Claiming His Wedding Night Read Free Page A

appearedin the Silicon Valley offices of Judson Boyd and asked to speak to her in private.
    Still raw and bleeding from his betrayal, and knowing only too well that there was nothing he could say that would alter things, she had shaken her head and asked him to leave.
    Standing his ground, he had once again sworn he was innocent and accused her of refusing to listen to him, of lack of trust, of never really loving him.
    The latter had brought stinging tears to her eyes. But, fighting against the surge of emotion, and flanked by her father and Martin, she had told him that he was wasting his time, that she never wanted to see him again.
    When he would have argued further, he had been ‘escorted’ from the premises.
    The last few bitter words they had exchanged had been over the phone.
    When she had felt able to, she had rung him to repeat that everything was over between them, that she wanted to be free of him, and that she and her father were leaving the States for good.
    It was then he had warned, ‘Don’t think I’m letting you go so easily. Sooner or later I’ll find you, wherever you are.’
    Now, just thinking about it, made her shiver.
    But, though it was still so vivid in her mind, it had been almost three years ago. Surely after this length of time he would have moved on?
    In all probability he was married. When they had once talked about their future together, he had said he wanted children so he might even have started a family.
    She could only hope that his life was now settled and stable, and that he had forgotten the past.
    But suppose he hadn’t? Suppose he was here in London because of her? Suppose he had finally managed to track her down?
    Becoming aware that her unhappy thoughts had gone fullcircle, she brought herself up short. It was high time she stopped thinking about Jared and started to concentrate on tomorrow, and what was bound to be the most important meeting of her life.
     
    The next morning, after a virtually sleepless night when she had spent hours lying awake trying not to think about the past, Perdita was up at five-thirty.
    Her head throbbed dully and she felt like death warmed up—an expression of her father’s that until that minute she hadn’t fully understood.
    Glancing at herself in the bathroom mirror, she grimaced. Just when she had wanted to look her best and radiate an air of efficiency and confidence, she looked like something the cat had dragged in.
    Oh, well, she would just have to see what ravages a spot of make-up could hide.
    Showered and dressed in a smart charcoal-grey business suit, small chunky gold hoops in her neat lobes, her blonde hair taken up into a fashionable knot, she checked her appearance in the cheval glass in her bedroom.
    Her skin was flawless, so normally she needed very little in the way of cosmetics. Now, just a light coat of foundation hid the slight shadows beneath her eyes, while a pale lip gloss and a hint of blusher bestowed a healthy glow.
    Her brows and lashes were naturally darker than her hair and needed only a touch of mascara to define them even more.
    After a critical survey could find no real fault with her appearance, she picked up her bag and headed for the stairs, just as Sally’s voice called, ‘The car’s here now.’
    ‘Coming.’
    The housekeeper, who had insisted on getting up to see her off, was waiting in the hall. With a quick hug, she said, ‘I only hope everything goes well.’
    Then, looking oddly flustered, she added, ‘I really do have your best interests at heart.’
    Returning the hug, Perdita said, ‘Thanks. I’ll give you a ring and let you know how it goes.’
    A little awkwardly, Sally told her, ‘I won’t be home. I promised I’d pop over and have breakfast with your dad. I thought it might help to take his mind off things. Or, at the very least, give him someone to talk to. I hope you don’t mind?’
    Touched by her concern, Perdita said warmly, ‘Of course I don’t mind. On the contrary, it sounds