The Lawyer’s Contract Marriage

Amanda Browning

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ONE

SAM LOMBARDI knew, without the shadow of a doubt, that she couldn’t possibly be any happier. It was early morning, the time of day she most enjoyed, and she was lying in the arms of the man she loved. Ransom Shaw. Just thinking his name gave her an enormous sense of well-being. Sighing with satisfaction, she smiled, cuddling closer, taking in the scent of him as his chest rose and fell whilst he slept.

She might be just a little biased, but she thought he was perfect. Simply looking at him turned her heart over. He was ruggedly handsome, with a shock of black hair that just curled over his collar, contrary to current fashion, and dancing grey eyes set in a tanned face. Right now that tanned face bore a night’s growth of stubble, which just made him look sexier so far as she was concerned.

She toyed with the idea of waking him and initiating the lovemaking that would surely follow, but decided he could do with the sleep. He was a struggling junior barrister in a prestigious law firm, and had been working hard on his latest case. He was hoping to progress to being a senior barrister, and to one day take silk. It was going to take hard work, but he had the ability to get what he wanted.

Sam had actually met Ransom when she had been called in to act as interpreter in connection with his current case. There had been instant attraction. She had never experienced anything like it. They had been drawn to each other so powerfully, nobody else existed. Within days they had been lovers, and nothing had ever seemed so right. For her it wasn’t an affair, it was for ever. A for ever kind of love. She had no doubts. This was it. He was the one. She had fallen fathoms deep in love with him, and was sure it was true for Ransom too.

The days had turned into weeks. Now weeks were slipping into months, and their feelings had simply gone from strength to strength. They were soul mates, destined to be together…

Beneath her cheek his chest expanded as he breathed in deeply. Sam glanced up to find his enticing grey eyes looking down at her. Ransom smiled slowly.

‘Hey,’ he greeted softly, running his hand over the silky undulations of her back.

Sam moved so that she was resting on his chest and could look down at him. ‘Hi. Did I disturb you?’ she asked equally gently, and his smile took on a rakish curve.

‘You always disturb me, I’m happy to say,’ Ransom responded teasingly, and she could feel his body hardening beneath her thigh.

Sam laughed softly and pressed a chain of kisses from shoulder to shoulder. ‘You shouldn’t be doing this. You need your sleep.’

Ransom’s answer to that was to fold his arms around her and roll over so their positions were reversed. ‘I need you more,’ he told her huskily, no longer smiling, and the heat in his gaze was enough to set her blood boiling. ‘God, I’m totally crazy about you.’

‘How can I resist you when you say something like that?’ Sam murmured on a sigh, and then his head lowered, blocking out the light, and all sensible thought was forgotten in the heat of passion.

Much later, having taken a leisurely shower before dressing, they sat facing each other across the breakfast bar in Ransom’s flat. Sam buttered a hot piece of toast and hastily plopped it onto his plate before it could burn her. She did another for herself and spread it with marmalade.

‘Are you in court today?’ she queried, wondering if they could manage to snatch a quick lunch together. It wasn’t always easy fitting in with his gruelling schedule.

Ransom nodded as he sipped at a steaming cup of coffee. ‘Closing arguments. It’s probably going to be a long day. How about you?’

Sam worked for a company that supplied translators for every possible occasion or event. She was fluent in half a dozen languages, and could get by in a handful of others. Which kept her busy and was never boring.

‘I’ll call the office from home to find out what’s lined up for me.’ She had to go to her own bedsit to change her clothes and check her mail.

Having finished his breakfast, Ransom carried his dirty crocks to the sink, then shrugged into the jacket of his pinstripe suit. ‘Dinner tonight?’

Regretfully, Sam shook her head. ‘Can’t, I’m afraid. I’m having dinner with my family.’ It had been her custom ever since she had moved into her own place, and she had never felt torn about where she wanted to be until now.

‘When am I going to meet this family of yours?’ Ransom wanted to know. He had asked more than once recently and Sam wasn’t quite sure why she was putting it off.

‘Soon,’ she promised. She supposed she just wanted to keep him to herself for a while longer. If she took him home, the speculation would start. She loved her family dearly, but sometimes she felt she could be smothered under their natural interest in all her doings.

Ransom quirked an eyebrow at her. ‘Are you ashamed of me or something?’

That brought her to her feet in a hurry. ‘No, of course not!’ The fact was she had never taken a man home, and her family would know the significance when she did. ‘I just don’t want to share you yet.’ Ransom would get the third degree, and she needed to prepare him for it first.

He smiled lazily. ‘That’s OK, just so long as you remember I’m going to have to meet them one day.’

Smiling with relief, Sam went and slipped her arms around his neck. ‘One day. We’re OK just the two of us till then, aren’t we?’

His hands settled on her waist and drew her closer. ‘Two is good. Forget I mentioned it. I’m just an old-fashioned kind of guy about some things. It’ll keep,’ he reassured her, just before pressing a scintillating kiss on her lips.

It was over much too soon for Sam, who sighed when he released her to go in search of his briefcase. Still, what he had said gave her a warm feeling. There really was only one reason for an old-fashioned kind of man to want to meet a woman’s parents: to show his intentions were honourable. She smiled to herself. There was nothing she wanted more than to marry Ransom Shaw and spend the rest of their lives together. Maybe she would take him home soon after all.

‘What are you dreaming about?’ Ransom asked laughingly, jerking her out of her reverie, and Sam felt colour wash into her cheeks.

She could hardly tell him that she was thinking wistfully of the idea that he might be going to propose. ‘Oh, just that you’re one heck of a kisser!’ she retorted lightly, gathering up the tiny handbag she had brought with her last night. ‘Did you get a lot of practice?’

Grey eyes glittered. ‘It only feels this good because you’re kissing the right person.’

‘And you know this because…?’ she prompted and he laughed huskily.

‘OK, OK. I know it because I’ve kissed a lot of wrong ones. Happy now?’

She laughed as her inner happiness overflowed. ‘Ecstatically happy. I go around with a permanent grin on my face these days. People will begin to think I’m crazy.’

‘Just tell them you’re crazy about me. That will explain everything.’

As they left the flat Sam silently agreed that it certainly would.

The rest of the day was boringly normal. After Ransom dropped her off, Sam changed into her work clothes, rang the office to check the jobs she had to do, then drove herself to her first appointment. From that moment she barely stopped to breathe, so it was a surprise to glance at her watch and see how late it was. So she abandoned the idea of going home to change, and instead drove directly to her parents’ house.

She knew something was wrong the instant she walked inside the front door. Usually her family would be gathered round the large dining table, noisily passing on their bits and pieces of news. This time, however, her brothers and sisters were in the sitting room, talking in hushed voices. They all glanced up when she entered, and Sam could see there were notable absences. The other halves and their children were missing. Something unheard of for family night.

‘Where is everybody?’ she asked, and all at once her sisters began sobbing whilst her brothers looked grim. ‘What’s going on?’ she added, dropping her things in the nearest chair.

Her eldest brother Tom had clearly been appointed spokesman. ‘We’ve been waiting for you to get here. Mum and Dad are in the kitchen. They’ll tell you everything.’

Sam frowned. ‘Why can’t you tell me? And where’s Tony?’ she added, having realised her second-eldest brother was missing too.

‘Go see the parents, Sam. You should hear it from them,’ Tom insisted, and, feeling as if a lump of lead had settled in her stomach, Sam headed for the kitchen.

Her parents were seated at the kitchen table. Her mother had clearly been crying, and was tearing a tissue to shreds in silent anguish. Her father, by contrast, was silent, but his complexion was so pale he looked ill. They, too, looked up when she walked in, but when neither rose to greet her she knew the situation was serious.

