The Billionaire’s Bride Of Vengeance Read online

  She didn’t head back upstairs straight away, however, curious now over just how much her mother had left behind.

  When Nicole had stayed in the house the other night, she hadn’t looked in all the kitchen cupboards. Once she discovered that the pantry had been emptied of food, and the fridge contained nothing but ice cubes, she’d ordered in a pizza that night, then had had Kara take her down to a local café for breakfast in the morning.

  Everything was still there, she soon discovered. All her mother’s very expensive dinnerware, all the crockery and cutlery and glassware. Really, when you took into account the contents of this house, Russell might have actually got a bargain!

  Not that Nicole wanted any of it. She didn’t.

  Selecting a heavy-based whisky glass, Nicole was moving over to pour herself some water from the tap when she had a sudden thought: if Russell had moved in—which it seemed he had—maybe there was some juice in the fridge.

  No, she quickly saw. But it wasn’t completely empty. There were four bottles of light beer and a single opened bottle of white wine, with a silver stopper in it.

  Nicole picked it up and studied the label. It was French, which meant it was probably from Alistair’s wine cellar. Another bonus for Russell, she realised. Alistair’s taste in wine was just as expensive as her mother’s taste in furniture.

  Nicole removed the stopper and took a sniff. It smelled fine. In fact, its delicious bouquet was very tempting.

  What the hell? she thought, and half filled the whisky glass.

  It tasted as delicious as it smelled, Nicole savouring the citrusy flavour on her tongue before swallowing. Before she knew it, the glass was empty. She almost refilled it but decided she didn’t want to be drunk when she went back upstairs. She wanted no excuses for her behaviour in the morning. She wanted to look back on this incredible night with a clear memory.

  Nicole returned the bottle to the fridge and rinsed the whisky glass in the sink before picking up the candelabra and heading back the way she’d come.

  It came to her, as she crossed the marble-floored foyer and began a careful ascent up the curving staircase, that she no longer felt cold. Perhaps it was the wine which had warmed her. Or maybe she was just growing used to the inside temperature, which was probably only marginally cooler than the very comfortable twenty four degrees at which the house was usually kept.

  A sudden flash of light on her left sent Nicole’s head jerking round, only to be met by a reflection of herself in the huge gilt mirror which graced the wall halfway up the stairs.

  What an amazing sight, she thought as she stared at her naked self in the flickering candlelight.

  Often, during her partying years, Nicole would stop at this precise spot on the staircase to check her appearance before skipping down the rest of the stairs and making her entrance.

  Nicole moved close to the mirror, frowning as she searched her face.

  Who are you? came the silent question. You’re not the Nicole Power who used never to go to bed with a man till you’d known him for ages. All Russell had to say was how much he wanted you and you were his for the taking.

  And now…now you’re going back up to him for more, aren’t you?

  Yet you vowed not to have anything more to do with rich men.

  You know what they are. Selfish, amoral and unbelievably arrogant. When he said he wanted you more than any other woman, he didn’t mean he wanted you for forever. This is just a one-night stand or a dirty weekend. A very dirty weekend. Don’t go thinking his feelings encompass anything fine or deep.

  Nicole shivered as her eyes drifted down her naked body. It was the same body she’d always known, yet it was different. He’d changed it, changed how it responded to men, how it felt about making love.

  Her flesh craved him and it would not be denied.

  Nicole shook her head in defeat. There was absolutely no use trying to frighten herself off. Common sense had no sway over the power of a desire this intense. She wanted Russell to make love to her again more than she’d ever wanted anything.

  Scooping in a shaky breath, she whirled and walked up the remaining stairs. Once on the landing, however, she turned away from the master bedroom to go first into what had once been her own bedroom. There, she hurried into the bathroom where she put down the candelabra and reached for the hidden pins which anchored her French roll. Having her hair up no longer fitted this bold creature who’d been born tonight in Russell’s arms. It had to be worn down, she decided recklessly as she combed her outspread fingers through her hair, down and loose.

