The hurt she’d felt at Jeffrey’s betrayal five months ago gave her the strength to say what needed to be said. “Cole and I were married yesterday.” At Jeffrey’s shocked gasp, she added lamely, “It was a rather sudden thing.”

“Darci, you can’t do this. You made a promise to me. You owe me.”

She stared at him for several seconds, trying to sort through his flawed logic. “You broke your end of the bargain, Jeffrey. I owe you nothing.”

Something flickered in Jeffrey’s eyes as he glared at the newlyweds. “Something isn’t right. It’s all a scam. And that means that when it all comes out, your motives will be no better than mine.”

She winced at his words, afraid that he might be right, hating the thought that she might have stooped to his level to get what she wanted.

“I’ll be back, Darci. Count on it. I still intend to have you as my wife and this company as my livelihood.” Jeffrey spun and strode from the room. Sparing one final glare for Cole, Jeffrey slammed the door behind him.

Darci slowly sank into the chair.

“Life a little complicated right now?”

The amusement in Cole’s voice almost released the hysteria building inside her. Darci dropped her head in her hands and drew in a deep, calming breath.

“For a girl who rarely even dated, how did I end up with two men suddenly wanting to be married to me?”

Cole moved behind her and gently massaged the tension from her shoulders. But instead of relaxing her, his touch set fire to her skin, making her want to lean back into his hands. Possibilities for the night ahead teased her, but she tried to push them aside, knowing there was important work to be done.

“It must be that fantastic smile.”

She couldn’t stop the bitterness. “It must be Blackmore’s Gourmet Chocolates. The illusion of power does amazing things to people.”

Cole’s hands dropped away, and Darci felt a flash of guilt. Slowly, she turned in her chair until she was facing him. The expression on his face made her uneasy. “I didn’t mean—”

“Yes, you did. And it’s the truth. I married you for the company. But I do care for you.” His hand curved around her cheek as his lips formed a lopsided grin. “I don’t love you, but we both knew that going into this mess.”

She waited, for something, anything, her heart thudding heavily at his touch.

“Can he hurt us?”

Darci blinked, trying to sort through the physical sensations bombarding her and focus on the meaning of his words. “No, I don’t think he can. He was on Mother’s side when it came to running the business, but he doesn’t have the power to do anything now.”