‘Did you talk to Simon today?’ he asked once they had returned to the lounge, Velvet seated in an armchair, he on the sofa. His expression had seemed to mock her choice of seat, but the derision was quickly masked.
Her almond-shaped eyes opened wide. ‘How did you know I was going to?’
Jerard shrugged. ‘He’s your brother, it’s only natural to assume you would want to discuss my suggestion with him.’
‘Did you talk it over with your mother?’ she flashed, resentful of the way he could guess her every movement. He was as much of an enigma now as he had been two weeks ago when they first met.
‘You wouldn’t be marrying my mother,’ he said haughtily.
‘Does Vicki know?’
‘I didn’t see any point in raising her hopes when I have no idea what your answer is going to be.’
Velvet licked her lips nervously. ‘I—It’s yes.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘Yes, you’ll marry me?’
‘Yes,’ she nodded.
He was very tense, sitting forward in his seat. ‘Are you sure you’ve thought this over carefully?’
‘Yes.’ Her hands moved nervously together.
Jerard shook his head. ‘I don’t think I explained the situation properly yesterday.’
‘You explained it very well,’ she choked. ‘Vicki needs a mother and Tony needs a father.’
‘And I need a wife!’
Her eyes widened, her breathing suddenly shallow. ‘A wife …?’
‘Yes.’ He stood up forcefully, pacing the room. ‘You expected it to be a marriage of convenience, didn’t you?’ he rasped. ‘You in your bed, me in mine. Only no marriage I have is going to be like that again.’
Velvet swallowed hard, frowning. ‘Again?’
‘Yes—again!’ he ground out fiercely. ‘For God’s sake don’t pull that act on me now, Velvet. You know damn well that after Vicki was born Tina abhorred sex, that I lived a sham of a marriage until Vicki was four years old and I just couldn’t take it any more. And I won’t take it in any marriage we have either. If you marry me you sleep with me. If the thought of that puts you off the idea then you only have to say so and I’ll get out.’
‘I—It—I—’ She stood up, turning away.
‘Do you need more time?’ His hands came down on her shoulders, spinning her round to face him, his eyes narrowed as he took in her pale features. ‘Is it that much of a shock?’ his voice gentled. ‘Platonic marriage went out with the suffragettes. Velvet?’ he prompted, worried at her continued silence.
What he was proposing wasn’t a shock at all. She welcomed the suggestion. She had imagined them living in the same house like strangers, but surely if they were sharing the same bed it wouldn’t be like that. Surely no man could stay aloof when he made love to you?
‘Velvet?’ he shook her gently. ‘If the idea is that distasteful to you—’
‘It isn’t!’ she cut in sharply. ‘I just thought—You didn’t say—’
‘No—well, it was a little difficult trying to talk about such things yesterday. I was very conscious of the children. My daughter has busy little ears,’ he added dryly.
She frowned. ‘Is this the reason you wanted to know if I’d had any lovers?’
‘Yes,’ he rasped.
‘And if I had?’
‘I’d want you anyway!’ he groaned. ‘Oh, God, Velvet, don’t you know I’m going quietly out of my mind!’ His head lowered and his mouth claimed hers.
Her head tilted right back, returning the pressure of his lips, hers opening eagerly when the tip of his tongue slid along the edge of her lips to deepen the kiss. She arched against him, her fingers in the dark hair at his nape as the hardening of his thighs told her he was already aroused.
She felt the zip to her dress slowly slide down her back, raising no protest as Jerard slid the dress down to the floor, leaving her in her slip and bra, a willing victim to his experienced caresses.
With his mouth at her throat he slipped his hand beneath the lacy material of her bra, capturing her breast in his palm, his fingers gently massaging. Velvet trembled against him, her hands beneath his unbuttoned shirt.
‘Are you going to let me love you?’ he moaned.
‘I don’t think I can stop you,’ she replied breathlessly as he caressed the hardness of her nipple.
He moved to look down at her, his caresses stopping. ‘You can stop me, Velvet. You only have to say no.’
She was lost in the sensuous warmth of his eyes, a deep flush to his hard cheeks. She shook her head. ‘I can’t.’
‘Are you going to marry me?’ he asked softly.
‘Yes,’ she nodded.
‘Then I’ll say no for you,’ he said firmly, bending to pick up her dress and help her put it back on. ‘This time I can wait until we’re married.’
She couldn’t, she wanted him now. But Jerard was already turning away to button his shirt, the mood was broken. Velvet shivered as she fought down the impulse to plead with him to make love to her. They would be married soon, and then she would be able to share his bed every night. Surely they would attain some form of emotional closeness from their physical relationship? At the moment that was her only hope.
The wedding was set for a month’s time, giving her family time to get over from Australia, and also for them to make all the arrangements that suddenly seemed necessary. It was decided that they wouldn’t go away for a honeymoon but would stay in Jerard’s house for a week on their own, and then take both children away with them before the end of the summer; Vicki and Tony would stay with Jerard’s mother for the week after the wedding.
Vicki had been overjoyed when told the news, but Tony was too young to understand what was happening, although he continued to call Jerard ‘Daddy’. Sarah Daniels’ reaction was one of enthusiastic approval.
‘He’s loved you for such a long time,’ she told Velvet as they went shopping together for Velvet’s wedding dress, the two children
