Call It Destiny

Jake twisted his hands into her tousled hair and pulled her close for another brief hard kiss.
    „Jake, are you very happy?“ she demanded whimsically.
    „I have never been so content in my life. Yes, I’m happy.“ He took the question a little more seriously than she had expected – as if he had to stop and think about it.
    „You really think we can manage the Hacienda together?“ she persisted.
    „Yes. I think, as you pointed out, there’ll be some trying moments,“ he added dryly, „but I think we can deal with them.“
    „I feel quite positive about that approach myself this morning,“ she said grinning.
    „You think you’re going to be able to get your own way by dragging me off to bed whenever you can’t talk me into something?“
    „I’ll have fun trying.“
    „Umm. So will I.“ Jake hesitated. „We really do have everything going for us, don’t we?“
    „A perfect situation,“ she agreed complacently.
    „Mutual interests, a combined career, the approval of your family, physical attraction and the ability to function as a team.“
    „And I love you.“
    „I’m glad, Heather. That makes it quite perfect, doesn’t it?“ he asked lightly.
    Heather blinked, a sudden wariness marring her happiness. „Not quite.“
    Jake looked at her strangely, his hands moving in her hair. „What do you mean, not quite?“
    „This – “ she informed him, leaning down to nip his shoulder teasingly „ – is the point where you’re supposed to tell me that you love me. Honestly, Jake. For a supposedly brilliant businessman, you’re a little slow on the uptake sometimes.“
    „I’ve had a rough time of it lately,“ he murmured by way of apology.
    But the wariness in her was flaring higher. Heather refused to respond to the lightness in his tone. „Jake?“
    „Hmm?“ He was toying with the curve of her breast where it lay pillowed against his chest.
    „Jake, you do still want to marry me, don’t you?“
    „Oh, yes, honey. I still want to marry you.“
    „Jake,“ she tried again, a cold fear putting the chill on her warm pleasure this morning. „Jake, you’re not just marrying me for all those reasons you listed a minute ago, are you? Do you love me?“
    His hands in her hair ceased their rhythmic movement. The gray eyes met hers with clear intent. „Those reasons I listed are all excellent ones for getting married, Heather. We’ve been telling each other that for a month.“
    „But do you love me?“ she persisted, a raw pain uncurling in the pit of her stomach as she sensed the answer.
    „Heather, I’ve told you I’ll give you everything I can. I’ll take care of you.“
    „All I want right now is for you to be honest with me. Do you love me?“
    He sighed heavily, holding her head with his hands. „Heather, what you and I have going for us is a lot more real, a lot more important than love.“
    She sucked in her breath. „You don’t love me.“
    Jake’s expression darkened. „I want you, I need you and I’ll take care of you.“
    „But you don’t love me, do you?“ she cried, belatedly trying to push herself away as the shock of his answer hit home.
    Jake caught her shoulders, holding her against him and his startlingly grim gaze burned into hers. „How do you define love, Heather?“
    „It’s what I feel for you,“ she rasped.
    „Really? You’re talking to the man you left standing on the chapel steps with a couple hundred wedding guests and your parents to face alone. Remember?“
    „Jake, I didn’t mean… I mean, that has nothing to do with how I feel….“ The words tumbled over each other in awkward fashion as she tried to explain.
    „You expect me to believe that a woman in love would pull that scene with the motorcycle?“ Jake asked too politely.
    Heather shook her head frantically. „I didn’t know then. All I could think about was finding out that I’d been tricked. I was furious. I felt betrayed. I wanted everyone to know they couldn’t get away with treating me as though I was a stupid female who could be manipulated.“
    „You were passionately angry. Determined to tell me to go to hell.“
    „Well, yes, but I had a right to be furious.“
    „Perhaps.“
    She stared at him uncomprehendingly. „If you understand, then why are you pushing me like this?“
    „You had a right to be angry to a certain extent, although I wasn’t doing anything to you that you hadn’t intended to do to me. I have no doubt you were feeling a lot of