The air of power that his incredible wealth gave him. The athletic fitness of his six-foot-two-inch frame. The experienced and mesmerising lover who had held Caro so totally in his thrall that she hadn’t even noticed that Jake had never, ever—not even during the height of passion—told her that he loved her.
No, she wouldn’t even go there!
She couldn’t go there.
It would remind her all too painfully of how her father had damaged their whole family with his fickle behaviour…
‘I’m not about to argue with you on this point, Caro,’ Jake bit out as he saw stubborn resolve return to her expression. ‘You’re going to come to my car with me. Then I’m going to drive us somewhere private, so that we can talk about this like two rational human beings.’
Sky-blue eyes warred with his for several long seconds as Jake waited for Caro to capitulate to his demand. And she would capitulate. Jake simply wouldn’t accept any other outcome to this conversation.
Yes, Jake wanted answers from his wife. Explanations for what she had done—if she had any! But he also wanted to sit somewhere quietly and hold his daughter in his arms for the first time. To familiarise himself with the weight and feel of her. To check all of her fingers and toes. To see her smile—
Damn it—Caro had better have a really good explanation for denying him knowledge of his own daughter for all these months.
‘Well?’ he pressed. ‘What’s it going to be? A slanging match here? Or a more civilised conversation somewhere less public?’ He gave a pointed glance at the stream of people constantly leaving the airport building, several of them shooting curious looks their way as they obviously sensed the tension of their exchange.
Caro’s earlier sense of dread returned with a vengeance. She knew that Jake was more than capable of carrying out his threat. That he was more than capable of simply picking up both her and Magdalena and carrying them to his car if necessary.
Her chin rose as she met the challenge in that emerald-green gaze. ‘Very well. But wherever we go I’m only staying long enough so that we can sort this situation out.’
‘Whatever.’ Mocking humour darkened glittering green eyes.
After all, Jake mused wickedly as Caro finally fell into step beside him to walk across to the car park, she hadn’t specified exactly to whose satisfaction the situation had to be sorted out…
‘HOW DID YOU MANAGE that so quickly?’ Caro stared in surprise at the baby-seat that had obviously been professionally fitted into the back of the sleek dark green car that Jake had unlocked, before opening the door so that she could strap the now dozing Magdalena safely inside.
Jake mouth twisted humourlessly. ‘It’s amazing what can be achieved in just the few hours I’ve known of Magdalena’s existence.’
Caro knew it wasn’t so amazing when you were multi-multi-millionaire Jake Montgomery!
She straightened after securing the sleeping Magdalena into her seat, realising as she turned that Jake was standing far too close to her. Far too close for comfort. For her comfort, anyway!
Jake looked down at Caro through narrowed lids, taking his time as he noted the subtle changes in her. Her hair was longer. The lines of tension that had been beside her eyes and mouth a year ago when she’d walked out on him and their marriage were no longer there. Instead her make-up-less face was tanned a deep, healthy gold, her eyes were a clear blue.
He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch the softness of her tanned cheek. ‘Motherhood suits you, Caro…’
‘Don’t!’ She shied away from that reaching hand.
Jake’s mouth tightened as he allowed his hand to drop back to his side. ‘You never used to complain about my touching you,’ he said dryly.
Caro was finding it increasingly difficult to deny the memories of Jake that she had managed to keep at bay for at least six months of the last year.
It hadn’t been so easy to do during the long months of her pregnancy, but since Magdalena’s birth Caro had been kept too busy caring for her baby daughter to allow thoughts of Jake to disrupt her increasingly calm existence.
Any existence would be calm after living in the maelstrom that was Jake Montgomery’s life and consequently had become Caro’s own for the year she had been his wife.
She had been physically and emotionally drained when she’d arrived in Majorca, but the much more relaxed lifestyle on the island, and the friendliness of the people, had eventually acted as a balm to those broken emotions.
A balm that had swiftly disappeared a few minutes ago at the first sound of Jake’s arrogant voice!
She shot him a narrow-eyed stare before climbing into the front passenger seat of the car. ‘Motherhood isn’t the only reason for the changes in me, Jake.’
Cold anger blazed in the depths of his green eyes. ‘You—’
‘Could we just go, and get this over with?’ Caro interrupted wearily. ‘I’ve been travelling since early this morning, and what I need more than anything is a hot bath and something decent to eat.’ She leant her head back against the seat, her eyes closing.
Jake continued to look down at her for several long seconds, his jaw clenching as he recalled the way Caro had flinched away from him just now. As if she found his slightest touch distasteful.
What had he ever done to Caro to make her feel that way…?
Jake’s inner frustration with the situation filled him with a need to make Caro talk to him and tell him what was wrong.
But the obvious exhaustion on her face told him that she really was tired, that it hadn’t been at all easy travelling with a six-month-old baby.
Not that Jake would know anything about that, of course, never having been allowed to travel with his baby daughter!
Jake slammed Caro’s door, his expression stony as he strode round the car to get in behind the wheel, his movements automatic as he backed the car out of the parking space to drive towards the airport exit.
They drove in complete silence for several minutes, but it was a silence Caro found oppressive rather than restful.
‘Jake—’
‘It’s the day before Christmas Eve, Caro, and the traffic on roads is insane. With you and Magdalena in the car, I really would prefer to concentrate on my driving,’ Jake cut in quietly.
Caro gave a sceptical snort, knowing that Jake was perfectly capable of driving and talking at the same time. That he was more than capable of doing any damn thing he chose. In this case he simply chose not to.
Her own tension from the situation was increasing by the second, and a single glance at Jake’s rigidly set face was enough to intensify that fluttering of unease in her chest. That Jake was coldly furious under his façade of icy calm she had no doubts. That the fury was directed towards her was also in no doubt.
Because of Magdalena.
Because Caro hadn’t chosen to tell Jake she was pregnant, let alone that he had a six-month-old daughter!
No matter what Jake might be thinking to the contrary, that hadn’t been an easy decision to make. But, remembering her own incredibly difficult relationship with her father, she’d thought she was doing the right thing…
‘She’s beautiful.’
Caro turned sharply to look at Jake, her expression becoming pained as she saw the hunger in his gaze as he shot a glance at Magdalena’s reflection in his mirror before returning his attention back to the busy road.
Caro