Lusty Billionaires Bundle(32)

Aiden grabbed back the paper, reading it aloud in a taunting voice. “‘Met at a wedding! Swept off his feet! A whirlwind romance!” My God, Tabitha, what have you agreed to?’

Pierre must have rung the press the second the first champagne cork had popped. So that was what Zavier had meant when he’d said it had all been taken care of.

‘I haven’t agreed to anything,’ Tabitha answered quickly, playing for time.

‘That’s not what it says here,’ Aiden snarled. ‘Do you want me to carry on reading?’

‘I was going to tell you,’ she begged. ‘I was going to ring you this morning.’

‘To tell me what, exactly? You mean this is all true? You really are marrying him?’

‘I don’t know…’

‘It was Zavier you were with the night of the wedding?’

‘How did you know I was with anyone?’ She was stalling, dreading the questions her answers would lead to.

‘I got up to get a glass of water—you know, mouth like a carpet and all that. I never said anything at the time because I figured it was none of my business. But if it was Zavier you were with then I’m damn well making it my business.’ He was struggling for control now, and Tabitha stood speechless as he hurled the newspaper at the wall. ‘It was him you were with, wasn’t it?’

She nodded, staring dumbly at the carpet, unable to meet her friend’s eyes.

‘I told you not to get involved. I warned you about him. Honestly, Tabitha, he’s no good for you. He may be my brother but he’s still a bastard.’

‘He’s not. Honestly, Aiden, we went out last night and he was really nice…’ Her voice trailed off as she recalled Zavier’s shuttered eyes in the car.

‘Can’t you see that he was just being nice because you were doing what he wanted?’

‘Of course I can.’ Tabitha swallowed hard, hating the fact but knowing it to be true.

‘You’re going to get hurt, Tab.’ He was nearly crying now, and Tabitha wasn’t far off herself. ‘You’re going to get so hurt.’

‘How can you be sure?’

‘Because I know him. Why, Tabitha? How did you get into this? And please don’t quote the newspaper—I need to know what’s happened?’

‘He offered me money.’

‘I offered you money.’

‘He offered me more.’

Aiden refused to buy it. ‘I know you, Tabitha, as well as, if not better than, I know Zavier. I offered you enough to get your grandmother out of debt and a bit more, and yet you refused.’#p#分页标题#e#

‘It’s a lot more than you offered,’ she admitted, shame filling her. ‘A lot more.’

But still Aiden steadfastly refused to believe her. ‘He could have offered you the Crown Jewels and you’d have turned him down.’ Sitting on her sofa, he stared moodily out of the window. ‘You love him, don’t you?’

‘This has nothing to do with love.’

‘Bull.’ He practically spat the expletive and Tabitha winced. Seeing Aiden so angry was something she hadn’t reckoned on. ‘You love him, and you’re hoping in time he’ll love you too.’

‘Of course I don’t love him, Aiden. I hardly know him.’ But the uncertainty in her voice was audible even to herself.

‘That didn’t stop you sleeping with him,’ Aiden pointed out nastily. ‘Just what the hell’s going on between you two, Tabitha? And don’t feed me this line about money; I just won’t believe it.’

‘There is an attraction,’ Tabitha admitted slowly, unsure how to explain what she couldn’t even articulate to herself. ‘But I’m not stupid enough to believe a marriage can survive on sex alone. It’s a lot of money, Aiden. It will change my life. I can open up my own dance school. Yes, you offered me money and, yes, you offered me marriage. But, Aiden, how long would it have lasted? How long before we’d be exposed? At least this way…’

His eyes locked on her hand, his face growing more incredulous by the moment as he lifted it up and examined the ring. ‘He gave you the ruby?’

‘It’s a loan,’ Tabitha said breathlessly. ‘He made it very clear he wanted it back.’

‘He said he’d never let it out of his sight again.’ Aiden’s voice was one of utter amazement. ‘Swore on his own life the next time a woman wore that ring it would be the real thing.’

‘The next time?’

Aiden looked up at the question in her voice. ‘He was engaged a couple of years ago, to this sweet young thing—or so we all thought. Two weeks before the wedding Louise went and got herself some hot-shot solicitor to draw up the most complicated prenuptial agreement, figuring that Zavier wouldn’t back out of the wedding at that late stage.’