Required to Wear the Tycoon's Ring

It was one night in the middle of the week before Seth called her to confirm the details of their vacation. The demands of his day had been relentless. As well as driving into London for another meeting at the Lamborghini dealership, and being introduced to two important new clients there, he had been firming up the details of their marriage with the agency he’d hired to organise the wedding and finalising the arrangements for their trip away, It felt as if he had hardly stopped to draw breath.

 It came as no surprise when Imogen confessed that she’d gone to bed. She hadn’t expected him to be ringing so late.

 Glancing at his watch, he realised she was right. It was very late. ‘Sorry about that.’ He grimaced. ‘I feel as if I’ve been on rails today. I haven’t stopped.’

 ‘That can’t be good for you...’

 He heard her stifle a yawn.

 ‘A body needs rest as well as activity. Did you get something proper to eat?’

 Seth didn’t answer straight away, because the sleepy cadence of her voice was seriously making him tingle. It didn’t help that he couldn’t help wondering what kind of nightwear she wore to bed—if she wore any at all. There wasn’t one other woman in his sphere who dispensed care and concern as she did. It was a revelation that such a quality could be so alluring.

 Gravel voiced, he replied, ‘Yes, I did. I sent out for a sandwich during my meeting.’

 ‘You only had a sandwich?’

 ‘That’s all I needed.’

 ‘Surely just a sandwich won’t give you the energy you need when you’re working?’

 ‘It was good enough.’

 ‘You should have gone out and had a proper lunch...that’s all I’m saying.’

 ‘Don’t be so concerned. Do I look as if I’m in need of feeding?’

 ‘I don’t deny that you certainly look pretty fit and strong...’

 Grinning with satisfaction, and not a little male pride, Seth commented, ‘So you’ve observed that about me, have you?’

 At the other end of the phone it went ominously quiet.

 ‘Imogen...are you still there?’

 She sighed, and it was as though the warmth of her breath drifted through the telephone and touched his cheek.

 ‘Yes. I’m still here. Was there a particular reason for your call?’

 ‘I wanted to tell you about the arrangements for our trip.’

 ‘You’ve decided where we’re going, then?’

 ‘Yes, I have.’

 ‘So where’s it going to be?’

 ‘I’m not going to tell you the destination because I want it to be a surprise. All you need to know is that we’ll be leaving early on Saturday. I’ll come to the house around eight to collect you. Bring an assortment of clothing in case we have to contend with bad weather at some point.’

 ‘Okay...’

 ‘You still trust me not to do wrong by you, don’t you?’

 Seth found it hard to keep the doubt from his voice. There was always the potential that Imogen might change her mind about their deal. He hadn’t forgotten that she’d warned him about that. He wished he’d gone to the house to see her face-to-face rather than rely on the phone.

 ‘I do. I’ll make sure I’m ready on time.’

 ‘Good.’ Low voiced, he confessed, ‘I’ve missed not seeing you these past couple of days, you know...’

 ‘You mean you’re not regretting asking me to marry you?’

 ‘Absolutely not!’

 ‘Well, then...’

 Hearing the distinct smile in her voice, he was satisfied that she wasn’t going to back out after all.

 ‘I’ll see you on Saturday.’

 ‘Goodnight, Imogen. I’d better let you get some sleep.’

 ‘Goodnight, Seth. Make sure you get some rest, too. Even Superman must have had to have some down-time now and again, to recharge his batteries.’

 Chuckling, he rang off, knowing that it would be her face that he took with him into sleep that night and no one else’s.

 He was surprised at how reassured he felt about that...

 * * *

 Saturday arrived, and Imogen had been on tenterhooks from the early hours, knowing that today she was going away with Seth. She’d been up and dressed at the crack of dawn, and now busied herself making some last-minute checks on her packing as she nervously waited for his arrival.

 She attested to feeling as Fanny Robin must have done in Far From the Madding Crowd, when her sweetheart Troy hadn’t appeared because she’d been waiting for him at the wrong church... She knew what it was like to be stood up on what was supposed to be the happiest day of a woman’s life, and—dear God—she didn’t want to experience such a devastating scenario again.