‘What is it? What’s wrong?’ she asked with a sick feeling of dread growing inside her.

Her mother stifled a sob behind the mutilated tissue and rose to her feet, walking to the sink and gripping the edge till her knuckles grew white. Sam looked from one to the other, seeking answers. Finally her father swallowed hard and turned to her.

‘Sit down, Sam. We’ve got a problem. A very serious one,’ he admitted in a broken voice, and Sam sat down opposite him, pressing a hand over his as they lay on the tabletop.

‘What kind of problem? Has Tony done something?’ Her brother was the wild one of the family. Trouble was his middle name. Over the years he had given his parents more grief than the rest of them put together.

The question produced a wail of anguish from her mother, who instantly stifled it behind both hands.

Her father took a deep breath before revealing the truth. ‘Your brother Tony has been caught stealing.’

Sam’s heart plummeted. ‘What was he stealing?’ she asked uneasily, though she had a good idea. Tony was a gambler—an unlucky one.

As if he read her mind, her father nodded. ‘Money. A very great deal of money.’

‘Can we pay it back?’ Sam queried immediately. They had done it before. Surely they could do it again.

‘Would that we could, but it’s too much this time. Even if I sold the house and the business, it wouldn’t come close to enough. How can we find this kind of money? Tony will go to prison and the scandal will kill your mother and ruin the business,’ her father declared in despair.

‘Is there nothing we can do?’ she asked, appalled to see her father look so anguished. ‘Who does he owe it to?’

Her mother spun round from the sink. ‘Don’t tell her. You can’t tell her!’

Sam’s gaze flickered from one to the other. ‘Why not?’

‘Because I know what you’ll do, and I won’t let you! Why should you have to pay for what Tony has done?’ her mother declared angrily, and Sam’s blood ran cold.

‘Who did he take the money from, Dad?’ she insisted tensely. ‘You might as well tell me. You will in the end.’

Her parents exchanged a look fraught with helplessness. Finally, though, her mother nodded and her father revealed the final twist in the tale.

‘The Grimaldis.’

Sam caught her breath, for to say the name was to say all. The Grimaldis were seriously rich, with fingers in many pies. They had helped her father set up his business many years ago, and at his request had employed Tony in their wine import/export business—and he had paid them back by stealing money to cover his gambling debts. This time he had screwed up big-time. A bubble of anger surged inside her at the thought that he could do this to his family.

She shot to her feet. ‘Where’s Tony hiding? I’m going to kill him for this!’ she cried furiously.

Her father caught her hand. ‘Sit down, Sam. Tony is at the Grimaldi house. Nothing has been decided yet.’

Sam subsided, frowning her confusion. ‘What is he doing there? Have the police been called in?’

It took a while for her father to summon the right words, and when he spoke his voice was scratchy. ‘Not yet, and perhaps never. You see, Sam, the…problem can be made to vanish without trace, but there is a condition,’ he said, keeping his eyes on his clenched fists. ‘Leno Grimaldi will replace the money from his personal account…providing you agree to marry him.’ With those words her father finally looked at her.

Sam sat back in shock as the words sank in. There was a way out of the terrible mess, but only if she married Leno Grimaldi. She summoned up a mental picture of the man. Leno Grimaldi was some years older than her father. A widower who had had his eye on her ever since she’d turned eighteen. Whilst she knew he had feelings for her, she had never been able to reciprocate. Oh, he was a nice enough man, but way too old for her. She had been careful to keep him at arm’s length, and had refused all his attempts to ask her out. Now, thanks to her brother’s stupidity, he had the means to get what he wanted. He knew how close their family was, and he was banking on her not being able to let her brother go to gaol, no matter how much Tony deserved it.

Which left Sam in the middle of her worst nightmare. She could save her family from scandal, but only by turning her back on the man that really mattered to her. He was her world, her life. How could she bear to give him up? How could she give up all her hopes and dreams for her brother’s indiscretion? Yet how could she do anything else? How could she selfishly put her own needs before those of her family, knowing they were teetering on the brink of ruin and she was the only one who could save them?

Despair sat heavily on her shoulders. There was only one man she wanted to marry, and that was Ransom Shaw. She wanted to cry out that it wasn’t fair! She shouldn’t have to choose like this! But it was what she was going to have to do.

‘Of course we don’t expect you to agree to it, my darling,’ her mother insisted tearfully. ‘We wouldn’t ask it of you.’

Her father rose and drew his wife into his arms, comforting her as best he could. ‘Your mother’s right, Sam. We’ll find another way. We only told you because Leno insisted that we do so. He wants you to give him your answer, then matters will proceed from there.’

Sam had to admire Leno Grimaldi’s tenacity. He had seen what he wanted and had waited for the opportunity to get it. He must be one hell of a poker player, for he knew to a nicety how to play her. It was to be her choice and her answer, because he knew she couldn’t abandon her family to their fate. He probably thought it would be a simple decision, but he didn’t know about Ransom. Nobody did. Only her.

‘What other way is there? The debt has to be paid off. If you give up your house and business, you’ll never be able to raise the money through a loan, or pay off the remainder. Whichever way you look at it, I’m your only hope,’ Sam countered with unnatural calmness. ‘What happens to Tony if I agree to this?’

‘He’ll go to live with my cousin in Australia. The sheep station is far enough away from temptation to keep your brother on the straight and narrow,’ her father said tiredly. ‘Hopefully it will make a man of him.’

‘It will do him more good than going to prison,’ she agreed, and her mother uttered a tiny cry that Sam responded to with a wry smile. ‘It’s OK, I haven’t decided yet. I must have some time to think about it. How long will Leno wait for my answer?’

‘Until this time tomorrow. But there’s nothing to think about. You can’t do it. I forbid you,’ her father commanded gruffly, and Sam silently shook her head.

‘Thanks for saying that, but it’s my decision.’

‘Think of yourself, Sam. Don’t worry about us,’ her father urged, and she hugged them both.

‘I love you. Don’t worry,’ she advised them, though she knew they would. ‘How much do the others know?’

‘Only that Tony’s in trouble again.’

‘Good. Don’t say anything yet,’ Sam advised with an encouraging smile, not wanting them to know how agonised she was feeling. ‘I’d better go. I’ve got a lot to think about. I’ll call you.’

‘Don’t do anything rash, darling!’ her mother called after her, and Sam shook her head.

‘I won’t,’ she said to ease her mother’s mind, then headed back to the sitting room. Once again everyone looked up as she came in and gathered up her belongings. ‘I have to go. Don’t worry about Tony. It’s being sorted out.’

‘How?’ Tom asked tersely as he stood up to confront her. ‘What’s going on, Sam?’

‘He’s been gambling again. But as I said, it’s being sorted out. I’m off to settle the details now,’ she told him, looking round the anxious group of faces and trying to be strong. ‘Look after Mum and Dad. They need your support right now.’

They tried to get her to say more, but Sam shook her head and beat a hasty retreat to the front door, where only Tom followed her.

‘Are you OK, Sam?’ he asked in concern, and it was nearly her undoing. She had to swallow furiously in order to answer.

‘I’m fine. Really. I’m furious with Tony, and upset for Mum and Dad, but we’ll muddle through as we always do. Now I really must go,’ she insisted, and hurried down the path, feeling his eyes on her back all the way.

Feeling as brittle as eggshell, Sam climbed into her car. Knowing that Tom was still watching, she drove off, but, having turned a couple of corners, she pulled the car over and turned off the engine. She sat back, and her head dropped in defeat. What could she do? How could she live with herself if she turned her back on her parents and let them suffer for their wayward son? She wished she could do it, for she didn’t want to have to give Ransom up, but it wasn’t in her. Her parents had sacrificed so much to give their children a better life, and it was about time someone did something for them. The burden had fallen on her shoulders, and she had to be the one to make the sacrifice.

