Paradise Wild (10 page)

Corinne was asleep when Jared returned. He wanted nothing more than to get some sleep himself, but he couldn’t yet. He had to get things settled with Corinne first.

He laid her clothes out on the foot of the bed and stood looking down at her. Her dark-gold hair had come unbound and lay spread out over the pillow in soft waves. It was so long and luxuriant, like spun silk.

She really was so damnably beautiful. If only she weren’t Barrows’ daughter…. But she was, and Jared couldn’t allow himself to forget that. To Jared, she was only a means to an end. And once that end was accomplished, he would never see this wild, green-eyed beauty again.

“Corinne, get up,” Jared said softly, and shook her shoulder. “We have to talk.”

“Go away,” she mumbled, and turned her head into the pillow.

“Come on, now,” he coaxed good-naturedly. “It’s almost ten o’clock.”

She glared at him, sleep vanishing instantly now. “You! So you came back after all?”

He grinned. “You didn’t think I would just leave you here, did you?”

“Yes,” she said bitterly, pulling the sheet up tightly to cover herself. “I wouldn’t put anything past
you!
”

“I went to get your dress repaired. And I needed time to think, to make decisions.”

“About what?”

“About last night. Corinne—”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” she cut him off furiously. “I just want to forget it!”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Isn’t it? If you will just get out of my life, I will forget you quite easily.”

“I would like to forget, too, but I can’t,” Jared replied. “What I did was unforgiveable.”

“Are you trying to say you’re sorry?” Corinne asked caustically.

“Yes.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit late for regrets, Mr. Burk? The damage is done.”

“It’s not too late for me to make amends.”

“Are you a magician?” she asked in a sarcastic tone. “Can you give me back my innocence?”

“No, but I can see to it that you don’t suffer further because of what I did to you.”

“Suffer further? What are you talking about?” she demanded. “The only suffering I’m enduring is being in the same room with you!”

“I wish you would calm down, Corinne, so we can talk seriously.”

“Why should I?” she snapped.

“Because you are as much to blame for what happened as I am,” he said sharply, then lowered his tone before continuing. “I was wrong, Corinne, but I was angry with you for leading me on. You had no business acting the way you did if you were a virgin.”

She turned away, unable to look him in the eye. She
knew she was partly to blame
—she knew it
. But it didn’t stop the rage she felt at being used so callously.

“You didn’t have to treat me like a whore,” she said in a small voice.

Jared sat down on the side of the bed, strangely moved by her pitiful statement. He reached out and turned her face to his.

“I am so sorry, Corinne. I swear I never meant to cause you so much pain.” His eyes searched hers deeply. “If I had known you were innocent, I wouldn’t have touched you. You do believe that, don’t you?”

“I don’t know,” she said weakly. Tears formed, making her eyes shimmering pools of green. “I don’t know what to believe about you any more.”

“I can’t blame you for not trusting me now. But I swear I will never hurt you again, Corinne.”

“Just go away, Jared.” She pushed at him. “I don’t want to talk anymore.”

Her words shook him more than he let on. They were the very words his mother had said to his father so long ago. The sharp reminder shocked him deeply.

“You
will
talk to me, Corinne. You have to, for your own sake.” He added, “A child might have been conceived last night. Will you take that risk all alone?”

“Just what are you getting at, Jared?” Corinne demanded wearily. “Just tell me, and get it over with.”

“I want you to marry me.”

There was a moment of complete silence.

“Do you?” She laughed without humor. “Do you really? Tell me why.”

“I am serious, Corinne.”

“I asked you why, Jared,” she said coldly. “You don’t love me. Are you sacrificing yourself because you feel guilty?”

“I don’t feel I am sacrificing anything. I am only
trying to solve the problem I have created,” he replied, keeping his tone calm.

“Well, I don’t see any problem. What’s done is done. I’m not going to go and kill myself because of last night. I’ll survive, you can be sure of that.”

“And if there is a child?”

“If that happens, I will give it away,” she said harshly, intending her words to cut him. “I certainly wouldn’t keep a child of yours.”

Jared gritted his teeth. She certainly hated him.

“I am not offering you only marriage, Corinne, but also what you want out of life. I know that you love Russell Drayton, but I also know that your father won’t let you marry him. But if you marry me now, you will not only protect yourself in case of a possible pregnancy, but you will have what you want. After a reasonable time, you can divorce me and have Drayton.”

