Cathy Williams - 8 Magnificent Millionaires

‘And you loved this man?’ Adrian’s voice sounded like whisky and cigarettes and Liadan found that, as much as she desperately needed to, it was nigh on impossible to break away from the burning intensity in his eyes.

‘I…I thought I did.’ Shrugging her slim shoulders, because there was a wealth of soul-searching behind that statement that she couldn’t begin to explain, Liadan looked pained. It was enough to know that she’d analysed her behaviour deeply and with enough regularity to write a psychology book. ‘I don’t know if I was actually “in love” with Michael. He was solid and reliable and at the time I thought I needed that.’ Until he’d started to dictate what she could or couldn’t do, that was.

Feeling as though she had to qualify her statement, particularly what she knew must sound like a complete lack of affection for the man she had been engaged to, Liadan found words spilling from her lips that she hadn’t meant to say. ‘My father died, you see. I was very insecure after that for a while. He’d appeared so healthy and strong up until his heart attack, and my mother and I had no notion that anything was wrong. It’s scary when someone you love suddenly isn’t there any more, and we’d always been so close. When he died I was quite lost for a while. Well…for a long time, actually. When Michael came along I suppose he picked that up. In a way he liked the idea of rescuing me, I think. He was very much a man who liked to take charge and he wanted me to defer to him in practically everything—even down to the friends I had. As soon as that started happening I should have known that things would never work out. Anyway…in the end I was relieved he made the decision he did.’ She paused, feeling slightly ridiculous for revealing so much, for allowing herself to expose her failings and vulnerability to a man like Adrian who, with his cynicism about the world, probably took it as read that relationships didn’t work out—period.

‘I wonder if he still believes he made the right choice?’ Before Liadan could answer the question, Adrian slid the palm of his hand across her fingers gripping the mug of hot milk, his touch all but scorching her. His skin was smooth and warm and incredibly erotic and for brief seconds such a longing swept over Liadan that she couldn’t do anything other than stare deeply into his eyes and let the feeling take her. Her heart slamming against her ribs, she told herself he meant it as a consoling gesture and it was nothing to get worked up about. But somehow her wildly racing heart refused to listen. He must have access to a kind of magic to instil that much magnetism and that much sensation into just one simple brush of his skin against hers, Liadan thought frantically, staring at him in fright.

‘I’m sure he does. Why shouldn’t he?’

She shot out of her chair, milk slopping out of her mug onto the table, jarred by the suddenness of her movement. Feeling hot colour pour into her cheeks, she swung round in disarray to search for a mopping-up cloth.

‘Do you really have to ask why a man wouldn’t choose an austere celibate life over being with you, Liadan?’ Getting to his feet, Adrian held her gaze for a brief but ignitable couple of seconds before silently locating a dishcloth, wringing it out and mopping up the spill in the middle of the table with quiet efficiency. Watching him, Liadan was mesmerised by the ease with which he moved his fit, muscular body, his movements unconsciously and devastatingly sexy to her hungry eyes, the space he inhabited the compelling focus of her complete and undivided attention.

‘Please don’t get the idea that sleeping with me was any kind of inducement. As far as Michael was concerned I was…tarnished because I had slept with a boyfriend before.’ Looking down at the floor, Liadan wished she didn’t still feel humiliated by her ex’s judgemental opinion and rejection. ‘Besides, I don’t think church life is as austere as all that nowadays. At least I hope not. Michael likes his comforts.’ She knew she was babbling. She always talked too much when she was nervous and Adrian Jacobs made her very nervous. Lifting her head, Liadan saw that his deliberate dark gaze was examining her with what appeared to be concern in their liquid depths, and she worryingly sensed her equilibrium coming undone. Clutching at the collar of her robe, she tried for a smile but somehow couldn’t get the necessary muscles to assist her. ‘Thank you for clearing up the spill. I should have done that.’

‘So what are you telling me, Liadan? That you and this Michael never actually made love?’

‘I think he was waiting for the day when God would personally come down and absolve me of my sins in front of him. He wanted a guarantee that I was good enough.’ Her soft mouth twisted with painful humour.

‘The man must have been insane.’ Adrian shook his head in clear disbelief and Liadan felt a surge of wild gratitude for his vote of confidence.

‘I shouldn’t have disturbed you,’ she said breathlessly. For a long, unsettling moment, Adrian just stared. Then he shook his head as if coming to a decision.

‘Go back to bed and get some rest. We both have to be up early.’

Liadan couldn’t deny her heartfelt disappointment.

‘You were drowning your sorrows and all I did was talk about me.’

‘I asked you to talk about yourself, remember?’

Adrian wished she would just turn around and leave. In the past few minutes he had become too consumed by the power of her femininity—of all the beguiling attributes that no red-blooded male could fail to notice, starting with her incredible eyes. Her ex-boyfriend either had a will of iron where Liadan’s attractions were concerned, or he must have been taking passion-killing drugs to sedate desire, because Adrian couldn’t believe that any man could gaze at the woman and not be so turned on that it hurt. And if it was true that a person’s eyes reflected their soul, then Liadan’s must be as pure and unsullied as water from a crystal well, he surmised with feeling. Because when she trained them on him, all his sins came back with force to haunt him. He was a million miles away from such purity, especially when all he wanted to do right now was tear off her clothes and make violent, passionate love to her.

‘What about tomorrow?’ she asked tentatively, moving towards the door.

‘What about it?’

Aware of his deliberate cooling towards her after the stunning intimacy of the last few moments, Liadan felt her stomach churn with anguish. ‘Will you…will you be all right? With the reporters and everything?’

‘I’ll handle it. Just stay in the house and don’t venture out into the gardens unless it’s an emergency. After this, I’m going to be installing electronic gates at the end of the drive—something I should have attended to from the beginning. Now go to bed, Liadan. You look tired.’

Deliberately tearing his gaze from the concern in her eyes, Adrian threw the dishcloth into the sink and combed his fingers wearily through his thick dark hair. Instead of soothing him, the whisky he had imbibed had made him irritable and morose—more so now that Liadan was going back to bed. For a few unexpectedly bright moments there she had inspired feelings in him that he’d thought he’d crushed for ever. Feelings of warmth and the need to connect with another human being on a deeper level, not just surface chit-chat that said nothing and concealed everything. Liadan had ignited longings in him that made her a very dangerous woman indeed. A woman who, despite being hurt, still believed in the goodness in the world—who’d forgiven her foolish boyfriend for dumping her because he had a right to ‘follow his heart’.

Well, as far as Adrian was concerned, all the goodness in him had long been used up, because he wasn’t about to forgive himself for ultimately being the cause of Nicole’s death that day. And all because his ego had tricked him into believing he was somehow invincible—immune to threats of death and destruction. It had naturally followed that everyone connected to him had to be invincible too…