Her eyes burned with the sting of unshed tears as she thought of what she had to do. It was going to break her heart, but when she told Ransom why she was going to marry Leno Grimaldi she was sure he would understand that she had no choice. Her family had to come first. She drew in a shaky breath. Would it be too much to hope they could part as friends? Honesty forced her to admit it probably was. Life simply didn’t work that way.

Yet she couldn’t dwell on that and do what she had to do. So she took several deep breaths and pulled herself together. She had things to do, and they would set in motion a course of events that would be irreversible.

Sam knew where Leno Grimaldi lived, and she drove right over there despite the advancing hour. Leno answered the door to her knock himself, and much to her relief he didn’t look the least bit smug or self-satisfied. He was politeness itself as he invited her in.

‘Sam, my dear, it’s so lovely to see you. Come in. Come in. You’ll find your brother in the lounge,’ he declared warmly, making it seem as if there were nothing out of the ordinary about this visit. ‘This way,’ he went on, pointing to a half-open door.

When she walked into the extremely elegant room, her brother Tony shot to his feet, looking pale and worried. ‘Hi, Sam,’ he greeted her, trying to sound cheerful, but it foundered when he met the icy look in her eye.

‘Can I get you something to drink?’ Leno Grimaldi asked, but Sam shook her head. She hadn’t eaten, and alcohol on an empty stomach was inadvisable.

‘Thank you, no. I’d better keep a clear head.’

Leno Grimaldi smiled faintly. ‘Always wise when talking business,’ he agreed easily, indicating she should take a chair opposite her brother.

‘Business?’ Tony queried, looking from one to the other as they sat down.

‘Your sister is here to discuss your future,’ Leno explained to him. ‘And our own.’

Seeing her brother about to ask more questions, Sam cut him off. ‘For once in your life just sit there and be quiet. You’ve done quite enough,’ she snapped at him, then turned to the older man. ‘Forgive my bluntness, but I don’t think there’s anything to be gained by beating about the bush. Is this offer for real? If I marry you, you’ll replace the money Tony took?’ she asked baldly, and though he winced a little Leno inclined his head.

‘It will be my wedding gift to your family,’ he confirmed. ‘You agree?’

Sam looked at him, seeing a handsome middle-aged man who, for all his good points, was not above using her family’s crisis to his own ends. She felt nothing for him, but for her family she would marry the devil himself. ‘I agree,’ she said flatly, and heard a door slam in her mind, telling her there was no turning back now.

‘No, Sam! You can’t!’ Tony protested, suddenly seeming to realise what was going on. She looked at him, and registered the horror on his face.

‘I can and I am. But don’t think I’m doing it for you. This is for Mum and Dad. They deserve better than what you were going to put them through,’ she told him coldly.

Leno said nothing, merely rose to his feet. ‘The money will be replaced in the morning and we will not mention it again. However, there are some papers that I need you all to sign,’ he told her as he went to a bureau that stood against the wall and took a sheaf of papers from it.

This was something Sam hadn’t expected. ‘Papers?’

He smiled at her benignly. ‘Nothing serious. I’m sure you can appreciate that it would not be good for business if this incident, and the arrangements made to rectify it, should ever become public knowledge. Therefore this is a simple agreement that you will not tell anyone what has gone on here, with the exception of your parents and your brother. All of you will sign it and be bound by it. No one is to ever speak of it again. Should it get out, the debt will have to be paid in full. It is therefore in your own best interest, and that of your family, to say nothing. Is that understood?’

Sam realised that she should have known Leno would insist on something like this. He was first and foremost a businessman. He would not want this ever getting out, and that meant that she could not now tell Ransom the truth. The implications of that were something she could not think about right that minute. She had given her word and was caught. All she could do was agree and sign on the dotted line. Which she did, and then watched over her brother whilst he did the same.

‘Once your parents have signed, that will be that, my dearest Sam,’ Leno declared, taking her hand and kissing it gently. ‘And I…I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make you as happy as you have made me.’

Sam closed her eyes momentarily, as for a fleeting moment she was made achingly aware of what she would be giving up. However, her family was everything. They needed the help only she could afford them. So she cleared her throat. ‘I shall do my best to be a good wife to you, Leno. However, there is one other thing I would ask of you.’

If he was surprised he did not show it. ‘Name it.’

‘I would like us to be married as quickly as possible.’ Now that she had given her word she did not want to have too much time to think.

Leno smiled and took both of her hands in his this time. ‘Ah, we think alike, you and I. I will make the arrangements. Then, after we are married, we will take a long honeymoon in Italy. I have always wanted to go back home one day. I will show you where I grew up. You will love it there.’

Right then Sam didn’t know if she would ever care for anything again, but she agreed with his plan. Frankly, it didn’t matter where they went or what they did, for she would only be going through the motions. Her life had just changed for ever.

All Sam wanted to do was leave, but she didn’t know how to. Having just agreed to marry this man, how could she simply walk out? Whether he realised her discomfort or not, it was Leno who came to her rescue.

‘I’m sure you will want to take your brother home and tell your parents what has happened here tonight. We will have dinner together Saturday to discuss our plans, my dear Sam,’ he said conversationally as he walked them to the door. ‘Ah, and please tell your father I will call on him tomorrow. Good night, my dear,’ he added as he bent and kissed her on either cheek.

Sam had braced herself for the brush of his lips on hers, but this he did not do, and she was grateful for his forbearance. ‘Good night,’ she responded gruffly, and, taking Tony by the arm, hustled him to where she had parked the car.

She drove her brother back to their parents’ house, and it was only then that he spoke.

‘I’m sorry, Sam,’ he apologised. ‘I got in over my head and I didn’t know what to do.’

Sam looked at his forlorn figure and was torn between justifiable anger and love. ‘You were lucky this time, but don’t expect that to happen again. You have to stop gambling, Tony, and if that means seeking help, then get it.’

He drew in a shaky breath. ‘I will. I promise. Are you coming in?’

She shook her head. ‘Not now. You tell Mum and Dad what happened, and what Leno said. I’ll phone them tomorrow.’

Tony climbed out, then bent down to look in at her. ‘Oh, God, Sam, have I ruined your life?’

Sam felt pain tear through her as she heard his words. Though she felt like crying, she managed to shake her head. ‘Hey, you know what they say. Life is what happens whilst you’re making other plans. Now go in. Don’t keep them worrying any longer. Remember, say nothing to the others.’

‘I won’t let you down, Sam. I promise,’ he told her, then squared his shoulders and went inside.

Alone in the car, Sam closed her eyes for a moment, then put the car in gear and drove off. How could she tell her brother he had ruined her life, even if he had? It wasn’t in her nature. All she asked was that he kept his promise. That he came good. For then any sacrifice would have been worth it.

By the time she reached her bedsit, it was late and she was exhausted. It didn’t help to have missed a meal, but she didn’t feel like eating. Glancing around her, she could see the things she had tossed here and there only that morning when Ransom had dropped her off. Then she had thought the whole of the future was theirs for the taking. Now she knew for ever had been a mere handful of hours.

Sinking onto the lumpy couch, she placed a trembling hand over her heart and could almost feel it breaking. Ransom. His name was an unremitting ache deep inside. She longed to see him, but dared not. Not until she knew what she was going to do. But she could talk to him. To hear his voice would pour some balm on the open wound where her heart had been.

Reaching for the telephone, she had to swallow hard before she had enough composure to dial his number. When he picked up and growled into the handset, a crystal tear blurred her vision.

