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‘Not that I know of,’ Russell said. But he wouldn’t put it past his friend. Since his divorce, James had developed a ruthless streak which surpassed even his.

James’s courtship of Megan had been a classic example. He’d pursued the girl with a passion which had even fooled Russell for a while. But soon after their engagement had been announced six short weeks ago—the day after Megan told him she was pregnant—James had done a flit overseas, minus his adoring and unsuspecting fiancée. He wasn’t due to return till tomorrow, the day before his wedding.

Russell suspected that the pregnancy had been planned. Not by Megan, but by James. No way would he want to find himself with another wife who couldn’t have children, which had been the unfortunate case with Jackie. When she’d discovered that she was infertile Jackie had insisted on a divorce, refusing James’s suggestion that they try IVF or adoption. Russell had never seen his friend so distraught as he’d been at that time in his life.

Not that James had openly voiced his distress. He was not a man to talk about his personal problems. Neither would he ever let them totally rule or ruin his life.

Hence his marriage to Megan, who was one of the sweetest girls Russell had ever met.

‘It’s all right for you,’ Hugh said somewhat disgruntedly. ‘You’re not the best man. You don’t have to make a speech. How can I stand up there and rave on about how much James loves Megan when I know it’s not true?’

‘Could we leave this conversation till I’ve hit off?’ Russell replied, then promptly smashed the golf ball a good sixty metres down the fairway, at least twenty metres past Hugh’s ball.

Hugh whistled. ‘What’s got into you today? You suffering from a testosterone overload or something?’

‘Possibly,’ Russell replied, his mind once again filling with the image of a certain blonde standing naked in that made-for-two shower. ‘You might as well know, I guess. Yesterday, I bought Alistair Power’s mansion in Belleview Hill.’

Hugh wasn’t surprised, which was understandable. Both Hugh and James knew how he felt about Power. The three of them had been room-mates at uni when Russell’s father had committed suicide. He’d confessed everything that had happened afterwards to the other two. Although they’d never discussed it, they’d known what had been driving Russell all these years.

‘For how much?’ Hugh asked.

‘Twenty mil.’

‘But you’d have paid double that, wouldn’t you?’

‘Yep.’

Hugh cocked his head on one side, his expression speculative. ‘Just how much were you responsible for what happened to Power Mortgages?’

‘Power’s greed was ultimately responsible,’ Russell bit out. ‘I just gave things a helping hand.’

‘I can imagine,’ Hugh muttered. ‘So is that it, Russ? Is it over?’

Russell shrugged. ‘There’s nothing much more I can do, is there? Power’s escaped. And I doubt very much if he’s broke. He’s probably out there on some island in the Bahamas, sipping pina coladas.’

‘Let it go, mate. Let it go and move on.’

‘That’s easier said than done. Getting even with that bastard has become a way of life.’

‘I do see that. But like you said, you’ve done all that can be done. It’s time you made a different life for yourself.’

‘And what, exactly, would you suggest?’

‘You could consider having a real relationship with a girl for a change? Perhaps even consider a child or two?’

Russell stared at his friend. ‘Am I hearing you right? You’re suggesting that I do what James is doing? Marry some nice girl I don’t love just to have children?’

‘Who says you won’t love her? From what I’ve seen, you’ve never given love a chance. You might surprise yourself.’

‘I never surprise myself. I’m just like you, my friend. I don’t do love and commitment. But enough of me. Back to your problem as best man. Why don’t you rave on about how much Megan loves James?’ Russell suggested as he swept up his tee, then shoved his jumbo-sized driver back in his golf bag. ‘That’s true enough. Then concentrate on how beautiful a bride she is. No one will notice that you don’t mention the bridegroom’s affections. Leave it up to him to lie. He’s obviously very good at it.’

‘I don’t get it,’ Hugh grumbled as they made their way down the fairway. ‘I would have thought you’d have seriously disapproved of this marriage. You’re always going on about honesty being the best policy.’

‘There’s honesty and honesty, Hugh,’ Russell replied. ‘Sometimes a little white lie doesn’t do any harm. James will make a good husband and father. Megan will never know that his heart is elsewhere.’

