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Living together as a family meant living with Luca—having him close to her all the time.
It would be torture.
‘Why are you hesitating?’ His voice was velvety smooth and she closed her eyes and gave a wry smile.
‘Because the one word we haven’t mentioned is love, that’s why.’ What he was describing sounded more like a business arrangement.
‘Love…’ Something flickered briefly in his dark eyes and then it was gone. ‘Just because our feelings for each other aren’t what they might be, it doesn’t mean we can’t live together amicably and create a stable family for our child.’
A stable family.
For a brief moment Tia’s mind flitted back to her own childhood and in that instant she made her decision.
‘All right.’ She turned to face him, her mind made up. ‘We’ll do as you suggest and get to know each other better, but there are two conditions on my part.’
Luca’s smooth brows twitched into a frown. He clearly hadn’t been expecting conditions. ‘Which are?’
She felt her heart thumping madly. ‘Firstly, that you accept the fact that I want to work. No disapproving looks, no arguments, no atmosphere when I leave the house in the morning and end up working extra hours.’
His jaw tightened and his stunning eyes narrowed. ‘And second?’
‘Second.’ She swallowed hard and looked away from him, bracing herself for his reaction. ‘Second is no touching.’
A long silence stretched between them and eventually he spoke, his voice lethally soft. ‘Excuse me?’
Her eyes slid to his incredulous dark gaze and she took a deep breath.
‘No touching. I can’t think straight when you touch me, Luca,’ she said, the words tumbling out in a rush as she tried to explain herself. He was well aware of the effect he had on her physically so there was no point in being anything but honest. ‘It’s the reason we’re in this mess right now. We need to find out whether we truly like each other and we can’t do that if we’re physically close. You can live in the same house as me but you sleep in the spare room.’
There was an ominous silence which stretched on and on. When he finally spoke his voice was raw.
‘You are seriously suggesting that we live together but don’t make love?’
Her heart was now thumping so hard she thought it might explode through her chest.
‘Yes.’ Considering the state of her insides, her voice was surprisingly steady. ‘It makes sense, Luca.’
There was another long silence and she grew steadily more uncomfortable under his incredulous gaze. She realised now that she’d been ridiculously naïve to even think that a man as physical as Luca would agree to such a condition.
‘All right.’
She gaped at him, wondering if she’d misheard. ‘Luca…’
‘If that is what you want, then we’ll do it.’
Tia swallowed.
What she wanted…
She’d thought it was what she wanted but looking at his powerful shoulders and smouldering dark gaze she was beginning to think she must be slightly mad. What woman would ask a man like Luca not to touch her?
And she couldn’t believe that he’d agreed to it. She shot him a suspicious look but his expression was unreadable. If he had another agenda then he was keeping it well hidden.
‘And you won’t make a fuss about me working?’
His mouth compressed. ‘As long as you agree to restrict the hours you do and to let me buy you a car.’
She frowned. ‘I don’t need a car.’