‘Hi. Did I wake you?’ she asked softly, visualising him sitting up in bed and switching on the lamp so he could see the clock.

‘Sam? Is everything OK?’ Ransom queried immediately, seeing how late it was.

A lump started to grow in her throat, making it hard to speak. ‘Um-hmm. I just wanted to hear the sound of your voice.’ Had needed it so badly. ‘How did it go today?’

‘The jury’s still out. We’re hoping for a result tomorrow. How was dinner with your family?’ he asked, stifling a yawn at the same time.

She wanted to cry out that the sky had fallen in, but couldn’t. ‘Noisy, as usual. I would rather have been with you.’ How she wished she had never gone home tonight, but it would only have put off the inevitable. Had she not gone to her parents, then they would certainly have come to her.

‘They sound like my kind of people,’ he said, and she could hear the humour in his tone. ‘Next time I’ll join you, then you won’t have to miss me.’

The tear overflowed down her cheek. ‘I like the sound of that,’ she agreed, whilst her heart contracted at the knowledge that there would be no next time.

‘God, I wish you were with me right now. This bed is too damn big and lonely without you in it,’ Ransom told her gruffly, and Sam hastily stifled a sob behind her hand.

‘It’s only one night,’ she pointed out when she was able to control her voice. She hated herself for lying, but there was nothing else she could do. She realised now that calling him had been a mistake. She was going to feel worse, not better.

‘I guess you’re right. To make up for it, have lunch with me tomorrow. I can’t go the better part of forty-eight hours without seeing you,’ he urged and though she knew it probably wasn’t wise, she held onto the lifeline he threw her.

‘Lunch would be lovely. Name the place and time and I’ll be there,’ she promised. It would be all right. By then she should have decided how she was going to break off their affair. Lunch would be a final good memory. She would need all of those she could get.

Ransom named a restaurant close to the court, and she agreed to meet him at the time he suggested. He yawned again, and she knew she had to go. ‘I’ll let you get back to sleep now.’

‘I’m glad you rang. ’Night, sweetheart.’

‘Good night, Ransom,’ she said back, and held the receiver to her ear until she heard the sound of his phone going down.

Hugging the phone to her chest, she finally gave way to tears. They carried with them a wealth of helplessness. Of loss and utter despair. They tolled out the knell of her dreams, and the prospect of a future that promised to be bleak and empty without the man she loved in it.

CHAPTER TWO

SAM sat at a small table set in the restaurant’s window embrasure and waited for Ransom to arrive. Her watch told her he was a little late, but she wasn’t worried yet. It wasn’t easy to get away from the court on time. She felt…strangely numb. Which was odd, because between crying and thinking she hadn’t got much sleep last night.

Thinking of that, she reached into her handbag for a mirror to check her appearance. Thankfully the puffiness around her eyes had gone, and any redness had been hidden by make-up. She looked normal, which was all she could hope for. The numbness was welcome, but it would wear off all too soon. All she asked was that it would last the day out.

Sighing, she rested her chin on her linked fingers and stared at the world passing by outside. She had spent the night refining the details of how she would break things off with Ransom. She had been prohibited from telling the truth, so her options were limited. Of course, she could declare baldly that she didn’t want to see him any more, but Ransom was not the kind of man to accept that without a good reason. In the cold light of dawn, she had known that she would have to end their relationship in such a way that he would not want to see her again. The only way to do that was to make him hate her. However, she would only be able to put on a creditable performance once, so she had to get it right the first time.

Hands on her shoulders made her jump and look up. Ransom stood there, smiling down at her, and as her heart turned over he stooped and pressed a kiss to her startled lips.

‘You were miles away. What were you dreaming about?’ he asked her as he sat down opposite. Reaching across the table, he took one of her hands and held it between his own.

Sam gave a little shrug. ‘Nothing, really. Just this and that.’

One eyebrow quirked. ‘And here I was thinking you were dreaming about me.’

He made her smile, something she hadn’t felt like doing all morning. Lord, but she was going to miss him so much. ‘I don’t want you to get big-headed.’

Ransom grinned wickedly. ‘Meaning you think I’m perfect as I am? Well, now, I can’t argue with that.’ He stared at her, taking in every feature, and shook his head. ‘You are so beautiful. I can’t get over how beautiful you are.’

Sam uttered a tiny laugh, amazed at how easily he could take her breath away. ‘I’m not beautiful.’ She considered herself ordinary. There was nothing special about a swathe of silver-blonde hair and a pair of large blue eyes. Not having a vain bone in her body, she thought of herself as moderately attractive rather than beautiful. Her bones were fine, but her features were cool rather than animated. She had no idea that her smile transformed her face, making many a man do a double take. As for her figure, she had always considered that average at best. She went in and out in the right places, but a model she was not.

‘You are to me,’ he contradicted, holding her gaze with his intense one.

‘You’re only saying that because you think it will get you somewhere,’ she teased him back, whilst inside she could sense the numbness melting away.

Laughing, he released her hand and picked up the menu. ‘You’re right, young woman. I have definite plans for you.’

‘Oh, yes? I’ll have to check my diary to see if I’m available,’ Sam replied, feeling her heart squeeze tightly.

‘You will be,’ he told her confidently.

His confidence was unbearably painful, and Sam stared down at her own menu, though the words were unfocussed. She had planned to tell him goodbye here, where the restraints of being in public would limit what he could say, but she knew she couldn’t do it. The numbness was wearing off second by second now that he was here. Everything he said had her control slipping, so if she tried to reject him she would only end up in tears and that would never do. It was the wrong moment. She had to regroup and try again another time.

‘I’ve been thinking,’ Ransom broke into her troubled thoughts, and she looked up to find him watching her over the top of his menu. ‘I have some leave left, and you must have some too. Why don’t we go off together for a week? We could drive down to the coast and I can initiate you into the joys of sailing. What do you think?’

‘I didn’t know you were a sailor,’ Sam remarked in surprise.

Ransom grinned. ‘You don’t know everything about me yet,’ he teased. ‘If you must know, I could sail before I could walk, so my mother tells me. I love it, but I don’t have a boat of my own yet. One day I will, then we’ll sail off around the world together and not come back until we’re good and ready. What do you say?’

It was a wonderful dream, and she only wished she would be sharing it with him. ‘It sounds perfect, but we should try the week first in case I turn out to be a bad sailor.’

‘That’s a deal, then,’ he declared happily, and returned to studying the dishes on offer. ‘What are you having?’ he asked, and Sam forced herself to focus on the menu.

‘A pasta salad, I think,’ she decided. Something light that wouldn’t choke her when she tried to swallow.

‘Mmm, I’ve a fancy for pasta myself. What if we—?’ Whatever he was about to say ended abruptly as the beeper he carried with him went off. ‘Damn,’ he muttered under his breath as he pulled it from his jacket pocket and studied it. When he glanced up, his expression was rueful. ‘Sorry, darling, but I’ve got to go. It’s from Ian, which means the jury must be coming back. Listen, you’re having dinner with me tonight. Eight o’clock my place. Don’t be late!’ he commanded, leaving her no time to argue as he stood up, kissed her quickly then hurried to the door and was gone.

Sam let out a shaky breath and sank back in her seat. This was awful. Here he was making plans for a future they would never have, and she hadn’t had the strength to tell him. Tonight she would have to be firm, for it wasn’t fair to him. She had to nip everything in the bud before it went too far. The prospect took away what was left of her appetite, so she dropped some money on the table and left. A condemned person, she was coming to realise, rarely ate a hearty meal.