  ‘Yes,’ she whispered as it splayed out over her bare shoulders in sensual disarray. When she shook her head a couple of locks fell down towards one breast, not quite covering the nipple.

  She swallowed as she stared at the starkly erect peak.

  He hadn’t touched her breasts since that time in the car.

  But she hadn’t forgotten how it had felt.

  A shiver rippled down her spine at the memory.

  Time to go back. Not to wake him at first. Just to lie beside him, to feel the heat of his body, to press her skin to his.

  That would be enough for now.

  Russell woke to darkness, and the awareness of being alone in the bed. He knew before he felt the cold place next to him that Nicole wasn’t there. He was about to leap out and go in search of her when a strange light filled the open doorway of the bedroom, pale at first, then stronger.

  He saw the candelabra before he saw her.

  She seemed to float into the room, the candlelight casting a golden circle over her head, like a halo. She’d taken her hair down, he noted, bringing an ethereal quality to her nudity which he found exquisitely beautiful and perversely ironic.

  Because she was no angel. More like a devil, tempting him all the time to care about nothing but what she could make him feel. She was a siren of the highest order. Beautiful and bold. And, he believed, born to be bad.

  As she moved closer to the bed, some light eventually fell onto his face. And into his opened eyes.

  ‘Oh!’ she gasped, and stopped abruptly. ‘You’re awake.’

  ‘Yes,’ he agreed coolly. ‘And the electricity’s obviously still not on.’ Propping himself up against the pillows, he drew his knees up. He could not believe how quickly she could turn him on. She didn’t have to do a thing, just stand before him in her birthday suit and he was a goner.

  Nothing new about that, Russell, he reminded himself ruefully as his eyes continued to feast on her. You’ve been a goner since the first moment you saw her in that shower.

  His teeth clenched hard in his jaw as he realised it was going to take more than one wretched night to rid himself of his lust for Nicole Power.

  The sound of a cellphone ringing startled both of them.

  ‘It’s not mine,’ he said, nodding towards where the sound was coming from.

  ‘If it’s Kara,’ Nicole said with a groan as she put the candelabra down and picked up her bag. ‘I’m going to strangle her.’

  Russell welcomed the interruption. It would give him the opportunity to get himself under control.

  He watched her pull out a sleek silver cellphone and flip it open. ‘Hello?’

  Her face immediately reflected exasperation. ‘Mum! What on earth are you doing, calling me at this hour? Yes, well, it might be the middle of the day where you are, but it’s the middle of the night here in Australia!’

  She threw an apologetic look at Russell, who just shrugged nonchalantly. But his ears had very definitely pricked up. Maybe he would find out where his enemy had decamped to. Though who knew what he would do with the knowledge?

  ‘Yes, yes, I know I promised to ring you when I got to Sydney but I’ve been very busy and…What? No, I had no trouble doing that… The house was empty… No, there wasn’t a For Sale sign on it…’ This was said with a decidedly worried glance Russell’s way. ‘Yes, all my clothes were still there and all my jewellery arrived safe and sound at Kara’s this mor
ning. Look, can I call you tomorrow, Mum? I was just about to go to bed…’

  When Russell threw back the sheet on her side and patted the mattress, her face betrayed a flash of embarrassment. Or was it guilt?

  He recalled that Nicole hadn’t initially liked the thought of sleeping with him in her mother’s bed. He’d had to use persuasive logic along with some passionate kisses to get her to put aside her qualms.

  Now the woman herself was there, in the room with them, via a phone, reminding him again of why he was here. Not just to satisfy his needs, but also to soothe his vengeful soul.

  Russell’s dark side thrilled to the thought of making love to Nicole whilst she talked to her mother. Even better if she started talking to her father.

  But when he patted the mattress again, she frowned and shook her head.

