The look in her eyes told him she wanted to be convinced that could happen and the realisation hit him that all along she hadn’t believed it was a possibility. Her determined avoidance, her resistance to an affair with him, her stunned surprise that he wanted her to appear in public with him…she simply hadn’t believed a relationship with him would work, that it would always be limited to sex on his terms.
And that wasn’t good enough for Daisy Donahue.
Nor should it be.
Today was a testing ground.
He must not let her down.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
DAISY and Ethan arrived at Rosehill Gardens in a chauffeured limousine—no parking problem, no drunkdriving problem. A crowd of people were milling around the entrance gates, waiting to get in, although showing no impatience about it. It was a bright sunny day and everyone seemed to be in a festive mood—the men mostly dressed in suits, the women favouring cocktail dresses, with more of them wearing fascinators than hats, which gave Daisy extra assurance that her outfit had been a really good choice.
As Ethan escorted her towards a side gate with his member’s pass in hand—no queuing for him—quite a few people turned to look at them. Ethan, of course, was a strikingly handsome man, superbly attired in his grey pin-stripe suit, white shirt and gold and grey silk tie, but Daisy felt she really matched him today, as well as she could.
‘Hey, Daisy!’
The call of her name startled her and she stopped dead as she spotted Carl Jamieson striding out from a group of people, grinning at her as though he was delighted to claim acquaintance with her again. With unbelievably crass arrogance he ignored the fact she was with another man and focussed entirely on her.
Still grinning, he said, ‘You look fabulous, Daisy. No more penny-pinching, huh?’
Daisy instantly stiffened with resentment. Her ex-boyfriend was proving once again he was a fine weather friend. ‘I didn’t know you were into horse-racing, Carl,’ she said coldly.
‘It’s not usually my bag. I’m here with a bachelor party. One of the guys is getting married tomorrow.’
‘Then I suggest you rejoin your party.’
His ego took umbrage at her blanket rejection and he shot a sneering look at Ethan. ‘Got better fish to fry, have you?’
‘Yes, she has,’ Ethan replied with unruffled aplomb. ‘And I suggest you take Daisy’s advice and return to your party.’
Carl’s chin jutted up belligerently, but something in Ethan’s expression quickly changed his mind about challenging anything. ‘Fine!’ he snapped. ‘Have fun!’
Ethan’s arm tightened around hers as Carl turned his back on them. ‘Let’s move on,’ he murmured.
Daisy forced her feet to fall into step with him. ‘Sorry about that,’ she mumbled. ‘I didn’t expect to run into him here.’
‘Your ex-boyfriend?’
She winced. ‘Yes.’
‘I’m glad you didn’t give him any encouragement,’ he said dryly.
She lifted her gaze to his and found amusement twinkling in his green eyes. Her vexation with Carl broke into a giggle. ‘Well, he was very rude, Ethan, breaking in on us like that.’
He smiled with devilish humour. ‘And got his just deserts.’
Having regained her pleasure in the day, Daisy hugged his arm as they moved past the gate and strolled up the rose-bordered path to the pavilions overlooking the racetrack. She sniffed the scented air and felt a blissful joy in Ethan’s company. He was so different from Carl—caring, considerate and best of all, a giving person. Although he did want what he wanted in return. Which was fair enough, Daisy decided.
He had also stood up to Lynda Twiggley on her behalf—not that she had appreciated it at the time—and she had no doubt he would have dealt comprehensively with Carl’s rudeness if her ex-boyfriend had pushed it any further. He was definitely the kind of man she wanted at her side. If only it could last…
‘I should probably mention that my ex-fiancée will be here today, too,’ he suddenly drawled.
All the lovely warmth she had been feeling was plunged into ice.
He had never spoken of his ex-fiancée.
Daisy only knew of her through Charlie Hollier.
Was this why Ethan had invited her to the Golden Slipper, to show his former love he was happily involved with another woman? Off with the old, on with the new?
‘I broke up with her last year,’ he said matter-of-factly. ‘I wouldn’t put it past her to be rude to you on the sly. If that happens, Daisy, it’s because she didn’t get what she wanted. Okay?’
She glanced up at him, needing more information than that to ease her inner tension. ‘Why did you break up with her?’
His mouth took on a cynical twist. ‘I found out the money was more important than the man to her. She’s with James Ellicott now. I don’t think he cares why as long as he has her.’
She knew of James Ellicott. The flamboyant billionaire was quite ugly compared to Ethan, his big physique made bigger by a beer belly, his sandy hair thinning on top and a large nose dominating his face. Regardless of his looks, he had acquired a beauty queen and a famous model as wives in the past.
‘Is your ex-fiancée very beautiful?’ she asked.
‘On the outside, yes. And she knows how to trade it. I was completely fooled for a while. I’m glad the wool was pulled off my eyes before I married her. Believe me, that relationship is stone-cold as far as I’m concerned.’
What she had with Ethan was still running hot, but…‘I traded myself for money, too,’ she blurted out, all her insides squirming horribly at that undeniable truth. She had no chance of a really solid relationship with Ethan. None at all.
He halted, turning to her, gently cupping her cheek and chin with his free hand, his gaze burning into hers with absolute conviction. ‘Not for yourself, Daisy,’ he said quietly. ‘Your character is so far removed from Serena’s, it’s like night and day.’ He lightly pinched her cheek and smiled. ‘Now smile back at me because we’re going to have a happy day together.’
She did smile back, intensely relieved that he didn’t see her as similar to Serena, despite their deal, which was still in force. It actually seemed he was dismissing it as of no account at all.
‘That’s my girl,’ he said warmly, and the possessive note in his voice sent hope soaring through her heart again, making Daisy determined to be happy, no matter what happened throughout the course of the day.