Seduction: The Billionaire's Bride of Vengeance

‘No, it’s not all right. Suicide is never all right. Your poor dad. And your poor mum.’

Hell, he’d made a mistake, going down this path. He could feel himself beginning to unravel, like long rows of knitting being wrenched undone. Soon, there would be nothing left of him but a twisted-up mess.

‘Mum’s fine now,’ he said, pulling himself together with a supreme effort of will. ‘She married again. Another farmer. They live out at Gulgong, near Mudgee.’

‘Whilst you came to Sydney and became a workaholic.’

He shrugged. ‘There are worse things I could have become. But enough about me. You promised to tell me why you want to go back to Thailand.’

Nicole knew he was deliberately changing the subject. And she didn’t blame him. Remembering the past could be very painful. She’d been terribly hurt by David’s betrayal, plus the discovery that her stepfather was equally conscienceless. But neither of those events compared with Russell losing his dad in such a tragic way. It was patently obvious that his father’s suicide had affected him deeply. ‘Come, now,’ he chided when she remained silent. ‘Tell the truth and shame the devil.’

She smiled, then shrugged. ‘The truth is I met this truly amazing woman when I was in Bangkok. She runs an orphanage full of sweet but very underprivileged children. They have nothing in the way of material possessions yet they’re so happy. They made me ashamed of all the things that had been lavished on me over the years. Anyway, I promised her that after I’d collected my belongings, I’d go back and help her out for a while.’ She almost told him that she was going to sell all her jewellery to raise money to buy the children some much needed items, but didn’t want to sound like some martyrish saint. Nicole knew she was far from that.

The expression on Russell’s face still showed true surprise, Nicole accepted that it was an unlikely thing for a girl like her to be doing. Kara’s reaction had been similar.

‘What kind of help are you talking about?’ he asked. ‘Money?’

‘Money would certainly go a long way to solving a lot of Julie’s problems.’

‘In that case why not just send this woman some? You don’t have to go over there personally.’

‘Yes,’ she said firmly. ‘I do. I promised the children. Look, I’m not going to stay there forever. I’ll be back in Sydney in the New Year to look for a job.’

His eyebrows shot upwards. ‘A job?’

Nicole could not help bristling at his constant surprise. ‘I am employable, you know. I have a degree in marketing. I worked for Power Mortgages for nearly two years,’ she said, her pride not mentioning that she hadn’t worked in their marketing section. ‘I only left a few months ago.’

Once again, Russell struggled to hide his emotions in front of her. He’d been on the verge of changing his mind about Nicole’s character, speculating that she could be so different from what he’d been imagining. Not on the make, not selfish and not content to live an idle existence.

Her announcement, however, that she’d actually worked for her father’s company for nearly two years, clearly in the marketing section, had floored him.

She had to have known her father’s business practices; in fact, she must have condoned them.

Any guilt he’d begun harbouring over his ruthless behaviour last night was instantly banished, replaced once again by that coldly implacable resolve to continue with his vengeful mission … He would harness his passion for her to good effect, making magnificent love to her till she changed her mind about going overseas; till she fell madly in love with him; till she agreed to marry him.

Not that he intended to actually marry her. Hopefully, by the time she accepted his proposal, this insane desire would have burned itself out.

‘Why did you leave?’ he asked, pleased at his casual tone.

‘I couldn’t bear to stay in Sydney after what happened with David. I … I had to get away.’

So she had just upped and gone overseas for months on end, no doubt having everything paid for by Daddy.

And now she was going overseas again. Still using Daddy’s money, Russell presumed. He recalled her saying something to her mother last night about not needing to be sent any more money.

Her looking for a job in the New Year was obviously not a necessity, just something to fill her time. This mission of mercy might be much of the same. One did need a purpose in life.

Like revenge …

‘When are you thinking of leaving for Thailand?’ he asked.

‘I was hoping to fly out by the middle of the week.’

‘That soon.’

‘It all depends on the flights available.’

‘You must realise I don’t want you to go,’ he said, his eyes locking with hers. ‘Stay here in Sydney with me and I’ll give your friend more money than she knows what to do with.’

Nicole should not have been shocked, but she was.

For a while there, she’d forgotten who she was dealing with. Forgotten what life had taught her. That rich men did not always follow society’s rules.

Russell might live a simple lifestyle on the surface, but he was not a simple man. You didn’t achieve as much as he had in such a short space of time without being very tunnel-visioned, and without becoming somewhat ruthless in the process.

‘That’s nothing short of blackmail,’ she scolded.

His smile had a wickedly sexy edge to it. ‘And that’s not an answer.’

Nicole’s heart quickened as temptation took hold. The passion in his eyes was powerfully persuasive, promising more pleasures of the kind she’d tasted last night. If she stayed here in Sydney she could spend every night in his bed, being swept away into his erotic world.

‘How much money are we looking at?’ she couldn’t resist asking.

‘As much as it takes.’

He must really want her a lot. Nicole could not help feeling flattered. But along with the seductive flattery lay annoyance that he would think he could buy her.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said tartly. ‘But I’m not for sale.’

‘What a pity. It’s just as well, then,’ he went on as he rose to his feet, ‘that I have other means of persuasion.’

Nicole had anticipated this moment. What she hadn’t anticipated was that, by the time he came to seduce her again, she would feel so angry with him.

Why, then, didn’t she struggle when he pulled her up off the chair and into his arms? Why not turn her mouth away? Why not slap his arrogantly presumptuous face?

Her vulnerability to him should have been humiliating. There were a few moments of mortification. But that was before his lips went to work with a vengeance. In no time she didn’t care what kind of man he was, as long as he kept on kissing her.

She could not think, could hardly breathe.

He disposed of her dress in no time, then her panties. Once again, she stood naked before him. But in the daylight this time, in the sunshine.

He stepped back, his eyes narrowing as they travelled over her by now quivering nudity. ‘You are way too beautiful for your own good, do you know that?’

She had ceased to know anything some time back.

‘Women like you have brought down countries.’

All of a sudden he bent to scoop her up into his arms, crushing her against his chest as he carried her inside. ‘I apologise for making that insulting offer,’ he ground out as he forged down the short hallway into his bedroom. ‘But you must know how I feel about you. I can’t bear the thought of our being parted so soon after finding you. I’m crazy about you, Nicole.’