Engaged for Her Enemy's Heir by Kate Hewitt

Author:Kate Hewitt [Hewitt, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarlequinUKLtd
Published: 2017-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

ALLEGRA STOOD IN the centre of their hotel suite, her whole body trembling. As his wife? The words he’d spoken moments ago in the limo reverberated through her. With no choice but to get out of the car and deal with this head on, she’d stalked up to their suite and then turned to face him, every atom of her being radiating outrage. Shock. Fear. Rafael, on the other hand, looked cool, calm and completely in control.

It was impossible. He was impossible. How could he issue such an outrageous command without batting an eyelid? Even now Rafael was shrugging off his jacket and heading for his laptop, as if it were a normal business day. As if their whole world hadn’t shifted on its axis.

‘Rafael.’ Her voice trembled along with her body. ‘You can’t... I can’t...’

He didn’t even look at her as he answered, ‘You can and you will.’

‘Just like that?’ Her voice rang out. ‘You want me to leave everything and marry you? That was your proposal?’

Irritation flickered across his face as he turned to her. ‘Don’t be melodramatic.’

‘Don’t be insane,’ she snapped, well and truly angry now. Anger felt better and stronger than the fear that surged right beneath it. Because even now she was afraid Rafael would win. He was richer, stronger, more powerful. And so far he’d achieved everything he’d wanted. Nothing stood in his way, and yet Allegra clung to her ground. She had to, because the alternative... ‘I’m not marrying you.’

Rafael regarded her levelly for a long, tense moment. Then he shrugged and went to sit down on one of the plush sofas. ‘Fine, let’s talk about it. What are your alternatives, do you suppose?’

On shaky legs Allegra moved over to the sofa opposite him and sat down. ‘To stay in New York and live my life.’

He arched an eyebrow. ‘Working in a café for most likely little over minimum wage, and living in a studio flat in an insalubrious neighbourhood?’

‘It is not insalubrious,’ Allegra snapped. ‘For heaven’s sake, talk about being melodramatic.’

‘I am not having my child raised in a near-slum.’

All right, maybe her street wasn’t the fanciest in Manhattan, but it was hardly a slum. ‘You’re being ridiculous.’ In all sorts of ways.

‘And I think you’re being ridiculous,’ Rafael countered coolly. ‘What about your job, Allegra? How do you propose to continue working with a newborn baby, one that will have particular and crucial needs at the start, and maybe after that as well?’

‘I’ll take time off, naturally.’ She lifted her chin, determined to remain strong. Defiant. She’d meet every challenge he threw at her.

‘And do you get maternity benefits with your job? Proper healthcare coverage?’ He sat back against the sofa cushions, the twist of his mouth belying the dangerous emotion she saw sparking in his eyes. Despite his level tone, his reasonable demeanour, she had the feeling that he was angry. Very angry.

He was also right. Her job provided healthcare, but it wasn’t the best coverage and she wouldn’t

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