At the end of the week they returned to Sydney and moved straight into Alex’s luxurious apartment at Woolloomooloo, with its spectacular city, park and harbor views and just a short stroll from the center of the city itself.
Now that Alex was back at work and she had a lot of time to herself, Olivia banked the other check that he’d given her the night of their wedding.
Her mother had excitedly returned to the States on the Valentes’ private jet, having been called back for a second audition in the movie she’d been coveting. Olivia prayed her mother would win the part.
As for herself, she was excited about the designs she’d created while at Villa Valente, and during the following week she settled into working on them at her Sydney boutique while helping Lianne arrange a fashion show soon to be held in Melbourne.
And then, one evening the following week, Alex said during dinner, “We’ll be going to the States on Friday.”
Olivia’s fork of salmon stopped in midair. “We’re going in two days?”
He nodded. “The launch is set for the twentieth, but they need us there a couple of days earlier for some other publicity.”
She took a deep breath and placed her fork back down on her plate. “You didn’t tell me it was going to be so soon.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“But that’s the day of my fashion show in Melbourne. Lianne arranged it months ago. I have to be there.”
His eyes hardened. “No. You have to be at the perfume launch with me. Let Lianne handle the fashion show by herself. She has staff to help her.”
She didn’t like the way he was dismissing her commitments. “It’s my name on the collection and it’s my show, Alex. I need to be there. Lianne’s gone to a lot of trouble to get this all up and running.”
“And I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to get the launch up and running,” he said, totally uncompromising.
“But I need all the business I can get.” She’d paid off most of her debts but there were still ongoing ones, not the least her mother if she didn’t get that part in the movie.
“Olivia, you made a deal with me.”
He was right but still, his arrogance was showing again. “So this is what the next year is going to be like, is it? I’m to drop everything to fit in with your plans?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation.
She shot him a withering look. “I’m not some housewife from the fifties, you know. I have a job outside the home. I have responsibilities to others.”
“No, you have a responsibility to me. It was the reason I married you, remember?” he said with cutting emphasis. “If you renege on the deal then it’s all been for nothing.”
Hearing him say it like that made her feel less than worthless. She had been a commodity, that’s all. After the past two weeks she’d thought their lovemaking had brought them closer together. She’d thought that their getting to know each other a little might have counted.
Obviously it hadn’t.
Her throat tightened. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good.” His eyes said he expected it all to be sorted to his satisfaction, and no doubt every woman he had ever known had done exactly that. How she wished her hands weren’t tied over this.
When Olivia went to the boutique the next morning and told Lianne of her dilemma, the other woman was as dismayed as she was about the situation, but then she became philosophical about it all. Knowing that her partner was able to handle the upcoming show without her made Olivia feel better.
Amazingly, in late afternoon, Lianne came into Olivia’s office to tell her the venue for the show had been cancelled.
“You don’t think—” Lianne began, then stopped.
“What?”
She shrugged. “No, nothing.”
Olivia had a suspicious gnawing in her stomach. “Do you think Alex arranged this?”
Lianne looked uncomfortable. “It occurred to me just for a moment, Olivia, but Alex is an aboveboard kind of guy,” she rushed to assure her. “He wouldn’t do anything underhanded.”
Olivia wasn’t so sure, but she couldn’t say that. She wanted no one to know that she didn’t have complete faith in her husband.
“No, he wouldn’t do anything underhanded,” she agreed, despair ripping at her insides.
She’d already been through one husband who had cheated on her, so that she had married another man who cheated her in another way was easier to believe. And if she didn’t believe that, what other explanation could there be for the cancellation? No, it was too much of a coincidence.
By the time she arrived home she had worked herself into a bit of a tizz. It was bad enough that she suspected Alex of manipulating the situation, but knowing that Lianne suspected it as well embarrassed and humiliated her.
She found him shaving at the bathroom sink, a towel around his lean hips, his broad back tanned, muscular and crying out for a woman’s touch.