That evening she drove herself to Ransom’s flat in a mood of steely resolve. She had spoken to her parents that morning and resisted all their attempts to persuade her to change her mind. When she contacted them again later, they had signed the agreement, and arrangements were already being made for Tony to go and stay with relatives in Australia. Which left only herself with unfinished business.

Of course, it would probably have been easier to simply phone him and say she couldn’t see him any more, but that seemed like the coward’s way out. He deserved she should tell him to his face. What she said would have to give him no room for hope, because there wasn’t any. Sam knew that the best she could do for him now would be to make him never want to see her again. She had to think only of causing him the least pain, not on shielding herself.

Ransom took a moment or two to answer the door, and she had to smile when he did. He was wearing jeans and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Around his waist he had tucked a tea towel, and she realised he was cooking dinner himself. A curl of hair had fallen over his forehead, and to Sam he looked endearingly handsome.

He, in turn, looked her over and she saw the flicker of flame in his eyes. Clearly he liked what he saw. She had chosen to wear a sapphire-blue lacy top to match her eyes and black evening trousers to seduce him. It had been important to make herself look good for the task ahead of her. It was meant as a confidence booster.

‘I don’t know whether to eat dinner or you,’ he declared huskily as he shut the door with one hand and pulled her against him with the other. His arms tightened around her as he lowered his head and kissed her.

Though it wasn’t what she had planned, Sam couldn’t help but kiss him back in silent desperation. One kiss was not enough, and as others followed passion deepened. As their teeth nipped and tongues duelled and incited, she could feel her body turning molten with desire. She wanted him so badly and needed him so very much, and yet she dared not go further. It wouldn’t be fair or right.

A thought that finally gave her the strength to break off their kiss and ease herself to arm’s length. ‘You invited me here for dinner, not to be dinner, remember,’ she told him in a breathless voice, knowing she looked thoroughly kissed.

He lifted his hands to her shoulders, his smile rueful. ‘You can think of food at a time like this?’

Sam glanced towards the kitchenette and wrinkled her nose. ‘I think you should too. Something’s starting to burn.’

Ransom released her immediately and hurried into the small kitchen. He removed a frying pan from the heat and checked the contents. ‘It’s OK. Just a little singed around the edges. It’s your fault for making me forget about everything else,’ he called back to her.

Sam was eying the table he had set. There were napkins and crystal glasses. Two perfect rosebuds and candles. To even an untutored eye, this was a special occasion. ‘What are we celebrating?’ she asked curiously, then a thought struck her. ‘Of course. You won the case.’

Ransom came back into the room carrying a bowl of salad, which he set on the table. ‘That too,’ he confirmed. ‘Light the candles, would you?’ he said before vanishing again.

She did as he asked, telling herself it would be churlish to leave so soon. The case was important to him. The least she could do was celebrate its successful outcome. Then she would do what she had come to do and leave. Inside she knew she was putting off the dreaded moment to the last minute, but she couldn’t help it. Just a few more hours wouldn’t hurt, surely.

It was a bittersweet time, when she shared Ransom’s moment of glory. They laughed and chatted, and toasted his success with a bottle of fine white wine. The evening fairly flew by, and when Ransom went to make the coffee Sam knew she had done herself no favours by staying, yet she couldn’t regret it. So she smiled at him when he returned and enjoyed these final fleeting moments of happiness.

Sam would never remember what she was laughing at when she suddenly realised he was quietly sitting there staring at her as if she was the most precious thing he had ever come across. The laughter died away as their eyes met.

‘Marry me,’ Ransom said simply, and the two words sent her world spinning.

‘What?’ she asked faintly, not believing she could have heard correctly.

His lips quirked with mild amusement, though his eyes said he was deadly serious. ‘I said marry me. I’m asking you to be my wife, Sam.’

The confirmation sent savage fingers to tear at her heart. She was stunned into silence, choked by the knowledge that this was the moment she had longed for. All she wanted was to say yes and spend the rest of her life with him, but with a sinking heart she knew that she had just been given the perfect moment to tear their relationship to shreds.

Knowing hesitation would be fatal, she started to laugh. ‘You’re joking, right?’ Shaking her head, she placed a hand over her heart. ‘Boy, you had me going there for a minute.’ Whilst Ransom sat there in total shock, she pressed home her advantage. ‘I’m not interested in marriage and all that commitment stuff right now.’ Reaching for a bread stick, she nibbled on it, though it almost choked her.

Ransom finally recovered enough to react. ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ he charged, with what she considered justifiable outrage.

‘I’m glad we’re getting this out into the open now. The truth is I don’t want to be tied down,’ Sam continued in the same vein, whilst her heart began to beat faster and faster.

‘Cut it out. This isn’t the time to fool around,’ Ransom ordered sharply. ‘I love you, Sam, and I know you love me.’ She could see the instant he had said it that doubt crept in. ‘Or are you telling me it was all a lie?’

‘Well, of course I love you, Ransom. You’re a very handsome man, and the sex is fantastic, but…’ She pretended to notice the look on his face for the first time. Her hand went to her throat. ‘Oh, my God, you were serious!’

Ransom went very still. All that she could see moving was the pulse at the base of his throat. ‘What’s going on, Sam?’

It tore her apart to see the pain replace happiness in his eyes. ‘Nothing, I swear. We just seem to have got our lines crossed. I’m so sorry, Ransom, but surely you knew I was only after a good time?’

A nerve ticked in his jaw. ‘A good time?’ he repeated tersely.

She swallowed hard, but managed to smile encouragingly at him. ‘You know the sort of thing. Dinner, the theatre. Mind-blowing sex.’

That produced a shake of his head. ‘Pull the other leg, sweetheart. I never got that message from you, ever.’

Of course he hadn’t. She loved him, damn it. But it was over, so she sent him an old-fashioned look. ‘Well, I could hardly come across that shallow if I wanted the good times to last, could I? I’m sorry if you read it wrong, but the truth is, if it’s marriage you want, you had better look for another woman.’

She pushed herself up on legs that trembled badly and went to where she had left her jacket, holding it over her arm before her like a shield. Her heart ached at the coldness that had settled over his face. ‘I think it would be best if I left now.’ She hesitated, wanting to plead with him not to hate her, but it was that hatred that would help him get over her, so in the end all she said was a husky, ‘Bye, darling. Maybe I’ll see you around some day,’ and let herself out of the flat.

There were simply not enough words in any language to describe how she felt then. What meagre defences she had been able to erect crumbled to nothing. Pain surged in like a tidal wave, and for long minutes she was unable to move. Only the fear that Ransom might find her there gave her the strength to stumble downstairs and out to her car. She fought tears all the way home, and it was nothing less than a miracle that she didn’t have an accident. Once indoors she succumbed to her overwhelming misery and cried long into the night.

Somewhere around dawn she finally fell into an uneasy sleep.

A state she was dragged from by the sound of someone pressing their finger on the bell of her bedsit and keeping it there. In no mood for inconsiderate delivery men, she stomped to the door to deliver a heartfelt warning, and was dumbfounded to find Ransom on her doorstep. Having told herself she would not see him again after last night, she was too surprised to prevent him brushing past her and striding into her tiny living room.

One glance at his rigid back warned her he was here to demand further explanation. She hadn’t allowed for that, and the bottom fell out of her stomach. Following him into the room, she finger-combed her hair and braced herself for what was to come. He turned to meet her, and looking at his face nearly undid her. He looked grey and haggard, the patent result of a sleepless night. She wanted to reach out to comfort him, but that would only defeat her object. All she could do was keep to her plan, so she folded her arms and sighed testily.

‘Honestly, Ransom, couldn’t this have waited?’ To her own ears she sounded bored, and she was amazed at her acting ability.

