Entering the bathroom, she turned on the tap and scooped up some cold water in her hands to wash her face.
Logan"s entry into her life had seriously made her rea.s.sess her goals, but her grandfather"s death underlined just how temporary life was. Could she have it all? Could she achieve a balance so she could safeguard her grandfather"s life"s work and the security of all his employees, but still enjoy being a mother to Charlotte and maybe, if miracles could happen, have a child of her own one day?
Her tear-stained reflection stared back at her from the mirror. She saw a frown form as she thought of the cryptic words Rigby had uttered last night. Something about a contingency plan? She dismissed the thought. Whatever plans Rigby was referring to didn"t count now, as his life had been cut short before he could discuss them properly with her.
Even through her devastation at her grandfather"s loss, she felt an inner strength. Her self-belief was so much stronger since Logan had come into her life. He made her feel special and valued in a way she"d never felt before. Successful in his own right, Logan was attracted to her for herself, not for who she was or what she could bring him, and although he"d said he didn"t do love, she truly believed he was feeling the pa.s.sion, trust and friendship that were elemental to love. Because of his bad experiences in the past, he just didn"t want to give them the name of love.
I"ll look after your company and make my marriage to Logan work, Grandfather," she vowed quietly. And, one day, Logan may just tell me he loves me."
Chapter 20.
Their lovemaking that night was slower and even more tender than previously. When their bodies joined, so did their souls. Sophie had heard it said that making love was a reaffirmation of life in the face of death, but joining with Logan that night had been a meeting of two halves to form a whole.
Still awake?" he asked her as he trailed a hand from her waist down over the bare flesh of her thigh.
Yes." She shifted a little away from where she lay with her back spooned up against him. I think I might get up and make a cup of tea."
I can do that for you."
No. Stay here. I might just sit outside for a little while as well. Get some head s.p.a.ce."
Okay." His lips were warm against the base of her neck. I"m here if you need me."
I know, and I really appreciate that more than I can say."
Dragging her nightwear on, she looked over at him and her heart hitched. No matter how many times she saw him, she was struck by just how gorgeous he was. If she could summon up a perfect picture of him in her mind"s eye, this would be it. Naked torso emerging from the sheets, a light smattering of dark, crisp hair over that broad, muscled chest, designer stubble on his upper lip and jawline, and the dark hair on his head tousled from where she"d raked her needy fingers through it. The two scars he bore from his kidnapping in Africa didn"t detract from his appeal.
He was temptation personified, and he was all hers. It really was incredible.
Knowing her grandfather was gone, her heart was heavy as she made her way quietly down to the kitchen. She stilled as she reached the ground floor. The door to her grandfather"s study was ajar and light sliced out into the hallway.
Daphne?" she called.
No answer.
The sound of drawers opening and papers being shuffled reached her through the silence. Unease snaked its way around her lungs, restricting her breathing as she advanced slowly toward the study.
The room was a mess. Papers were strewn all over the desk and floor.
Felix!" The blood pounded through her temples in outrage at the sight of her cousin rifling through their grandfather"s filing cabinets.
He barely spared her a glance, but in the brief contact with his eyes she saw heated loathing.
Taking action, she strode around the desk to him and grabbed his arms. Stop, Felix!" He shoved her away, nearly sending her sprawling. Stop it or I"ll call the police. I don"t know what you"re looking for but you shouldn"t be going through Grandfather"s papers like this."
Stop?" he snarled. Stop trying to find a way out of losing my inheritance? Not b.l.o.o.d.y likely."
What are you talking about?"
I"m talking about my right to become Managing Director of Carlisle!" His voice was loud in his anger.
Sophie straightened. There"s no way you"ll ever get that position."
I won"t if I can"t find something here to prove that Rigby"s last will was made under duress."
Grandfather never did anything under duress, and everybody knows it. He gave you a fair chance to prove yourself, Felix, and all you managed to do was reveal what a liar and cheat you are," she said heatedly.
Felix stopped his search then and looked up at her.
I have all the proof." She stood firm in the face of the scorching blast of hatred from his eyes. I know you"ve been robbing the company blind, and just as soon as I report you, you"ll be going to jail for fraud."
G.o.d, Sophie, you are such a sanctimonious cow! How do you figure I"m stealing from a company that should be mine in the first place?"
Yours? No way is Carlisle Mining ever going to be yours. You"d destroy it with no care for any of the staff."
Bring out the violin."
He was shameful, and she was pleased Rigby wasn"t here to see his behaviour. You don"t care at all about protecting Grandfather"s legacy and the Carlisle name, do you?"
The Carlisle name? How long is it going to stay Carlisle Mining, Sophie, once your new husband takes over?"
She frowned and shook her head. You"re an idiot. I"ll be the one in charge. Logan won"t have anything to do with it."
Felix looked at her for a few seconds through narrowed eyes, then threw his head back and laughed. You"ve got no idea, have you?"
