sentiment is no match for cold hard facts. It doesn’t pay the bills.’
She glared at him, then closed her eyes briefly. ‘Perhaps you’re right,’ she said tonelessly. ‘But perhaps,’ she added with more fire, ‘you could never understand how we feel unless you’ve been in a similar position. Not only that, I always suspected you were impossible to get through to.’
He frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
She paused, then said, ‘That there’s an exclusion zone around you I would never have got through on a personal level and this is just an extension of that.’
Their gazes clashed.
‘Did it not matter one way or another who I was?’ she asked and her eyes widened. ‘Or was it preciselybecause I was a Theron, a member of a family you had cause to despise, that you…that you…Oh! Of course!’ She blinked. ‘That explains it. Why I got the distinct impression you didn’t approve of me even while you were…you were …’ She stopped breathlessly but her eyes were accusing.
There was a brittle little pause, then he said dryly, ‘How we came to meet was due to a wacky episode of
your
making, Kim. I would never have sought you out. Come to that, if I could have got out of giving you that lift I would have, but did you honestly expect me to leave you there?’
‘You didn’t have to ask me to dinner,’ she reminded him bitterly.
He looked away as a party of men in khaki clothes and boots came in and threw their dusty hats down.
He looked back at last. ‘Well, you see, Kim, by then I was wondering what it would be like to make love to you. Whether, like the rest of your family, you’d be an arrogant Theron—even in bed.’
She gasped. She did more. She picked up her wine glass to dash the contents in his face but he caught her wrist and held it in an iron grip until she was forced to put the glass down.
‘No violence, Kim,’ he warned softly.
She subsided and he released her wrist. But he could see the blue fire in her eyes and the
hauteur
in the set of her mouth, both clear indications that he was now persona non grata in her estimation, and he discovered he had a devil riding in him with regard to Kimberley Theron.
He still wanted her. In fact he wanted her more than ever …
He was also reminded of something he’d said to his secretary on the subject of Francis Theron’s apparently stunning daughter—
maybe they need to find her a rich husband
…How ironic, he thought to himself.
‘Besides, I’ve got a proposition to put to you,’ he said to her.
‘Obviously not a business one,’ she retorted.
He shrugged. ‘You could say so.’
Her eyes widened. ‘But I thought you’d withdrawn your offer. I believe you’ve bought Clover Hill instead!’ Her eyes challenged him. ‘Something else you didn’t see fit to tell me.’
He grimaced. ‘I hadn’t entirely made up my mind then but, yes, I did buy Clover Hill.’
‘So?’ she queried impatiently.
He took his time and allowed his dark gaze to roam over her. ‘Marry me,’ he said slowly. ‘If you do, I’ll save your parents from bankruptcy.’
Three weeks later, they stood side by side at a register office and were pronounced man and wife.
Kimberley Maria Richardson née Theron wore a filmy dress splashed with oversized blooms in cream and rose-pink on a pale grey background. The dress had a blouson bodice with a dropped waistline and a three-quarter skirt and carried a very famous designer label. It lived up to its label in every way so she looked marvellous, although she was a little pale.
Reith Richardson—no middle name, Kim thought; isthat significant?—then chastised herself for being ridiculous, but the fact of the matter was her mind was turning crazy circles. It had been since the day she’d agreed to marry Reith because she couldn’t bear to think of her parents ending up in the poor house, so to speak.
They had no one to witness their union so the magistrate obliged, then they were seated side by side in
She glared at him, then closed her eyes briefly. ‘Perhaps you’re right,’ she said tonelessly. ‘But perhaps,’ she added with more fire, ‘you could never understand how we feel unless you’ve been in a similar position. Not only that, I always suspected you were impossible to get through to.’
He frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
She paused, then said, ‘That there’s an exclusion zone around you I would never have got through on a personal level and this is just an extension of that.’
Their gazes clashed.
‘Did it not matter one way or another who I was?’ she asked and her eyes widened. ‘Or was it preciselybecause I was a Theron, a member of a family you had cause to despise, that you…that you…Oh! Of course!’ She blinked. ‘That explains it. Why I got the distinct impression you didn’t approve of me even while you were…you were …’ She stopped breathlessly but her eyes were accusing.
There was a brittle little pause, then he said dryly, ‘How we came to meet was due to a wacky episode of
your
making, Kim. I would never have sought you out. Come to that, if I could have got out of giving you that lift I would have, but did you honestly expect me to leave you there?’
‘You didn’t have to ask me to dinner,’ she reminded him bitterly.
He looked away as a party of men in khaki clothes and boots came in and threw their dusty hats down.
He looked back at last. ‘Well, you see, Kim, by then I was wondering what it would be like to make love to you. Whether, like the rest of your family, you’d be an arrogant Theron—even in bed.’
She gasped. She did more. She picked up her wine glass to dash the contents in his face but he caught her wrist and held it in an iron grip until she was forced to put the glass down.
‘No violence, Kim,’ he warned softly.
She subsided and he released her wrist. But he could see the blue fire in her eyes and the
hauteur
in the set of her mouth, both clear indications that he was now persona non grata in her estimation, and he discovered he had a devil riding in him with regard to Kimberley Theron.
He still wanted her. In fact he wanted her more than ever …
He was also reminded of something he’d said to his secretary on the subject of Francis Theron’s apparently stunning daughter—
maybe they need to find her a rich husband
…How ironic, he thought to himself.
‘Besides, I’ve got a proposition to put to you,’ he said to her.
‘Obviously not a business one,’ she retorted.
He shrugged. ‘You could say so.’
Her eyes widened. ‘But I thought you’d withdrawn your offer. I believe you’ve bought Clover Hill instead!’ Her eyes challenged him. ‘Something else you didn’t see fit to tell me.’
He grimaced. ‘I hadn’t entirely made up my mind then but, yes, I did buy Clover Hill.’
‘So?’ she queried impatiently.
He took his time and allowed his dark gaze to roam over her. ‘Marry me,’ he said slowly. ‘If you do, I’ll save your parents from bankruptcy.’
Three weeks later, they stood side by side at a register office and were pronounced man and wife.
Kimberley Maria Richardson née Theron wore a filmy dress splashed with oversized blooms in cream and rose-pink on a pale grey background. The dress had a blouson bodice with a dropped waistline and a three-quarter skirt and carried a very famous designer label. It lived up to its label in every way so she looked marvellous, although she was a little pale.
Reith Richardson—no middle name, Kim thought; isthat significant?—then chastised herself for being ridiculous, but the fact of the matter was her mind was turning crazy circles. It had been since the day she’d agreed to marry Reith because she couldn’t bear to think of her parents ending up in the poor house, so to speak.
They had no one to witness their union so the magistrate obliged, then they were seated side by side in
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