ISLA CAME TO wakefulness slowly the next morning. She was full of a delicious lassitude, with aches in strange places, and a head full of memories from the night before that made her roll over and press her hot face into the pillow.
Orion...
Orion, and the way he’d looked at her with such ferocity. Orion, and how he’d touched her with such mastery. Of how he’d ripped apart that silly nightgown to get to her, then tossed her on the bed, unable to wait to be inside her.
She hadn’t told him she was a virgin and maybe she should have, but she hadn’t wanted him to stop. She hadn’t wanted to get into any discussions about why and how either. She hadn’t wanted anything that would interrupt the moment, especially when he’d been nothing but raw, unleashed passion. He’d been glorious and he’d made her feel glorious too. As if she’d thrown herself into the middle of a blazing fire and loved how intensely she’d burned.
He’d kept her there all night, stoking that fire over and over, making her rise like a phoenix from the ashes again and again. Exploring her body as if he was fascinated by it and wanted to discover all the ways it could bring her pleasure.
She hadn’t known sex could be like that. She hadn’t known she’d lose herself so completely.
You suspected, though. Which is why you can’t allow it to happen again.
Something painful ached behind her breastbone, but she brushed it aside. It was true, she couldn’t. One night, she’d promised herself. One night to take what she wanted and that’s what she’d done. But she couldn’t afford another. She couldn’t let him get under her skin more than he had already, not when control over herself was already an issue for her.
And apart from anything else, they hadn’t discussed what was going to happen now.
Perhaps it was simply about the sex, and now he’s had you he’ll put you on the first plane back to the UK.
Her stomach dropped away at the thought, which was disturbing, because why should she care? She didn’t want to stay here with him. She needed to get back home and see her father. Ask him why he’d decided to agree to Orion’s demand to marry her without even a word to her. It wasn’t something she wanted to do, but she had to do it all the same.
You don’t want to know why he thought so little of you that he sold you to one man, then when that didn’t work out, he sold you to another.
But she didn’t want that thought in her head, so she pushed it away, turning to look at the pillow next to her instead. But it was empty. She didn’t know whether to feel disappointed about that or relieved.
Regardless, there was no point lying there with all these questions. She had to get up and confront the man she’d married.
The bed was extraordinarily comfortable and she was warm, and she didn’t particularly want to do any confronting right now, but there was nothing to be gained by delaying it. So she forced herself out of bed and into the ensuite bathroom.
There was a giant white-tiled shower with big windows that had views over the snowy landscape outside and Isla stood under the warm spray of water, staring out through the glass at the winter wonderland outside even as she relished the heat of the shower.
After she got out and towelled herself dry, she went over to the chest of drawers that stood near the windows and opened them. All the clothes she’d brought with her had been unpacked and folded neatly, so she grabbed some jeans and an oversized jersey in soft, light blue cashmere and got dressed.
Then she went out and down the stairs in search of Orion.
She could smell something delicious coming from the direction of what she assumed was the kitchen so she followed the scent, coming out into a large and very expensively fitted out open-plan kitchen, with lots of stainless steel and white tiles. Near the windows that had that same pretty snow-covered lake view was a dining table set for two with cutlery, plates and cups. There was a coffee pot and orange juice, and various different spreads.
Clearly Orion was expecting for them to have breakfast together, though he himself was nowhere to be seen.
Puzzled, she checked the lounge area, but he wasn’t there either. So she went down the hall, passing another bathroom, some more bedrooms and a cosy-looking library, and then, finally, a doorway that opened out into an office.
It had the same floor-to-ceiling windows as the rest of the lodge, but the view was out towards the mountains, ridged and sharp and capped with snow. A huge rustic-looking desk stood in front of the windows and behind the desk sat Orion. His attention was on the flat screen in front of him and he didn’t look up as she entered.
She’d been subconsciously bracing herself for the reality of him after their night together, but it wasn’t until that moment that she realised that bracing herself for him was impossible.
He was dressed casually, in worn jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, and his feet were bare. His black hair was slightly tousled and it was clear from the five o’clock shadow lining his strong jaw that he hadn’t shaved. He looked thoroughly disreputable and so sexy her breath caught.
‘Good,’ he said, keeping his gaze on the screen. ‘You’re up. I’ve made breakfast for us.’
She came slowly into the room, disturbed to find the familiar fizz and crackle of electricity was prickling over her skin again. Ridiculous. Why was she still feeling it? Last night should have dealt with their physical chemistry and yet...apparently not.
Isla forced the feeling away as she approached his desk.