Pain instantly twisted inside her. Oh God, shades of Eric?
“Going out somewhere, Alex?” she snapped.
He didn’t appear surprised by her presence, so must have heard her coming through the apartment. “I have a business dinner to attend,” he said, smoothing the razor along his jawline. “At the Teppanyaki.”
She remembered now. A few days ago he’d told her about the invitation for the men-only dinner with a Japanese billionaire.
Fine. So he wasn’t meeting another woman. One thing had nothing to do with the other anyway, she thought, swallowing a silly sense of relief that he wasn’t seeing someone else.
She stepped into the large marble bathroom and went up to him. “You got them to cancel the venue, didn’t you?”
He looked blank. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“The venue for my fashion show in Melbourne has fallen through. They said there’s a problem with the wiring. How convenient,” she sneered.
His blank look disappeared and his mouth clamped into a thin line beneath the remaining shaving cream. “And you think I arranged it?”
“Yes.”
For a moment everything went still. Something hard flared in his eyes, then cleared, and just as quickly he turned back to the sink, obviously ignoring her. Without thinking, she reached out to stop him, but instead her hand slipped along his damp skin and accidentally knocked the towel away.
Time stopped.
Even her gasp seemed to be made in slow motion.
Then she felt drawn to look downward. He was fully aroused. Heat washed over her and slowly she raised her gaze to his.
His eyes held an odd glitter. “Touch me,” he rasped.
She hesitated, unable to move.
“Touch me,” he repeated.
The command excited her, and she moistened her lips, seeing him tense at the action. Suddenly she wanted to see how much further she could arouse him.
Almost in a trance she reached out…and slowly…deliciously…wrapped her palm around him, gripping him fully. He felt so smooth, so firm, so incredibly male. A woman could do much to torment a man like this.
Her fingertips moved to do just that.
Instantly he put his hand over hers, stilling her. Anticipation leaped inside her, making her wonder what he would—
“You trust my body, Olivia,” he muttered. “So why can you still not trust me?”
His words were like a slap in the face. She swallowed hard and tried to pull her thoughts together. She dropped her hand away from him. “I—”
“Think about it,” he said coolly, and turned back to the sink to complete his shave, not bothering to cover himself with the towel on the floor.
For a moment more she stood there, warring emotions running through her. Then she spun away, needing time to be alone.
“Olivia?”
She stopped but didn’t look back.
“We’ll finish this later tonight.”
She didn’t reply, her heart jumping in her throat. What exactly did he want to finish? Their discussion?
Or their marriage?
Olivia was in the kitchen making a cup of coffee when she heard the apartment door close. Her chest ached with a growing pain. Alex had left without saying goodbye.
Well, she wouldn’t let thinking about Alex overwhelm her. She would have dinner, do some paperwork, then go to bed, just as she did every night.
Only, the massive bed seemed so empty without Alex. She tossed and turned, remembering the scene in the bathroom, her heart skipping a beat at how blatantly aroused he’d been for her.
And then her heart sank just as quickly when she remembered how fast he’d turned away. Angry, she got out of bed and made for the spare bedroom, where she tossed and turned some more. She must have fallen asleep eventually, for she awoke as the bedside lamp was turned on.
She groaned and pulled the blanket up over her head. “Turn the light off, Alex.”
He didn’t answer.
Suddenly the blankets were thrown back and she was being scooped up in his arms. Her eyes flew open. “Alex?”
A pulse leaped along the hard line of his jaw. “You’re my wife. You sleep beside me.”
A thrill zipped through her, but she lifted her chin in the air. “I’m only a temporary wife, Alex.”
“Then you’ll sleep with me temporarily.” He walked into their bedroom, placed her on the bed and stood looking over her. “Now, do you really believe that I cancelled the venue?”
Her gaze became trapped in his, and realization clutched at her heart. His stance was defiantly male, trying to show her he didn’t care if she didn’t trust him.