‘Don’t be too sure about that. Some day, someone is going to say something. Jim should have told her the truth from the start. She would still have married him.’

‘I doubt that. A girl as sensitive as Megan wouldn’t like being short-changed in the love department.’

Hugh sighed. ‘Marriage is a trap for all players, especially when big money’s involved. I don’t want anything to do with it.’

‘You’ve certainly made no secret of that.’

‘One has to learn from experience,’ Hugh pontificated. ‘And from history. I’m just like my father. I need variety when it comes to women. My boredom threshold is spectacularly low. What I don’t need, however, is a string of ex-wives, like dear old Dad has acquired. He’s damned lucky that none except my mother produced offspring, or he’d be broke by now.’

Russell laughed. ‘Broke? The man’s a billionaire ten times over!’

‘That’s beside the point. For an intelligent man, Dad is extremely thick about his sex addiction. I’ve learned the difference between love and lust, and I live accordingly.’

‘Give the man a medal.’

Hush’s bedroom-blue eyes shot daggers at Russell. ‘You can be a judgemental bastard, do you know that?’

‘Yes.’

‘Hypocritical as well. You criticise my sex life yet you’re doing pretty much the same.’

‘We’re both bad bastards when it comes to the fairer sex.’

‘Not as bad as Jimmy-boy. I have a dreadful feeling about this marriage, Russ. Do you think it’s too late to talk him out of it?’

‘I’ve already tried.’

‘And?’

‘You know James. He’s as stubborn as a mule. Now, let’s stop this futile conversation and play golf.’

Hugh shrugged resignedly. Russ was right. Jim was not good at taking advice. But it was a shame, he thought. Megan was a darling. Not his type, of course. He liked women with spirit.

Thinking of women with spirit reminded him of the one woman in his life who had too much spirit—his PA, Kathryn.

What a slave-driver! She actually expected him to go to the office every day, and made her disapproval loud and clear when he didn’t. Lately he’d found himself actually going to work most mornings, just to shut her up. It was no wonder Russ was beating him today. Hell, he hadn’t played golf in over a week!

The situation could not continue. He’d have to get rid of her. But how? She’d never given him any cause to fire her. She was perfection as an employee. Capable and conscientious, never taking a day off, never arriving late or leaving early.

Her fiancé had his pity. She was going to make a dreadful wife. A real nag, keeping tabs on him every minute of the day and always wanting everything to be just so.

Of course, there would be some compensation for a husband putting up with her unrelenting standards. She was, without doubt, one of the sexiest women he’d ever met.

Not pretty, or beautiful.

Sexy.

‘You’ve just walked right past your ball,’ Russell pointed out.

‘What? Oh, yeah … right.’

‘I can see now why I’m winning. Your mind is elsewhere. So what’s the problem? A woman?’

‘Got it in one.’

‘Can’t get her into bed, is that it?’

A light went on in Hugh’s brain. He hadn’t realised up till this moment why he’d hired Kathryn Hart in the first place, and why he was now thinking about firing her.

‘You’ve hit the nail right on the head, Russ,’ he muttered. Damn, why hadn’t he realised this earlier?

‘You’ll find a way, mate,’ his friend said drily. ‘You always do.’

CHAPTER SIX

NICOLE’s gasp of shock sent Kara’s head whipping round to face her friend.

‘What is it? What’s wrong?’

‘It’s him,’ was all Nicole could manage.

‘Who?’ Kara frowned as she followed the direction of Nicole’s stunned gaze to the three men who stood at the head of the church aisle. ‘You can’t mean the groom. And you certainly can’t mean the best man. That’s Hugh Parkinson. Everyone in Sydney knows Hugh Parkinson. So you must mean the groomsman. I don’t recognise him.’

‘You said the odds of my running into him again were zero,’ Nicole muttered under her breath.

‘That’s Russell McClain of McClain Real Estate?’

‘The one and only.’ Looking sinfully sexy in a sleek black dinner suit.

‘He’s better-looking than I thought he’d be.’

‘He’s had a haircut and he’s wearing a tux. All men look good in tuxes.’

