Chapter 5

 " The only fool around here is you."she straightened her shoulders.

 His face tightened making her aware of the firm thrust of his jaw and the broad plane or his forehead." Don't underestimate me."

 A frisson of fear slipped down her spiral joint. This man had power, wealth,and the right connections and he believe she'd done him injustice. As much as she wanted to deny the fact that he could make life uncomfortable for her ,she knew he would do it if he pleased. She couldn't afford that. There wasn't only herself to think about now.

 She moistened her mouth and tried to be conciliatory. " Mr Flynn ,please. . . I don't sleep with men I barely know."

 " That wasn't what your late husband told me ."

 She felt the blood drain from her face.

 " I see you don't like being caught out,"he mocked seeming to watch her more closely.

 Pain squeezed her heart. Robert . . .her husband. . .the man she'd married to for three years. . .had told Alexandre Flynn such lies about her?why?

 " Um. . ." she cleared her throat. " What exactly did Robert say?"

 " That you married him for his money. And that you slept around and spent it all,"he said bluntly.

 It was just as well she was sitting on the stool or she may well have fallen. How could Robert have said those those things about her? She'd thought she loved Robert when she married him. And she never slept around and she'd never wasted his money. Never.

 Then she looked at Alexandre Flynn. At that moment she hated Robert for his lies but she hated Alexandre more for his lack of compunction over her feelings. "I see. You obviously believed him."

 His lips twisted . "When he explained the reason for defaulting on the loan,I wasn't actually concerned with character references."

 "Yet you lent the money to us based on character," she said ,her voice remarkably calm considering the turmoil inside her.

 His eyes narrowed ." No ,we based it on the fact that he was coming into money and would pay us back as soon as he received it. He seemed a good risk at the time. We didn't take into account that you had the money spent before he could even get to it."

 Sarah remembered Robert's mentioning something about coming into an inheritance from one of his aunt's ,but she hadn't realized it was a large amount to serve as collateral for a loan. For him to have spent that amount plus the huge amount he borrowed from Alex spoke of sheer irresponsibility.

 And Veronica ? Had she known? Sarah didn't think so. Her mother in-law was well off in her own right but had never discussed money and ,in any case ,she knew Veronica had never suspected her son had a problem with money.

 She certainly hadn't suspected any problems, Sarah mused as she realized Alex had walked over to the first aid kit and was rummaging around it. One thing was clear . No one would believe her if she chose to refute Robert's claims.

 " Why deny it?" Alexandre said coldly over his shoulder, confirming her fears. "Your car alone cost sixty thousand dollars,not to mention your frequent London holidays and shopping sprees. Your credit cards were maxed to the limit,too."

 Credit cards? London holidays? Shopping sprees? She fought to take it all in. Had someone stolen her identity? It certainly hadn't been her doing all those things. Robert had been the one to. . .

 Oh, God. Is that what Robert had been doing on his frequent business trips? The ones where he'd wanted her to stay home as company for his mother?

 As for the car, she'd had no idea of it's cost . Robert had always seemed to have plenty of money and as far as she'd known, the car had been in his name only. He definitely hadn't insured it. Or himself. If only he had, she could at least have paid back some of the money now.

 And them something occurred to her. The holidays,the shopping, didn't sound like something one did alone . Had Robert been unfaithful to her? Looking back,she knew he was selfish enough to eat his cake and still want it too , what sort of double life had he been living? And why didn't that thought hurt as much as it should?

 Suddenly she realized Alex was in front of her, bringing her into the present with a rush. In that moment they were right back to one man ,one woman.

 Her heart gave a sudden lurch when he picked up her finger and covered it with the antiseptic cream before placing a plaster around it. The gentleness of his touch confused her. How could he be tender in one aspect and so hardhearted in another.

 But she wasn't about to show him her uncertainty. He would take advantage of it. "Mr Flynn,you think I want you for your money ,yet you're willing to take me away with you? That doesn't make sense."

 "It makes perfect sense,"he murmured,his throaty time faint but potent. "We were meant to spend time together."

 "Of all the . . ." She almost jumped to her feet but that would have brought her closer to him and at the last millisecond she stopped herself. His eyes darkened at how close she'd come to being in his arms.

 She leveled him a look. " Don't let me keep you," she said but cursed her husky voice and refused to allow the tip of her tongue to moisten her suddenly dry lips.

 He cupped her chin with his warm fingers , holding her head still as if he wanted to wet her lips for her." You won't ," he said huskily,his eyes intent on her mouth.

 His head began to lower . She lifted her face up to him. . . ready. . . ready to become his.

 And then he moved imperceptibly closer, and the movement broke though the fog of desire that seemed to swirl around them.

 His? Dear God, what was she thinking? She never wanted to belong to another man again.

 And definitely not Alexandre Flynn.....