Corinne started to explain that there could be no divorce in her family. It wasn’t acceptable. But her curiosity was aroused. “What did you mean, I would have what I want out of life?”

“You want freedom, don’t you?” he reminded her. “You want independence?”

“Are you saying that if I married you, you wouldn’t try to control me? You wouldn’t set down any rules, or try to restrict me in any way?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Jared replied, knowing that he had finally swayed her.

“And my money? Would you try to regulate it?”

“I don’t need your money, Corinne. You can do whatever you want with it.”

She couldn’t believe he was willing to give her exactly what she wanted. It was too good to be true. Why was he being so cooperative?

“How can I trust you?” she asked skeptically.

“I will sign an agreement in writing, if you wish,” he offered.

“Before marriage?”

“Yes.”

She looked away from him. “What you propose is very tempting, Jared,” Corinne admitted after a while. “But I wonder if you will still want to marry me after you hear my last condition.”

“I’m listening.” Jared grinned slightly, sure that he had won.

“Last night was very humiliating for me. I found making love thoroughly repugnant. If I agreed to marry you, I would be your wife only for appearances’ sake.”

“You’re saying your bed will be off limits?”

“Yes.”

The muscles in Jared’s jaw twitched. Why did he mind? He could never grow to love her anyway. Why was he hurt?

“You didn’t give yourself a chance last night, Corinne. Making love can be very enjoyable for both partners, when both participate.”

“I don’t intend to let you prove that, Jared,” she returned stubbornly.

“Very well,” he said. “As long as you don’t object to my finding satisfaction elsewhere.”

Corinne laughed, to Jared’s further chagrin. “I would be surprised if you didn’t. No, I have no objection.”

Jesus, she really didn’t give a damn about him, did she?

Jared kept his expression controlled. “There will have to be one night, though, the wedding night—to consummate the marriage.”

Corinne considered that. One more night like last night. How could she? But here was everything she
wanted, and not two years away. She would be able to stand just one night.

“I agree,” she said finally. “You’re getting an awfully poor bargain, Jared. Do you think it’s worth it?”

Jared relaxed completely. Not once did she mention her shares in the shipyard. He didn’t know how he would have handled that if she had brought it up.

“My part of the bargain is not so bad, Corinne. I will be making amends to clear my conscience. Yes, it’s worth it. And besides, it won’t be for all that long. Once you get a divorce, we will go our separate ways.”

Corinne’s eyes danced with laughter. He thought he knew why she was happy, but he didn’t know the real reason.

There will be no divorce, Jared Burk, thought Corinne. This bargain will be till death do us part. But she wouldn’t tell him that just now. God, what magnificent revenge!

The marriage banns were posted and the wedding date set for October 10, a Sunday less than four weeks away. Invitations were dispatched immediately, and Corinne started fittings for her wedding gown. Her days were filled with making preparations and shopping for her trousseau. The four weeks passed quickly.

She didn’t see much of Jared during this time, and had little opportunity to talk to him. He sent over the written agreement he had promised her, and that removed all trace of doubt.

Her father didn’t know about the paper that guaranteed her independence. If he had, he would never have let her marry Jared. Corinne sometimes wondered why her father had agreed to the marriage so easily, without questioning her about her change of mind concerning Jared. But she gave the matter little thought.

During the final hectic week before the wedding, only one thing happened to disturb Corinne. Russell returned to Boston. He already knew that Jared had replaced him, so she didn’t have to break that to him. But he did demand explanations.

It was the middle of the afternoon when Corinne was informed that Russell was waiting for her in the parlor
downstairs. She had been trying on her finished wedding gown, delivered just that morning, and had been in a bubbling mood, for the gown was exquisite. Now her spirits were dampened.

Seeing Corinne’s expression, Florence asked, “Did you think you wouldn’t have to face the poor man?”

“No, but I had hoped I would be Mrs. Jared Burk first,” Corinne replied. “Now quickly, help me change.”

“It would be even worse if you didn’t see him until after the wedding,” Florence said as she began unhooking the back of the gown. “The man expected to marry you. He deserves to know why you choose another instead.”