‘I’ve had my PR department handle the media,’ he went on before she could get a word out, ‘since there was apparently quite a fuss about our wedding. I’ve given them a statement to send out that you and I had been pining for each other all this time, and Gianni selflessly stood aside at the last minute to allow me to marry you. Yes, it’s a bit overly romantic, but the press love that kind of stuff.’ He gave the mouse a decisive click. ‘We’ll be here for a couple of weeks and I have some excursions planned. Don’t worry, you won’t be bored.’ He leaned back in his seat, his amber gaze meeting hers head-on. ‘Any questions?’
Isla had many, many questions, yet the moment he looked at her, all of them went straight out of her head. He’d looked at her like this the night before, when she’d put on that nightgown and he’d stared at her, intent and utterly focused. Purposeful.
Yet she didn’t want to stand there in silence. She had a plan and it didn’t involve two weeks of ‘excursions’.
‘That sounds lovely,’ she said, trying to sound cool and firm. ‘But I can’t stay, Orion. This isn’t actually a honeymoon—I mean, our wedding wasn’t even really a wedding—and I have to go home. I have to explain to the board what happened.’
Orion raised a brow. ‘Explain? Explain what? Your father and I have handled it, and the board will be fine with me as Kendricks’ new owner. And as far as our wedding not being a real wedding, I have the marriage certificate that proves otherwise.’
Irritation coiled inside her. ‘You and he might have handled it, but how do you think that looks to the board? I’m supposed to be the CEO at some point and yet there are already deals being done behind my back, without my knowledge.’
‘As I said, I have that handled already,’ Orion stated calmly. ‘Besides, your father wanted you to marry someone, correct? Does it matter who?’
She wanted to tell him that of course it mattered who. Gianni had been chosen specifically because he was one of David’s protégé’s and well-respected by the Kendricks’ board. Someone who would bolster confidence in her, not someone who might cause them to question her leadership potential. The worst thing was that Orion was probably aware of how little they thought of her already. It was why he’d targeted Kendricks’. She was a vulnerability and everyone knew it.
Tension crawled through her, acid gathering in the pit of her stomach. The lovely warmth she’d woken up with was dissipating and reality was asserting itself, the fallout of yesterday crashing down on her.
‘I had to marry, Gianni,’ she forced out. ‘David was his mentor and he had standing with the board. It’s a family company and being oriented around Christmas, that’s what they require from their future CEO. A family. Me having to marry you at the last minute—’
‘Was not ideal,’ Orion interrupted with the same maddening calm. ‘Which was why, if you’d given me a moment, I would have told you that I’ve also been on a video call with the board of Kendricks’ this morning.’
Isla’s stomach dropped away. ‘What?’
‘I met with them to discuss the sale of the company to me. I wanted to tell them personally. Also that I planned to keep the company intact for the next year at least, and to give them some explanation for our marriage and why it occurred in the manner it did. Be assured.’
Shock coursed through her as she stared at him. ‘You couldn’t have waited for me so we could have told them together?’
He only stared back, completely at his ease. ‘I wanted to spare you the awkwardness of lying about how in love with me you were.’
Isla opened her mouth then shut it again, not knowing at all what to say to that.
‘I know that many of them don’t have confidence in you,’ he went on smoothly. ‘That they’re concerned you don’t have the backbone they need in a CEO. You’re too quiet and not authoritative enough. Too much your father’s yes man. And I find that puzzling because the woman I married yesterday was all backbone. There was nothing quiet about her when she grabbed my tie and kissed me.’
Isla could feel colour creeping up her neck and flushing her cheeks. She’d never had her weaknesses catalogued so completely one moment, before being refuted the next.
She looked away, unable to deal with the directness of his gaze, staring down at her hands clasped in front of her instead. ‘That’s because I was angry with you. I have to lock that down in the boardroom.’
‘Why? Anger can be a useful tool if you stay in command of it.’
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? She couldn’t stay in command of it. She had a problem with her temper and if she wasn’t careful, it got away from her. It had lost her that one family years earlier, and earned her father’s disapproval when she’d first started working at Kendricks’. She’d tried to bring up the subject of lifting wages for the lower-paid workers in the company, and had been roundly dismissed by the board. And she hadn’t thought. She’d argued and had ended up shouting, before leaving the room in tears. David had been horrified, but not more horrified than she was at herself. She’d kept herself under strict control ever since. Not that she was going to explain that to him.
‘Yes, well, be that as it may,’ she said coolly, lifting her gaze to his once more. ‘It was my responsibility to speak to the board, not yours.’
He shrugged, as if it was of no consequence. ‘Perhaps, but it’s done now. They were happy with my explanation so there’s no need for you to contact them. And our marriage is also done now.’
