Lady Surrender

She chewed on her inner lip. ‘Very well then—if I have no choice.’

‘My ego has taken a severe beating since I met you,’ Aaron drawled dryly.

‘I don’t think it’s going to do it much harm,’ Charly derided.

‘You aren’t exactly lacking in self-confidence yourself, you know,’ he pointed out softly.

Perhaps if he had met her a year ago he would have thought differently. Six years of marriage to a man as strong-willed as James had stripped her of most of the poise and confidence that had been imbued in to her at the finishing-school she had attended in Switzerland. When a man was as assured and arrogant as James had been something had to give in a marriage, and for the sake of peace it had always been Charly. It would never happen to her again, she was her own woman now, and intended to remain that way.

‘I’m Rocharlle Allenby-Hart, remember?’ she drawled. ‘With the gold spoon in my mouth.’

He looked at her thoughtfully. ‘Maybe that gold becomes a little heavy to carry at times,’ he murmured.

She wasn’t sure if he meant literally or figuratively—whichever one he was right! ‘I can live with it,’ she mocked.

‘Who couldn’t?’ he derided. ‘And if Matt isn’t the man in your life then who is?’

She avoided his probing eyes. ‘There isn’t one. My husband has only been dead a year,’ she defended—and then mentally chastised herself for doing so; she had given up justifying her actions after James died. ‘Now if you’ll excuse me,’ she added briskly, ‘I have work to do …’

‘Buying country houses being part of it,’ he mocked.

‘Yes,’ she acknowledged challengingly.

‘We’ll see,’ Aaron murmured.

She could see the return of challenge in his own eyes, and knew that he was enjoying himself. James had enjoyed challenges too, an easy conquest held no interest for him. But she hadn’t known that until it was too late, until she found him in her cousin’s arms, Jocelyn treating him in the same casual way James regarded Charly. And how James had loved it. And how he had loved Jocelyn too. But when she had asked him for a divorce he hadn’t wanted Jocelyn enough to give up the one thing he did want from his marriage to Charly. And then when he had decided he wanted a divorce he had once again used the one threat against her guaranteed to make her agree to anything he wanted.

‘Where have you gone to?’

She focused her attention on Aaron Grantley with effort, having forgotten his presence as she thought of that last conversation with James that had ended in tragedy. ‘Nowhere, Mr Grantley.’ She moved to sit behind her desk. ‘For a moment you reminded me of someone,’ she added as he seemed to expect more.

His eyes narrowed. ‘They seemed unhappy thoughts.’

‘They were,’ she acknowledged bluntly.

‘I realise we got off to a bad start last night—–’

‘We didn’t get off to a start at all,’ she corrected abruptly. ‘You threw out a lot of groundless accusations, bullied me into acting like your girlfriend—–’

‘No one bullied you into anything,’ Aaron cut in. ‘I don’t think anyone ever could—What did you say?’ he frowned as she muttered something under her breath.

She straightened her shoulders. ‘I said they could try,’ she spoke loud enough for him to hear this time.

He shrugged dismissively. ‘You wanted to put Molly’s mind at rest,’ he stated firmly.

‘Matt adores her,’ she said flatly.

‘He wouldn’t be the first man in love with his wife to be attracted to another woman,’ Aaron spoke hardly.

‘What time are we expected for dinner this evening?’ she ignored the question in his tone.

‘Eight o’clock.’

She nodded. ‘I’ll drive myself down,’ she told him briskly. ‘I expect to be working late.’

‘I’ll call for you.’

‘I’d prefer to drive myself,’ she said determinedly.

‘Independent, huh?’ he derided.

‘Absolutely.’ Cold grey eyes met his amused gaze.

‘James Hart must have been a bastard,’ he said with narrowed eyes.