The Marriage Deal(5)

'If you're through with the interrogation,' Sandrine said stiffly, 'I'd like to leave. I have an early call in the morning.'

His features hardened and his eyelids lowered slightly, successfully  masking his expression. 'Then let's find our host and thank him for his  hospitality.' He took hold of her arm, only to have her wrench it out of  his grasp.

'I'm not going anywhere with you.'

One eyebrow arched in a deliberately cynical gesture. 'Are you forgetting our bargain so soon?'

'Not at all,' Sandrine declared bravely. 'But I'm damned if I'll allow you to share a house with me!'

His smile bore no humour at all. 'Separate residences aren't part of the deal.'

'Go to hell,' she vented, sorely tried.                       
       
           



       

'I've been there,' Michel said with dangerous softness. 'I don't intend a return trip.'

'I think,' she declared with controlled civility, 'we should save any further discussion until later.'

'I haven't even begun,' he stated with deliberate emphasis. 'And the  guests are free to speculate as they like.' He curved an arm around her  waist and anchored her firmly to his side. 'Place one foot in front of  the other and smile as we bid Tony goodnight.'

'Or else?' Sandrine countered with controlled anger.

'It's a matter of dignity. Yours,' Michel declared in a silky smooth  tone. 'You can walk out of here or you can exit this apartment hoisted  over my shoulder. Choose.'

Her stomach turned a slow somersault. One glance at his set features was  sufficient to determine it wouldn't be wise to oppose him.

Her eyes held a chill that rivalled an arctic floe. 'I prefer the first option,' she said with icy politeness.

It took ten minutes to exchange pleasantries and have Michel confirm a  business meeting with Tony the following morning. Sandrine didn't miss  the slight tightness of Tony's smile or the fleeting hardness evident in  his eyes.

'He's sweating on your decision,' she inferred as they rode the lift down to the ground floor. 'A calculated strategy, Michel?'

He sent a dark, assessing look in her direction, and she glimpsed a  faint edge of mockery beneath the seemingly inscrutable veneer.

The query didn't require a verbal affirmation. The three Lanier  brothers, Raoul, Michel and Sebastian, controlled a billion-dollar  corporation spearheaded by their father, Henri, who had ensured each of  his three sons' education encompassed every financial aspect of  business.

The lift slid to a smooth halt, and they crossed the foyer to the main external entrance.

Sandrine extracted her cell phone and flipped it open. 'I'll call you a taxi.'

The streetlight nearby provided a luminous glow, the shadows highlighting the strong planes of his face.

'I have a hire-car,' Michel informed her silkily. 'I'll follow you.'

'You can move in tomorrow-' She broke off as the connection engaged. 'Could you send a cab to-'

Michel ended the call by the simple expediency of removing the small unit from her hand.

'How dare you?' The words spilled out in spluttered rage, and she made a  valiant attempt to snatch the cell phone from him, failing miserably as  he held it beyond her reach. 'Give it to me!'

One eyebrow arched in silent cynicism as she stamped her foot in wordless rage.

'Where are you parked?'

She glared at him balefully, incensed that much of her visual anger was  diminished by the dark evening shadows. 'Aren't you booked in  somewhere?'

She had tenacity, temper and tendresse. The latter had never been so  noticeably absent. A faint twinge of humour tugged at the edge of his  mouth. 'I checked out this morning.'

Damn, damn him, she silently vented. 'My car is the white Honda  hatchback,' she told him in stilted tones. She turned away, only to have  his hand snag her arm, and she whirled back to face him in vengeful  fury. 'What now?'

'Your cell phone,' Michel said mildly as he held it out to her. She  snatched it from him as if his fingers represented white-hot flame.

She would, she determined angrily as she slid in behind the wheel and  engaged the engine, drive as fast as she dared and hope to lose him. Fat  chance, Sandrine silently mocked minutes later as she ran an amber  light and saw, via the rear-vision mirror, his car follow.

