prostitute.’
‘Common?’ His laughter was mirthless. ‘I wouldn’t say there was anything common about you. I’d say your marriage to Bennett put you much more in the league of high-class hooker.’
Her jaw slackened. That the man she’d believed herself to be in love with could deliver such a crushing insult was the final trauma. Had she been so young and blinded by love that she’d overlooked this hurtful streak in him? She shook her head and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. People could only hurt you if you let them and she was through with being a victim.
Shooting him what she hoped was a look of utter disdain, she said, ‘The journalists you employ obviously get their work ethic from you. Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.’
‘Look at me and tell me you didn’t marry Bennett for his money,’ he demanded.
Amanda could offer no denial to Jake’s cold, judicial words. She had married Lloyd for his money and his influence, but Jake was twisting the situation. The money wasn’t for her. It had never been for her.
‘You can’t deny it, can you?’ The hard edge to Jake’s voice made her cringe.
‘That wasn’t how it was...’ She swallowed the angry words of denial that threatened to escape through her lips. At the time of her marriage she’d been backed into a corner. She had no financial choice but to agree to Lloyd’s marriage proposal, and no emotional will to resist because Jake had already crushed her heart and she was sure she would never love again.
‘Explain it to me then.’
She warred with herself. A large part of her wanted to make Jake understand the truth but she couldn’t. Not when her aunt’s well-being was dependent on her silence. She tore her eyes away from his. Damn it all, he should never have come to the funeral. He should never have re-entered her life like this.
‘I…I can’t tell you.’
‘You can’t because there is no other explanation,’ he said.
Did it matter that he believed the worst of her? After his appalling treatment of her there was no need to vindicate herself in his eyes. The relationship they’d shared was ancient history.
She inhaled a jagged breath. ‘I didn’t ask you to come here. My marriage to Lloyd is none of your business.’
‘You don’t deny you sold yourself to Bennett. The way I see it, you’re on the market again and you won’t find a higher bidder than me.’
She swayed in shock. ‘I’m not interested in your money.’
‘I’ve got more to offer you than Hugh Middleton.’
Her stomach lurched with nausea. She hated Lloyd for trapping her in the fiction of his vicious lies, but right now she hated Jake even more for believing the lies.
How dare Jake judge her? He was nothing but an over-sexed, two-timing bastard! In the short time they’d been together he’d broken her heart, shattered all her romantic illusions, and had been planning to leave her without a backward glance. Jake’s behaviour had been a powerful catalyst in changing the course of her life. She’d thrown aside youthful romantic notions of love and happily-ever-after. That, and her desperate wish to help her aunt, had been her sole motivation for agreeing to Lloyd’s proposal of marriage.
‘Despite what you believe, I’m not for sale,’ she said stiffly, turning to push past him and walk away.
His hand shot out, catching her wrist and swinging her back to face him. ‘You will be my lover again, and there’ll be no more running away. This time you’ll stay until I’m finished with you.’
‘Is this about bruised pride?’ She let out a small, metallic laugh. ‘Am I the only woman who walked away from you without an explanation?’
‘It’s about lust.’ Determination blazed from his eyes. ‘It’s about feeding that chemical mix between us.’
‘I failed chemistry at school,’ she replied in a flat tone.
For a few moments he merely stood and considered her. ‘Let’s say a month of your
‘Common?’ His laughter was mirthless. ‘I wouldn’t say there was anything common about you. I’d say your marriage to Bennett put you much more in the league of high-class hooker.’
Her jaw slackened. That the man she’d believed herself to be in love with could deliver such a crushing insult was the final trauma. Had she been so young and blinded by love that she’d overlooked this hurtful streak in him? She shook her head and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. People could only hurt you if you let them and she was through with being a victim.
Shooting him what she hoped was a look of utter disdain, she said, ‘The journalists you employ obviously get their work ethic from you. Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.’
‘Look at me and tell me you didn’t marry Bennett for his money,’ he demanded.
Amanda could offer no denial to Jake’s cold, judicial words. She had married Lloyd for his money and his influence, but Jake was twisting the situation. The money wasn’t for her. It had never been for her.
‘You can’t deny it, can you?’ The hard edge to Jake’s voice made her cringe.
‘That wasn’t how it was...’ She swallowed the angry words of denial that threatened to escape through her lips. At the time of her marriage she’d been backed into a corner. She had no financial choice but to agree to Lloyd’s marriage proposal, and no emotional will to resist because Jake had already crushed her heart and she was sure she would never love again.
‘Explain it to me then.’
She warred with herself. A large part of her wanted to make Jake understand the truth but she couldn’t. Not when her aunt’s well-being was dependent on her silence. She tore her eyes away from his. Damn it all, he should never have come to the funeral. He should never have re-entered her life like this.
‘I…I can’t tell you.’
‘You can’t because there is no other explanation,’ he said.
Did it matter that he believed the worst of her? After his appalling treatment of her there was no need to vindicate herself in his eyes. The relationship they’d shared was ancient history.
She inhaled a jagged breath. ‘I didn’t ask you to come here. My marriage to Lloyd is none of your business.’
‘You don’t deny you sold yourself to Bennett. The way I see it, you’re on the market again and you won’t find a higher bidder than me.’
She swayed in shock. ‘I’m not interested in your money.’
‘I’ve got more to offer you than Hugh Middleton.’
Her stomach lurched with nausea. She hated Lloyd for trapping her in the fiction of his vicious lies, but right now she hated Jake even more for believing the lies.
How dare Jake judge her? He was nothing but an over-sexed, two-timing bastard! In the short time they’d been together he’d broken her heart, shattered all her romantic illusions, and had been planning to leave her without a backward glance. Jake’s behaviour had been a powerful catalyst in changing the course of her life. She’d thrown aside youthful romantic notions of love and happily-ever-after. That, and her desperate wish to help her aunt, had been her sole motivation for agreeing to Lloyd’s proposal of marriage.
‘Despite what you believe, I’m not for sale,’ she said stiffly, turning to push past him and walk away.
His hand shot out, catching her wrist and swinging her back to face him. ‘You will be my lover again, and there’ll be no more running away. This time you’ll stay until I’m finished with you.’
‘Is this about bruised pride?’ She let out a small, metallic laugh. ‘Am I the only woman who walked away from you without an explanation?’
‘It’s about lust.’ Determination blazed from his eyes. ‘It’s about feeding that chemical mix between us.’
‘I failed chemistry at school,’ she replied in a flat tone.
For a few moments he merely stood and considered her. ‘Let’s say a month of your
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