‘No,’ he growled fiercely. ‘I want an explanation for what happened last night!’

Of course he did, but she was prevented from giving him the true one. She had to bluff it out as best she could. ‘You asked me to marry you, I said no.’

An answer that had his teeth grinding angrily. ‘There’s more to it than that. I’m not such a bad judge of people. I know we want the same things. To be a family, have children, grow old together,’ he charged.

Sam could feel the powerful emotions seething inside him, and wondered if she would ever be able to forgive herself for what she was putting him through. She only knew she couldn’t think of another way of doing this.

‘Oh, come on, Ransom, you don’t believe everything you hear, do you? OK, I might have said it, but not seriously. A person says a lot of things when they want to keep a man happy. I was onto a good thing, so what if I told you a few white lies? The truth is I don’t want a husband or family. You’ve picked the wrong woman for that,’ she told him, pretending to stifle a yawn. Then, as a master stroke, she closed the gap between them and started playing with the button of his leather jacket. ‘However, I’d be happy for things to stay as they are, if you want.’

He brushed her hand away with a look of utter disgust. ‘No, thanks, not even as a gift. You played me for a fool, Sam, but not any more. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I want nothing more to do with you.’

Fighting back tears, she managed to produce a fatalistic sigh. ‘You win some, you lose some. Take care of yourself, Ransom. It’s a jungle out there.’

He stared at her for a moment or two longer, a nerve ticking away in his jaw, then he pointed a warning finger at her. ‘You’d better not try this on anyone else, darling. They might not be as forbearing as I am. I only want to kill you, they might try to do it.’

With that he slammed out of her bedsit and her life. She was left staring at the door, tears finally streaming down her cheeks.

‘I love you,’ she whispered achingly as her heart shattered into a thousand irretrievable pieces. Her only solace was in knowing she had done the right thing. He might hate her now, but he would get over it. As for herself, she knew she never would.

In the next few days Sam cried over Ransom until at last she was all cried out, and then she papered over the cracks and faced up to the future without him. Her family closed ranks behind her. Those who didn’t know the truth, and were surprised by her decision to marry Leno Grimaldi, followed their parents’ line and said nothing.

When she dined with Leno that Saturday evening, she discovered that he had plans for a big wedding. She would have preferred something less elaborate, but fell in with his wishes because he genuinely thought he was giving her something she would enjoy. She did try to protest when he took her to an expensive jeweller’s and picked out an engagement ring for her. The large diamond was far too ostentatious, but Leno declared he wanted nothing but the best for her, so she gave in. When it came to the matching wedding bands, she simply went along without fuss, not having the heart to argue any more.

The surprise engagement party, celebrated at a top London hotel, was an evening she battled through with a plastic smile tacked to her lips. She hadn’t realised just how important a man Leno was until that night, when the press were there to take countless photos of the soon to be happy couple for the avid readers of their magazines and society pages.

Whatever Leno wanted happened like magic. As soon as a wedding date was set, he arranged for a top designer to make her dress. Sam stumbled through the arrangements, trying to fit shopping trips around her job, but finally she had to give that up. Gifts rained in from right and left, until she wanted to scream that it wasn’t real. Yet it was very real, and Sam made a conscious decision not to think ahead to after the wedding, when she and Leno would finally be alone together as husband and wife.

A week away from the wedding, Sam escaped from the final fitting of her wedding dress and knew she just had to get a few moments of peace or she would go crazy. She and Ransom had loved walking in Kensington Gardens, and suddenly she just had to go there. To be somewhere where she had been happy. Seconds later she was hailing a passing taxi.

As soon as she started walking along the pathways Sam felt as if she could breathe again. Peace settled around her, and after a while she spied an empty seat and sat down. Everything was so normal here, she thought. Unlike her life, which was like a runaway train. Closing her eyes, she allowed the peace and tranquillity to soothe her battered soul.

She was unaware that someone had sat down at the other end of the seat until they spoke.

‘So, it wasn’t actually marriage you were against, it was the lack of wealth of the man doing the asking,’ Ransom declared cuttingly, and Sam’s heart lurched as her eyes shot open and she stared at him in shock.

‘Where did you come from?’ she gasped out, wondering if she had somehow magicked him up.

His smile was chilly. ‘I was passing by when I saw you get out of the taxi, so I followed you. I wanted to congratulate you on your forthcoming marriage.’

Somehow she had believed that he would never know about it. She should have known better. ‘How did you find out?’

‘A colleague of mine saw one of the newspaper articles and recognised your name. He thought I might be interested,’ Ransom explained with a mocking laugh. ‘You made quite a fetching couple. Shame he’s old enough to be your father, but what the hell? He’s loaded, so it’s a perfect match!’

Sam swallowed hard, unable to voice the lie and say that she cared for Leno. She did, however, raise her chin and stare him out. ‘I can marry who I like, and for whatever reason I like.’

Ransom laughed coldly. ‘And he has several million reasons for you to like him.’

‘I’m not marrying him for his money,’ she put in swiftly, though in a roundabout way she was. She just hadn’t known quite how wealthy Leno was.

‘Pardon me if I don’t believe you. I think I was lucky not being rich enough for your taste. I wonder how long it would have taken me to realise it wasn’t me you loved, but my money?’ Ransom shot back with withering scorn. ‘Perhaps I ought to put him straight on a few things.’

The suggestion had her heart leaping into her throat. The last thing she wanted was for Leno to meet Ransom. ‘That won’t be necessary,’ she countered in a strangled voice. ‘Leno and I have an understanding.’

Ransom’s beautiful eyes were full of dislike as he looked at her. ‘I get it. He has his trophy wife and you get to spend his money. How did I ever think I could love you? You two deserve each other!’

Every word he uttered struck home with devastating accuracy and drew blood. If he hadn’t hated her enough before, he certainly did now. She had no defence except not to let him see how he had hurt her.

‘Have you finished?’ she asked him with deceptive calm.

Ransom looked her up and down as if he had never seen her before. ‘My God, you’re a cool customer. Nothing reaches you, does it? It’s OK, darling, I’m done. I wish you joy of your fortune. May it keep you warm at night.’

With those parting words Ransom got up and walked away. Sam knew he never looked back, because she kept her eyes on him till he was out of sight. This time she didn’t cry, for the hurt went too deep. She stared unseeingly at the beauty around her and laid the first stones of the wall of ice that would eventually surround her heart and keep it safe. After all, it held her most precious possession: her love for him.

When she finally began to retrace her steps, she did so with her feelings securely encased in ice and a determination to never look back. Whatever happened from this moment, nothing would touch her, neither hurt nor joy, for those were things of the past and that was gone for ever.

CHAPTER THREE

SAM watched the charming Norfolk scenery pass by outside the car and gave a sigh of satisfaction. Not to put too fine a point on it, she was happy, and that was something she had never thought she would be again. Of course she wasn’t ecstatically happy, but she knew she would never feel anything close to that again. Nevertheless, she was content.

When her husband Leno had suddenly died of a heart attack six months ago, she had found herself at a crossroads. She hadn’t been back to England in over six years. What had begun as a honeymoon trip had ended as a permanent removal. Sam had fully expected to remain in Italy, where the people, and Leno’s family in particular, had been kind to her.

She had done all she could to be a good wife, and, because Leno had been a good man, their marriage had not been a total disaster. He had showered her with gifts to mark his deep affection for her, introducing her to a lifestyle she had never dreamed of. His only sadness had been the lack of children. Sam had done nothing to prevent it, it was just not meant to be. Which was a shame, because Leno would have showered them with love too.

