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She didn’t look like a woman asking for freedom, or looking forward to being able to go out and find a new love. She looked...resigned? As if she thought this was what he wanted?
How often had he reacted to Maria without looking before? How much had he missed seeing?
Not this time.
‘Maria.’ The word came out low, and surely she must hear his desire in it? Well, he’d tell her, just in case. They’d spent too long missing each other’s meanings, it seemed. ‘Maria, the only woman I ever want to be with is you.’
The surprise on her face was almost comic. But he also saw doubt creeping in behind it. He couldn’t have that.
‘Believe me, I have no interest in other women, no desire for anyone except for my wife. Except for you.’ He reached out to tuck a strand of her dark hair behind one ear, cupping her cheek as he did so. ‘You have to know you are—and have always been—the most beautiful woman in the world to me.’
‘You’ve never...you never told me that.’ Maria stumbled over the words. ‘Before.’
Because he was an idiot. Clearly.
‘I should have.’ He should have told her every day, and would from now on, if it meant she’d stay. ‘Because it’s true. You’re so beautiful you take my breath away. You always have.’
Her cheeks flushed with colour, only making her more beautiful to him.
‘So, if I stay...you want us to...’
‘I want us to have a marriage, as well as a partnership,’ Seb finished for her. ‘I want us to have it all.’
* * *
Maria could feel the hope rising within her—that same optimism she’d felt after their wedding day. With each day of their honeymoon it had grown that little bit more. The two glorious weeks they’d spent together out in the Seychelles, making the most of just being the two of them, for the first time ever. No family interfering or expecting things from them. No meetings, no calls, no emails. Just them.
It had been one of the happiest times of her life, Maria realised. Learning Sebastian anew as her husband, rather than just a friend of the family. Talking about anything and everything, for hours, just because they could. Spending whole days lazing about on the beach, or splashing through the water, asking questions and listening to the answers.
And at night...that had been a whole different world to explore. It had been the one aspect of their marriage Maria had been most nervous about. After all, she knew that their families and business interests aligned, and had spent enough time with Sebastian growing up to know that they could get along well together, even if they hadn’t seen much of each other over the last few years. But beyond a few simple, often observed kisses, they’d never had a chance to test the more physical aspects of their compatibility.
But she needn’t have worried. From the moment they’d been alone, the first time Seb’s lips had met hers, she’d known there were absolutely no concerns at all on that score.
She bit her lip just remembering how he’d made her body feel—like singing and sinking all at once, pleasure taking over in a way she’d never experienced before.
Or since, in fact.
Oh, sure, they’d had sex since they’d returned from honeymoon, but it had always come in second place since then. Seb would be too busy at work, coming to bed hours after she did, or distracted and checking his emails if he was there. They’d managed to conceive Frankie, at least, but ever since the honeymoon was over, Maria had completely understood why people used that saying.
The minute their plane had landed, Seb had been checking his work emails on his phone. And in some ways it felt like he’d barely looked up and seen her again since.
But he was seeing her now. Here, in front of the fire in the suite they’d shared, their son asleep in the next room, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
He’d said he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and somehow, finally, she believed it. And heaven knew she’d never seen a more gorgeous man than Sebastian Cattaneo. However hard she’d looked.
But it was too soon. So he’d managed one afternoon playing in the snow with Frankie. That wasn’t enough for her to give in, to let herself get her hopes up about for ever. That way, she knew from bitter experience, led only to disappointment and heartbreak.
More than once before she’d thought it would be different. After their honeymoon, then when she’d got pregnant with Frankie and Seb had been so attentive she’d thought she’d scream if it wasn’t so adorable. Even when Frankie had been born, and Seb had actually managed to make it to the hospital from the boardroom in time to be there and hold her hand—just.
But every time she’d thought she’d won his attention—and maybe even found the path to his love—he’d get distracted again, running off to deal with some sort of work crisis, or to discuss future plans for the business with his father. Anything except stay with her and enjoy their family.
It could still be the same this time. She couldn’t lose sight of that. She needed to protect her heart—and her future.
If she stayed, it would be on her own terms, and without any false expectations. She could mandate that Seb spend time with her and Frankie, she could insist on partnership terms, but she couldn’t make Seb fall in love with her.
Which meant she needed other things to make her happy. She had Frankie, of course, and Seb’s family, she supposed. The only other thing she craved was a meaningful career. And Seb could give her that, too, if he wanted.
If she asked.
She’d never told him what she needed before, had expected him to know instinctively. And she knew now that didn’t work with Seb. If she wanted something, she needed to tell him.
She had to ask.
Pulling back, Maria ignored Seb’s disappointed expression and reached for her cooling hot chocolate. ‘I hope we can find our way back there in time, too,’ she said honestly.
Well, mostly honestly. In truth, she’d let him take her right there on the sofa if she thought it wouldn’t end up with her heart getting broken in the morning.
‘In time,’ Seb repeated, and she supposed she had to give him a few points for not asking how much time.
He knew what he had to do to make her stay. And if he kept doing it...well, Maria suspected it wouldn’t be very much time at all before she was also back in his arms and in his bed. She was only human, after all.
And in the meantime...
‘I actually wanted to talk to you about something, too. Something more work related.’
Seb arched a sardonic eyebrow. ‘I thought the aim of our contract was to get me focusing less on work, not more.’
‘It is,’ Maria agreed. ‘But it’s also about building our partnership. Finding ways to include each other in our everyday lives.’
‘And my everyday life is the business,’ Seb surmised. ‘Fair enough. Ask away.’
Maria sucked in a breath, hoping the air particles included the courage she needed to make her request.
‘Do you think...when I’ve finished my course, do you think there might be a place for me at Cattaneo Jewels?’
Both eyebrows flew up this time. ‘You want a job?’
‘Is that so unbelievable?’ Maria snapped, all lust faded now with just four words from him. ‘Or I am just so unemployable?’
He waved her argument away with a flap of his hand. ‘The company would be lucky to have you. I was just...surprised. You were always trying to persuade me to spend less time at work.’
‘Well, maybe if you have help I’ll achieve that aim,’ she hit back, trying to ignore the warm feeling that had returned when he’d said ‘lucky to have you’.
‘That’s true.’ He gave her a half-smile. ‘And it would give us something else in common. Something else to draw us together.’
‘Exactly.’ She beamed back, glad he’d got it.
As a colleague, she’d be more of an equal t
han ever. That was what she wanted most.
Seb sat back, draping an arm across the back of the sofa. ‘Well, Cattaneo Jewels is a family business. And you’re family. Of course there’s a job for you if you want it. And I wasn’t kidding—we’d be lucky to have you.’
‘Don’t you need to ask Leo first?’ Maria asked. ‘I mean, I know your parents’ will left the majority stake to him...’ A sensitive subject, she was sure. But Seb seemed relaxed enough for her to broach it now.
To her surprise, his half-smile broadened to a full-on grin. ‘Actually, that might be changing. He spoke to me the other day about signing over his shares to me. Giving me control of the company again.’
Maria’s eyes widened. ‘That’s...great.’ It was. In lots of ways. It just also meant that Seb had no get-out—no one to share the burden if his family needed him more than the business did.
Seb seemed to guess her concern. Resting a hand against her thigh, he leaned close, gazing directly into her eyes as if to convince her of his honesty. ‘I won’t let it change anything, Maria. I swear to you. Never mind signed agreements and contracts—this is my promise. Nothing comes before our family. Not any more. Okay?’
‘Okay,’ Maria whispered.