Knowing Michel's attention to detail, it wouldn't surprise her if he had  already discovered her address and was therefore quite capable of  reaching it with the aid of a street map. It was a sobering thought and  one that relegated her actions to a foolish level.

No more taking risks with the traffic lights, she determined as she  settled down to the twenty-minute drive and tried to ignore the twin set  of headlights following several metres to the rear of her car.

Sandrine switched on the radio, selected a station at random and turned  up the sound. Heavy rock music filled the interior, and she tried to  lose herself in the beat, hoping it would distract her attention from  Michel.

It didn't work, and after several minutes she turned down the sound and  concentrated on negotiating a series of traffic roundabouts preceding  the Sanctuary Cove turn-off.

A security gate guarded the entrance to the road leading to her  waterfront villa, and she activated it, passed through, then followed  the curving ribbon of bricked road past a clutch of low-rise apartment  buildings until she reached her own.                       
       
           



       

After raising the garage door by remote control, she eased the car to a  halt as Michel slid a sleek late-model sedan alongside her own.

The garage door closed, and Sandrine emerged from behind the wheel to  see Michel pop the boot of his car and remove a set of luggage. She  wanted to ignore him, but Michel Lanier wasn't a man you could  successfully ignore.

Something twisted painfully in the pit of her stomach as she unlocked the door leading from the garage into the villa.

Pausing, she turned back towards him. 'There are three bedrooms  upstairs,' she informed in a tone resembling that of a hostess  instructing a guest. 'Choose one. There's spare linen in the cupboard.'

He didn't answer, and the silence was enervating. Without a further  word, she stepped through to the hallway and made her way towards the  kitchen.

The villa's interior was light and modern, with high ceilings and huge  glass floor-to-ceiling windows. Large urns painted to blend with the  muted peach-and-green colour scheme held a variety of artificial flowers  and greenery, adding a tropical ambience to the expanse of marble-tiled  floors.

The only sound was the staccato click of her stiletto heels as she  crossed into the kitchen, and within minutes the coffee machine exuded  an exotic aroma of freshly dripped brew.

Sandrine extracted two cups and saucers, sugar, milk, placed them on the  counter, then she filled one cup and took an appreciative sip.

It was quiet, far too quiet, and she crossed into the lounge and  activated the television, switching channels until she found something  of interest. The images danced, her vision unfocused as her mind  wandered to the man who had invaded her home.

Temporary home, she corrected, aware that filming would wrap up within a  week or two. Less for her, as she was only required in a few more  scenes. Then what? Where would she go? There were a few options, and she  mentally ticked them off. One, return to Sydney. Two, find modelling  work. Three …  No, she didn't want to think about the third option. A  marriage should be about equality, sharing and understanding each  other's needs. Domination of one partner by another was something she  found unacceptable.

Sandrine finished her coffee, rinsed her cup, checked her watch, then  released a heavy sigh. It was late, she was tired, and, she decided, she  was damned if she'd wait any longer for Michel to put in an appearance.  She was going to bed.

The silence seemed uncanny, and she found herself consciously listening  for the slightest sound as she ascended the stairs. But there was none.

If Michel had showered, unpacked and made up a bed, he'd achieved it in a very short time.

The curved staircase led onto a semicircular, balustraded gallery. Three  bedrooms, each with an en suite, were positioned along it, while the  double doors at the head of the stairs opened to a spacious sitting  room.

Sandrine turned right when she reached the top and entered the bedroom  she'd chosen to use as her own. Soft lighting provided illumination, and  her nostrils flared at the scent of freshly used soap and the lingering  sharpness of male toiletries even as her eyes swivelled towards the  large bed.

The elegant silk spread had been thrown back, and a long male frame lay clearly outlined beneath the light covering.

Michel. His dark head was nestled comfortably on the pillow, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and even.

Dammit, he was in her bed! Asleep!

Well, that would soon change, she decided furiously as she marched  across the room. Without hesitation she picked up a spare pillow and  thumped it down onto the mattress mere inches from his chest.