The Spanish Duke's Virgin Bride(14)

‘A multi-million-pound fortune,’ Javier replied dryly. ‘I learned early on in life that, where women are concerned, money is their biggest turn-on—that and power. It’s the reason you’re here, after all, Grace,’ he murmured silkily. ‘You want me to drop charges against a common thief. A man who repaid my trust in him by betraying me and abusing the position I’d awarded him.’

Grace felt her cheeks flood with colour. ‘It wasn’t like that,’ she insisted huskily. ‘I told you, my father was in a desperate situation and he had no choice.’

Javier pushed back his chair and strolled around his desk towards her. Instantly Grace felt overwhelmed by his sheer magnetism, and her heartrate accelerated when he rested his hip against the edge of the desk and leaned close, trapping her gaze. ‘We all have choices, Grace,’ he said, his gravelly accented voice mesmerising her with its hypnotic intensity. ‘You can choose to give me a year of your life, and in return I will ensure that your father is spared prosecution and a lengthy jail sentence.’

This close, Grace could see the fine lines around his eyes and the incredible length of his silky black lashes. Tiger’s eyes, she thought dazedly as she stared into their glowing amber depths. Her gaze settled on the sensual curve of his mouth and she found herself fantasising about what it would feel like to have his lips pressed against hers.

‘I don’t think I can do it,’ she whispered. ‘Marriage is special—sacrosanct. It’s about two people standing before God and promising to love one another for the rest of their lives. What you’re suggesting is…immoral.’

‘And stealing three million pounds is not? I think we can safely leave the question of morality out of this, Grace,’ Javier murmured sardonically. ‘You want to ensure that your father is spared a jail sentence, and I can help you.’ The faint tremor of her lower lip betrayed her tension and his jaw tightened. ‘Surely becoming the Duquesa de Herrera is a better option than scrubbing my floors?’ he growled impatiently.

‘I don’t like the idea of lying,’ Grace muttered, ignoring his look of mocking disbelief. In all honesty, what choice did she have? If she didn’t agree to marry him her father would undoubtedly be sent to prison. She had to do it. But if she kept her wits she could turn Javier’s urgency to find a wife to her advantage.

‘All right,’ she said abruptly. ‘I’ll do it. I’ll agree to your business proposition and become your wife for one year, but in return I want all of my father’s debts cleared. I want you to repay the outstanding money to the bank out of your personal account,’ she continued in a flat, unemotional voice that she hoped disguised the fact that her heart was pounding. ‘And I want your written assurance that you will drop all charges against him. When you’ve done all that, I’ll be your bride.’

Javier moved with the speed of a big cat making a kill as he placed his hands on either side of her chair, effectively caging her in. ‘You value yourself highly, Miss Beresford. Perhaps too highly,’ he hissed savagely. ‘You seem to forget that I’m calling the shots here. What will you do if I call your bluff and throw you out without a penny?’

Oh, God! He wouldn’t, would he? Grace took a shaky breath and forced herself to meet his scorching gaze. ‘You won’t,’ she said in a calm voice that belied her screaming tension. ‘You need me as much as I need you, because I can absolutely guarantee that from the first day of our marriage I will be counting the hours until our divorce as eagerly as you. There’s no chance that I’ll fall in love with you,’ she added, tilting her chin so that her face was inches from his.

She could feel his power, his need to subjugate her to his will, but she refused to be cowed. If she was to survive a year as his wife then she could not allow him to dominate her.

The tension between them was so fierce that the air seemed to crackle. Grace could feel the heat emanating from his body as he leaned over her, and for one wild moment she wondered how he would react if she curled her arms around his neck and drew his mouth down to hers.

Raw, sensual heat flooded through her, and as she stared into his eyes she knew that he felt the same kick of desire. She bit back a gasp as his head slowly lowered. Her eyelids felt heavy and her lashes drifted down, only to fly open again when, instead of kissing her, he grabbed a handful of her long hair and jerked her head up.

At her stunned expression, Javier’s mouth curled into a smile that told her he was aware of her disappointment. ‘You’re not the fragile flower that I first thought, are you, Grace? Your delicate beauty belies a cunning mind that almost matches my own.’ Before she had time to react, he claimed her mouth in a brief, brutal assault that demanded her response as if it were his God-given right.