Captive Heart (10 page)

The newspaper in JoNell's hand dropped to the floor with a whispered crackle. She felt the blood drain from her cheeks.

After the way he had kissed her on the beach, she had been prepared for any number of tactical maneuvers on his part. But she had never expected this—a proposal of marriage! She knew it had to be a trick. But for what purpose?

"It's strictly a business proposition," he went on without emotion. "When I need to get out of the country, as the husband of an American citizen, I will automatically acquire all the privileges of a citizen of the United States. I can live there and work there as a citizen of your country. I can transfer much of my business and financial holdings there. In return for your doing me this favor, I will buy from your father a large number of airplanes to set up a cargo business in the United States and in other South American countries. Perhaps we can also arrange for your father to have a part in the operation of my air cargo business. So you see, by marrying me, you will save me from Gustamente and you will save your father from financial ruin. It is an important decision for you to make, JoNell."

JoNell felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest. At last, the ruthless, selfish Del Toro was showing his true colors. And for a moment, she had been fooled into believing he felt a genuine concern for her and her family!

Now, it was clear to her, that he had thought of her as an ace up his sleeve from the very beginning. That was why he had suddenly changed his mind and allowed her to give him flying lessons—to keep her here until he saw how the election turned out! Perhaps he had showered her with flowers and his Latin style flattery, thinking that the poor little naive American girl would be an easy conquest. Then she would fall all over herself saying "yes" when he proposed just to get an American wife! When he saw his fatal Del Toro charm wouldn't melt her bitterness toward him, he had been stymied. But now she had given him the key to his problem when she told him of her father's desperate business plight.

"Marry you?" JoNell stormed. "Absolutely not. Never—never—never—!"

Gone were the flowery Latin phrases, the flattery, the macho charm. He spoke coldly and directly. "Don't be too hasty. I need you and you need me. It's strictly business. Surely, you have seen enough transactions in your father's business to know a good deal when you see one. You cannot deny that I am offering you a financial proposition that you can hardly refuse. Think what it will mean to your father… to your family. You must not foolishly let your angry feelings for me stand in the way. I am offering to buy a year of your time in exchange for assuring your father's financial future."

"I notice you're talking in English now," she said bitterly. "What happened to all that pretty Spanish you were using when you were trying to seduce me?"

They glared at each other. He looked as if he were on the point of slapping her and barely able to contain himself. She instinctively took a step backward, frightened by the rage in his eyes. He seemed taller, his powerful shoulders even broader.

But he got himself under control. "Bickering at each other will not help matters at this point. Is a year out of your young life such a dreadful price to pay for saving your father's business?"

"A year?"

"Yes. Of course I don't expect you to commit your entire life to me. I just need time to set up my business in the States. I want the marriage to look authentic. I think about a year would do it. Once I'm settled in your country and have my business operating, a divorce can be easily arranged."

"Or an annulment?"

"No, it should be a divorce. The marriage must appear in all respects to be a valid one. I cannot risk being deported for entering your country fraudulently. It will have to be a divorce."

Her eyes narrowed. A raw, ugly taste crept into her mouth. "Then you expect it to be a real marriage?"

He shook his head. "I told you, it's strictly a business arrangement. But no one must know. Gustamente has spies everywhere. If any of them suspected my plans, my assassination might be undertaken before I have an opportunity to leave Peru. Even my best friends, my family must not know. I trust no one. You must swear to me that you will tell no one, no matter what the circumstances. Otherwise my blood will be on your hands."

JoNell shivered, what had she gotten herself into? A few weeks ago, she had been an average twenty-one-year-old American college girl. She had been looking forward to an uncomplicated life of teaching school and eventually marrying a nice, steady guy and raising a family. And now here she was in the middle of South American political intrigue—a volatile situation she really didn't understand.

