He owned that it had hurt his pride. It was no exaggeration that any other woman he’d asked to be his wife would have been nothing less than ecstatic at the prospect. But, although he couldn’t explain it, he also knew that no other woman interested or beguiled him like Imogen did.
All he could do now was pray that she would see sense and give him the answer he wanted. Surely, in light of everything that had happened to her, she would start to see that Seth’s proposal was the only sensible thing that could guarantee her a happier future? After all, he was the one man who could provide virtually anything her heart desired...wasn’t he?
* * *
When he arrived at her flat the next day Imogen looked as though she, too, had had a restless night. Her soft brown hair was slightly disarrayed and there were faint dark circles beneath her eyes. He owned to feeling reassured. Whatever her decision, he saw that she hadn’t made it easily. That meant she was taking his proposal seriously—that she was giving it proper consideration.
‘All right, Seth,’ she began. ‘I don’t mind telling you I’ve had the worst night I’ve had since I was stood up in church on my wedding day.’
He flinched, but quickly recovered. ‘I’d like to tell you I’m sorry about that, but that rather depends on your decision.’
Her cheeks searing with heat, she answered, ‘Well, to put you out of your misery, I’ll tell you.’
‘Good.’ Aiming for a confident smile, he found he couldn’t quite manage it. His nervous anticipation at what she was going to say gripped his gut like a fist. If he’d had a mind to say a prayer just then, he would have offered one up.
Imogen’s insides lurched as she glanced up at Seth. His proposal of marriage was even more daunting now that she saw him again in the flesh. When he had left yesterday she’d honestly feared that she might never see him again. If she didn’t know better, she’d think that he was becoming important to her...
But how could that be? she asked herself. His proposal wasn’t a real one, in that it didn’t come out of love for her, and she would be cheating herself if she said that didn’t matter. It mattered a great deal. She shouldn’t give up on the idea of finding love and settle instead for a marriage of convenience—no matter how alluring Seth Broden happened to be. Having already been devastatingly taken in by her previous fiancé, she knew she was dicing with danger in even considering his offer...
‘Imogen?’ Seth prompted.
Clasping her hands, she stole a shuddering breath. ‘I’ve decided to take up the offer of becoming your full-time companion.’
Her mouth dried even as she said the words. The words that would change her life and give her a future she’d never imagined even in the most fanciful of her dreams. The words that would align her to a man she’d only met a couple of days ago—a charismatic stranger with a sorrowful past who had left the country to go and make his fortune.
The success he’d achieved was astounding. But then, Seth Broden obviously walked his talk... He had trusted himself and it had paid off. Why couldn’t it work for her if she did the same? she mused nervously. After all, right now, what did she have to lose?
‘And my wife.’
‘And your wife.’
Seth’s hypnotic smile vanished as soon as she’d agreed. In its stead, his expression became serious and businesslike. ‘Good. Now we can both move forward.’
Trying to sound more confident than she was feeling, Imogen commented, ‘Presumably I’ll have to give in my notice as soon as possible, as well as give up my tenancy on the flat?’
Even as she spoke she felt even more as though she were in a dream. Suddenly nothing seemed remotely real anymore. She might just as well have been on a raft, drifting out into an endless intimidating ocean with no hope of ever finding land again... That was how scared the prospect of living with Seth made her feel.
He frowned just then, and it drew her attention to his smooth forehead and his exquisitely carved cheekbones. A frisson of excitement replaced her fear as she reminded herself that she had just agreed to marry him.
‘Yes, you will,’ he confirmed. ‘But you’ll be going on to something better on both counts. Don’t forget that. I can have the necessary agreements drawn up by my lawyer in the morning, stating clearly what you will be committing to. Then you can have it legally verified. After that, the marriage can be arranged. Can you let me have some ID?’
Feeling a bit like a lamb startled by a wolf, Imogen felt her heart skitter wildly. ‘Give me a few minutes and I’ll get what you need.’