The Tycoon's Trophy Wife

Poor Kristine, came the caustic thought. If only she’d had some faith and loyalty, she could have had her cake and eaten it too. Instead, she’d thrown her lot in with an ageing playboy film producer who had a reputation for replacing his starlet girlfriends every year or so.

There’d been a time when Reece had waited to hear such news with baited breath. Somewhere along the line, however, he’d stopped thinking about—and caring about—what happened to Kristine.

In hindsight, Reece could not put a date on this miracle. But it had to be some months ago. He supposed it was difficult to keep pining for another woman when you were married to someone as fascinating as Alanna.

Aside from her breathtaking beauty, Alanna was an amazing woman to live with. She never nagged at him or questioned him. There were never any scenes when he came home late, or had to go away unexpectedly on business. She kept his house beautifully, was an accomplished hostess and never said no in bed. What more could a man in his position want? When you thought about it, their marriage was perfect.

Frankly, falling in love would have spoilt it.

But as he continued to gaze at his beautiful wife Reece recognised that he had fallen in lust with her.

He’d always desired Alanna. Right from the moment he’d set eyes on her. But his desire seemed to have taken a darker, more intense turning today.

It was that damned dress’s fault, he decided.

Not the style. The colour. It had to be the colour. Red was the devil’s colour. The colour of desire, and danger.

Whatever, Reece could not wait for Richard’s wedding to be over. Could not wait to get that dress off her.

What a pity he was the best man and she was the chief bridesmaid. They would have to attend the reception afterwards, plus stay till it was finished. There was no excuse they could give to leave early.

Not that Alanna would. She would think him mad to suggest such a thing. She’d been helping Holly with the wedding preparations for weeks and had been very excited this morning.

Another dark thought intruded. Maybe he’d be able to persuade her to slip away with him somewhere for a few minutes. A powder room perhaps?

Reece had never done anything like that with her before. Their lovemaking had always been confined to the house. Actually, now that he came to think of it, it had also been confined to their bedroom.

Time to widen their sexual horizons, Reece decided with a rush of blood. Before she got pregnant.

They’d been trying for a baby for three months now. Surprisingly, with no success. But sooner or later, he’d strike a home run.

Reece imagined that once Alanna was having a baby, she might not be overly keen on having sexual adventures.

Suddenly, Reece became aware of Alanna frowning at him as she approached the end of the aisle.

Had his darker thoughts been reflected in his face?

Probably.

He swiftly summoned up one of his warmly winning smiles, the kind he used at work every day and which had become second nature to him.

‘You look incredible,’ he mouthed to her.

When she beamed back at him, his flesh tightened further.

Reece gritted his teeth and kept on smiling till she turned away to join the other bridesmaid, at which point his sigh of relief was swiftly followed by a jab of guilt. Damn it all, he was here today to be Richard’s best man. Not to think and act like some depraved roué, consumed by uncontrollable lust.

The trouble was Reece had always been given to strong emotions. People thought he was an easygoing man, but underneath his charming fac

de he was often a maelstrom of emotion. Ever since he was a boy, his needs and wants had ruled his life. When he’d wanted something, he’d wanted it too much. When he’d fallen in love, he’d loved too much.

When Kristine had first left him, he’d gone wild with despair and jealousy. To the world, he’d presented a coolly positive, never-say-die image, whereas underneath he’d been eaten up by a compulsive need to strike back in whatever way he could; to have his revenge on the woman who’d spurned him. First, by regaining his wealth. Secondly, by marrying.

It had been sheer luck that his marriage to Alanna had worked out as well as it had. It could very well have been a complete disaster.

Now that Reece realised Kristine was out of his head and his heart for ever, no way did he want to risk spoiling things. He decided that, no matter how frustrated he was feeling at this moment, sex with Alanna could at least wait till they were home. Whether they got as far as the bedroom, however, was another question. He rather fancied the idea of undressing her in the living room. Or perhaps not undressing her at all.

He began to wonder what she was wearing underneath that red dress…

The arrival of Holly walking down the aisle was a well-timed distraction, dragging Reece’s mind back from the erotic possibilities of later tonight to the sweetly romantic present.

He’d been right. Holly did look lovely.

Hearing the groom suck in sharply at the sight of his beautiful bride brought a wry smile to Reece’s lips. Underneath his ultra conservative, buttoned-up, banker fac

de, Richard was a total softie. A romantic and an idealist.

A visionary, as well.

For which Reece was grateful. If it hadn’t been for Richard’s ability to think outside the box, he’d be stony-broke today. Richard had backed Reece when not one other financial institution would touch him. He’d given him every loan he’d needed till the slump in the real-estate market had changed to a property boom, extending his hand in friendship as well.

Reece thought the world of him.

‘I admit I was wrong, Rich,’ he murmured to his friend. ‘She’s definitely the girl for you.’

‘Too young for him, I reckon,’ Mike muttered, grunting when Reece jabbed him in the ribs.

‘Okay, okay, she does love him,’ Mike grumbled. ‘I can see that. Even worse, I think he loves her.’

‘What’s wrong with that?’ Reece said sharply.

‘Hush up, you two,’ Richard commanded. ‘I’m getting married here.’

Reece gave Mike another savage glare. Mike just shrugged.

When Richard stepped over to take his bride’s hand, Reece caught a glimpse of Holly’s face through her veil.

The expression he saw in her eyes should have pleased him. For it was undoubtedly the look of a girl very much in love. Why, then, did Reece suddenly feel out of sorts? Surely he didn’t envy Richard, did he?

Perhaps.

No woman had ever looked at him quite that way, with such gloriously blind adoration. Not even Kristine when she’d supposedly been in love with him. And certainly not Alanna.

Alanna, again…

Reece glanced over to where his wife was standing on the other side of the bride. But he couldn’t make eye contact. Holly’s veil was getting in the way.

Maybe it was just as well, he thought. Because he knew he’d never see anything like that expression in her eyes. The most he could hope for was a degree of mindless desire.