  ‘I’m fine,’ she said, still frowning. ‘Kara’s mum said I could stay at their place for a while. No, I don’t need you to send me any money. I have enough. And I have a plan.’

  Russell pulled a face. If he was her plan, then why wasn’t she lying back down next to him? That would be the way to his wallet, and his heart. If he had one, that was.

  ‘No, I don’t want to talk to him,’ Nicole went on sharply. ‘It won’t do any good and it certainly won’t change my mind.’

  She exhaled a totally exasperated sigh before slumping down on the side of the bed, her back to him.

  Russell just sat there, somewhat exasperated himself. If she didn’t hang up soon, he might have to take matters into his own hands.

  ‘Don’t be like that, Mum,’ she continued, her tone a tad weary. ‘Look, I’m too tired to argue at the moment. I really need to go to bed.’

  Good idea, Russell thought, growing more frustrated by the moment.

  ‘Yes, I know I don’t usually go to sleep before midnight, but Kara dragged me off to a wedding today and… What? Oh…Megan Donnelly, a girl we went to school with… You probably wouldn’t remember her. She wasn’t in our class at school but Kara’s mum has become buddy-buddy with her mum and she insisted I accompany them. I couldn’t really say no… Well, yes, it was rather swish… The groom was James Logan, the advertising tycoon…’

  As Russell listened to Nicole answer her mother’s interminable questions about the wedding, he decided he could not wait for this conversation to finish. It was time to see just who had the most power over Ms Power: her mother, or her new lover.

  Russell rose onto his knees behind her and smoothed her hair back from one beautifully bare shoulder.

  Nicole managed to smother the gasp which rose to her lips, her whole back stiffening as her head twisted round to glare at him.

  But he wasn’t looking at her. He was busy nuzzling away at her shoulder, the tantalising graze of his lips making her skin break out into goose-pimples.

  ‘Nicole, are you there?’ her mother asked.

  ‘Yes, Mum, I’m here,’ came her brusque answer.

  ‘What did you wear, darling?’

  Did she really have to answer these silly questions?

  ‘Nothing special, Mum. Just a dress. The green one I wore on Christmas Day last year.’

  ‘You didn’t! Not to a formal wedding. Oh, Nicole, I thought I’d taught you better than that. I hope you at least wore some decent jewellery.’

  Nicole had had enough of this conversation. And of Russell doing what he was doing. He knew she was talking to her mother. Didn’t he have any sense of decorum at all? Kissing her shoulder had been bad enough. Now his hands had found their way around to her breasts.

  When his wicked fingers began plucking away at her nipples, she almost dropped the phone.

  ‘I wore my emeralds,’ she choked out as she gripped the phone harder. Dear heaven, but it was hard to concentrate on anything when your head was swimming and your nipples burning.

  ‘The ones Alistair gave you for your twenty-first?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Nicole almost cried out when Russell pulled her back onto the bed, her eyes flinging wide once she realised what he was going to do.

  She clasped the phone with both hands, biting her bottom lip to stop herself from making embarrassing noises.

  ‘Better than nothing, I suppose,’ her mother was saying grudgingly. ‘But you should have worn something really glamorous. You might have met someone. James Logan’s wedding would have been full of suitable catches.’

  She almost blurted out that she had met someone. But that would have started a whole lot more questions and she was desperate now to get off the phone.

  ‘Mum, I…I really have to go. I’ll call you back later this week and we’ll have a nice long chat.’

  ‘You promise?’

  ‘I promise. Bye.’

  ‘Bye, darling. Be good now. And if you can’t be good, be careful.’

  Nicole grimaced as she flipped her phone shut. These were words her mother had often used in the past when she went out on a date.

  Never before had they struck home so strongly. Because she wasn’t being good tonight, or particularly careful.

  But, right at this moment, she didn’t give a hoot.

  Yes, she thought wildly as her phone slipped from her grasp. Oh, yes.

  ‘Don’t stop!’ she cried out.