‘No, not all men. Though Leyton does, don’t you, darling?’ Kara said, hooking arms with the man by her side.

Leyton was Kara’s latest in a long line of boyfriends. Kara was inclined to be on the fickle side and Nicole didn’t even try to keep up with the passing parade of pretty boys her friend had dated over the years.

‘Don’t I what?’ Leyton replied a little vacantly.

Intelligence was not something Kara valued in a man, unlike Nicole, who could not abide stupidity.

‘Never mind,’ Kara said, patting Leyton’s hand.

The bride’s arrival put paid to any further conversation over the amazing coincidence of Russell McClain being at this wedding. Though it wasn’t till the bride started walking down the aisle that Nicole managed to drag her attention back to the present.

Megan still looked like Megan, Nicole thought as the bride moved past her pew. There’d been no radical makeover. Though she did look truly lovely in a strapless ivory dress which had a tightly boned and heavily beaded bodice and a huge gathered skirt. Under the long veil—which was held in place by a simple coronet of tiny roses—her dark brown hair was tightly pulled back from her beautifully made-up face, an exquisite pearl necklace adorning her slender neck.

‘Doesn’t she look fabulous?’ Kara gushed.

‘Absolutely gorgeous,’ Nicole concurred.

Unfortunately, once the bride had passed by, Nicole’s mind returned to the third man at the head of the aisle. Why, oh, why, did fate have to be this cruel?

Fortunately, he wasn’t looking down into the congregation, so he hadn’t seen her. Still, it was just a matter of time.

Nicole shuddered at the thought of meeting him again.

The ceremony was simple and very traditional. It was also quite short and soon the wedding party moved off into the vestry, presumably to sign the register. It wouldn’t be long before they’d be walking back down the aisle, right past where Nicole was sitting.

‘Just going outside for some fresh air,’ Nicole said. ‘It’s very stuffy in here.’ Before Kara could stop her she jumped up and slipped out the back, heading straight for the oak tree in the corner of the churchyard.

It was the perfect hiding place, the tree’s large trunk keeping her out of sight whilst its huge canopy of leaves provided shade from what was an unseasonably hot day for early November. Although it was getting on for five in the afternoon, it was still extremely warm and surprisingly humid for this time of year. A storm was predicted for later in the evening but not soon enough to spoil the wedding. At the moment, there wasn’t even a cloud in the clear blue sky.

A sudden burst of noise and laughter indicated that the ceremony was over, a glance around the trunk confirming that the wedding party had emerged from the church, followed by waves of guests, most of them armed with digital cameras and photo-taking phones.

Nicole stayed hidden whilst all the photographs were taken, but not so hidden that she couldn’t get a few surreptitious glimpses of the annoying man whom she didn’t want to fancy … but did.

Finally the wedding party left, and Nicole called out to Kara, who was obviously looking for her.

‘So there you are!’ Kara said. ‘What are you doing, skulking off in this corner? As if I don’t know! Come on, we’re off to the reception. And before you say it, no, we can’t possibly take you home. It’s too far for one thing. Leyton would have to drive back across the harbour bridge, then back again. The reception is being held at a yacht club not far from here.’

‘I could always take a taxi,’ Nicole said. She was no longer stone-broke, having sold a good proportion of her wardrobe yesterday.

‘Mum would not be pleased if you did a flit. And the mother of the bride would be livid. You’re stuck, sweetie. Not that I’m sure why you’d want to run away. Your Mr McClain is quite yummy, if you like the gladiatorial type. And he’s not into the second bridesmaid, by the way, even though she practically glued herself to his side during the photographs.’

‘How do you know that?’ Nicole had been feeling quite jealous of the attractive redhead, whose burgundy satin bridesmaid dress had showed an impressive cleavage.

‘Because he hasn’t even looked at her boobs,’ Kara said. ‘And just about every other man has, I can tell you.’

‘He can look if he wants to,’ Nicole said offhandedly. ‘What do I care?’

‘Oh, come, now, Nickie. You don’t fool me for a minute. You’ve got the hots for the guy.’

‘I wouldn’t go that far.’

