The millionaire's agenda Read online

  Steven made no reply.

  The peppery scent of freesias spiced the air in the cool darkness of the church as Sinead and Mark took their vows.

  Chloe had never seen her sister more beautiful, more radiant than she was today. As Mark slipped the ring onto her finger and the priest pronounced them man and wife Sinead looked into her husband’s eyes and smiled, with a trusting, loving look that tore at Chloe’s heart.

  Next to her, Sarah and Jane started to fidget with their flowers, the stiffened silk of their long blue dresses rustling in the silence. Chloe slanted a look at them and they stopped immediately and smiled at her, looking like two angels with their haloes of flowers on their dark curls.

  Chloe smiled back, amused by their look of innocence. Then as she looked up she met Steven’s eyes in the congregation. His smile, a tender, indulgent look, did very strange things to her heart. Quickly she looked away, back towards the altar.

  ‘Give them the power to make a home where love and peace and honour shall abide.’ Chloe closed her eyes, the priest’s voice resounding through her.

  A warm breeze caught the confetti and it swirled through the air in a wild mosaic against the blue sky, landing on everyone.

  Steven watched Chloe as she tried to brush it away from the blue silk dress. She looked stunning: the elegant dress skimmed her figure, leaving her shoulders bare, showing the long, creamy perfection of her neck. Her hair was wound up on top of her head and threaded through with tiny white flowers. As he watched she turned her head and caught his eye. Then she smiled and walked across towards him.

  ‘I think they’ve almost finished taking the photographs now,’ she said.

  ‘You look beautiful, Chloe,’ he said, and then leaned closer to whisper against her ear. ‘I want you all to myself—when can we escape from all these people?’

  ‘Let’s see.’ She pretended to count the hours. ‘Well, we’ve got the meal and then the speeches and then the party…say, about eleven or twelve hours, give or take an hour.’

  Steven groaned. ‘I don’t think I’m going to contain myself for that long.’

  Beth ran over towards them, panting with excitement. She looked very cute in a white dress with sprigs of pink roses embossed on the fabric, her long curls caught back from her face with slides. ‘Daddy, can I ride to the hotel in the car with Jane and Sarah?’ Her face was flushed from running as she looked from Steven to Chloe. ‘Please…please?’

  ‘I don’t think so, Beth,’ Steven said. ‘Sarah and Jane are going in the official limousine with Chloe and Margaret.’

  Beth’s face fell. ‘Wish I had been a flower girl,’ she said.

  ‘Never mind, Beth.’ Chloe stepped in to the rescue. ‘I think it might be all right for you to go in the car with Sarah and Jane, now that the ceremony is over. You can take my place and I’ll go in the car with Daddy.’ Flicking an inquisitive look up at Steven, she smiled. ‘I think that might just solve two problems today, don’t you?’

  Steven smiled back at her. ‘If Margaret wouldn’t mind, that would be great.’

  ‘I don’t think it will be a problem.’ Chloe held out her hand to the little girl. ‘Come on, let’s go check and see what Margaret has to say.’

  Steven watched his daughter skipping across the grass happily next to Chloe, his smile still on his face. He hoped the ride to the hotel was a very long one.

  The narrow lane was lined with lime trees that overhung, giving the effect of driving up through a green tunnel. ‘Are you sure we can drive along here?’ Steven asked Chloe with a grin.

  ‘Trust me, there’s a great view from up here.’

  Steven shook his head. ‘I’ve got all the view I want right here in this car.’ Teasingly he added, ‘Why don’t we just stop the car here?’

  ‘Just keep driving,’ she said firmly. ‘We haven’t got that long anyway. I reckon they’ll have a few drinks outside on the lawn before they go into the hotel for the meal, so we’ve got about half an hour.’

  The lane widened and suddenly in front of them Steven could see a dazzling view down over the sea.

  Below them lay a sheltered cove with powdery white sand. It was totally deserted and looked like a private beach that went with the one and only house up on the headland—a white mansion that was built on two levels into the cliff face.

  ‘That’s some view,’ Steven said.

