The Hot-Headed Virgin. Trish Morey
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he informed her.
Mia turned the white-gold ring in her fingers, staring down at the simple perfection of the diamond.
‘Try it on,’ he said.
She slipped it on her ring finger, not sure whether to be surprised or spooked by the perfect fit. It was nothing like she’d been expecting. There was nothing ostentatious or flashy about it. It was simply a beautiful ring that had once been worn by his mother, a woman who had been torn from his life when he was a small, vulnerable child.
‘If you don’t like it we can choose something else,’ he said into the silence.
‘No…no, I like it…it’s…beautiful…’ Tears welled in her eyes and her throat felt tight, but she wasn’t sure why she was feeling so emotional.
‘It’s not worth a lot of money but it’s one of the few things I have left of my mother,’ he said, turning away to hunt for his car keys. ‘Come on, I’d better take you home. It’s nearly three a.m.’
Mia followed him out of the house in silence, the ring on her finger tying her to him in a way no priceless jewel could do.
It’s just a stupid old ring, she chided herself, but somehow whenever she looked down at the diamond winking up at her she felt as if something elemental had just taken place in their relationship.
He didn’t speak on the journey back to her flat. Mia stole covert glances at him from time to time but his expression was closed. She could see the lines of tiredness around his eyes and wondered what sort of day he had ahead. She knew that working in radio was not just a simple matter of turning up for the time he was on air but that hours of research and preparation had to be put in before and after. She also knew it was a fickle business. A radio personality could be the flavour of the month only to be cast aside the next. Ratings were everything and contracts were cancelled or renewed on what they revealed. But Bryn hardly needed the money. He was a multimillionaire, so whatever satisfaction he got from having his own prime-time show must be motivated by something other than monetary reward. Fame? Prestige? Power? Or was it the desire to be known as something other than who he really was?
‘I’ll call you later,’ Bryn said as he pulled up in front of her flat.
Mia didn’t answer. She got out of the car when he opened her door and with her head down began to move towards her front door.
‘Mia.’
She stopped as his hand came down on her shoulder and slowly turned around to face him.
‘You did a good job tonight,’ he said. ‘Thank you.’
Her chin lifted in pride. ‘So you’re finally admitting I can act, then, are you?’
He bent down and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. ‘That’s what I’m paying you to do,’ he said as he straightened. ‘Goodnight.’
She watched from her window as he drove away, her fingers absently playing with the ring he’d given her, a small worried frown taking up residence on her forehead.
Yes, he was paying her to act, but what if she forgot her script and began to make up her own?
A script that wasn’t for the temporary season he had in mind but for much longer?
CHAPTER SIX
‘OH, MY God, look at this!’ Gina thrust the morning’s paper at Mia. ‘And this one…and look at this magazine! You’re famous!’
Mia looked at the articles spread out before her and forced a stiff smile to her face. ‘Hey, I don’t look so bad, do I?’
‘You look absolutely gorgeous and the Press loved you,’ Gina answered. ‘Here, listen to this:
The beautiful Mia Forrester, a struggling part-time actor and former café waitress has stolen the heart of Sydney radio personality and multimillionaire Bryn Dwyer, in a whirlwind romance that has to be seen to be believed. Miss Forrester is a radiant young woman who clearly has taken to her role as Bryn Dwyer’s future wife with enthusiasm. It is rumoured that the wedding will take place within a matter of weeks. The young couple dined and danced the night away at the St Patrick’s Children’s Charity Ball before spending the night together at Mr Dwyer’s Point Piper mansion.’
‘I did not spend the night with him!’ Mia said indignantly and then, seeing her friend’s raised brows, hastily tacked on, ‘or at least not the whole night.’
‘I know that but it just goes to show you can’t believe everything you read in the Press, now, can you?’
Mia lowered her gaze to the photo spread and answered with more than a hint of irony, ‘No, you certainly cannot.’
Gina put her chin on her hand and sighed. ‘You know, I really envy you, Mia. You’re so lucky you haven’t had a string of disastrous love affairs in your past like me. That’s just so special these days when just about everyone jumps into bed on the first date. Your honeymoon will be so romantic, the memory of your first time together will be something you’ll treasure all your married life.’
Mia felt a hot, trickling sensation low down in her belly at the thought of the possibility of Bryn Dwyer becoming her lover.
She hadn’t intentionally held back from conducting a sexual relationship with previous boyfriends but neither had she rushed into anything she hadn’t felt ready for. She’d always believed making love should be about exactly that—making love, not having sex just for the sake of it. She knew it was perhaps a little old fashioned, but a part of her was proud that she had maintained her standards in spite of peer and popular-culture pressure.
One of her friends had been very ill with a sexually transmitted disease as a teenager and it had made Mia all the more determined to wait until she was absolutely sure it was the right step to take. Besides, she had never been in love with anyone, at least not seriously enough to consider committing herself physically.
Gina gave another dreamy sigh as she flicked through the rest of the articles. ‘He’s just so gorgeous—look at the way he’s smiling at you in this picture. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man more in love.’
Mia looked over her friend’s shoulder and frowned. It was strange, as she was supposed to be the professional actor, but Gina was right; Bryn Dwyer had given a truly brilliant performance as a man totally smitten by love.
‘What did your parents think of your news?’ Gina asked.
Mia faltered over her reply. ‘Um…I haven’t actually called them yet…time differences and so on. I’ll probably email them later today.’
‘What about Ellie? When does she get back from her wilderness trek in the Amazon?’
Mia carefully avoided her flatmate’s eyes. She hated lying but Ellie had expressly asked her not to tell anyone. As much as she wanted to break her promise, deep down she understood Ellie’s motivations. News had a habit of travelling and if her parents got wind of the danger Ellie was in it could trigger another heart attack for their father. It was going to be bad enough when they got to hear of Mia’s impending marriage.
‘I’m not sure,’ she said evasively. ‘She said something about staying on for a little longer. You know Ellie, if there’s a crusade she can put her name to, she will.’
‘It seems a shame none of your family is here to celebrate your engagement with you.’ Gina closed the paper. ‘Wouldn’t it be absolutely awful if they didn’t get back in time for the wedding?’
It would be wonderful, Mia thought privately; that way I won’t have to stretch my acting capabilities to the limit. But as she responded verbally she had to yet again draw deeply on her acting experience to sound genuine. ‘You know something, Gina, I’ve always sort of dreamed of a private wedding. The only person I want there is the man I love. If the church was full to the rafters I’m sure I wouldn’t even notice a single soul except for the one