A frisson of unease p.r.i.c.ked down her spine.
I always knew you were a soft-hearted fool, Sophie, but I didn"t think you were so d.a.m.ned stupid." He laughed humourlessly once again. Oh, this is priceless. Not only am I going to miss out, you"re going to miss out too."
What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?"
Jackson"s done a right royal number on you, Cousin."
Her throat felt tight. As usual, you"re not making any sense."
Jackson started buying up shares in Carlisle last week."
What? Logan was the one who might be making a takeover bid for Carlisle? Everything in her refuted the allegation. You"re wrong."
Hardly." Felix"s hand went inside his jacket and he withdrew some paperwork. Read this!"
Almost afraid to reach out and take the doc.u.ments he offered, Sophie steeled herself.
As soon as she looked at them and saw the irrefutable proof of his words, numbness pervaded her entire body. The total loss of sensation started as her heart froze. Like quick spreading frost on a windowpane, it travelled outward, chilling every extremity and seizing up her emotions. Wanting to become devoid of feelings, numb from the pain of betrayal that ripped through her, she welcomed the cold. She"d been at this point before, needing to be encapsulated in ice for her own self-preservation. Now, with no escape from the bitter truth of Logan"s betrayal, she embraced her Ice Princess persona once again.
The doc.u.mentation Felix had given her was a summary of the purchase of shares by Logan"s company.
You see, I"m not mistaken, but Jackson made a huge mistake buying this stock when he didn"t need to. Grandfather stipulated that Jackson had first option on buying his shares in the company."
What? Rubbish. Grandfather would never do that," she denied.
Ah, but he did. He changed his will just late last Friday night. Our dear, departed grandfather also wrote a letter to the board recommending Logan Jackson be appointed as Managing Director."
The room seemed to tilt and move sideways, and Sophie grabbed for the back of a chair to steady herself.
My inside source tells me that Rigby"s solicitor will forward a copy of that letter to each board member tomorrow morning," Felix continued. Now, perhaps you understand why I"m trying to salvage Carlisle Mining from Jackson"s clutches."
Disbelief and denial swirled through her as she tried to fathom how Felix could be so mistaken. It had to be a lie. She"d worked so hard to prove herself worthy. Grandfather knew she was capable of running the company. Grandfather said..." What was it exactly that he"d said?
You made Jackson"s rise to power possible because all he had to do was marry you."
No." The word shot out and echoed through her brain. You"re lying and trying to cause trouble."
With a savage movement, Felix picked up an opal paperweight and pelted it against the gla.s.s panel of Rigby"s bookcase. The gla.s.s shattered, and Sophie cringed away from it as shards flew out, her hands automatically flying up to cover her face.
Ask Daphne if you don"t believe me. When I arrived, she let it slip that Rigby"s solicitor had paid him a personal visit here on Friday night. I did some checking and found he"d changed his b.l.o.o.d.y will. He arranged with Jackson that all he had to do was marry you and the deal was a fait accompli," he shouted as he banged his fist down hard on the desk. This is your fault, Sophie. You brought the stranger in. You b.l.o.o.d.y well went and married him, and that was the only condition Grandfather specified!"
The violence in his actions, the rage that was twisting his features, made Sophie jump but still she wouldn"t believe him. You"re trying to deflect attention away from yourself, Felix. Your fraud will have you in jail, and I will run the company because that"s what Grandfather wanted."
G.o.d, Sophie! Don"t be such a pathetic b.i.t.c.h! Why the h.e.l.l do you think Jackson married you? You"re nothing special - except that you"re an heiress. Jackson wanted Carlisle Mining. Rigby must"ve found out last week that Jackson was buying up shares, and he did a little deal sweetener. Grandfather made no secret that he wanted you married but who in their right mind would marry you? You can"t even give a man children, and you"re so inept at relationships Rigby had to buy you a husband. He had to sell his lifetime"s work to get you one."
Every sneered word stabbed at Sophie"s heart. She felt light-headed and gripped at the chair again as the blood drained away from her extremities and seemed to settle sickly in her stomach.
What"s going on here?" Logan entered the room, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.
Congratulations, Jackson!" Felix snarled. You managed to delude Sophie into thinking your interest in her was real. Now she knows how Rigby promised to make you Managing Director and sell you his shares if you convinced her to marry you."
Misery made the waves of nausea rise up and burn her throat. Sophie looked at Logan and waited for his denial. A shutter closed over his features.
He"s not denying it because it"s the truth!" Felix told her on a note of triumph.
You insidious little weasel. I should knock your teeth down your throat," Logan grated as he moved toward Felix.
For a moment, Felix looked genuinely concerned Logan may do just that. You"ve seen the evidence that proves he"s been buying up Carlisle stock. He won"t be able to deny the rest once Rigby"s will is read."
Torn between wanting to place her trust in Logan and needing to hear him deny it with a rational explanation and put an end to Felix"s gloating, the words scratched out of Sophie"s dry throat. Shut him up, Logan. Tell him it"s not true."