  ‘I used to come here sometimes with Dad and Margaret on picnics when I came to stay with Dad in the holidays. That was before Sinead was born.’

  Steven looked over at her. He wanted to ask her about those days, but there was a faraway expression in her blue eyes, and he didn’t want to upset her.

  ‘I used to wonder who lived in that house.’ She nodded towards the cliff. ‘It’s called Perfect Haven.’ Chloe smiled. ‘Can you imagine living in the perfect haven?’

  ‘If the right person is with you I’m sure anywhere can be the perfect haven.’

  Chloe transferred her attention to Steven. ‘You say the loveliest things sometimes.’

  ‘That’s because you inspire me.’ He smiled the crooked smile that was so teasing and charming. Then he leaned across towards her and kissed her softly. ‘We can make our own perfect haven once you say yes to me.’

  ‘You promised me that we wouldn’t talk about that,’ she whispered.

  ‘Did I?’ He frowned. ‘In that case, I’ll settle for some passionate kissing instead.’

  As he leaned even closer she laughed breathlessly. ‘Don’t smudge my make-up too much, Stevie…’

  ‘OK, here’s the deal. You agree to marry me and I don’t smudge your make-up…too much.’ He looked at her with warmth in his eyes.

  ‘That’s not a fair deal. Anyway, we already made a deal and that was that I think about your proposal and give you my answer when we get home.’

  ‘Those were last night’s terms,’ Steven said, shaking his head. ‘And, as you didn’t agree with them at the time, we’re going to have to renegotiate them.’

  ‘Excuse me! That mumbo-jumbo stuff might have worked with Renaldo, but it won’t wash with me,’ she said, a spark of humour in her voice.

  ‘Is that so?’ Steven grinned. ‘Right, well, you asked for it—I’m just going to have to mercilessly smudge your make-up. And everyone back at the wedding reception will know very well what you’ve been up to on the drive to the hotel.’

  She reached for the door handle. ‘You’ll have to catch me first,’ she said with a laugh.

  Kicking off her shoes as soon as she stepped out of the car, she ran down the path towards the beach, holding her dress well up out of the way as she jumped the last few inches down onto the sand.

  Steven ran after her, and she laughed when he made a dive for her and missed as she dodged him successfully and ran further along the beach.

  It was really no contest and he easily caught her a few minutes later, swinging her around, her dress swirling in the breeze. She laughed as he held her firmly around her waist and reached down to kiss her.

  ‘OK, I give in,’ she said, winding her arms up around his neck. ‘Guess I’ll have to go back to the reception with smudged make-up.’

  ‘That’s not all you’ll have to go back to the wedding with.’ Before she realised his intention he swung her up into his arms, carrying her down towards the water’s edge.

  ‘Steven!’ Her eyes widened in horror. ‘Now, come on, a joke’s a joke but this is going too far.’ She looked up at him, a bit disconcerted when she saw the determined expression on his handsome face.

  ‘Now, what’s it to be?’ he said as he swung her precariously over the waves that lapped in over his dark polished shoes.

  She tightened her arms around his neck. ‘Steven, stop!’

  ‘Imagine all those faces at that wedding reception when you walk in wet through.’ He smiled into her eyes and she really couldn’t work out any more if he was joking or not.

  ‘Steven, this isn’t fair…’

  He bent his head
and kissed her. It was such a passionate kiss that she was completely breathless when he raised his head. ‘So, what’s it to be?’ he asked gently. ‘Will you do me the honour of becoming Mrs Cavendish…?’

  She smiled and, reaching up, kissed him again, the sound of the waves washing around them filling her senses. Happiness bubbled inside her; suddenly this felt so right… ‘How can I possibly refuse?’ she whispered.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  SIX weeks after their return from Ireland Chloe still felt as if she was on some magical merry-go-round.

  A huge diamond ring sparkled on her finger; Steven was attentive, gentle…loving. Her mind skipped over the last word. All right, he hadn’t said he loved her—in fact, quite the opposite if she replayed his actual proposal in her mind. But when she thought about Steven proposing she preferred to think about those few minutes on the beach when he had swept her off her feet and whirled her around, kissing her with such passion… That was the real proposal she wanted to remember.

