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She put out a hand. ‘Stop right there.’

Max stopped, but his blood was still leaping. He’d yet to meet a woman he couldn’t seduce. Was he prepared to seduce Darcy into agreement? His mind screamed caution, but his body screamed yes!

He erred on the side of caution.

Darcy’s hand was still held out. ‘Don’t even think about it, Max. That kiss...whatever happened between us...was a mistake and it won’t be happening again.’

He kept his mouth closed even as he wanted to negate what she’d said. He needed her acquiescence now.

‘Everyone has a price, Darcy. You can name yours. We only need to be married for as long as it takes the deal to be done, then we’ll divorce and you can get on with your life. No harm done. It’s just an extension of your job, and I’ll make sure that you get a job wherever you want in the world after this.’

She snorted, telling him succintly what she thought of that. She moved away from him now, stalking over to one of the big windows.

Max felt disorientated for a moment. It wasn’t usual for him to bring a woman back to his apartment. He preferred to keep women out of his private space. Especially women he seduced. Because he never wanted them to get any notions.

But Darcy was here, and it felt bizarrely as if she’d been here before. He was too consumed with bending her to his will right now to look at that little nugget. Too consumed with ignoring the inferno raging in his blood as he took in her curvy silhouette against the backdrop of Rome outside.

And then she turned around, her hands still clutching her bag. ‘Why is this so important to you?’

* * *

Max immediately went still, as if drawing his energy back inwards. Darcy had a moment to collect herself, to try and remove her see-sawing emotions and hormones from this situation.

As she’d looked out of the window she’d had to ask herself why the prospect of marrying Max was such a red-hot button for her. Apart from the fact that it was a ludicrous thing to ask of anyone.

After all, she came from a very broken home, so if anyone had the necessary cynicsm to embark on a marriage of convenience it was her. And she was ambitious enough to appreciate the aspect that Max wasn’t exaggerating—she would have the pick of any job she wanted if she did this. It would be the least he owed her.

But she was not stupid enough to think that the way she’d felt when Max had kissed her could be ignored. He’d tapped into something untouched deep inside her—something that went beyond the physical to a secret place she’d never explored herself, never mind with anyone else.

And there was his astounding arrogance in thinking she would just go along with this decree. Like some king who expected his minions to obey his every word.

‘Well, Max? If I’m to even consider this crazy idea for one second I want to know why you want this so badly.’

He seemed to glower at her for a long moment, and then he stuck his hands in the pockets of his trousers and came closer. Darcy couldn’t move back because the window was behind her. He came and stood near her, looking out at the view, face tight.

‘Montgomery mentioned my brother. We’re twins. We were six when our parents split up and split us up. I only ever saw Luca again when he came to Rome for brief holidays or on trips to see our mother. I see him a little more frequently since we’ve been adults.’

Max sighed.

‘He grew up being groomed to be my father’s heir. There was never any question of me getting a share. That was my punishment for choosing to go with my mother...not that our father really cared which son he got as long as he had an heir to pass his corrupt legacy on to. But that’s just part of it. Luca did offer me my half of his inheritance after our father died, but I didn’t want it.’

He looked at Darcy then, almost accusingly.

‘I didn’t want his charity and I still don’t. By then I’d already made my first million. I wanted to succeed on my own merit—surpass anything my father had ever done. Do it on my own. It’s the one thing that’s kept me going through it all. The need to know that I’ve done it without anyone handing me anything.’

He looked away again and Darcy was silent. Mesmerised by the passion blazing out of Max. And the unmistakable pride.

‘For years I felt tainted. Tainted by my mother’s lack of care and her sordid affairs. That’s how she made her living—little better than women who call themselves what they really are: prostitutes.’

Darcy winced.

‘I was on the streets one night, foraging for food in a bin at the back of an exclusive restaurant, when some guests came outside to smoke. Boys from my class at Boissy.’

She sucked in a breath, imagining the scene all too well.

As if he’d guessed her suspicion his mouth quirked and he said, ‘There was no blood. I walked away—but not before they recognised me and told me that they’d never expected anything more of someone like me. I’d been born into one of the wealthiest families in South America, but thanks to my fickle parents my brother and I were used almost like an experiment to see who would flourish better. One of us was given everything. The other one had everything stripped away.’

He turned to look at her, his face stark in the dim lights.

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