Required to Wear the Tycoon's Ring by Maggie Cox Page A

were—especially as she’ll be looking over the agreement with me. But don’t worry—she won’t tell anyone. In her profession she has to be discreet.’
    â€˜It will inevitably come out sooner or later. We’ll both have to learn to handle it.’
    â€˜Will your friends and colleagues be surprised that you’re getting married?’
    Linking his hands and resting them on the table, he lifted the corners of his mouth with a touch of irony. ‘The people who know me call me the Ice Man. It’s not meant to be insulting. It’s just that it’s common knowledge that I’m not swayed by my emotions, either in business or in my private life. I’ve certainly never professed to being interested in one particular woman, so it will definitely come as a surprise when they find out I’ve got married!’
    Looking hesitant, Imogen asked softly, ‘Do any of them know what happened...before you went to the States, I mean?’
    Seth handled the flare of disagreeable discomfort that erupted inside him and then ignored it. ‘No. There’s been no need to tell anyone.’
    â€˜Not even any of the women you’ve dated? Most females I know would want to express their sympathy and offer consolation if you told them.’
    â€˜I make it a point not to discuss my past. I prefer to keep my focus on whatever’s going on in the present. Besides, my relationships don’t tend to be deep and meaningful. They happen purely to fulfil a mutual need.’
    He stared into the dark brown depths of her gaze and was aware that he was challenging her to contest the admission. She didn’t rise to the bait.
    Reminding him of the quintessential, very ‘proper’ English school prefect, she lifted her chin and said, ‘I’m not going to comment on that. But I would like to know how you could bear not telling anybody about what happened to Louisa. It was such a significant event in your life.’
    He stiffened as his heart momentarily thudded. ‘I didn’t need to talk to anyone about it. I handled things in my own way and didn’t need to look for sympathy. Let’s drop the subject, shall we?’
    Imogen knew it wasn’t the time or the place to persuade Seth to talk some more about his heartache at losing the love of his life, but she wanted to.
    Yes, it must be painful beyond imagining, but how was he going to move on if he didn’t lay the ghosts of the past to rest and concentrate on creating a new and more positive chapter in his life? After all, he had grieved for ten long years, and Imogen was going to play a major part in this new phase of his life when they got married. She wanted to help make things good for both of them if she could .
    Thankfully, their food arrived at exactly the right moment to prevent the atmosphere from souring, and Seth was diverted as he enthusiastically told her about the exquisite cuisine. He loved the artistry of the creation that went into it, he explained, and Imogen soon intuited that whatever he applied himself to—whether it was selling the most desirable cars in the world or choosing a beautiful dress for his girlfriend—he would do so with the confidence only gifted to the lucky few.
    As they sat and enjoyed their food he continued to impress her when he relayed the story of the building’s history and why it had become so famous throughout the world. But even as he transfixed her with the breadth of his knowledge she couldn’t help but be fascinated by the man himself. She was learning to love the rich bass tone of his voice, the way his incredible sapphire eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled...the way they drew her in and made her not want to look anywhere else.
    By the time they got up to leave Imogen was not just heady from the wine she’d drunk, but mesmerised by the magical time she’d spent with Seth...
    * * *
    She’d fallen asleep on the car journey