She raged inwardly at Del Toro for putting her in this position. Damn him, she thought—he is a demon. What a mockery they would make of the marriage vows. She would be tied for a year to a man who had created in her uncertain and conflicting feelings. It would thrust her into a rich element of Peruvian society that she had only read about in the gossip magazines. She realized with a start that it would transform her from an unknown private citizen into an instant celebrity whose picture was sure to make those same gossip magazines.

No, she thought wildly, I can't do it. Never in a million years.

But at the same time, her conscience nagged her— what about her father? Del Toro was offering her the one way she could really help her family. It would get her parents out of debt, give her father something to live for and save them from financial ruin. Was a year out of her life too high a price to pay to rescue her parents? They would surely do the same and more for her.

Her inner conflict was almost unbearable. All of her instincts for decency and honor screamed at her to say "no" to Del Toro's unholy proposition. But loyalty to her family told her she must make a sacrifice for their sake.

"How do I know you'll keep your end of the bargain and buy those planes from my father?" she demanded.

"As soon as you agree to the marriage, I will call my purchasing agent and order six cargo planes through your father immediately. Then I'll deposit the full purchase price in the bank in your married name. As soon as you become my bride you can authorize payment to your father."

"How do you know I'll keep my end of the agreement?" she asked.

Del Toro grabbed JoNell savagely by the wrist. He pulled her toward him. Again she saw the dangerous fires raging in his eyes. "You wouldn't dare walk out on me," he warned in a growl.

JoNell shivered. She pulled back hard to rescue her wrist and rubbed the red mark where Del Toro's fingers had bitten into her flesh. He was obviously not a man to be toyed with. Whatever her decision, she would have to make it knowing that her suave "suitor" harbored a ruthless side to his nature.

She drew a deep breath, as if about to take a plunge into an icy stream that had dangerous undercurrents. "All—all right," she agreed in a whisper. She regretted the words as soon as she had spoken them. But like her decision to come here in the first place, she really had no choice.

She felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her.

Del Toro's lips moved in a one-sided smile. A look of cool triumph filled his eyes. "I knew you'd see it my way. You won't regret your decision."

"I regret it already," she sighed. "But I'll do anything to help my parents."

Briskly, he said, "To show you I am a man of my word, I will order the planes now." He picked up the telephone. A few moments later, he was speaking in rapid-fire Spanish, telling his purchasing agent to place an immediate order for six expensive cargo planes directly through JoNell's father's business.

Then he turned to her. "There. Satisfied?"

"I suppose so," JoNell murmured.

"Don't look so glum, my dear. You will be the envy of Peru. A number of women will eat their hearts out because you snared me and they didn't. Now, doesn't that make you feel just a little bit smug?"

"Hardly, under the circumstances!"

"But you might as well enjoy your triumph. After all, everyone is going to think it is you who conquered me, not I who conquered you."

"Nobody's conquered anybody," she replied tartly. Then she asked, "How soon do we leave for the States?"

"Not immediately. It will be several weeks before the official inauguration of the new president. I am in no immediate danger from Gustamente until he does take office. Meanwhile, I have many business matters to settle. But we must be married very soon so it will not appear so obvious that I take an American wife and leave the next day for the United States!"

JoNell felt a wave of disappointment. She was homesick for her parents and hoped to see them soon. But she supposed now she would have to live by Del Toro's timetable.

"How about Consuelo?" she asked bitterly. "I suppose you will keep her in the wings until the year is up and the divorce is taken care of, and then marry her."

He shrugged, giving her a calculating look. "Why do you concern yourself with Consuelo? Are you being a jealous wife, already?"

"Certainly not!" she said furiously. "I just feel sorry for the poor girl, in love with a heartless rat like you!"

His eyes narrowed. She bit her lip, wishing she had not spoken so hastily. He obviously had a fiery temper, and she was pushing it to the breaking point. Somehow, he managed to keep his self-control. He said nothing.

After a moment, she asked, "How soon will the— will we be—married?" She was barely able to get the word past her lips. She felt as if she would choke on it.

