The CEO Takes a Wife / The Throw-Away Bride: The CEO Takes a Wife / The Throw-Away Bride. Ann Major

before he could savor the moment, their meal arrived. The food was superb and afterward they strolled along the promenade. He couldn’t wait to get her home and make love to her.

      And when they finally made it to their bedroom and he pulled her into his arms, he felt her tremble from head to toe in a way that none of his other lovers ever had. It made him feel special, as though he was the only man on earth who could fulfill her needs.

      And that affected him more than anything.

      Chapter Six

      The next morning, Olivia couldn’t settle. She and Alex rose late then had breakfast together in the sunroom, but he was preoccupied and soon afterwards went to the study to work. She knew he had a lot to prepare with the launch of the perfume in a few weeks’ time, but she still had to fight that feeling of neglect again. So she made calls to Lianne and her mother, only to find they were still getting along just fine without her.

      Everyone seemed to be busy except her.

      She needed to throw herself into work.

      Without warning a vision came to her for her next design and she remembered the colors of the lightblue sky blending with the dark-blue ocean spilling white froth along the golden sand. The effect was eye-catching and perfect for her next designs.

      She would call it the Valente Collection, she decided. After all, she was a Valente now, if only temporarily. And Alex had said they could eventually combine her designs with Valente’s Woman perfume.

      She hurried to find her sketchbook and pencils, intending to sit on the balcony and draw with the full view of the ocean before her. Only, this far away the vibe wasn’t quite the same. She needed to get up closer and steep herself in the colors and textures of the scene. It was important that she connect with her surroundings.

      Alex need never know, she decided as she left the house. Heck, she wasn’t going to be told what to do anyway. If she wanted to go down to the beach, she would. This was her work, and she wasn’t going to miss out on an opportunity just to appease a husband who was busy with his own work anyway.

      Of course, walking along the dirt path to the beach hadn’t seemed scary when she was with Alex, but now she could hear all sorts of noises in the grass that reminded her of snakes.

      She picked up a long stick just in case, and made sure her footsteps trod heavily, hoping any slithery surprises would hear her coming and disappear into the longer grass.

      It was a relief when she reached the beach, but she didn’t want to think about the walk back to the house so she put it out of her mind. In next to no time, she’d made herself comfortable on the sand, with a small grassy dune at her back as she reached for her pencils, blocked out the world and began to let the magic take over.

      She had no idea how long she stayed there, but it wasn’t until a shadow fell across her that she realized it must have been a while, perhaps even a couple of hours. She looked up and angled her chin, expecting it to be Alex. Only the man standing there didn’t resemble her husband at all.

      In his fifties, he leaned forward and looked at the design on the paper. “Is that going to be in your next collection?”

      A reporter.

      Ignoring him, she quickly closed her sketchbook and got to her feet. In her haste, she dropped the book and gasped when he scooped it up before she could.

      She held out her hand. “That belongs to me. If you don’t return it I’ll call the police.”

      “Little lady, I intend to return it,” he said with a smirk. “After you answer a few questions for me.”

       An interview.

      “Look, you obviously know who I am. You must also know that I’m on my honeymoon.” She wanted to snatch the book out of his hand, but she made herself stay calm.

      “Speaking of honeymoons, I’m surprised your husband lets you out of his sight.”

      She knew that whatever she said could be misconstrued. If she said Alex was working, this man would make something of it and report that their marriage was already on the rocks. If she said Alex was napping, the papers would report him ill, or worse, on his deathbed.

      “He’ll be along shortly,” she said, hoping to give herself time to reason with this man.

      He snorted.

      And then, miracle of miracles, she saw Alex striding toward them, a thunderous expression on his face that she knew was for her. “See, I told you,” she told the older man and was pleased to see him blanch. Good. He was nothing but a bully.

      “What’s going on here?” Alex demanded, stepping close, putting himself between her and the other man in a protective fashion.

      She could afford to relax a little now. “Alex, no need to worry. I dropped my sketchbook and this, er…man was just giving it back.” She held out her hand. “I’ll take that now, thank you.”

      The reporter looked at Alex then at her, then finally gave it back. “Here we are, little lady.”

      Olivia took it, pretending she didn’t want to snatch it to her breast. And if he called her “little lady” again she’d probably hit him with it.

      Alex turned to Olivia. “Right. Lunch is ready,” he said, then taking her by the elbow he shot the other man a hard look and led her away, a bit like a hardened criminal on the run. Any moment now, she expected him to bring out the handcuffs.