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‘You’re not to sleep with any other man,’ he growled. ‘Ever!’
‘Really? And how do you aim to stop me?’
‘By making you my wife!’
Angie was staggered, as much by Lance’s unexpected announcement as by her immediate and furious rejection of the idea. ‘And what makes you imagine that I’d even consider marrying you?’
‘Because you love me!’ he said, blue eyes blazing.
No mention of his loving her, she noted bitterly.
That’s because he doesn’t, that dark voice in her head whispered. His offer of marriage is just a means to an end. You in his bed. Exclusively.
Her laugh carried disbelief at his presumptuous arrogance. ‘You have to be joking. As I said last night, Lance, how could I possibly love a man I don’t even know? I had a crush on you once, and there’s still a chemistry between us. But that’s not love.’
‘Who says it isn’t?’
‘Well, even if it is a form of love—and I question that—it’s not the kind which lasts. It’s certainly not the kind that makes a good foundation for marriage.’
‘Is that your final answer?’
Was it? Panic raced in as the reality of what she was doing hit her. The man she loved had asked her to marry him and she’d just turned him down. Her indecision turned to anguish. How could she blindly commit her life to Lance when what she’d said was true? She didn’t know him. Not as yet, anyway.
Gathering all her common sense and courage, she ground out, ‘For now, it is.’
‘And in the future?’
She swallowed convulsively. ‘That’s up to you, Lance. You might try working on winning my love and letting me get to know you better. I’m sure what I feel for you could easily turn to true love, given the chance.’
‘I see,’ he said thoughtfully.
‘Do you love me?’ she asked, and held her breath.
Their eyes clashed and his face hardened. ‘I’m not in the habit of telling women I love them after they’ve just rejected me.’
‘But I haven’t rejected you. I’ve told you to work at winning me, if you really want me. The trouble with you, Lance, is that you’ve had everything given to you on a silver platter. You must learn that some things don’t come easily.’
‘You were pretty easy today,’ he snapped.
‘And so were you,’ she countered.
They glared at each other and slowly, very slowly, Lance’s mouth curved back into a smile. ‘You’re turned into a tough little cookie, haven’t you?’
‘No, Lance, I’ve just grown up.’
‘And very nicely too,’ he said, his eyes dropping to her breasts, which weren’t totally covered by the bubbles. Angie was irritated to feel her nipples respond. She gulped when Lance closed the distance between them, stiffening when he curled a soapy hand around her neck and started drawing her mouth towards his.
‘What... what do you think you’re doing?’ she said, despising her voice for shaking on her.
‘Exactly what you told me to do. I’m setting about winning you.’
‘And you think this is the way?’
‘Hell, Angie, a man has to use whatever limited talents he’s got in a situation like this. You yourself said I was an incredible lover. I guess I have to believe you, because my Angie wouldn’t lie. She’s as honest as the day is long...’
The fingers caressing her throat gradually exerted enough pressure to close the small distance between their mouths. It was a lightly teasing, impossibly tantalising kiss, an annoyingly effective kiss. Angie yanked her head back and he chuckled ruefully. ‘Hopefully, this day will prove to be very long, because I can see I’ve still got a lot of winning to do...’
Angie lay in bed on her side, watching Lance’s chest rise and fall in the steady rhythm of sleep. Her own chest rose, then fell in a weary sigh. The light trickling through the curtained window showed that dawn wasn’t very far away.
‘Well, Lance,’ she murmured to his unconscious form. ‘You’ve won. I know now I can’t risk letting you go back to Melbourne today without me, can’t risk your never asking me to marry you a second time, can’t risk that I might never lie like this with you again...’
