in glorious disarray around the huge collar of an oversized white bathrobe. She hadn’t dressed. Her feet were bare.
For several moments they stared at each other. It hit Bryce that she looked very vulnerable, caught in a time-warp between the past and the future, not knowing quite where she was or what she was doing here. He was her only focus right now.
Was he being fair to her?
Would she take Marsden back if the guy cleaned up his act and grovelled enough?
‘Is everything all right?’ she asked, seeking guidance.
‘Yes,’ he asserted, determination sweeping back. He’d be a better husband for her than Marsden. ‘Everything settled,’ he assured her, walking down the rest of the stairs. ‘I took your bags up. They came when I was in the lobby.’
‘Thank you.’ She looked discomforted by that information, half turning back to the patio as she added, ‘I was out looking at the view. All the neon lights along The Strip…’
‘You’re the best sight of all, Sunny,’ he said warmly, crossing the living room to reach her. ‘I was just thinking how much I’d like to come home to you every night. Exactly like this.’
Her gaze veered back to his and he caught the sense she wanted to believe him, but was uncertain of filling that role. He smiled, wanting to convince her of his pleasure in her. It was no lie.
‘Did you get onto room service and order our dinner?’
She smiled back. ‘I did. And I hope you’re really hungry, Bryce.’
‘I am.’
For you.
And that was no lie, either.
He drew her into his embrace. Her eyes were liquid amber, silently, eloquently asking if this was right, or was she hopelessly astray in being here with him.
He kissed her to burn away the doubt.
There was no doubt in his mind.
He wanted her as his wife and she was going to be his wife. Whatever he had to do to win her, he’d do.
SUNNY woke slowly, savouring the sense of a warm delicious languor…before she remembered why her body felt so replete and relaxed. A little electric jolt went through her brain. She sucked in a deep breath and carefully, quietly turned her head.
Her breath whooshed out on a relieved sigh. She didn’t have to face him yet. The rest of the bed was empty. He’d obviously wakened before her and left her to sleep on. She resettled herself and started thinking.
Bryce Templar…
Her hand drifted over her naked body…remembering. He was certainly a fantastic lover. She closed her eyes, recapturing the incredible sensations in her mind, the power of them, the intensity of the pleasure that had rolled on and on through so much of the night.
What time was it?
Her head jerked up, eyes flying open again. The clock-radio on the bedside table read 9:14. The flight she should have been on from Las Vegas to Los Angeles had already left. Panic galloped through her heart, stirring up the enormity of what she had done…cutting herself off from all she had known…Derek…
She struggled to get a grip on herself. It wasn’t all irreversible. She could still go home if she wanted to. Bryce had promised that decision was hers anytime she chose. As for Derek…
She dropped her head back onto the pillow. Unaccountably tears pricked her eyes. Derek hadn’t even tried to change her mind when she’d handed him back her ring. All those months of planning to marry…and they’d had many good times together. Her family had liked him. She had really believed they would make a good marriage together.
But he hadn’t even tried to get her back.
He could have tracked her to the MGM hotel if he’d wanted to. Gambling had obviously meant more to him than she did. And always would, now that he’d caught the bug for it, Sunny savagely reasoned. Her chin set with determination. She would not mourn his passing out of her life.
Which left her with…Bryce Templar.
And his proposal of marriage.
She heaved a huge sigh. He was definitely a marvellous lover but she couldn’t marry him on that basis alone, however tempting it might be. As it was, plunging into this intimacy with him was probably going to complicate any career decisions she made. Nothing was clear-cut anymore.
But…he certainly made her feel good about herself. For him to desire her so much…to want her as his wife… It was quite mind-boggling.
How could he make up his mind so fast? Wasn’t he taking a big risk in committing himself to a marriage with a woman he’d only known for a day? Not even a full day! Surely a man in his position should take more care in choosing a life partner.
Not that there was anything wrong with her, Sunny quickly reasoned, but how could he know that? On such short acquaintance? Was he so confident of reading her character correctly? Maybe that was a skill CEOs had to have—choosing the right people for the right positions.
Deciding that lying here by herself wouldn’t give her any answers, Sunny rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She took a quick shower, all the time wondering what Bryce was doing downstairs—reading the newspaper, making business calls, having breakfast, waiting for her?
Grateful to have her own toiletries, she brushed her teeth, applied a light make-up, and did what she could to get her hair in reasonable order without taking too much time with it. She hesitated over dressing, not knowing what plans Bryce might have. Easier just to wrap herself in the bathrobe until some decisions were made.
She heard Bryce speaking to someone as she started down the stairs and paused, not wanting to interrupt anything important.
‘Just do your best to keep the cost to a minimum.’
It was a terse command, showing impatience with the caller.
‘No, I won’t change my mind.’
Even more terse. Whoever was on the phone to him was stirring Bryce’s ire and whatever was put to him now evoked an icy reply.
‘Understand me very clearly, Sherman. It’s finished. We simply write this off. No more negotiation. Nothing—absolutely nothing—will get me to reconsider this decision. Now you take it from there, knowing my position on this is irreversible.’
The cut-off click created a pool of silence that seemed to echo with the ruthlessness with which Bryce had ended the deal that had been in negotiation. Someone had pushed too far, Sunny thought. All the same, it was an insight into the character of the man. He wielded command with an iron fist when the occasion demanded it.
She couldn’t imagine him ever being seduced by gambling. He would make a limit and stick to it. Yet he was gambling on her with his proposal of marriage, wasn’t he? Perhaps that, too, had a limit. He’d give so much time to her, then…
Shaking off the thought which only time could prove right or wrong, Sunny proceeded down the stairs. Bryce was pacing back and forth across the living room, a frown of deep concentration on his face. Then, either hearing her soft footsteps or sensing her presence, he stopped, his face clearing as his gaze zeroed in on her.
‘Ah! Some morning sunshine!’ he said warmly. ‘You slept well?’
‘Very well.’ He was wearing his bathrobe, too, so Sunny didn’t feel uncomfortable about not being dressed. ‘Have you been up long?’
He shrugged. ‘There were a few things I wanted to get out of the way so I could concentrate entirely on you.’
His eyes were eating her up and Sunny’s