He had been good to her, and she had mourned him. Because of the situation regarding their marriage, she had not expected to inherit the bulk of his fortune, but so it had turned out to be. He had no children, and his nearest relatives were cared for, leaving her what remained. It was then that Sam had decided to come home. She knew she had more money than she could ever spend, and that she could have more than enough to live on and still put the rest to good use.

Which was the reason she was a passenger in this powerful convertible car today.

Alex Hunt, the man behind the wheel, knew all the twists and turns of the road they were travelling along very well, for he was taking her to visit his parents. This was Sam’s fifth visit, and she looked forward to it, for she got on well with David and Ellen Hunt. The Grimaldi Foundation, which Sam had set up in her husband’s name, was helping to fund the building of a new hospice. It was the foundation’s first project, and Sam was keeping a finger on the pulse, hence the regular visits.

Alex steered the car around a sharp bend, and Sam watched him manoeuvre the vehicle with ease, her lips curving into a wry smile. She hadn’t known him long, but they had quickly become friends. Despite turning thirty a couple of months ago, he had a boyish enthusiasm for fast cars.

He must have felt her eyes on him, for he glanced round at her with a grin. ‘What are you smiling at?’ he asked lazily, whilst returning his attention to a particularly tricky section of road.

Sam laughed. ‘Actually, I was thinking you love your car more than a woman.’

His response was to make a Gallic sound in his throat. ‘Mais, non! You know I love you like crazy, Sam.’

It was only a joke, but for a moment her head was filled with the sound of another voice telling her he loved her, and her heart tightened painfully. Then she ruthlessly quashed the memory, for it had no place in the here and now.

She laughed teasingly. ‘Boy, would you run a mile if I took you seriously!’

‘You’ve got that right!’ he agreed immediately, returning his attention to the road as yet another tricky corner came along.

Hoping this good feeling would last, she once more gazed out of the side window. Idly her thumb toyed with her wedding and engagement rings. She still wore them. Not because they meant something to her, but because it kept unwanted interest at bay. She was not in the market for emotional complications.

Studying her reflection, Sam barely recognised the twenty-eight-year-old woman who had loved only one man in her life, and who had married another. Her hair was fashionably cut, she wore expensive clothes and jewellery, and could hold her own amongst the glitterati of the world. If Ransom were to see her now, would he recognise her?

The thought came out of nowhere, and had invisible fingers tightening around her heart. She had learned the hard way the answer to the question of what became of the broken-hearted. They picked up the pieces and carried on. But they were never the same. Something was irretrievably lost. In her case it was her heart, the greater part of which had gone with him. Having given it, she would never take it back. There would never be another to fill that empty space inside her. She had known she would always love him—and always hate herself for what she had done.

‘Not too long now,’ Alex said, interrupting her thoughts.

Sam glanced forward. Up ahead of her she could see the turn-off that would take them to the place Alex had grown up in. The house was a rambling affair, with extensions added on in piecemeal fashion as past families had needed room to expand. Consequently the inside was a rabbit warren of stairs and passages, but all adding to its charm. It had countless gables, and several levels of terracing to the rear. Sam adored it.

Beside her Alex flicked the indicator and turned the car onto the road that snaked across the heathland towards the distant coast. There were several more turn-offs before they finally passed through the gates of the small estate. The Hunts were old money. David Hunt had retired to the family home in Norfolk after a long career in banking. Alex was following in his father’s footsteps.

‘Looks like Karl’s down for the weekend,’ Alex observed as he caught sight of his older brother standing on the top of the entrance steps. Karl waved, then turned as if someone unseen had spoken to him. ‘Things generally liven up when Karl’s around.’ Sam had met him on a previous visit, and had found him pleasant company.

Alex brought the car to a halt and they climbed out. The sun was almost blinding, and Sam quickly found her sunglasses and slipped them on.

‘Now this was definitely worth coming home for. Beautiful blondes with curves in all the right places have long been a penchant of mine,’ Karl Hunt teased as he strolled down the steps.

‘Not to mention brunettes and redheads,’ an amused masculine voice drawled from the shadows of the porticoed entrance.

On hearing it, Sam felt shock go through her from head to toe, and looked round quickly. For an aeon she could swear the earth stopped revolving before lurching on again. She would know that voice anywhere. It was imprinted indelibly on heart and mind. Incredibly, what she had just heard was the voice of Ransom Shaw, yet how could it be? How could it possibly be?

Unaware of her shock, Alex was already starting to laugh as he turned towards the man who now sauntered into view, hands tucked negligently into the pockets of his jeans. He stood at the top of the steps looking at them with a broad grin on his face. Sam could scarcely believe her eyes. Dear God, it was Ransom.

The ground moved under her feet for a second, then stilled. She felt her mouth go dry and then her heart started up a frantic beat. Riveted, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. Only then did she truly know just how much she had missed him. Seeing him made a light go on inside her, brightening up her world. He was just as she remembered, only more so. His lean yet powerful body was clad in well-worn jeans that hugged his long legs, and a blue chambray shirt with sleeves rolled up above strong forearms, which seemed to strain across his muscled chest.

Sam remembered only too well what it felt like to be held against that perfect body by those two strong arms, and experienced a long-buried curling sensation deep inside herself. Her heart ached with a sudden fierce longing as memories flooded back. The light of love in his eyes. The husky sound of his voice as he told her he loved her. The…

Karl stepped in front of her smiling warmly, blocking out her view. ‘Nice to meet you again, Mrs Grimaldi,’ he greeted her, offering his hand.

The interruption was like a douche of cold water to Sam. Reality stepped in swift as a sword, cutting off the stream of thoughts. Ransom might still be her one true love, but she had no doubts that it wasn’t the same for him. He would hate her now. How could he not, when she had hurt him so badly? Her choice had been bleak, but she had been compelled to take it, for the alternative had been unthinkable.

Sam hastily gathered the remnants of her composure about herself. At the very least she had to look and act calm, even if she wasn’t. Her defences had been allowed to go unrepaired with the passing years, so that now they had been breached with remarkable ease. It was painful suddenly seeing him like this, but it never would have been easy. She knew full well what she would see in his eyes when he recognised her, and she must brace herself for it.

Drawing on the élan she had learned as the wife of a wealthy man, Sam whipped off her sunglasses and summoned up a smile for the man before her. ‘Call me Sam, please, Karl. How are you?’ she responded whilst a bemused Alex moved, walking forward with hand outstretched.

‘Well, I’ll be damned. Ransom? Great scot, where did you spring from? I haven’t seen you in years.’

From her position just a little behind Alex, Sam watched Ransom jog down the steps and take Alex’s hand. She had had no idea they knew each other. How on earth could it be?

Sensing her surprise, Karl explained. ‘Ransom and I were at university together. Both studying law, and with a love of sailing. He spent a few weeks here one summer, when his parents were abroad. After university, we used to meet occasionally, but then we lost touch. You know how it is. When I bumped into him the other day, I invited him here. Just like old times,’ he added happily.

‘You must have had a lot of catching up to do,’ she responded calmly, knowing it would not be the same for Ransom and herself. She doubted very much if he would want to speak to her.

Karl had more to relate. ‘You can say that again. Turns out he has a boat moored just up the coast. He remembered the good times he’d had here and thought he’d try out this neck of the woods again.’

Sam knew it was one of those situations you could never anticipate in a million years. Had she come another weekend, she would never have run into Ransom and discovered he had had a brief acquaintance with Alex’s family years ago. Events had conspired to bring them both here now, and it felt as if someone up above was playing a particularly cruel joke.

‘I drove up yesterday,’ she heard Ransom answer Alex’s question.

‘Wait a second, didn’t I read somewhere that you were out in the South Atlantic wrestling with that American beauty?’ Alex declared teasingly, unwittingly sending Sam’s stomach plummeting.

