Surely he didn’t intend for this marriage to just exist in bed and ignore her existence the rest of the time. She couldn’t take the humiliation of such an arrangement.
She was preparing scrambled eggs and toast when Josie came into the kitchen, fully dressed in a pair of blue denims and a flower-print smock-top. The table was laid for the three of them and Josie helpfully got out fresh coffee cups.
‘I took the precaution of dressing,’ she chatted happily. ‘I take it Mr Savage is still here?’
‘In the bathroom.’ How could she tell Josie of her intention to marry Damien after her attitude towards him last night?—Josie would think she was mad. And she had to tell James yet!
James! He would be furious! Damien wasn’t his idea of a husband for her, especially if he realised Damien’s reason for the marriage. He wouldn’t approve of that at all.
And there would be problems about the wedding too. If James would agree she wanted him to be the one to give her away. But what would Damien have to say about that? Plenty, she would imagine.
‘No, I’m not,’ he remarked from behind them, looking quite respectable again in his white trousers and shirt, the velvet jacket slung across his arm. ‘Mm, breakfast. I’m starving!’ He smiled at Josie. ‘I hope I haven’t kept you out of the bathroom.’
Josie blushed under his practised charm. ‘No, I’ll shower later.’
‘Has Kate told you we’re going to be married?’ He appeared quite unabashed at Kate’s sharp look in his direction. ‘I believe you have some plans in that direction yourself?’
Josie looked stunned at his words and Kate slammed his laden breakfast plate down in front of him. This wasn’t how she had wanted to tell her flatmate of her impending marriage. They hadn’t even decided when it was to be yet!
‘Yes,’ Josie answered faintly. ‘I—er—I didn’t realise you were—well, that you—’
Damien grinned at her confusion, as he tucked hungrily into his food. ‘Kate’s just as surprised as you are,’ he assured her.
Josie poured them all some coffee, her hands shaking slightly. ‘When is the wedding to be?’
‘We haven’t—’
‘Next week.’ He continued to eat his breakfast.
‘Goodness!’ Josie laughed. ‘You really believe in rushing a girl off her feet.’
Kate had stiffened angrily at his declaration. ‘Now just a minute! I—’
Damien ignored her completely. ‘With someone like Kate I’m afraid it’s the only way.’ At last he looked at her. ‘Sit down and eat your breakfast before it gets cold,’ he ordered shortly.
Her cheeks flushed with anger. ‘I will not! How dare you talk to me like that!’
He stood up. ‘All this excitement doesn’t seem to have done your temper a lot of good. Thanks for the breakfast. I’ll go home and change now and be back for you later. Nice seeing you again, Josie,’ he nodded.
Kate caught up with him at the door. ‘What do you mean you’ll be back for me later? And how dare you say the wedding is to be next week!’
Sighing, he turned to look at her. ‘I said it because it happens to be true. Now that we’ve come to the decision I have no intention of waiting weeks or even months for you. This isn’t to be a normal marriage, we both know our reasons. I want you, and you have to have your desire legalised. I’ll get a licence and we’ll get married next week. I’m not having any arguments about it. As for my calling back for you, well, even if this is a short engagement I’m sure you still want an engagement ring. We’ll go out and get one.’
‘But—but if we marry now we won’t be able to go away on honeymoon,’ she said desperately. ‘You won’t be able to leave in the middle of your film.’
‘And I have no intention of waiting until it’s finished. Be reasonable, Kate. I have quite a few months’ shooting left on the film. And I want you now, not in a few months’ time.’
Tears filled her eyes. ‘Does that mean that if we waited until the film was finished you wouldn’t want to marry me at all? Is that what you’re saying?’
‘You’re asking me some damn silly questions this morning! We met—oh, about five months ago now, and I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you. That feeling hasn’t lessened at all, in fact it’s got more intense. I doubt it will fade in a couple of months. But I also doubt my ability to wait that long,’ he told her bluntly. ‘So you have your choice, you either marry me next week or I’ll take you without the marriage.’
She knew he meant what he said and she also knew from experience that she couldn’t fight him, either verbally or physically, and win.
‘There’s just one thing, Damien.’ She licked her lips nervously, knowing he wasn’t going to like what she said next.
His eyes narrowed as if he sensed her reluctance. ‘What is it?’
‘I want James to give me away.’
She watched as his face darkened with angry suspicion. ‘Is that to be his punishment for marrying Sheri instead of you?’ he snapped harshly. ‘To publicly have to give you to another man?’
‘I want him to give me away,’ she repeated stubbornly.
‘And I don’t,’ he returned equally forcefully. ‘We may only be marrying for one reason, but I’m not having it made any more of a mockery than it already is. Everyone knows you once lived with James, just think of the gossip if he gives you away at our wedding.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s just not on.’
Kate stood firm. ‘That’s the way it has to be.’
‘I said no, Kate.’
‘Then I won’t marry you,’ she choked.
He wrenched the door open with suppressed violence. ‘Damn you to hell!’ He slammed the door with such force she felt as
