‘That wasn’t the point!’ Darcie completely lost control, her voice rising. ‘That didn’t matter! It would have lasted longenough!’
Defeat swelled within her. Overwhelming, horrific defeat that brought forth bitter blame as the implications sank in. Her application to care for Lily would have to be delayed. Lily who was so little, so lost, so lonely—Lily, who mattered more than anything. As for themoneyshe’d just transferred to Shaun—would she get that back from him? Or would he disappear for months like he had before? And she wreaked all that anger, all that futility, on Elias. The literal roadblock in her way.
‘You can’t think about anyone beyondyourself,’ she berated him. ‘It is always about everything you want and need and it always has to be right now. Well, I have wants and needs, too, and I needed to get married.Today.’
‘If that’s the case then let me fix the problem I’ve created.’ He seethed wildly. ‘Youneedto get married today? Then fine. You can marry me.’
CHAPTER THREE
FORONECRAZYmoment Darcie actually believed him and her raw reaction was extreme. Excitement soared so high her senses spun out. She heard nothing but her heart beating a refrain—Marry. Elias. Greyson.
Impossible hope filled her lungs so swiftly, so completely, she shot past the point of pain. But when she was finally forced to release it, cold reality hit and she laughed—a bitter burst that sprang from the deepest despair. ‘Don’t beridiculous.’
His expression was rigid but his pupils had blown. ‘I’m not.’
But Darcie didn’t believe him. He was being snide and she was sohurt. She looked down and saw his big hand still wrapped firmly around her wrist. The sizzle of skin on skin would surely leave a mark. But as if it were possible to be branded by his one touch? She shook her head. She was sopathetic. He didn’t want her. She knew that already.
‘It wasn’t a joke,’ he insisted curtly. ‘It just needs some organisation.’
His blithely unrealistic understatement refuelled the remnants of her anger. He was beyond arrogant.
‘As if it’s that easy?’ She’d worked formonthsto get to this position and he’d decimated it in seconds. ‘We’re not in Las Vegas, Elias.’ She sarcastically informed him of the banalities that made his supposedly simple solution impossible. ‘We’re in England. There are forms that have to be filed days ahead of time.’
‘Isn’t there somewhere north...’ He frowned, then his eyebrows lifted. ‘Gretna Green?’
‘Gretna Green?’ This time her brief laugh was more of a squawk. ‘What do you think this is, some Regency romance in which we elope because I’m underage?’ She shook her head. ‘It’s the twenty-first century and even there westillhave to file paperwork weeks in advance.’
‘Speed really is of the essence?’
Darcie couldn’t wait any longer becauseLilycouldn’t wait. Lily, who was about to be shunted into yet another foster home that would never be good enough and Darcie would lose her last opportunity to provide for her. Darcie, who’d been so single-minded, so determined that she’d put up with every one of Elias’s endless and outrageous demands. The guy was an inexhaustible tyrant—ruthless and relentless in his requirements—and she’d borne it all in biddable silence because she’d needed to, but now futility swamped her. ‘It was. Yes.’
‘And it really doesn’t matter who the groom is?’ he asked, puzzled and searching.
But Darcie saw no need to explain anything to him. Elias Greyson was unlikely to ever marry anyone and most certainly not her. When she’d first begun working for him, she’d soon learned he was a playboy who dated an endless array of socialites and models and influencers—all of whom tended to be slender or beautiful or well-connected or successful or more commonly,allof the above. Darcie wasn’tanyof those things. Definitely not slender, nor beautiful enough to wear slinky dresses, and she definitely didn’t come from the right side of the tracks. She didn’t dance at the right clubs, in fact long ago she’d danced at the absolute opposite of the right clubs, not that she could ever tell him that. She didn’t have an elite education or spring from some society family. And unsurprisingly Elias had paid no attention to her as anything other than his dutiful assistant. She wasn’t and would never be his type nor an appropriate match. And she knew that factintimately. As all her anger flooded back she finally twisted her hand and jerked her wrist free of his hold.
‘Just forget it andleave, Elias. You’ve done enough damage already.’