“I know. But at least if I were already safely married, Russell couldn’t try to talk me out of it.”

Florence shook her head. “You treat a man’s feelings so lightly, Cori.”

“Russell knows I didn’t love him,” she said defensively.

“But
he
loved
you
.”

“Whose side are you on, Florence?” Corinne demanded petulantly.

“Yours, my girl. I’ve known you since you were born. My mother was your nurse, and then I took care of you after she died. You’ve been like a daughter to me.”

“Oh, stop it,” Corinne giggled. “You’re not old enough to be my mother.”

“I’m close enough. And when I can’t speak my mind to you, then it’s time I left.”

“Don’t be silly.”

“Well, you have to listen to someone, Cori. And who else will tell you what you’re doing is wrong? I never cared for Russell Drayton, but you used him. That was
terrible. Now you’re using Mr. Burk to get what you want, and you don’t love him any more than you loved Drayton.”

“Jared is aware of that. Our marriage will be one of convenience.”

“Convenience only for you. Heavens, Cori. You told me you won’t even be sharing the same bedroom. What is he going to get out of this marriage?”

“He owes me!” Corinne snapped, forgetting that Florence didn’t know about Jared’s mistreatment of her.

“Owes you? Owes you what? What haven’t you told me, Corinne Barrows?” Florence asked sternly.

“Nothing.” Corinne nervously laughed it off. “Nothing, really.”

She couldn’t tell Florence. She was too ashamed of her own part in it. Worse, no one would understand how she could agree to marry the man who had raped her. No, she couldn’t explain.

When she came downstairs, she found Russell in a furious mood, made worse by his having been kept waiting.

“I was beginning to think you were afraid to face me!” Russell nearly shouted as she came into the room.

Corinne ignored the accusation and inquired softly, “Did your grandfather recover, Russell?”

“He died.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure you are,” Russell replied cuttingly. “Just as I’m sure you’re sorry you didn’t let me know you had dropped me for someone else the moment my back was turned!”

“Don’t be bitter, Russell. You know my father wouldn’t have let us marry.”

“You said you would convince him!” he reminded her, his blue eyes dark with anger.

“I tried, but he just wouldn’t change his mind.”

“You know I would have waited until you no longer needed his permission,” Russell said, a little less harshly now.

“And you know I had no intention of waiting that long.” Corinne’s annoyance was building. “Be reasonable, Russell. I never pretended to love you. I made that clear. I was honest with you from the beginning. It just didn’t work out the way we wanted.”

“Do you love Burk?”

“No. I have the same agreement with him as I had with you. The only difference is that my father didn’t refuse Jared. And if it’s any consolation, Russell, Jared and I will be married in name only.”

Russell crooked a brow. “That wasn’t one of our agreements.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Why would a man like Burk accept such preposterous terms?”

“
I
don’t think they’re preposterous.” Corinne brushed away the question indignantly.

“What does Burk get out of this?”

“A wife for appearances’ sake only,” Corinne lied. “Which is what he wants.”

“And that’s all?”

“Yes.”

Russell sneered. “So he’s using you just as you are him. He’ll have his fun with the ladies, but needn’t worry about being pressured into marriage, since he will have a legal wife. How very tidy. The man really is a cad, isn’t he?”

“I suppose that’s what he has in mind,” Corinne remarked with some irritation. She hadn’t considered Jared’s plans.

“Then will you still see me, after you’re married?”

Corinne frowned. “I don’t know, Russell.”

He hurried over to her and grabbed her shoulders. “Don’t shut me out completely, Corinne.”

“If you’re still hoping I will fall in love with you, don’t. I doubt I will ever lose my heart, Russell. I would have to depend on someone else then, to trust them. I much prefer relying on myself. I can count on me.”

“I can’t give up hope, Corinne, not yet.” He pulled her closer and sought her lips for a long kiss. “Don’t ask me to.”

Corinne hated the pleading in his voice, the hurt look. It was the weak men who could not give up gracefully.

“I suppose we could remain friends,” she suggested briskly. “But I really can’t see you again until after I’m married.”

“Very well, Corinne. Whatever you say,” he eagerly agreed.

It was so like Russell to bend to her every wish. It was really too bad her father had refused him. At least she liked Russell. She couldn’t say as much for Jared Burk.