Read Online Bachelor's Wife by Jessica Steele - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jessica Steele
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arrangement, want, urgently, to be free so you can marry someone else, I'm willing, as I said, to go against a situation that suits me perfectly well and release you from our bargain.'
'For five thousand pounds,' she put in woodenly.
'What sort of business man would I be if I let every contract I made be broken without being compensated?'
Perry espied the devilish light in his eyes, recalled how at the very beginning of this conversation she had as good as told him she lived from month to month for all she was well paid, and saw then that this was the real reason for his questioning and had nothing at all to do with him
thinking she was after his money. He had told her he thought that had it been his money she was after she would have made her play before this. Innocently, she had dropped word after word into his hands for him to make bullets of and fire back at her when he was ready. And as she thought about it, Perry grew more furious than she could ever remember being in her life before.
'You swine!' she muttered between clenched teeth. 'You utter cold-hearted, merciless swine!' His eyebrows rose a fraction at the unconcealed fury in her, her flashing green eyes telling any witness she was boiling. 'Five thousand pounds is neither here nor there to you. But you know damn well I'd be hard put to find five hundred, let alone five thousand. I as good as told you that myself, didn't I?'
'Perhaps you were a little indiscreet,' Nash commented, seeming to be thoroughly enjoying the five feet seven firebrand standing in front of him blazing away.
'Indiscreet!' Her voice rose, all previous attempts to keep Karen Taylor from knowing any of their discussion forgotten in her fury. 'You deliberately led me into telling you about my finances!' And at his look that said taking candy from a baby couldn't have been easier, she lost control completely, and forgetful too how quickly Nash had moved the last time she had physically set about him, she aimed a crack at his shin that would have crippled him for the rest of the day had it connected. Only it didn't.
With lightning speed he moved out of the way. And since she was off balance he had not the slightest trouble in picking her up and plonking her down heavily on his desk.
The feeling of looking ridiculous sitting there with her legs dangling in no way helped to quieten her fury.
'Let go of me!' she yelled, when, taking no chances, Nash held her there.
'Like hell I will,' he retorted, hanging on to her grimly as she tried to wriggle free.
Then to her amazement, he threw back his head and laughed. It was a deep and natural sound and so entirely unexpected Perry forgot her anger and just sat and stared at him.
'Forgive me,' he said after a moment, and a more unrepentant plea for forgiveness she had never heard.
'Why should I?' she asked belligerently.
'Perhaps I'll tell you the next time we meet,' he suggested, taking his restraining hold from her.
Her anger resurfaced as she slid down from her undignified perch. 'There'll be no next time,' she said tautly, and saw his eyes narrow briefly before, his face serious, though his manner more confident than ever, he said softly:
'So you intend to set the divorce ball rolling without my help—regardless of all the accompanying ballyhoo?'
Inwardly defeated, Perry lifted her elegantly clad head proudly. 'Go to hell, Nash Devereux!' she snapped, and wished with all her heart that she had succeeded in temporarily crippling him as his laughter followed her out of the door.
She had found her interview with Nash Devereux draining. He was better looking than she had remembered, and newsprint didn't do him full justice, but that hardness that had been in him six years ago was still there.
Asking for his money back before he'd do the decent thing and quietly divorce her, she fumed, as she made her way home. Where did he think she was going to find five thousand pounds?
Still indignant at the easy way he had ruined her sophisticated
'For five thousand pounds,' she put in woodenly.
'What sort of business man would I be if I let every contract I made be broken without being compensated?'
Perry espied the devilish light in his eyes, recalled how at the very beginning of this conversation she had as good as told him she lived from month to month for all she was well paid, and saw then that this was the real reason for his questioning and had nothing at all to do with him
thinking she was after his money. He had told her he thought that had it been his money she was after she would have made her play before this. Innocently, she had dropped word after word into his hands for him to make bullets of and fire back at her when he was ready. And as she thought about it, Perry grew more furious than she could ever remember being in her life before.
'You swine!' she muttered between clenched teeth. 'You utter cold-hearted, merciless swine!' His eyebrows rose a fraction at the unconcealed fury in her, her flashing green eyes telling any witness she was boiling. 'Five thousand pounds is neither here nor there to you. But you know damn well I'd be hard put to find five hundred, let alone five thousand. I as good as told you that myself, didn't I?'
'Perhaps you were a little indiscreet,' Nash commented, seeming to be thoroughly enjoying the five feet seven firebrand standing in front of him blazing away.
'Indiscreet!' Her voice rose, all previous attempts to keep Karen Taylor from knowing any of their discussion forgotten in her fury. 'You deliberately led me into telling you about my finances!' And at his look that said taking candy from a baby couldn't have been easier, she lost control completely, and forgetful too how quickly Nash had moved the last time she had physically set about him, she aimed a crack at his shin that would have crippled him for the rest of the day had it connected. Only it didn't.
With lightning speed he moved out of the way. And since she was off balance he had not the slightest trouble in picking her up and plonking her down heavily on his desk.
The feeling of looking ridiculous sitting there with her legs dangling in no way helped to quieten her fury.
'Let go of me!' she yelled, when, taking no chances, Nash held her there.
'Like hell I will,' he retorted, hanging on to her grimly as she tried to wriggle free.
Then to her amazement, he threw back his head and laughed. It was a deep and natural sound and so entirely unexpected Perry forgot her anger and just sat and stared at him.
'Forgive me,' he said after a moment, and a more unrepentant plea for forgiveness she had never heard.
'Why should I?' she asked belligerently.
'Perhaps I'll tell you the next time we meet,' he suggested, taking his restraining hold from her.
Her anger resurfaced as she slid down from her undignified perch. 'There'll be no next time,' she said tautly, and saw his eyes narrow briefly before, his face serious, though his manner more confident than ever, he said softly:
'So you intend to set the divorce ball rolling without my help—regardless of all the accompanying ballyhoo?'
Inwardly defeated, Perry lifted her elegantly clad head proudly. 'Go to hell, Nash Devereux!' she snapped, and wished with all her heart that she had succeeded in temporarily crippling him as his laughter followed her out of the door.
She had found her interview with Nash Devereux draining. He was better looking than she had remembered, and newsprint didn't do him full justice, but that hardness that had been in him six years ago was still there.
Asking for his money back before he'd do the decent thing and quietly divorce her, she fumed, as she made her way home. Where did he think she was going to find five thousand pounds?
Still indignant at the easy way he had ruined her sophisticated
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