‘I would. You know, I don’t understand what your problem is. In the old days, you’d have just sashayed up to him and in no time flat he’d have been toast.’

‘That was then and this is now,’ Nicole said, thinking that what Kara said was true. She used to have great success in attracting the opposite sex, and great confidence.

But David had destroyed a lot of her self-esteem, his critical words still stinging.

‘The trouble with girls like you,’ he’d thrown at her when she returned his ring, ‘is that you think being drop-dead gorgeous is enough for a man. But it isn’t. What we want is a woman with some passion in her veins, not some vain little puss who expects to just lie back and let the man do all the work.

‘And that’s another thing,’ he’d added. ‘If you think I’m sorry this engagement is over then you can think again. You might be beautiful to look at, sweetheart, but you’re a bloody bore in bed.’

Ever since that day, whenever a man had looked at her with interest Nicole had run a mile.

A light suddenly went on in her brain. Up till now, she’d convinced herself she’d seen nothing in Russell McClain’s eyes the other day but dislike.

But now she realised that was not strictly true. Along with the dislike, she’d glimpsed something else.

Desire.

Unfortunately, this time, Nicole didn’t want to run a mile. Despite her fear of further humiliation, she wanted to sashay up to him at the wedding reception. She wanted him to be toast.

But she just didn’t have the courage, or the confidence.

Kara sighed a long, exasperated-sounding sigh. ‘Whatever am I going to do with you? That creep has a lot to answer for.’

Nicole blinked up at her. ‘What creep?’

‘David, of course. Who did you think I meant? Surely not Mr McClain. He hardly qualifies as a creep. He was nice to you in the end, wasn’t he?’

‘I suppose so.’

‘You worry too much these days. Come on, let’s go. Leyton’s already gone back to his car and he’ll be wondering where we are.’

Nicole reluctantly allowed herself to be led away, all the while thinking she should never have agreed to come to this wedding in the first place. At the same time she could not deny that there was a small sliver of excitement running through her veins at the prospect of meeting Russell McClain again.

At least she was looking her best, having been to the hairdresser’s first thing this morning with Kara, then having spent quite a long time afterwards on her body. Months of not bothering had been reversed as she’d buffed herself to the max. Her make-up had taken her almost an hour, but overall the final result had been most pleasing.

The dress she was wearing—one of only a few dresses she’d not sold yesterday—was a pale green, empire-line, halter-necked number with a low-cut draped bodice and a swishy skirt which finished just above her knee. More of a party dress than the kind of thing one wore to a snooty wedding. But she’d always liked it.

She hadn’t been going to wear jewellery, despite having not sold any yet. But Kara had talked her into donning the emerald and diamond set Alistair had presented her with on her twenty-first, which consisted of a pendant and two drop earrings.

‘This is a society wedding, sweetie,’ Kara had said somewhat impatiently. ‘If you’re not going to wear a more formal dress, then you have to at least wear some serious bling, not to mention decent shoes.’

The handmade Italian shoes Kara had produced for her to wear were extremely glamorous, a slender crisscross of exquisitely beaded straps somehow managing to anchor her feet to their very high heels. Stockings had been out of the question, so Nicole had sprayed her legs with some fake tan to match the natural tan she had acquired on her upper half in Thailand.

‘No sitting in a corner tonight,’ Kara said during the drive to the yacht club. ‘I want to see you up and dancing and having some fun.’

‘In these shoes?’

‘Shoes never stopped you in the past. And if a certain someone asks you to dance then you must promise me you won’t say no.’

‘You can be terribly bossy, do you know that?’

‘I do,’ Leyton interjected—though not unhappily.

‘Promise?’ Kara insisted.

Nicole didn’t have to promise any such thing. Because if Russell McClain asked her to dance, she knew she would not be able to say no. All she could hope was that he wouldn’t ask her.

Because there was something about the man which she didn’t trust—and she’d had enough of untrustworthy men.

‘OK,’ she said. ‘I promise.’

CHAPTER SEVEN

RUSSELL’S frustrated gaze was scanning the guest tables in search of feminine prey when his eyes landed on the very female who’d put him in this appalling state in the first place.