  They were going out to dinner tonight to discuss wedding arrangements. And this weekend Chloe was going to stay at Steven’s house and they were going to tell Beth.

  Chloe’s heart skipped every time she thought about it. Once they told Beth there would be no going back; she had said as much to Steven, asking that they had a few weeks’ grace before telling the little girl.

  It wasn’t that Chloe wanted to back out, just that she wanted a bit of time to get used to the idea before it all became public knowledge. She had thought Steven might argue the point, but he had agreed. With that in mind they had only got the ring yesterday. Every time it caught the office lights she got a thrill of delight.

  The phone rang on her desk and Chloe picked it up, forcing herself to concentrate on work. ‘Steven Cavendish’s personal assistant speaking.’

  ‘Hi, Chloe, it’s Helen.’ 172

  The familiar voice brought a wave of disturbance rushing into Chloe’s well-ordered world.

  ‘I believe congratulations are in order—Steven tells me you are getting married.’

  ‘Yes, that’s right.’ Chloe wondered when Steven had seen Helen to impart that information. He hadn’t mentioned the meeting to her.

  ‘I wish you all the best with the arrangement,’ Helen said briskly. ‘You’re so good with Beth; just what Steven wanted. Put me through to him, will you, Chloe?’

  Chloe would have liked to disconnect her, but she forced herself to remain businesslike. ‘Hold on a minute, please; I’ll just see if he’s in the office.’

  She knew full well that Steven was in his office, but she was unsure if he would take the call or not. She flicked the button on the intercom. ‘Steven, Helen Smyth-Jones is on the phone for you,’ she said, hoping her voice held its usual professional tone.

  There was a moment’s silence. ‘OK, put her through,’ Steven said.

  Chloe flicked the switch and did as he asked. Then she sat and looked at the phone as if it had suddenly turned into some kind of serpent. What did Helen want? And why hadn’t Steven told her that he’d seen her? The urge to turn a switch and listen in to their conversation was very strong. But she forced herself to turn her attention back to her computer.

  But if concentrating on work had been difficult before it seemed impossible now. I wish you all the best with the arrangement. Helen’s words played jeeringly over in her mind. That was a strange thing to have said, a strange choice of words. It was almost as if Helen knew that Steven didn’t love her, knew the terms of his proposal. But how could she? Unless Steven had told her?

  Chloe glanced again at the phone. The light was still on; they were still talking. It was a long conversation for a man to have with an ex-girlfriend, she thought warily, especially a man who was engaged to someone else.

  At last the light went off and Chloe tried to relax.

  She felt her skin start to prickle and itch again, something it had been doing for over a week now. It was driving her crazy. She had joked with Steven last week when he had caught her rubbing at her arms that she must be allergic to him. He hadn’t looked very amused. She smiled now as she remembered that conversation and glanced at her watch. She had made an appointment with the doctor for five-thirty. Hurriedly she finished off typing the rest of the letters, because it was almost time for her to leave.

  The door from Steven’s office opened and he came out. ‘Do you have those figures from Paris?’ he asked distractedly.

  ‘Yes.’ She searched through the pile of papers next to her and handed him the relevant one.

  ‘Fine…thanks.’ He ran an eye down the page. ‘Great.’ He smiled at her and seemed to be about to just return to his office without saying anything else.

  ‘Steven?’ She stopped him before he could turn away.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘What did Helen want?’

  ‘Oh, that! She’s bringing a party of clients to the Waterside next week and she wanted to know if I’d have a word with Jamie, make sure they got the red-carpet treatment…as if I haven’t got enough to do.’ He shook his head impatiently. ‘I told her I’d look into it for her, but why the hell she just couldn’t have rung Jamie and sorted it out herself is beyond me.’

  She should have known it was just something like that; Chloe smiled. ‘I just wondered,’ she said with a shrug.

  He frowned as he noticed her rubbing her skin. ‘Are you still bothered with that prickly heat?’