"As soon as possible. It will be a civil ceremony. A friend of mine, a judge, can marry us on short notice." He looked at her critically. "First, I would wish to buy you some clothes—"

"I don't want you to buy me anything!" she flared.

His green eyes smoldered. "Nevertheless, we will shop for a new wardrobe for you tomorrow. You must not forget for one minute that you will be the wife of Jorge Del Toro, and so you must dress and look the part at all times."

"Well, since you have hired me, in a manner of speaking, I suppose I must do as you say." She turned away, rubbing her left wrist with her right hand. "I must break the news to my parents, somehow," she said, talking half to herself. "I don't know exactly how to do it. I just finished telling my mother that I was catching the next plane home…"

"I will leave that up to you. I am sure you will handle the matter in the way that you think best. Just remember that you are sworn to secrecy. Even your parents must not know the real reason for the marriage."

"You don't think I'd tell them, do you?" she raged, swinging back to face him with a look of fury. "If my father guessed for even a moment that you are 'buying' me this way, it would surely kill him!"

"Very well, just so we understand each other."

"Just so we understand this is a business arrangement," she reminded him. "I want your handshake on that."

She held out her hand to him.

He touched her fingers, giving her an intense look. Suddenly, without warning, his hand closed around hers. He jerked her up against him, and kissed her furiously.

"A kiss is much more binding than a handshake," he said in Spanish, and stalked out of the room.

JoNell sank into a chair, her legs turned to rubber, her mouth bruised and stinging. Tears of impotent rage filled her eyes.

By the next morning, all of Del Toro's household vibrated with the news of the coming marriage. JoNell assumed he had called the servants together and made the announcement last night that the household would soon have a new mistress. The maid giggled and shot JoNell a meaningful glance, rolling her eyes as she opened the drapes to let in the morning sunlight.

When Miguel brought her breakfast tray, his round face was beaming like a new moon. "Seňorita, I am so happy, I prayed to my favorite saint that love would come to you and the seňor. My prayers were answered. Now I pray for your happiness and for many, many children that you will have."

JoNell blushed furiously. She managed to mumble an appropriate answer, wishing she could pull the covers over her head and hide. She was getting her first taste of how miserable this deception was going to make her feel.

Miguel bustled around, arranging fresh flowers on her breakfast tray. "The seňor asked me to tell you that he wishes to take you to the stores to buy you many new dresses after you have eaten breakfast."

"Very well," JoNell muttered. How she despised Del Toro! He was giving her orders as if he owned her—and why not? He was paying a handsome price for her. She supposed at least she could salvage a little pride by reminding herself that she had not come cheap. The amount he was paying for those six large cargo planes was staggering. Of course, he wasn't just giving the money away. The cargo planes would become part of his business empire.

"The first thing I'd better do," JoNell mused after Miguel had left the room, "is call my mother."

How was she going to break the news to her family? She rehearsed several speeches. She practiced sounding excited and happy. It wasn't easy. Not when she was on the ragged edge of tears.

"I suppose," she thought, "I'll start by telling mother that we're engaged. I'll say it was a whirlwind romance. I'll gradually lead up to the fact that we'll be married here in Peru in a matter of days."

Then she reminded herself that only yesterday she had told her mother that she was catching the earliest possible flight home. She hadn't mentioned a word about a romance with Del Toro.

"This is going to take some tall explaining," she mused. "Okay, this is what I'll tell her: I'll say that Del Toro has been pursuing me ever since I got here. I won't exactly be lying about
that
," she thought grimly. "I can say we had a lovers' quarrel, and I told him I was going home. But last night we made up and Del Toro popped the question. He asked me to marry him and I accepted. I can tell mother to decide the best way to break the news to Daddy so it won't be too much of a shock or upset him."

She felt dreadful, having to make up the lie. She'd never lied to her parents about anything important before in her life. She knew her mother would be crushed, not being able to attend her daughter's wedding. She knew how her parents had dreamed about the day their little girl would walk down the aisle on her daddy's arm.