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She froze, placing her hands on his shoulders. ‘What are we doing,’ she whispered.
‘I’m about to take you, hard and fast, against this wall.’ He nuzzled her neck.
‘I can’t do this.’ She pushed against him and he pulled away from her instantly. He watched as she pulled at the hem of her T-shirt, studiously avoiding his eyes. ‘I can’t be this for you...for whatever anger you’re feeling. I won’t be used.’
‘I’m not...’
He struggled to find words, knowing she wasn’t wrong. He was angry. He was using her body because it was easier to lose himself in his physical attraction to her than it was to look at all the rest of the things he felt when he thought of her betrayal. When he tried to align the Nora he’d come to know in Paraty with the one he’d met all those months ago as part of her father’s schemes.
She moved away from him, her eyes filled with sadness, and he let her go, knowing he needed to put some space between them.
He needed to get a handle on himself.
CHAPTER TEN
NORA AWOKE WITH a start, the light streaming through the open curtains showing it was well past dawn. She reached out to the crib by the side of her bed only to find it empty. In a blind panic, she rushed out into the main saloon, only to find it silent.
She looked around, eventually hearing a low snore coming from one of the larger cabins at the end of the corridor. What she found there made her freeze, rooted to the spot, afraid to breathe lest she disturb the unbelievable scene before her.
Duarte lay on his back, one arm flung over his head as he slept on the large bed of the master cabin. Liam lay asleep by his side, in an almost identical pose, safely guarded by a nest of pillows. Nora placed a hand on her chest, feeling as though her heart might break at the beauty and pain of what she was looking at.
She wasn’t sure how long she watched, how long her mind fought between happiness and despair over their uncertain future, but when she looked back to the bed Duarte’s eyes were open, watching her. She waited for another flash of anger or reproach, but his face was utterly unreadable.
He rose gently, pressing a finger to his lips and motioning for her to follow him from the cabin.
‘I never even heard him cry during the night,’ she spoke quickly, once the door was closed between them and the sleeping infant.
‘I was still awake when I heard him get restless and I wanted to let you sleep.’
He stretched both arms above his head, unintentionally showcasing his impressively naked torso. The jeans he wore were slung dangerously low on his hips and Nora felt a sudden swift kick of desire so hard she was forced to avert her eyes.
‘I didn’t expect you to be comfortable with him so soon,’ she said without thinking, her rational mind seeming to have gone out of the window at the sight of this gorgeous half-naked man being so caring for a small child.
‘I’m full of surprises.’ There was no humour in his gaze.
Nora swallowed the lump in her throat, wishing she had a cup of coffee to busy her suddenly trembling hands. Suddenly she was painfully aware of the fact that she wore her comfortable old pyjamas and her hair was likely a tangled mess.
‘He’ll sleep for a while more, I think.’ Duarte handed her the small digital baby monitor. ‘I’ll order breakfast to be served up on the top deck. I’d like to discuss some things with you.’
She felt her chest tighten at his words and tried not to conjure up every terrible scenario she’d already thought of. Instead, she nodded once. ‘I just need to freshen up first. I don’t think your fancy staff would appreciate being made to serve me looking like this.’
‘On the contrary. I find this look to be one of my favourites.’
His eyes swept briefly downwards to take in her worn flannel pyjama bottoms and white tank top before he shrugged one bare shoulder and leaned lazily against the panelled wall of the narrow corridor.
‘However, if you need some help showering I will gladly play the kind host.’
Nora’s mind showed her an image of him helping her to shower, his hands sliding slowly over her body...
They both seemed frozen in time for a moment, and she wondered if he could hear her heartbeat thundering against her ribs. He waited a breath, then let out a low whistle of amused laughter as he walked away.
‘Don’t say I didn’t offer.’
She went into the cabin she’d claimed for herself and leaned back heavily against the door, exhaling long and hard with frustration. Was this how it would be between them now? Barely veiled anger followed by meaningless flirtation? Would she ever be able to have a conversation with him without remembering everything they’d shared?
They hadn’t spoken yet about any plans for the future, but she knew it was coming. She knew Duarte was already analysing every angle and coming up with a plan.
She pulled a crinkled shirt over her head and looked at herself in the mirror. Even with the sleep she’d had, her eyes were still bruised underneath. She looked as exhausted and weak as she felt inside. She knew that if she had any chance of standing her ground with Duarte Avelar and his po