She wanted to shout at him, but there was nothing to be gained from it, since he was right. ‘So, what? I’m just your wife for ever?’
‘No. I promised your father a year. A year for you to remain as my wife. A year for you to be CEO. And a year for me to keep Kendricks’ intact.’
‘So what happens now?’
‘What happens now is our honeymoon. We can discuss the rest later. So, I’m sorry, Isla, but I’m afraid you’re staying. I have a helicopter flight planned to see some of the major volcanic sites. Also some skating on the lake. You can use your bikinis for a dip in the hot pool near the lodge, since the water is heated by a natural hot spring related to the volcanic activity in the area. I should imagine you’d like to see the northern lights too. Oh, yes, and I was thinking that we could also do an overnight trip to Amsterdam. I’m told the Van Gogh Museum is a must-see.’
The tension inside her pulled tighter. He’d taken control of the situation and of her so easily, and now she was here, in his territory, and it seemed to her as if he wasn’t going to let her leave.
‘Let me get this straight,’ she said, ignoring him. ‘You’re going to keep me here in this lodge, against my will, and we’re just going to...what? Go on little trips?’
He lounged back in his chair, the dark gold of his eyes gleaning wolflike in the wan, snowy light coming through the windows. ‘I’m not keeping you here against your will, Snow White. You can leave at any time. However, you’ll need a pilot since the lodge is only accessible by helicopter. Also, the weather forecast isn’t looking good for the next couple of days, so you’ll probably end up staying anyway.’ He smiled faintly. ‘Why not enjoy yourself while you wait?’
A shiver went through her at that smile and the suggestion of heat in his voice. Oh, yes, she could enjoy herself. Especially if it involved—
But no. She couldn’t get sucked into that and the way he made her feel. She wasn’t sleeping with him, not again. And as for the ‘excursions’...
Something pulsed inside her, an ache she hadn’t realised was still there. She’d been the only child of a single mother who’d died of cancer when Isla was four. Her mother had had no family and so Isla had been placed in a children’s home. It hadn’t been awful but it hadn’t been great, either, and to distract herself, she’d often dream of what her future would look like, the places she wanted to go, and the things she wanted to do. The experiences she wanted to have.
The girl she’d been would have loved visiting a volcano and seeing the northern lights. Going skating and lounging in a hot pool and seeing the Van Gogh Museum...
He’s right. Why not enjoy yourself? Especially if you have to stay here a few days anyway.
She took a slow, silent breath. Arguing with him would only set her temper off and she couldn’t afford that. So would it really be so bad to stay here with him? For a little while at least. She’d already planned for a week of honeymoon anyway so she wouldn’t be losing anything. She was annoyed with how he’d taken charge, it was true, but she wasn’t going to let him get his own way. She couldn’t, not if she wanted to develop more of the CEO edge the board was hoping for.
Perhaps she could start that edge now. Perhaps, if he was going to demand some things of her, she’d demand something of him right back.
She eyed him. ‘And what about our marriage after this so-called honeymoon is over?’
That faint smile was still playing around his mouth and she decided right there and then that she was going to knock it off his face as soon as she could. ‘What about it?’
‘Do I have to move in with you? Are we going to live together as husband and wife for the next year?’
‘Maybe,’ he said with infuriating calm. ‘Or maybe we’ll simply live separate lives. It depends on whether I’ve managed to explore our relationship to its fullest extent.’
‘You don’t get to decide that,’ she snapped, losing patience and forgetting she was supposed to stay in control of her temper. ‘In case you haven’t noticed, I have a say in this, as well.’
‘Oh, I haven’t forgotten.’ His cold voice was abruptly full of heat, and brilliant gold gleamed in his eyes. ‘Believe me, I haven’t forgotten.’
He was looking at her again that way, that fierce, intent way, and she could feel something throb deep inside her. An ache, a longing.
She liked the way he looked at her. She wanted it.
You can’t want it too badly, and you really can’t let him get under your skin.
That was true, that was a good reminder.
Isla swallowed. ‘Fine. I guess since I have no choice in the matter then I’ll stay. And I’ll do your excursions. But I’m not sleeping with you again, Orion. And that’s final.’
Orion sat behind his desk and stared at the self-contained little woman on the other side of it. Today she was in jeans and a soft-looking jersey in light blue cashmere, and her hair was hanging in the most glorious golden curls over her shoulders and down her back. The colour of her jersey highlighted the blue of her eyes and one shoulder had slipped down revealing her silky, pale skin.
He was already hard and she hadn’t even got close to him.
