He smiled even as he felt outrage rise. Because whilst true, it was also unfair. She liked that every bit as much as he did.
She tightened her silk robe as she tilted her nose slightly in the air. ‘I don’t expect you to be by my side twenty-four-seven. That would be too much.’
Would it? He would have agreed with her only days ago, but disturbingly, the prospect didn’t feel liketoo muchnow.
‘You don’t need to sacrifice sleep because you think I’ll be unhappy if you don’t spend every waking moment trying to make my life complete,’ she added sassily. ‘You don’t need toentertainme.’
Oh so he was trying too hard? He didn’t think so. He knew shelikedhim entertaining her. It was what she wanted now. But her insistence that she didn’t need his attention all the hours of the day ought to please him. That she understood the world, the constraints and demands on his time, meant their marriage might actually work. The company would always come first for him. It had to. But instead of appreciating her acceptance of the limitations on his time, he was unaccountably irked. He stood and slowly advanced towards her, watching the signs of her ignition. ‘So you don’t want me to entertain you now?’
Her breathing quickened. ‘Not when you have more important things to do. I wouldn’t want to be too demanding. Your previous partners must have been very high maintenance.’
Well, he’d never bothered to sit up late to get work done just to have more time for a woman before.
‘Partners?’ he teased her.
‘Girlfriends, lovers…’ She looked awkward.
‘You think there have been a few?’
She pressed her lips together. ‘Have you really not slept with anyone in ages?’
‘Why wouldn’t you believe me? You’re the same.’
‘But I’m not…’ She huffed out a sigh. ‘You have a lot going for you.’
‘You mean money.’
‘Amongst other things,’ she mumbled endearingly.
‘No lovers. Not even any princesses. I promise.’ He’d been jealous of every guy who got to work with her in the garage. Even his own cousin. ‘I dated in the past but it’s amazing how many people don’t like how much time it takes to oversee a conglomerate.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘You’re saying they got bored and didn’t stick around?’
‘Even the ones determined to give me a long leash eventually get fed up with the other demands on my time.’ He reached for her hand.
‘Leash?’ Her eyebrows shot up. ‘Oh then please, let me give you a leash long enough to reach the moon.’
‘Thisis why you’ll make the perfect wife.’ He laughed and tugged her to the sofa and sat her on his lap. ‘Wereyourprevious lovers demanding?’
‘My one boyfriend was my older brother’s friend, so you know who he chose.’
His anger rippled. One boyfriend.Yearsago. She’d been alone so long.
‘Why has there been no one else since him?’ He kissed across her collarbones. ‘Why no other little snack?’
She shrugged. ‘I was busy.’
Building her career, her security. But no wonder she’d been so keen that night on the plane and he’d never felt so lucky that she’d deigned to choose him. Why couldn’t she see that he could give her career and securityanddamned hot sex? ‘Lily—’
‘Shhh.’ She brushed her lips against his. ‘Don’t talk. I just want to—’
Massimo braced, breathless as she did what she wanted.
‘Are you using sex to avoid further conversation?’ he teased.
She shot him a look—a contrary mix of hedonism and hidden hurt. ‘As if you’re devastated.’
Lily lifted her arms to the sky, leaning from one side to the other, stretching the kinks from her spine.
