‘So am I,’ she smiled at him warmly, wondering how she could have been so lucky as to have a man as gentle and considerate as Chris fall in love with her. He looked so handsome in the navy blue suit and light blue shirt, his skin lightly tanned, and she knew that many women would envy her escort.
But for the moment her attention was riveted on the man standing at the doorway. And well it might! Jarrett hadn’t changed at all, was still a powerful presence, an aura of arrogance and assurance emanating from him, even the casualness of his clothes, the black fitted trousers and dark green shirt making him stand out as a man alone.
But he was far from alone! Standing at his side, looking very beautiful, was Bethany!
Sian’s eyes widened as she saw the way her sister clung to Jarrett’s arm, the way she gazed up at him with adoring eyes, and she knew Jarrett had made a conquest. An easy one, if Bethany’s bemused expression was anything to go by.
Finally she forced herself to look back at Jarrett, and felt a jolt go through her body as she found green eyes fixed on her in total recognition. For timeless seconds their gazes locked as they stared at each other, Sian seeing the way Jarrett’s eyes darkened in colour, his mouth curving into a smile, an intimately enticing smile that three years ago would have had her running impetuously into his waiting arms.
But that was three years ago; she had Chris now! With a cool nod of recognition, she deliberately broke her gaze from Jarrett’s and turned away; the mystery of how Bethany came to be with Jarrett when this afternoon she hadn’t so much as spoken to him could be answered by her sister later. But she had a feeling her sister wasn’t going to come out of it favourably.
‘Chris, I—’
‘Sian, how are you?’
Not even his voice had changed, still deep and slightly husky, completely confident, nothing hesitant about this man at all.
She turned slowly, willing herself to meet Jarrett’s gaze unflinchingly. He towered over their table, lean and attractive, deep lines of experience etched into his face, a wariness to his eyes as he looked steadily down at her.
She swallowed hard, her hand unconsciously clutching tighter to Chris’s, although she was unaware of his sharp look. ‘I’m well, thank you, Jarrett.’ Her voice came out cool and composed—much to her surprise. This was all like some horrendous dream, and she was surprised she could talk at all.
‘Good,’ he said with satisfaction. ‘You’ve grown into a beautiful woman, Sian,’ he added huskily before turning to Chris. ‘I’m pleased to meet you, Mr … ?’ he looked enquiringly at the other man.
Chris stood up. ‘Newman, Christopher Newman,’ he supplied, politely shaking the other man’s extended hand, his expression a little wary as he eyed him curiously.
‘My fiancé,’ Sian put in pointedly—and then wondered why she needed to challenge Jarrett in this way. What possible interest could it be to him what Chris meant to her, or what part he played in her life?
‘Indeed?’ Jarrett drawled, the expression in his eyes hidden now, his lids hooded. ‘I had heard that you were engaged, Sian. When is the wedding?’
She paled at the look of fierce anger in his face, unable to answer him. She couldn’t have spoken if her life had depended on it, her tongue seeming cleaved to the roof of her mouth. She looked at Chris appealingly.
‘Next month,’ she heard him answer Jarrett. ‘Just four more weeks and Sian will be my wife,’ he added with satisfaction.
The anger in Jarrett’s eyes threatened to flare out of control. And Sian knew why. She had just four weeks to go before she and Chris married, when three years ago she should have married Jarrett!
THIS man should have been her husband, and if he hadn’t chosen to join his uncle in America when he did he probably would be. But would he? Jarrett looked as if he enjoyed the freedom and power his new wealth gave him, and if he looked a little jaded that was his business. Although she would take a guess at a woman being involved—there always had been!—possibly the Arlette the magazine had referred to so pointedly. Why hadn’t he brought the other woman with him?
Maybe, as with her, he preferred to leave the current woman in his life at home, to forget about her while he found someone else to amuse him. And it looked as if that ‘someone else’ was going to be Bethany!’
Her sister had been sixteen when Sian had been dating Jarrett, and at the time he had treated Bethany like a troublesome child. That hadn’t been surprising. Bethany had always wanted to tag along with him, never left them alone for a minute when they were in the house, and at thirty-three Jarrett had already been highly sensual, his passion surpassing any other man’s she had ever known. Bethany had cramped his style, but now it seemed she was old enough to be at the receiving end of that fiery desire that had so unnerved Sian three years ago. In those days, when she was alone with Jarrett, she hadn’t been able to control her response to him, and she now feared that mindless obsession for Bethany.
Not that her sister looked as if it frightened her; she was clinging unashamedly to his arm, small and kittenish, unaware of the leashed danger in the man standing at her side, at the devastation he could wreak in a woman’s life before he walked away without so much as a backward glance.
As he had with her! Oh, she had loved him so much then, would have done anything for him. But her unreserved love hadn’t been enough for him.
‘Darling?’
She looked almost dazedly at Chris, seeing his puzzled frown. ‘Sorry?’ she said jerkily.
‘Mr King was offering us his congratulations.’
‘Really?’ She turned to look at Jarrett, unable to read his reaction now. His expression was deliberately bland, the fierce anger gone.
It was an anger he had had no right to feel in the first place! She had waited for him to come back to her, had waited a long slow lifetime for him to come back, but he never had. He had no right to feel anything about the fact that she was marrying another man.
‘But of course,’ he drawled now. ‘Why don’t you join Bethany and me and we can have a celebration dinner on your behalf?’
‘That’s very—’
‘No!’ Sian’s sharp denial interrupted Chris, and she flushed as Jarrett’s eyes narrowed to hard green pebbles, not even daring to look at Chris for his reaction to her outburst. Poor Chris must be wondering what on earth was going on! ‘We’ve already started our meal,’ she added more calmly, indicating the half-eaten melon on their plates.
Jarrett shrugged. ‘You could easily transfer to our table. It would be no trouble, I’m sure.’ He made it sound as if he would make sure it wasn’t!
‘Can’t you see that they would rather be alone, Jarrett?’ Bethany cooed up at him. ‘They probably have plans for the wedding to discuss.’
Green eyes narrowed at this suggestion, and once again Sian was given the impression that the idea of her marriage to Chris displeased him.
‘We do have the reception to talk about,’ she confirmed firmly, undaunted by that displeasure. ‘And we wouldn’t want to bore you with the details.’
‘I’m sure I wouldn’t be bored.’ Jarrett’s voice was hard, his eyes challenging as he once more met her gaze. ‘I’ve had some practice at it myself,’ he added softly.
Colour heightened her cheeks before quickly fading again. ‘It can be a tiring business,’ she told him stiltedly. ‘Especially if it turns out to be unnecessary.’
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