She experienced an unexpectedly sharp dart of jealousy at the thought of Ransom with another woman. Silly, really, for the man was not a monk. There would have been others in the last few years. She simply hadn’t expected to be reminded of the fact. To imagine him with other women was not the same as knowing it. That was the price of still loving him. She had all of the feelings, with none of the rights.

‘She was a beauty, all right. Responded to the lightest of touches. We had a month together, then I had to take her home,’ Ransom added with a broad grin, making Alex laugh again.

‘Those are the breaks,’ Alex commiserated.

The reply made her feel like a fool. It was a short jump to realise he was referring to a boat, not a woman. How could she have forgotten? She had known of Ransom’s love of sailing. It appeared his dream of owning his own boat one day had come true. However, she wasn’t exactly relieved to feel relief, for it would be better not to feel anything. It would only cause unnecessary pain.

Mentally she grimaced. In an ideal world, maybe, but this was something else. She had been catapulted into a situation she wasn’t expecting. Right now she was floundering in a sea of memories, with no life preserver in sight. All she could do was keep herself afloat the best way she could until she was able to make the necessary repairs to her defences.

Not easy with the past so abruptly shunted into the present. Studying the two men as they stood chatting, she could see there was a vibrancy to Ransom that was missing in Alex, for all his youthful buoyancy. Or perhaps it was just that her vision was being coloured by her emotions.

With their greetings over, Ransom had his first opportunity to take a closer look at Alex’s companion, and she braced herself for the blow. What started out as a lazy male inspection soon turned into something altogether different when he recognised her. Blue eyes met grey, and became inextricably locked. Her composure held, but Sam’s nerves jolted violently at the power his gaze had to move her still, and at the same time she saw shock fill those dashing grey depths.

It ought to have been no more than that. Shocked recognition should have been followed by a swift recovery for each of them. After all, they had both moved on. Not so. The passing of time had allowed their guard to drop to dangerously low levels. Sam was stunned to discover it was like their first meeting all over again, when out of a clear blue sky something unexpected and purely elemental had passed between them.

It happened now with equal force, revealing the potent attraction they had shared had in no way diminished in the intervening time. The air about them seemed to be positively charged, and in the blink of an eye each knew they were still vitally aware of the other on a physical level. It was a potentially devastating revelation, given their present circumstances. Sam knew she had paled, and she witnessed Ransom’s smile fade from his eyes, turning them steely. Both knew they had just reconnected in the most basic way.

For Sam’s part it was the very last thing she needed. She had worked so hard to lock her feelings for him away in the recesses of her heart and mind because torturing herself over what might have been was a fruitless exercise. Her feelings for him hadn’t and wouldn’t change. She loved him. Being aware of him brought to the surface things that were better left buried.

From the tension in his jaw, it was the same for Ransom too. He wouldn’t want to feel anything for the woman who had favoured marriage to a wealthy older man over marriage to him.

Oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around them, Alex turned to Sam, saw her shock and mistook the reason for it. ‘Hey, it’s not what it sounds like. We were talking about boats. Ransom sails boats for a hobby. Races them, too,’ he explained.

‘He’s pretty darn good at it. He’ll make the Olympic team one day,’ Karl added proudly.

Ransom slipped his hands back into his pockets, producing a smile, though, attuned as she was to his every nuance, Sam could see it didn’t touch his mesmerising eyes. ‘Knock it off, the pair of you. I’m sure she doesn’t want to hear about that.’

Sam knew she had to say something in response, and was so glad she had learned to hold her own in all circumstances. ‘I’m afraid I know very little about boats. I’ve never been on one in my life,’ she said politely, with a cool smile of her own, relieved to hear that she sounded calm. Ransom had wanted to take her sailing, but by that time it had been too late.

Alex didn’t let her comment pass. ‘We can remedy that. You must let Ransom take you out whilst he’s here. You’ll absolutely love it, I can guarantee that,’ he declared enthusiastically.

Sam very nearly groaned aloud. She didn’t want to go anywhere with Ransom, least of all on a small boat. ‘I’m really not that bothered, Alex. Besides, Karl and his friend might have other plans.’ She tried to head Alex off at the pass. Unfortunately, she was about to learn that he didn’t give up easily.

Something Ransom was clearly aware of too. ‘I’m sure she would rather you went with her,’ he demurred at the same time, and his and Sam’s gazes locked again long enough for her to see the mockery in his eyes before moving away.

‘Don’t be daft. I’m no sailor.’ Alex rejected that instantly. ‘I’m a firm believer in getting the best person for the job, and that’s you, Ransom.’

Sam fully expected Ransom to utter a firm refusal, wanting nothing to do with her. However, for a man who had just come face to face with the woman who had made a fool of him, he looked remarkably relaxed. ‘I’m sure…?’ He glanced at the two men, eyebrows raised, seeking a name, and she knew everybody would be convinced he didn’t know her. Which, though it stung, was fine with her, because what they had had was in the past. There was no point in telling anyone what they didn’t need to know.

Alex suddenly fell in. ‘Sorry, I forgot to introduce you. This is Mrs Samantha Grimaldi, a family friend,’ he obliged, turning to smile at her.

‘And this handsome devil is my old friend from university, Ransom Shaw,’ Karl completed the introduction.

Handsome devil fit the bill all right, for he was handsome, and how well she knew his eyes could hold a devilish gleam. A look like that had set her heart racing and her nerves tingling many a time. That look had led to touching, and recalling her reaction to that made Sam decidedly reluctant to follow up the introduction in the normal way. Good manners, however, left her no choice.

Sam found her heart was thundering like crazy as she reached out to take the hand Ransom offered with a mocking glint in his eye. Don’t react, she said to herself. Whatever happens don’t react. Wise advice, for the result was as she had feared. The second their hands touched, it was as if she had been plugged into the mains.

‘Pleased to meet you, Mr Shaw,’ she managed to say pleasantly enough. Even maintaining a courteous smile despite the electric sensation that stole her breath away.

Something flashed in those silvery eyes, and his lips twitched as he inclined his head in response. ‘Likewise, Mrs Grimaldi.’

As he released her hand his thumb trailed over her palm, and, despite all she did to prevent it, her breath hitched in her throat. Determined not to show how unsettled she was, Sam kept her smile in place. ‘Won’t you call me Sam, like everyone else?’ she invited, rubbing her tingling hand against her thigh surreptitiously.

‘Only if you reciprocate and call me by my name,’ he rejoined, his gaze daring her to do it. Sam had no intention of backing down.

‘Ransom it is, then.’

‘And what of Mr Grimaldi? Can we expect him to join you?’ Ransom enquired. It sounded like merely polite conversation, but there was a nuance in it that Sam recognised as a charge of her playing away from home. She bristled inwardly but remained calm.

‘My husband died six months ago,’ she told him stoically, and knew by the glint in his eye that he knew he had struck a nerve by asking about Leno and was pleased.

‘That must have been upsetting for you,’ he said solicitously, but she knew better than to take his words at face value. He was as good as telling her he didn’t believe she was upset at all.

‘Leno was a good man. I miss him.’ It was true. She had become used to being his wife.

Ransom nodded sombrely. ‘I’m sure you were heartbroken to lose him.’

Her stomach twisted as she detected the hard edge to his words. ‘We were happy. You must interpret that how you like,’ she advised him, looking him squarely in the face, so he would know she was aware of what he was thinking. She didn’t doubt that he believed Leno’s fortune had softened the blow.

He smiled faintly. ‘I’m sure a beautiful woman such as yourself would know how to treat a man’s heart well,’ he added ironically, firing off a shot with deadly accuracy.

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