  He didn’t.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  RUSSELL stood at the side of the bed and stared down at Nicole’s naked body.

  She was still dead to the world—little wonder after what he’d subjected her to. It wasn’t unusual for Russell to make love to a woman several times in succession. His mainly celibate existence tended to make him needy and greedy.

  But she hadn’t objected. Hell, no. She’d been more than happy to accommodate him every which way. By this stage, Russell hadn’t questioned if she’d been faking it. He’d been way too enamoured of her charms to question anything.

  In the cold light of day, however, he rather hoped she’d been pretending. He wanted her to continue being his willing little love slave for a while longer, wanted an excuse to have more vengeful sex with her.

  Because let’s face it, Russell, one night simply wasn’t enough to cure what’s driven you all these years. You want more: more revenge, more sex. More of the very beautiful Nicole Power.

  He might have joined her back in bed if he hadn’t been so damned hungry. With no food in the house, there was no option but to go out and get some. The continuing blackout had put paid to a local café. Russell would have to go further afield. He knew exactly where to take her. To a place where there was electricity, plenty of food and an extremely comfy bed.

  His unit at McMahon’s Point.

  Without hesitation, he leant down to shake her shoulder.

  ‘There’s still no electricity,’ were the first words Russell said when she opened her eyes.

  Nicole groaned, then closed her eyes again.

  It wasn’t the continuing blackout which had evoked the sound of dismay, however. More the kaleidoscope of memories which suddenly filled her mind.

  She’d heard about morning-after regrets. But had never suffered from them before.

  How could I have done the things I did last night? Nicole agonised. How could I have let him do the things he did?

  ‘Thewater’sstill hot in the shower,’ he continued. ‘A miracle considering the time we spent in there last night.’

  Nicole wished he hadn’t mentioned that. What was it about this man which made her such a willing victim to his wicked demands?

  She wasn’t in love with him. She wasn’t even sure that she liked him. But oh, how he could turn her on!

  ‘Come on, sleepyhead, get up,’ he ordered. ‘It’s after nine. I’ve rung the powers that be. The electricity’s not expected to be on in this part of town for another couple of hours.’

  Steeling herself, Nicole opened her eyes, adopted what she hoped was a woman-of-the-world expression, after which she rolled over to face her nemesis.

  He wasn’t naked, thank God. He was fully dresse
d in grey chinos and a royal-blue polo top, his darkly damp hair suggesting a recent shower. His face was freshly shaven, his chin no longer sporting the stubble which he’d used to erotic effect on her in the early hours of the morning.

  He glanced up from where he’d been putting his wallet and mobile phone into various pockets.

  ‘I don’t know about you,’ he said, ‘but I’m famished. I can’t wait till the power comes back on. Once you’re dressed, we’ll drive over to my apartment at McMahon’s Point and I’ll cook us both some breakfast.’

  Nicole was totally taken aback by his offer.

  His smile was wry. ‘You should see the look on your face. Yes, I can cook, and no, last night was not just a one-night stand. Did you think it was?’

  ‘It did cross my mind,’ she said truthfully.

  ‘Do you want it to be?’

  Did she?

  Common sense advised that it would be wise to cut and run. He was everything that she’d vowed to avoid.

  The right answer was obvious. Yes, yes, let’s leave it at that, shall we?

  Instead, she heard herself say no. Lord, what a fool she was where he was concerned!

  No…

  Not a word any man usually liked hearing on a woman’s lips.

  But it was the right reply this time.

  Russell walked round the bed and picked up her clothes from the floor. ‘Try not to be too long in the bathroom,’ he said as he offered them to her.

  She took the clothes but didn’t make a move to get out of the bed. She just clutched them to her chest.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

  ‘I…I’d like some privacy.’

  He had to laugh. ‘Might I remind you that you swanned around this house naked for most of last night?’

  ‘Yes, and look what happened.’ she countered, green eyes flashing. ‘I really would like to make it out of here this morning without being ravaged again.’