Kaycee was furious!

How dared he use her like that just to get his own way? Admittedly It had been the best experience of her life and she had no doubt that any other man would never have compared but to take her virginity so callously just so that she would have no choice but to admit defeat was sinking to a new level even for him and it made her feel used and dirty.

It also made her realise that she had been right when she had suspected his reasons for marrying her may have had more to do with her father’s hotels than with drink. Didn’t this prove it? After all she knew of men like him, and a playboy like him would never give up control and would certainly never stay married to a stranger just because they had made a drunken mistake. No, he had planned this and now he was trying to force her to do what he wanted. Well, Kaycee was done with playing by everyone else’s rules. This was her game now and she had no intention of becoming someone’s dutiful wife, especially not an ass like Jake.

“Kaycee?”

She ignored him, it might be childish putting her hands over her ears and pretending she couldn’t hear him but it made her feel better so that was exactly what she did. Closed her eyes and pretended that if she couldn’t see or hear him then he didn’t exist, just like the bogeyman. Although it had never worked when she tried it with her stepmother and it didn’t work now.

Jake simply broke open the door and barged his way right in just as he had with everything else in her life. The crash had her eyes opening wide in surprise and he stayed there a moment or two staring down at her like he had never seen her before, which she reminded herself he hadn’t until yesterday.

“I’m sorry,” he said and Kaycee stared at him unsure that she had heard him right. Was the infamous Jake Wentworth actually apologising? She didn’t answer just continued to stare back at him, her green eyes huge and hurting as they surveyed him making him sigh and run a hand through his already mussed hair.

“You’re sorry?” she said quietly, incredulously and he sighed again.

“I didn’t mean that to sound how it did, back there,” he said as though that made it all better and Kaycee gave a harsh laugh that sounded strange even to her own ears as she hugged her knees close to her chest forgetting her near nakedness for the moment as she regarded him with tears in her eyes.

“This isn’t going to work,” she told him firmly and Jake frowned at her unable to believe the words that were coming out of her mouth.

“It will work, Kaycee. We will work,” he told her firmly and she shook her head not bothering to move her hair when it fell over her face hiding her expression from him.

“How can you say that? We should never have happened in the first place,” she told him and Jake sighed as he moved slightly closer but without making any sudden movements as though he was scared she may bolt from his touch.

“Maybe, but we did. And I promise you Kaycee, we can make this work. A lot of people start off their marriage in a far worse place than we did and if they can make it work then I’m sure we can,” he suggested lightly as he ran a hand lightly down her chilled arm.

“I don’t know. It sounds ridiculous. I mean who in their right mind gets married in Vegas and then actually makes a go of their marriage. We should just call this off right now and go our separate ways!” Kaycee informed him and Jake looked ready to spit fire. There was no way he was letting her go and not just because the thought of some other man touching her, taking pleasure from her body made him want to punch something.

“There will be no calling anything off. We are married and we will be staying married even if I have to do something I would rather not do!” he told her through gritted teeth and Kaycee stared up at him warily as she realised that he was not going to simply let her go.

“Believe me Jake, I will never willingly agree to stay in this marriage and any force you use on me will only make me hate you!” she said quietly making him wish he could soothe that anger and tame it in to the passion that burned between them, only now was not the time and instead he got to his feet and scooped her in to his arms ignoring her protests as he carried her back in to the bedroom and deposited her gently on the bed.

“Get dressed!” he flung at her as he pulled on his own clothes only to turn around and find her in the same position as he had left her.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she informed him quietly and he gave a slow nod before he turned and raided her closet.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded furiously as he selected a clean pair of jeans, a black top with some logo on it and clean underwear.

“If you won’t dress yourself then I guess I’ll have to do it myself,” he told her and her eyes widened in shock.

“Don’t you dare!” she told him furiously cursing and hitting and scratching as he did exactly what he had threatened. It took him ten minutes but eventually his little hellcat was dressed and she was spitting mad.

“You should pack a bag,” he suggested but his suggestion was met with more swearing and vicious looks. Ignoring them Jake instead packed a bag for her which again did not go down well with her.

“I will never go with you willingly and the second your back in turned I will be gone. Do you hear me Wentworth? Gone!” she screeched at him but Jake had decided he’d had enough of the theatrics so after zipping up her bag he slung her over his shoulder and left the apartment making sure to lock it carefully behind him even as he ignored her screeches of fury and the occasional fist making contact.

He placed her in the passenger seat of his car and sent a quelling look her way as he fastened her in, daring her to make a move. She seemed to take the hint as she didn’t move an inch as he made his way round to the driver’s side and strapped himself in ignoring the furious glares she levelled at him.

“This is for the best,” he told her calmly a few minutes later as he manoeuvred the car round some heavy traffic and Kaycee glared at him.

“For the best? You’re kidnapping me, how is that for the best?” she demanded and Jake sighed.

“Do you know what your father and I were discussing tonight?” he asked after a few moments and Kaycee frowned at him.

“Of course, he told us, remember? You were there to discuss a way of gaining his hotels, well I guess you got what you wanted, huh?” she asked bitterly and he gave a harsh laugh.

“That’s just your father’s cover story,” he informed her and Kaycee frowned at him in confusion.

“Just what is that supposed to mean?” she demanded and Jake shrugged as he took a turn.

“It means, my angel, that your father was lying to you and to the rest of your family I would imagine,” Jake informed her coolly.

“I’m not your angel, I’m not your anything! And what the hell does that mean? My father wouldn’t lie to us!” she spat at him certain that he was the one doing the lying.

“Your father is in debt, did he tell you that?” Jake asked calmly and she frowned certain that he was wrong. Her father would have said something, he had never been short of money in his life. Jake was lying, he had to be.

“You’re lying!” she said and he shrugged like he didn’t really care what she thought.

“Unfortunately, cara, I am not. Your father has been in serious debt for a while and yet he keeps spending money on his family, money he does not have I might point out. That meeting was not about me trying to buy the hotels by marrying you, that was your father’s attempt at selling the hotels and one of his daughter’s in exchange for my help,” Jake informed her coolly making Kaycee gasp and pale in shock.

No, it wasn’t true. Her father would never let her or Sarah marry a man like him. Hadn’t he said as much himself?

“My father would never try to sell me to you!” she said in disgust and he smiled at that.

“No, cara. You’re right. He doesn’t see your worth the way I do. He tried to sell me Sarah. He thought that maybe she would tip the scales in his favour so that I would be more inclined to help him out. After all he’s heard about my little problem.” Jake said and Kaycee frowned at that.

“What problem?” she asked unwilling to comment on the other points he had made.

“My father has threatened to fire me and cut me off if I do not get married and believe me I have no intention of letting the business I worked so hard to build up just crumble without me. Your father knew this and he thought that offering me Sarah would change my mind.” Jake announced.

“My father wouldn’t just offer you Sarah, besides she’s already engaged!” Kaycee blurted unwilling to believe for a second that he was right.

“Your father had no idea what a mistake he was making when he offered me Sarah instead of you. He doesn’t see what he’s got even though you’re staring him right in the face,” Jake said instead and Kaycee frowned at him, ignoring the warmth that spread through her at his words.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sarah’s the pretty one, everyone knows it,” Kaycee informed him matter of factly and he did laugh at that.

“I don’t know who told you that but they were clearly blind. Sarah’s pretty, sure. But she doesn’t have the rare beauty that you have and she’s an empty headed bimbo who’s easily led, not like you my intelligent angel,” he corrected her and Kaycee frowned at that.

He was wrong! He had to be!