His heart lurched at the sight of her. So did something else.

Blast! What on earth was Nicole Power doing at James’s wedding?

His gaze shifted to the rest of the people at her table, but he didn’t recognise any of them. There again, he didn’t recognise most of the guests. Despite his wealth, he wasn’t a social animal. Not like James, or Hugh; they enjoyed entertaining and being entertained. Russell had had had other priorities up till now.

His need for revenge had consumed him.

Now something else was consuming him.

The more he stared at her, sitting there looking absolutely delicious in the sexiest green dress, the more he wanted her.

Had she seen him yet? he wondered.

She must have. He was in the main wedding party. Strange that he hadn’t spotted her before this. Perhaps she was deliberately avoiding him? He could well understand why: he’d been pretty obnoxious the other day.

Hugh suddenly leant over from the chair next to him.

‘I see you’re eyeing that hot-looking blonde over there,’ he said. ‘Presumably, you haven’t recognised her. That’s Nicole Power, your enemy’s daughter.’

‘Yes, I know.’

‘You know?’

‘Indeed I do.’

Hugh frowned. ‘Russ, you’re not going to take this revenge of yours too far, are you? I mean, she’s not to blame for what her father did.’

Up till this moment, Russell hadn’t thought of his attraction for Nicole Power as anything more than extremely annoying. The thought of using his unexpected and, up till now, unwanted passion as a weapon against his enemy had never occurred to him.

But, suddenly, the vengeful words he’d thrown at Alistair Power all those years ago took on an added meaning: he’d vowed to take everything his enemy held dear …

Clearly, Power held his daughter dear …

It was a wickedly tempting idea …

‘What do you know about her?’ Russell asked Hugh abruptly.

‘If you think I’m going to help you seduce that poor girl, then you have another think coming.’

‘She’s far from being poor, Hugh. I’ll warrant those are real diamonds and emeralds she’s wearing. And that dress has designer label written all over it. She might not be personally responsible for what her father did, but she’s never minded living off the proceeds.’

‘You don’t know that.’

‘Yeah, Hugh, I do. Now, tell me what you know about her.’

Hugh sighed. ‘She was briefly engaged to David Porter earlier this year.’

‘The stockbroker?’

‘Yep.’

‘What happened? Wasn’t he rich enough?’

Hugh shrugged, clearly not happy with giving him any information at all. ‘I have no idea. Porter’s not in my immediate social circle. But I’ve heard he’s a ladies’ man. Maybe she found out she wasn’t going to be his one and only.’

‘I doubt that.’ Russell could not conceive of any man being unfaithful to Nicole Power. If she were his, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight … he’d keep her chained to his bed.

‘When does the dancing begin?’ came his abrupt question.

‘Not for a while. First come the speeches, then the cutting of the cake, followed by the bridal waltz. After which, other people can join in.’

Russell’s smile was wry. ‘Sounds like you’ve been to a lot of weddings.’

‘My family and friends don’t seem to learn from experience. This is the second one for James as you will recall. Dear old Dad has had four more wives since my mother.’

‘Presumably I won’t ever have to go to yours, then.’

‘Not unless some alien takes possession of my body and forces me into it.’

‘What about this woman who won’t go to bed with you? You might be reduced to marrying her, just to get her in the sack.’

Hugh looked appalled. ‘Marry just for sex? You have to be joking. No man’s that desperate these days.’

Russell’s eyes went back to the object of his own desire.

He was a man and he wanted Nicole Power, quite desperately.

But Hugh was right. You didn’t marry a girl just for sex. But what about revenge? Did you marry a girl for that?

His conscience rebelled at the idea. But his dark side didn’t. It revelled in the thought of having his cake and eating it, too.

His eyes narrowed as they raked over the sheer perfection of her face, which was even more beautiful today. Of course, she was wearing make-up and her upswept hairdo had obviously been done by a professional. All in all, she was the epitome of feminine beauty: a fair-haired siren with a breathtaking allure which would tempt any man.

Russell was more than tempted.

His head whirled with wildly tantalising thoughts. How would it feel to possess her, body and soul? To have her look at him, not with irritation as she had the other day, but with passion? Maybe even love?