Logan met her eyes. The notch in his larynx worked up and down as he swallowed and she felt totally winded when he finally said, Your grandfather made the offer, Sophie. I never had any intention of taking him up on it."
Bulls.h.i.t!" Felix jeered. You b.l.o.o.d.y well married her last night at Rigby"s instigation, less than twenty-four hours after Rigby changed his will."
Logan"s expression froze. He shook his head and sent her an imploring look. I don"t know anything about Rigby changing his will, sweetheart."
You"re a b.l.o.o.d.y liar!" Felix shouted.
Two steps forward, one arm out, and the next second Logan had Felix by the collar and had slammed him hard up against the wall. The lady asked me to shut you up. I -"
Stop it! Stop it this instant!" Daphne appeared in the doorway, her eyes red-rimmed and her face red and blotchy. Look at this mess! You should be ashamed of yourself, Felix. Your grandfather hasn"t even been buried and you"re turning his study upside down."
Sophie had heard enough. Logan had betrayed her. The air in the room was thick with tension and it suffocated her. She needed to get out so she could breathe. Needing to escape, she fled, brushed past a distraught Daphne and raced up the stairs two at a time to her suite. No way was she stopping or turning back when Logan and Daphne both called out to her.
The yelp of pain from Felix told her that at least one of the men in the study was getting his just desserts. Who was going to punch Logan for her?
The minute she reached her suite, she closed the door and turned the key in the lock, then slumped back against it, trying to block out the sound of angry male voices.
Dear G.o.d, she"d been such a fool.
Everything in her recoiled that her impressions of Logan had been so way-off base. She knew he"d been getting something out of their marriage. Naively, she"d thought that for him it"d just been about winning custody of Charlotte. Oh, he"d been so good, pretending to be upfront about that when all the while he"d been buying up shares and doing deals with her grandfather to become Carlisle"s Managing Director. Had his need for a wife for the custody case been a smokescreen all along?
Time and again she"d told herself their relationship had nothing to do with her wealth or with the fact that she was Rigby Carlisle"s granddaughter because Logan was so wealthy in his own right. A brittle laugh made its way past the tight ball of emotion that had lodged itself in her throat. When was she ever going to learn?
Logan had even managed somehow to convince her grandfather to give him control of the company. That must"ve been Rigby"s back-up plan. Logan must"ve told Rigby she was having second thoughts about taking control of the company and made her grandfather feel guilty. Logan must have taken advantage of a sick, old man and made him feel as if he was burdening Sophie with his life"s work. That was the only thing she could think of that would"ve made Rigby change his will.
Loathing and sick disillusionment poured from her heart.
As nasty as Felix was, he"d been right when he"d said that she"d let the stranger in. She, with her stupidity and her pathetic need to cling to the hope that she"d find a man who"d love her, had allowed a ruthless playboy billionaire to deceive her grandfather and swindle the entire Carlisle family.
From outside the house, she heard the slam of a car door and then the revving of Felix"s Ferrari. He"d pulled the pin on an emotional grenade, thrown it into the fray and now he was driving away from the explosion and leaving her as collateral damage.
Even when she"d walked in on Peter with his lover, she"d never felt so alone and so totally gutted.
Was this finally the lesson she needed to learn to make her grow up and face the fact that she"d never been destined to be anything more to a man than a rich heiress? As much as she hated to admit it, Felix was right when he"d pointed out her inadequacies, because she couldn"t even offer a man children. Her dream of being loved had been a complete fantasy, but now it was as shattered as the pane of gla.s.s in her grandfather"s study.
What made her feel even more stupid was that Logan had told her he"d never love her. Despite that, she"d been so sure that the respect and pa.s.sion he claimed to feel for her would deepen, and that he"d recognise those feelings as love. Talk about self-delusional. She"d brought this down around her own ears.
The handle of the locked door she was leaning against turned, and she jerked forward and spun around to face it.
Sophie!" Logan knocked on the door. Let me in. We need to talk."
Everything in her told her not to. She could go through to her bathroom, close that door as well and submerge herself in the shower to block out his voice, and to wash his touch from her skin. That would be the easy thing to do, but it would only delay the inevitable.
Logan wouldn"t go away.
The horrible truth that lay between them needed to be faced, and she needed to find out the exact terms of Rigby"s will.
Grudgingly she moved to turn the key in the lock and grant entry to the enemy she"d unwittingly married. Just before she did, she stiffened her spine and summoned up every bit of anger she had, refusing to be a pathetic little victim.
There was more to being a woman than being able to bear children. She was lovable.
Logan was the callous b.a.s.t.a.r.d who"d taken advantage of her and used her vulnerability to his advantage. Sophie refused to be ashamed that she"d believed in his lie that he"d wanted to marry her because of Charlotte. He"d taken advantage of her. His behaviour was on his conscience, and could only hurt her if she let it.