Blackmailed Merger (23 page)

As the door bell had rang, she had opened the door for Dante, seeing the fire that had instantly sprang to his eyes, his look sweeping down her as she had turned and so gracefully moved back into her kitchen to finish her tea.

“You are not going to make the next two weeks easy for me” she had heard him say, smiling with satisfaction as she had moved away from him
.

“I have no idea what you mean” she had replied, her
voice
cool
, hearing the soft chuckle from him
.

“You always were a little torment Sam” he had crooned behind her, Sam unable to hold back
a small
chuckle herself.

She had made him a coffee
,
the two
sitting across from each other on the small table,
finally alone.  Looking about himself, he had admired her apartment, which was beautifully decorated, not surprising he mused to himself
,
seeing as she had watched him.

“So perhaps you should explain to me the plans” Sam had said softly, Dante nodding somehow glad to be able to concentrate on other things than the woman before him.

“Well today we have a private viewing of jewellery for you to pick your engagement ring, and I have organised for my people to come by tomorrow to pick up anything you want to bring
over with you
”
.

Sam had nodded, having had plenty of experience with professional
packers
in her line of work
.

“What do you want done with your
flat
?
” he had asked softly, seeing the small frown on
Sam’s
brow
.

“I will keep it on” she had said with conviction
.

“I am hoping that it will not take too long to.....” her voice had faltered, and for the first time since their meeting Dante had seen real sorrow fill her eyes as she had turned away from him, quickly rising to turn her back to him
.

“This is wrong, so wrong.  To bring a child into the world under these circumstances” her voice so low, so full of sadness
.

He had
stood
stepping
behind her, his hands moving to her shoulders, gently stroking down her arm, feeling uncomfortable at the truth
of
her words
.

“Have you never
missed having that
child
we talked about
Sam
?” he had
spoke
n
gently, taking her by surprise, not expecting softness from him after the way he had blackmailed her
.

“
Th.
.
.
That
was very different
” she had
stuttered
her hands pulling at each other
.

“But not like this Dante”
.

Turning she had looked up at him, her lovely green eyes blurred with tears her lips quivering slightly
.

“Not like this
, this is wrong...so
very
wrong
”
.

She had seen the discomfort in his face, before his eyes had hardened, as he had stepped back from her
.

“This is the way it has to be Sam, we both know that” he had bit out, his features
stony
.

She had turned once more from him, the tears sliding down her face as she had given a defeated nod of her head.

Needing to change the subject he had sat down once more, continuing to talk
over the plans as she had slow
ly pulled herself together, flicking looks over at her feeling so uncomfortable.

“
When we arrive in New York
we
will be attending
a gala meal at which I will announce our engagement, and
the following
week your father will announce that our companies are to merge, with me as CEO.  Within two weeks we will be married....and you know the rest”
.

Sam had
stood for a few seconds
, letting the old anger against him fill her once more,
helping her to regain her composure,
hating his cold bloodedness.  W
iping away the tears she had moved back to lift her cup, unable to meet his eyes.

“Do you have an
y
preferences for the wedding” he had asked, as she had shaken her head
.

“A quick civil ceremony I think would be best” she had managed, her eyes flying to him as he had replied firmly
.

“No
...This
wedding has to be believable Sam.  So we are having the whole thing,
guests minister
the whole shooting match”
.

“Why?” she had cried, her eyes staring in disbelief at him
.

“In two weeks?” Sam had groaned softly
.

“It
can’t
be done Dante”
.

He however, had given her a determined smile
.

“It can....and to make sure that it does I have hired one of the best wedding planner
s I know
, and somebody I know you can work with”
.

She had given him a disbelieving look, angry at the need to put on such a show for the farce that was to be their marriage
.

“
I have no intention of playing along with
your and my father’s little
show” she had bit out
.

“
And
I doubt that you could find anybody
I am willing to work with
”
her eyes challenging
him,
frowning a
s he
had pulled out a business card
.  Reading it she had
groaned at seeing
Bella’s
name
on it, her eyes
flying to his full of accusation.

“You hired Bella” she had cried, seeing as he had nodded
, once more feeling the anger at his manipulation of her.

“I understand that she is getting started
...
I am sure such a high profile event will set her on her way” he had said softly, Sam glaring at him
.

“
Like you give a damn about her getting a start” she had said the anger evident in her voice
.

“
I will make sure that she charges you triple what she normally would” she had bitten out between clenched teeth, seeing as he had smiled back
.

“I’m sure that I can afford it”
.

Standing
s
he had moved towards
t
he door, looking back at him
.

“Shall we?” her eyes daggers. 

“
Let’s
go and pick out the
‘perfect’
accessories for this farce shall we
?
”
her voice
dripping with
sarcasm
.

Dante had watched her carefully,
his features full of indecision
before with a sigh he had placed his hand inside his coat pocket, drawing from it a small black velvet box.

“We can go and choose another ring” he had said, his voice softer
.

“Or I have this.  I wasn’t sure ....”
.

The anger had left Samantha as her eyes had fallen on the small box he was now opening.   She had felt the tears rise
once more
within her,
gulping
them down, her eyes raised as she had fought to control the hurt coursing through her, once more see
ing
the ring she had worn
for such a short period of time
so many years ago.  The emerald as bright now as it had been then.

“Y...you kept it” she had finally managed.  Dante nodding as he had lifted it from
its
secure cushion, his
face full of a strange sadness,
Samantha telling herself that he was
once more
trying
to manipulate her.

“I could not bear to throw it away” his voice low, his eyes looking intently at it.

Moving slowly
foreword
, she had taken the exquisite piece of jewellery from his fingers, her expression full of such sadness.

“When I first wore this ring...I was so happy.  I really thought...” her voice had broken despite her best efforts as a tear had slid down her lovely face, her other hand moving to dash it
angrily
away, as with a sure movement she had stood taller
,
slipping the ring back onto her finger, the
coldness
once more returning to her green eyes
, her voice calmer
.

“I suppose it is as good an accessory as any”
,
Dante sighing as she had fixed him with a hard
look
.

“
Don’t
think that you can manipulate me Dante.  When we met I was a kid, an idiotic love
-
sick kid. 
Well I’m not
that stupid girl
anymore.  Do not make the mistake of thinking
I
am
”
.