Would that satisfy his vengeful soul, having Nicole Power fall in love with him?

Russell suspected that it might.

Such thinking, however, was a fantasy at this moment. If he wanted to know how it felt, he’d have to make his fantasy come true.

Somehow.

His lips pursed as his mind began to plan.

She was obviously unattached at the moment, having been seated with women on either side of her at the table.

But being unattached was not enough.

He wasn’t as handsome as James, or Hugh. He was a country boy, a bit of a rough diamond, so neither did he possess his friends’ natural charm.

What he did have, however, was money. Lots of it.

As much as he believed Alistair Power was still supporting his daughter, he knew that girls like Nicole Power could never be too rich. It was also a point in Russell’s favour that he wanted her to the extent that he did.

Women, he’d found from experience, liked being wanted, even more than they liked being loved. They were often seduced by the flattery of being pursued, of being the object of uncontrollable desire.

I wanted you from the first moment I saw you, were very seductive words. He’d used them to great effect before.

This time, they wouldn’t be a pick-up line, either. They’d be true. With a bit of luck, he might be able to sweep Nicole Power off her feet and into his bed with those passionately delivered words, after which he hoped to obtain her total sexual surrender via his skills in the bedroom.

Russell didn’t pretend to rival Hugh’s Casanova-like reputation but he knew how to make love. He genuinely liked female bodies, liked touching them, kissing them. He liked their softness and sweetness, their curves and their cavities.

Once he’d got a girl into his bed, she rarely wanted to leave. The trick with Nicole Power would be getting her into his bed in the first place.

Russell was staring at her and planning his course of action when her head suddenly lifted and their eyes clashed.

She didn’t look away immediately. She held his gaze for several startled seconds before turning her head and engaging the curvy brunette next to her in conversation.

‘I suggest you give her a miss, mate,’ Hugh said. ‘Why not try Kristy? She’s as keen as mustard.’

Russell grimaced at the mention of the bridesmaid who’d been his partner for the marriage ceremony. ‘A little too keen for me,’ he replied drily.

‘In that case you won’t mind if I—er—’

‘Feel free.’

‘Great. Oh, oh. Toast and speech time. Mine, unfortunately. By the way, I did what you suggested and concentrated on Megan’s love for James. Hope she doesn’t notice that anything’s missing.’

‘She won’t. She’s obviously besotted.’

Russell glanced along the curved table at the bride, and then at James, who’d been doing his best imitation of an equally besotted bridegroom all day. At their small and very select stag party last night—just drinks for the three of them at the Belleview Hill house—Hugh had refrained from asking James too many questions about his trip overseas, perhaps not wanting to know the truth.

What was to be gained by discovering that James had spent some time with his ex; that he might even have slept with her?

Russell already suspected that something had happened between James and Jackie. He’d seen the bleakness in his friend’s eyes last night when James had thought neither Russell nor Hugh were looking.

Hopefully James would find some happiness married to Megan, he might even fall in love with her in the end.

No, that was the sort of romantic crap Hugh came out with. James wasn’t going to fall in love with Megan any more than he’d fall in love with Nicole Power.

Russell didn’t delude himself about the ruthless individual he’d become over the years. His plan to cold-bloodedly seduce his enemy’s daughter tonight was wicked enough. To even consider marrying her was truly wicked.

But that was getting ahead of himself.

She might tell him to get lost later tonight. In a way, he hoped she would. Because if she didn’t, she would put him on a path from which there might be no turning back.

Frankly, to have anything to do with her was risky, even downright dangerous. He could pretend she was his prey, but for how long? He was the besotted one here. She was the one with all the potential power.

Once she knew he was attracted to her—a man with millions—then the tables could well be turned. She might set her cap at him.

Russell had to laugh.

‘What’s so funny?’ Hugh asked.

‘Just the perversity of life, mate.’

‘Don’t tell me about it. I already know. But it’s not life that’s the main problem. It’s women.’

‘You could be right there.’

‘I am right, Russ. Take my word for it.’

Russell’s eyes turned to again seek out the woman currently giving him problems.

But her chair was empty.