  ‘I told you, I’m allergic to you.’

  ‘Nonsense, you’re just too hot to handle, that’s what it is.’ Steven smiled. ‘There’s molten lava going through your veins. I knew it the first time I kissed you.’

  He watched her flush and smiled. ‘But, on a more serious note, maybe you should go and see about it? Could be something that Beth has unwittingly passed on to you—chicken pox, for instance?’

  ‘I’ve already had that and, anyway, if that was the case Beth would have it as well. ‘I’m going to pop into Dr Hallowell on the way home, get some cream; it could be a reaction to washing powder or something.’

  Steven nodded. ‘Oh, by the way, I’m going to have to go to Paris on Friday to look over one of the new restaurants; I’ll be back Saturday afternoon. You couldn’t hold the fort here and with Beth, could you? That new nanny tells me she can’t cover Friday night or Saturday—she’s got some family reunion booked.’

  ‘That’s OK, I’ll see to everything,’ Chloe said easily.

  ‘Thanks, Chloe. Pack a few things in your overnight bag; maybe you could stay a bit longer than one night. And, of course, you will pack something special to wear for when I take you and Beth out for lunch when we return from Paris.’

  ‘Sorry? What did you say?’ She looked up at him with a frown.

  ‘I said when I return from Paris I shall take you and Beth out for lunch,’ he said impatiently. ‘You hadn’t forgotten that we are telling Beth our news this weekend?’

  ‘No, of course not. It’s just…you said when we return from Paris.’

  ‘Did I?’ Steven shrugged. ‘Well, I meant when I return…sorry.’

  Chloe noticed the slight hesitation in meeting her eyes as he corrected himself, and she felt a sick thud of her heart. She had the most awful feeling that he was hiding something.

  As Steven turned back into his office he wondered if he had got away with that slip of the tongue just now.

  As she waited for Dr Hallowell Chloe pretended to be interested in the glossy magazines sitting next to her. But in reality her mind was buzzing back over the conversation that had just taken place between herself and Steven.

  Was it a coincidence that Steven had suddenly decided to go to Paris for the night just after speaking to Helen on the phone? The question tormented her, as did that slip he had made. ‘After we return from Paris.’

  Chloe flicked through the magazine. It was just a simple slip-up, just one word of a mistake; it meant nothing, and she told herself so, over and over. Yet there was something about the way he hadn’t been ab
le to meet her eyes that made the sentence continually torment her.

  The receptionist called her name, jogging her out of her contemplation, and it was almost a feeling of relief to go into the doctor’s surgery and take her mind off the problem.

  A little while later, however, she was facing a different dilemma.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  PREGNANT: the word screamed through Chloe’s subconscious as she sat in her apartment in a state of semi-shock. All right, she was a little bit late, but that wasn’t unusual for her. She had never suspected… It was just an annoying little itch; how could that mean she was pregnant?

  Hormonal reaction, the doctor had said, his voice matter-of-fact. After questioning her he had estimated that she was probably two months pregnant. Which must mean it had happened that evening at her apartment when Steven had walked her home.

  Chloe glanced at the clock beside her. Steven was due to pick her up in about an hour. She didn’t want to see him, couldn’t face him until she had decided on what to say to him…

  They had never discussed having children of their own. She knew he had wanted a big family with his wife, but he had loved her. Suddenly those little missing words were like a huge hole inside her. All these weeks since coming back from Ireland she had been living in a dream world, telling herself that Steven would grow to love her one day…but what if that wasn’t the case? It was one thing taking the risk and marrying him without love when it was just her…but a baby…a baby made the situation suddenly seem glaringly precarious.

  She needed to sleep on this and face Steven in the morning, she decided abruptly. There was no way she could have dinner with him, not now, with this knowledge burning away inside her.

  As she reached for the phone Chloe glanced at her watch. It was too late to cancel. Steven would already have left, and, even if she caught him on his mobile, knowing Steven, he would still arrive.

  She’d have to get ready and face the evening as best she could. Hurriedly she went through to her bedroom to shower and change.