‘I’ll try.’
Kate hurried to open the door, stepping back as Damien walked in uninvited. ‘Are you ready to go out?’ he asked abruptly.
Well, she had been, but she wasn’t now, not with James in the other room. ‘I have a visitor,’ she told him.
‘Really? And who might that be—as if I need ask?’
She almost had to run to keep up with him as he strode into the lounge. His anger at seeing James could be clearly seen, his green eyes narrowing with dislike. His stance was one of challenge and Kate saw all chance of this being a peaceful meeting vanish out of the window. James wasn’t the sort of man to sit back meekly while another man treated him so contemptuously.
‘You didn’t waste much time, St Just,’ Damien rasped curtly. ‘How could you be so sure it was Kate I intended marrying?’ He looked at her now and she felt herself step back from the distaste in his face. ‘Unless of course my loving fiancée called you and told you.’
She shook her head. ‘I didn’t do that, Damien. James—’
Her brother stood up, feeling at a distinct disadvantage to the other man sitting in the low armchair. ‘Kate has just this moment informed me that she is to be your bride,’ he answered just as chillingly as Damien. ‘And I can’t say I approve,’ he added infuriatingly.
‘Oh, James!’ Kate’s eyes pleaded with him. ‘You promised.’
‘Just what did you promise my future wife?’ Damien demanded, dangerously soft.
James wasn’t intimidated by this man’s arrogance. ‘I didn’t promise her anything, I said I would try. But I’m finding it increasingly difficult to even be civil to you, let alone avoid an argument with you. You’re just downright arrogant, and if Kate has any sense at all she’ll tell you she’s changed her mind about marrying you. I may have to put up with you, I work with you, but Kate has the choice.’
Damien looked down at her, his mouth a thin angry line. ‘Kate?’
She knew that James was trying to persuade her to change her mind, but she couldn’t do that, not when she loved Damien so much. She put her hand through the crook of Damien’s arm, looking at her brother as if for understanding. ‘I mean to marry him, James,’ she told him huskily.
He sighed, seeing the opportunity for stopping this marriage quietly slipping through his fingers. ‘Then I suppose I’ll just have to get used to the idea,’ he said, admitting defeat.
‘Damien?’ she prompted.
He gave her an impatient look and seeing her unflinching stare back he too sighed. ‘Kate wants you to give her away at the wedding,’ he said without enthusiasm. ‘Personally, I’d rather you didn’t come at all, but she’s made it the condition to us getting married.’
‘Personally, I’d rather not come either. I’m not sure I can stand to watch Kate throw herself away on a swine like you,’ James told him bluntly. ‘But I have a very good reason for agreeing to it—and when you find out that reason you’re going to feel a damned fool.’
‘James!’ she cried warningly.
‘I can manage this without your help,’ Damien misunderstood her interruption.
‘I’m going now,’ James said dejectedly. ‘And I stand by what I said, you’re throwing yourself away on him, Kate.’
‘We can manage without your opinion,’ Damien snapped. ‘The wedding is next week. I’ll let you know at what time and day.’
This stopped James’ exit. ‘Next week?’ he repeated disbelievingly. ‘You’re getting married next week?’
Damien raised a haughty eyebrow. ‘Do you have any objections about that too?’
James looked at Kate, slowly shaking his head as he saw the love shining out of her glowing brown eyes. He would make Damien Savage suffer if he ever hurt Kate, make his life hell if he did anything to destroy her love for him. ‘I suppose not,’ he said finally. ‘Take care, Kate. Damien,’ he nodded curtly to the other man.
She looked shyly at Damien once her brother had left. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d come back,’ she admitted softly.
He moved away from her, effectively removing her hand from his arm. ‘If I ever find you alone with him again I’ll beat hell out of him,’ he told her threateningly. ‘And then I’ll start on you.’
‘Damien!’ She looked shocked. ‘I never thought you the sort of man to beat a woman.’
‘I’m not.’ He gave a cruel smile. ‘There are more ways of punishing a woman than beating her.’ His eyes slid insolently over her slender body as if to emphasise his point.
Kate blushed as his meaning became clear to her. ‘I see.’ She bit her lip.
‘I hope you do,’ he drawled. ‘Fidelity will be part of our bargain. Don’t get the idea that I’ll ever share you with anyone. While you’re my wife you’ll remain faithful to me, and only me.’
‘Yes, Damien.’ If he only knew how easy that would be! She had never found any man as attractive as she found him, had never responded to any man as she did to him. She had no doubt that she could be faithful to him for ever, much longer than his interest in her would last.
‘I mean it, Kate,’ he said harshly. ‘I don’t ever want to come home and find you with James—or any other man for that matter.’
‘You have the advantage of knowing that James will be at work with you when you’re not at home.’
‘And Matt Strange,’ he bit out. ‘And what about this Alan you’ve been seeing lately, have I got to be jealous of him too?’
‘Alan and I are finished.’
‘You’re finished with everyone but me,’ he warned her. ‘I’m giving you a wedding ring to ensure sole rights to your time and body.’
Kate flinched. ‘Do you have to put it like that?’
His look was bitter. ‘Right now I can’t think of it any other way. You’ve used my desire for you to blackmail me