He kept getting fixated by a couple of marks on her neck that he’d left on her during the previous night, and finding it oddly satisfying to see them there. He also kept thinking about how he wanted to leave more, and of course she’d let him, because how could she not? When their night together had been so intense?
He’d risen early that morning to speak to the board and to organise the rest of their honeymoon, already thinking of taking her back to bed after they’d had breakfast together.
He hadn’t thought that first she’d tell him she needed to return to the UK as quickly as possible, before not only looking distinctly unimpressed by the trips he’d planned, but also coolly informing him that she wouldn’t be sleeping with him again.
That wasn’t what he wanted. What he wanted was to get to the bottom of his fixation with her, especially now that the fixation had a physical aspect to it, and so he hadn’t been able to resist goading her. He wanted to see her lose that cool of hers, especially after last night.
Oh, yes, most especially after that. He’d underestimated their chemistry considerably, which had led to a loss of control he hadn’t experienced since he’d been sixteen and Cleo had first come on the scene. That had not ended well to say the least and he’d been adamant with himself that it would never happen again.
Until Isla. Until those long, hot hours he’d spent exploring her, releasing her passion again and again. It had been addictive that passion and it had haunted him all morning. He’d been impatient in dealing with all the loose ends from their wedding and discussing the ins and outs of their marriage was the very last thing he wanted.
What he wanted was to take her to bed and explore their chemistry in greater depth, because now he’d had a taste, he couldn’t wait to find out more.
Still, there was no point revealing how annoyed he was by her decision not to sleep with him again, so he only looked back at her calmly. ‘Are you sure?’
‘I think so.’ She sounded cool and yet a deep red flush had stained her cheeks. ‘It was a night to remember certainly, but I feel no need to revisit it.’
‘Really?’ He pushed his chair back. ‘That must be why you refused to sleep until I made you come a third time. Because all your curiosity was satisfied and you feel no need to revisit it.’
Her blush deepened further and she carefully clasped her hands in front of her. ‘I’m sorry if that makes you unhappy. But we made no promises to each other.’
It shouldn’t matter to him. This need to keep pushing for more from her shouldn’t be so intense, and he certainly shouldn’t be quite so disappointed by her refusal. And yet...
Hunger pulled at him, along with that nagging sense of fascination. As if she was a book he was desperate to read, written in a language he couldn’t quite understand, and he knew that if he studied her long enough, everything would become clear. Every secret would be revealed.
He couldn’t give that up. He wouldn’t. His fascination hadn’t become less for having slept with her. If anything, it had become more intense, as if the night they’d shared had created some kind of bond between them, a physical bond that deepened what was already there.
The intensity of his own need was slightly unsettling, but since the whole reason she was here was so they could explore that connection, he didn’t see any need to be too concerned. No doubt his obsession, if given free rein, would soon pass.
‘Wrong,’ he said and got to his feet. ‘We certainly did make promises to each other. To love, honour and cherish, if I remember correctly. Till death do us part, et cetera.’ He moved around the desk, then leaned casually back against it. Getting closer to her, but not too close, observing what his nearness did to her.
She took a half step back, the pulse at the base of her throat beating faster, and he could feel satisfaction dig its claws in. She might not want to sleep with him again, but that didn’t mean he didn’t affect her.
‘But you didn’t mean them and neither did I,’ she said.
Orion folded his arms. ‘How do you know I didn’t mean them?’
Her eyes narrowed into thin slits of sapphire. ‘So you really are going to love me for as long as we both shall live?’
Little minx. He’d known for a few months about the board’s doubts in her and while initially he’d agreed with them, he wasn’t so sure now. Not with the way she was looking at him, all stubborn spirit and challenge, and not at all the quiet, self-effacing woman he’d seen in the boardroom.
Now he thought about it, that was another thing he was curious about. Why she was so quiet when she was definitely not quiet in the slightest? There were so many things he wanted to know.
‘Love has nothing to do with our chemistry, Isla,’ he said. ‘And when you were calling my name last night, you certainly meant it.’ He raised a brow. ‘Or perhaps you didn’t. Perhaps you were faking all those orgasms I gave you.’
Her mouth compressed with obvious irritation. ‘I had no idea you were so invested in sex.’
‘I’m a man, Snow White. Of course I’m invested in sex. And so are you, I think. Why else are you blushing so fiercely? Why else have you taken a step back from me?’ He pushed himself away from the desk and closed the distance between them, looking down into her pink face. ‘It’s not because you’re scared of me, is it?’
