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He looked up. “Especially with you,” he whispered.
The low lights of the hallway caused hard shadows across the angles and planes of Eduardo’s face. His jawline was dark with stubble, giving him a piratical air. He looked like a pirate all over, in fact. A sexy, dangerous, hard-bodied pirate. Without thinking, she put a hand on his warm, hard, bare chest above drawstring cotton pajama pants slung low on his slender hips.
“Is there anything I could do to help you sleep?” Realizing how blatant that sounded, she blushed. “I mean, could I get you some warm milk or something?”
“No,” he said abruptly then amended, “but thanks.”
She looked at him. “Why didn’t you kick me out?” she whispered. “Last Christmas, the night I stayed at your house?”
His eyes met hers. “You weren’t just some starlet I picked up at a gala. You were important to me. I wanted you to stay.”
“You did?” she breathed. “Why?”
“Don’t you know?” Pulling her into his arms, he lifted her chin to meet his gaze. Then he smiled … the charming, megawatt smile that always twisted her heart in a million pieces. “I need you, Callie.”
Eduardo looked at his wife in the shadows of the hallway. Her pale cheeks were rosy, her emerald eyes bright, and her light brown hair, long and wavy, fell over the shoulders of her blue robe. She was so sexy, so soft and desirable. He’d just had her, and already he wanted her again. He wanted her even more.
Callie’s eyes filled up with tears.
“You need me? I thought … I thought you only wanted me here because of the baby.”
He moved toward her, gently brushing her hair off her shoulders. “That’s not the only reason.”
Trembling, she looked up at him. Words seemed to tremble on her lips, but at the last moment, she turned away. Staring down the dark, quiet hall, she wrapped her arms around her body. The sleeves of the blue chenille robe hung long over her wrists, making her look like a kid playing dress-up.
“I want to stay with you,” she said softly. “And be your wife.”
Eduardo’s heart rose with fierce triumph. “Querida—”
She held up her hand. Her green eyes were luminous. “But I will no longer neglect and ignore my friends and family just to coddle your insecurity.”
Her harsh words were like a slap across the jaw. His eyes widened then narrowed. “Coddle my insecurity.” His voice was low and dangerous. “You mean how I’ve forbidden you to talk to Brandon McLinn.”
“Yes.”
Jaw tight, he took a step toward her. “You should just let him go.”
“No.” Her eyes glittered defiantly. “He’s my friend.”
“Friend!” he snarled. He shook his head. “He told me you’d been engaged since high school. He said even if you’d fallen into bed with me, I meant nothing to you and that you’d soon be done with me—”
Eduardo stopped, his jaw tight, his heart pounding. He hadn’t meant to say so much. Brow furrowed, Callie came closer, and the soft light from the guest room illuminated her pale, beautiful face. She gave an awkward laugh.
“Want to hear a funny story? At senior prom, we made this silly pact that if we weren’t married by the time we were thirty, we would marry each other.”
“You’re only twenty-five.”
“Yes, I know. I’m starting to wonder if perhaps Brandon was—” she licked her lips uncomfortably “—well, maybe threatened by you.”
Suddenly it all made sense.
Eduardo sucked in his breath. “You weren’t in love with him, were you? He was trying to get rid of me, and it worked.” He clawed back his hair with his hand. “Once I was out of the way, he used your pregnancy as an excuse to move in for the kill.”
Drawing back in confusion, Callie shook her head. “He loves me, yes, but like a brother!”
“I was such a fool.” Pacing two steps down the hall, he could hardly believe his own stupidity. That night, that beautiful Christmas Eve night when they’d first made love, when he’d taken Callie’s virginity, he’d thought their relationship might be different from all the rest. But he’d thrown away that precious connection—based on the insinuations of his rival!
“Brandon McLinn is in love with you,” he ground out. “I saw it in his face.”