But she suddenly knew beyond doubt that he did care.
And she suddenly knew he’d had nothing to do with the venue cancellation for the fashion show. She’d just been letting her fears and prejudices get the better of her.
“No, Alex,” she whispered. “I don’t believe you did that at all now.”
His expression shifted with the barest hint of relief, but his shoulders gave him away. The tension seemed to ease out of him before he turned the light out and she heard him shedding his clothes.
Then the bed moved as he slid into it and pulled her up close against his chest. “Now, where were we…” he said, his voice thickening.
The next day they headed to the States in the Valentes’ private jet. Alex had a heavy schedule on arrival in Los Angeles so he had to get some paperwork out of the way first. Eventually he was able to sit back, relax and enjoy the breather.
And enjoy the beautiful woman opposite him in the lounge area of the aircraft.
Even when she made him mad.
For a while there last evening, he’d been so angry with her he’d barely been able to eat dinner. How the hell could she think he’d had something to do with the cancellation of the venue? He’d never do something like that.
Okay, he’d been determined she would accompany him to the States today, but everything he did was direct and upfront. No deceitfulness for him, and especially not when it came to family.
And right now, Olivia was family.
His immediate family.
His.
Watching her, something began to unfurl deep inside him. It just seemed so damn right having her here with him. All at once he wasn’t so sure he wanted to let her go when the year was up.
And if that were the case, would she be amenable to staying? Perhaps to stretching it out for a few more years after that? Perhaps he could even fulfill all of his father’s ultimatum?
It was crazy, but he now felt an odd lump in his throat at the thought of being a father. It was something he’d never cared about before, but with Olivia here beside him it didn’t seem so unimportant.
They were halfway over the Pacific Ocean when he said, “How would you feel about having my child?”
Her head snapped up from reading a book. “Wh-what?”
If it hadn’t been so serious he would have felt amused at her reaction. “I’d like to father a child and I’d like to have that child with you, Olivia. Do you have any objections?”
She was still gaping in shock. Her mouth opened and closed, then she swallowed hard. “Plenty,” she croaked.
His brows drew together. “I think we’d make good parents.”
She took a deep breath. “I have no doubt about that, Alex, but that’s not the problem.”
“Then what is?”
Her expression clouded as she placed her book on the coffee table between them. “You never said anything about children before.”
A cold knot began to form in his stomach. “I know, but I’ve been thinking—”
“Don’t.” She winced. “I mean, why would you ask me this now? It’s so out of the blue.”
Hell. He suddenly didn’t want her thinking he had growing feelings for her. Her reaction was enough to know they wouldn’t be welcome. Not at all. He had to make her believe this was all about his father.
“Olivia, I didn’t tell you everything about my father’s ultimatum. There was more he wanted than just that I get married.” He let a moment slide by. “My wife has to conceive an heir within twelve months or I still risk losing the inheritance.”
The blood drained from her face. “Oh God.”
Apprehension rolled through Alex at her reaction. He wasn’t sure why.
She drew a breath. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”
“Ours was…is…” he emphasized, “only a temporary marriage. I didn’t see it as an issue at the time.”
She frowned. “I don’t understand, Alex. What’s changed?”
The plane started to bounce around as they hit a patch of turbulence and Alex was grateful for the distraction.
“I’ve decided I’d like to stay married to you for a few more years. And if we could produce a child in that time, even better.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “No,” she murmured, looking horrified.
Mixed feelings surged through him. On the one hand he understood her being taken by surprise, on the other, was it so horrible that he wanted his wife to have his child?
“I thought if we both felt the same way,” he began. “We could—”
“This is so not fair, Alex,” she cut across him.
“But—”
“No, I’m sorry.” A look of resolve grew in her eyes. “I can’t help you with this.”
Anger sparked inside him. She hadn’t even given it any thought. “Can’t or won’t?”
