Free The Billionaire's Marriage Bargain by Carole Mortimer

been nice,’ she acknowledged slowly. ‘But it wasn’t what you wanted—’
    ‘I don’t believe I was talking about what I wanted,’ Dominick stated, sitting back in his chair to look at her analytically.
    Kenzie avoided meeting his piercing gaze. ‘I don’t think talking about this now serves any purpose whatsoever, Dominick,’ she told him wearily, pushing away her empty coffee-cup.
    ‘Why’s that?’ he challenged. ‘Has Carlton already promised you the white dress when the two of you get married?’
    Kenzie drew in a sharp breath at the deliberate provocation. ‘Even if he felt that way about me—which he doesn’t!—I have no intentions of marrying Jerome Carlton. Or indeed any other man. Believe me, Dominick—’ she stood up ‘—once our divorce is final I will be a lot more cautious before I even think about getting married again!’
    Dominick reached out to grasp her arm. ‘The feeling is mutual, I do assure you!’ he grated harshly.
    ‘We only have another twelve hours or so to get through together today, Dominick, can’t we at least try to be civilized about this?’ she reasoned, grimacing.
    ‘I think I’m being extremely civilized,’ he bit out evenly.
    He probably was for him, she thought heavily. Dominick was a man who took what he wanted when he couldn’t get it any other way, and having her walk out on him, on their marriage—and, as far as he was concerned, into the arms of another man—must have dented that Masters pride more than a little.
    More than a little? Having her walk out on him in that way had probably infuriated him!
    What a fool she had been to put herself back in his power like this. Worse, she had now given Dominick the ideal opportunity he needed to exact his revenge. Not even the happiness she had seen on her father’s face last night was enough to take away the trepidation she felt about that!
    She twisted her arm in an effort to release it from his grasp, but only succeeded in tightening his grip. ‘You’re hurting me, Dominick,’ she told him quietly.
    His smile was humourless. ‘You don’t know the meaning of the word!’ he rasped as he released her abruptly.
    ‘More than you do, I’m certain!’ Kenzie replied angrily, resisting the temptation she had to rub the reddened skin of her wrist. ‘I’m sure my parents will understand if you want to make your excuses and return to London tonight instead of in the morning,’ she told him briskly. ‘I can easily get a train back tomorrow. And this way you can get back to your own life all the sooner.’
    She really wanted him out of here, didn’t she? Dominick realized in frustration.
    Out of her family home.
    Out of her family’s life.
    Out of her life.
    And for the last four months he had thought that was the best thing for them too, that he should never have married Kenzie in the first place, and that her leaving him only served to confirm the cynicism he had always felt for the institution.
    Nevertheless, standing impotently by as Kenzie walked out of his life had been the hardest thing he had ever done. Not that there had ever been the least possibility that he would ask her to stay, but after nine months of being married to her, suddenly finding himself once again living alone, eating alone, and sleeping alone, had been much harder than he had thought it was going to be.
    For weeks he had raged about the place, critical of everything and everyone, so angry with Kenzie, with Jerome Carlton, but mainly with himself, because he’d known that in spite of everything he still wanted her.
    But, he had told himself, he had lived alone before Kenzie came into his life, and he would survive on his own now that she had chosen to go.
    And he had survived. If continuing to wake, work, eat and sleep could be called surviving…
    But now Kenzie was back. Not to stay, but back nonetheless, and he had every intention of slaking his thirst for her delectable body once and for all!
    His mouth twisted humorously.