Anger glittered in her eyes and she held her ground, which pleased him immeasurably. ‘No, of course not. But you’re overestimating your abilities in the bedroom. Or rather, my interest in them.’ Then she lifted her chin and if that wasn’t a direct challenge, he didn’t know what was. ‘I don’t need anything from you. Not a single thing.’
Oh, she might think that. She might even believe that. But she was wrong. He’d discovered that she was a passionate woman, that she was, indeed, a volcano, and last night she’d erupted all over him. It had been an incredible experience to release that in her, to stoke her passion so intensely she hadn’t been able to keep it inside. Intoxicating almost. And while she might not admit to herself that she needed that release from him, she did.
And he was willing to give it to her wherever and whenever she wanted for the next twelve days at least.
‘I suppose we’ll see,’ he murmured. ‘I have an idea that I’d like to try. As a kind of getting-to-know-you thing.’
‘I don’t need to get to know you.’
‘Indulge me, Snow White. You might like it.’
The look she gave him was suspicious, which amused him more than it should. But all he said was, ‘It’s twelve days until Christmas. So, I propose that for each of those twelve days, we give each other a gift.’
A small crease appeared between her brows. ‘A gift? Such as?’
‘Perhaps... I could help you overcome your shortcomings with the board. Give you some advice, something along those lines. And you will give me, say—’
‘If it’s sex,’ she interrupted. ‘Forget it. Don’t be a cliché.’
She thought she knew him, didn’t she? Well, she wasn’t wrong about the sex, he did want that. But that wasn’t all he wanted.
‘I was thinking a kiss,’ he said mildly. ‘Or maybe a secret. Your presence on one of these excursions I’ve organised.’
She frowned. ‘A secret? My presence? Why?’
‘I told you last night, Isla. You are interesting to me and I want to know why. Twelve days should be enough time to figure it out and then after that, we can go our separate ways, live separate lives until the year is up.’
‘So, I can give you...anything?’
‘It must be something you know I’d like.’
‘What about if I don’t want the gift you’re going to give me?’
She was sharp, he’d give her that. ‘A gift once presented cannot be refused.’
‘That goes for you as well?’
‘Of course.’ He gave her another smile. ‘Except the gift of your absence is not acceptable. Once you agree to this, we’ll both be bound to remain here for the twelve days of Christmas.’
For a second she said nothing, studying him, clearly turning the idea over in her head. It was good she was thinking it through. He didn’t want her to dismiss it out of hand, especially because now he’d thought of it, he wanted it. He wanted it badly, and that was a dangerous thing to allow. He couldn’t let it mean anything. This was just a silly game he’d proposed, nothing more, and if she refused then he’d simply figure out something else.
‘And if I say no?’ she asked. ‘If I want to go home in a couple of days?’
Orion ignored the way his gut tightened. ‘You’re not a prisoner here, Isla. You can leave whenever you like.’
‘Twelve days,’ she mused. ‘That’s a long time. It’s Kendricks’ busy period.’
‘That didn’t seem to bother you when you scheduled a December wedding,’ he pointed out, trying to mask his impatience. ‘And a honeymoon afterwards that you were going to go on.’
She didn’t say anything to that, merely chewed on her bottom lip.
Had he given away how much he wanted this? Was she drawing this out deliberately?
He didn’t like that idea, not at all, so he put out a finger and touched her lip gently. ‘Make a decision, Snow White,’ he murmured. ‘I will not wait all day.’
Her eyes went wide and she stilled, her mouth opening a little. And this time the sparks in her eyes were flames.
Oh, she wanted him all right. She could deny it all she wanted, but they both knew the truth. For a second, he debated pushing her, because her mouth was very soft and he wanted to keep touching it, but then he decided against it, taking his finger away.
He wanted a present. A gift. Christmas had never meant anything to him because he’d had no family of his own, and the foster families he’d been placed with either hadn’t cared about it or only in a minimal way. No one had ever thought of giving him a Christmas gift, for example.
But if she agreed to this then she would. She would give him little presents every day, things he didn’t have to ask for, things he didn’t have to take. Things he wanted.
He almost couldn’t bear the thought of her refusal.
To cover his impatience, he turned and went back behind his desk and sat down. He didn’t look at her, directing his attention back to his email instead and continuing to work as if she wasn’t still standing there and he wasn’t waiting for her to agree to his terms.
There was no point pressing her. Either she said yes or she didn’t. It was up to her.
After a few moments, she finally let out a breath and said, ‘Fine. Twelve days.’
Orion very carefully kept the triumph from his expression and ignored completely the relief that nearly made him catch his breath. ‘Good. Why don’t you go and have some breakfast and think about your first gift to me? I have to finish up some work.’