Before she could answer, the plane bounced even more roughly and he saw the flare of fear in her eyes. He suddenly didn’t feel too at ease himself.
All at once the moment was more important than their future. “Make sure you’re strapped in,” he warned as he reached for the phone flashing a red light beside him.
“You, too,” she murmured, a look in her eyes that said she was just as worried about him as for herself. And that made him realize that she cared about him.
How much, he wasn’t sure.
As much as she was scared about the turbulence, Olivia was thankful for the interruption. Being bounced around inside an aircraft and fearing for her life was a good companion to the turmoil inside her. How could Alex have thrown her for a loop like this? Why would he want her to have his child?
The child she could never have.
Dear Lord, this was one of the reasons she had agreed to a temporary marriage in the first place. She’d thought she had no need to worry about giving Alex children and that he need never know that she really was less than perfect.
Her heart squeezed at the thought of her baby, lost to an ectopic pregnancy. And at the loss of any future babies she should’ve had. Oh, how she wished she was capable of having a baby.
Alex’s baby.
Yet how could she tell him? She had to. And she would, once they were back on terra firma and in the privacy of their hotel suite with time to talk properly.
Only, after they landed—the turbulence having finally ended—they were surprised by an invitation to a luncheon with one of the most powerful men in California. It was impossible to refuse, despite being jetlagged, so they quickly dressed at their hotel and then were whisked away to his mansion in Bel-Air.
So it was early evening before they returned to their hotel suite. Olivia wanted to get what she had to say out of the way, but decided a while longer wouldn’t matter. They both needed to shower and have a light dinner and unwind before she dropped her bombshell.
Unwind?
Yeah, right.
That wasn’t possible, she decided as she went to return a call from her mother while Alex showered and changed.
Felicia was excited about having been offered a part in a television series, so she didn’t notice that her daughter wasn’t quite herself. Her mother now had the dilemma of whether to accept the part or wait to hear if she would get the role in the movie, and she asked Olivia to convey her regrets to Alex that she now wasn’t able to come to the perfume launch in New York as she’d planned.
“I didn’t know she was coming,” Olivia said to Alex over dinner, after she told him the rest of her mother’s news. As a fashion designer she’d thought she would be enough, along with the Cannington name of course. It wasn’t that she minded, but she did mind Alex not telling her he’d invited her mother in the first place.
Alex shrugged. “She mentioned it at our wedding, but I thought no more of it.”
She frowned, accepting what he said but more interested in his attitude to her at this very moment. He’d played the perfect husband this afternoon when they’d been in the company of others, but now, in private, he was withdrawn and cool.
“Why not?” she said to be contrary. “My mother would have been a good asset to have there with us.”
“Frankly, I like Felicia but she’s not the type in whose promises I would put any store.” There was a tiny pause. “Not like you.”
She should take offence at what he’d said about her mother but she was more concerned with what he was implying about her.
Her chin angled. “I didn’t promise to have your baby, Alex.”
A muscle tensed at the edge of his jaw. “I know.”
“So don’t accuse me of something I haven’t done.”
For a moment he looked as if he would argue, then remorse flashed across his face and he expelled a deep breath. “Yes, you’re right. You made no such promise.” He pushed back his chair and stood.
She reached out and put her hand over his. “Alex, please don’t go. I mean, we really do need to talk about…” she hesitated “…about what you mentioned on the plane.”
He stilled, then gave a jerky nod of his head and sat back in his chair. “Go ahead.”
Her stomach was churning, but she had to proceed. “Alex, I need to say this. I have to make it clear to you that…” She swallowed. “Why I can’t have your child.”
“So you don’t like children then? Is that the problem?”
“I love children,” she said in a ragged whisper, pain and despair wrapping around her heart. “Alex, I want children more than anything and if I could, I would love to have your child.”
A lump rose in her throat. She had to say it, had to put an end to his hopes. “Only I…can’t. I’m infertile. I’ve been told I’ll never have a child.”