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Not the dissipated playboy he pretended to be, but the flawed man he actually was.
The man who couldn’t even take care of his own sister.
The thought came and went as Glory laid her fingertips lightly on his hand where it rested on the arm of his chair and said, ‘Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps I have been pretending. And perhaps I don’t want to pretend any more either.’
He stared at her small hand touching his, the heat from her fingertips pinning him there as if she’d run a spear straight through him. Then slowly he lifted his gaze to hers.
Her eyes were so beautiful, dark and full of emotion. Desire burned there, along with fear and excitement and hunger.
And a question she probably didn’t even know she was asking.
He knew though, just as he knew the answer.
Castor turned his hand over and closed his fingers around hers. Then he tugged her closer, reaching up to tangle his free hand in her hair, pulling her head down. She didn’t resist, her other hand coming down to rest on his shoulder, balancing herself as he tugged her down even further until her mouth brushed over his, his entire being held captive by the softness of her lips on his. He could taste the wine she’d been drinking, both tart and sweet at the same time, which was exactly like her too. Tart and sweet. Sharp and soft. And so warm, so very, very warm...
Her hair fell around him like a curtain and he wanted to bury his face in her curls. But then her mouth opened, her tongue touching his bottom lip, shyly exploring, making electricity crackle the length of his spine, and it abruptly became clear to him that if he didn’t stop this hewouldtake her virginity here and now.
Do you really have such little control over yourself that you’d ignore doing the responsible thing in favour of what you want instead? And all because of one kiss? Remember what happens when you do that.
A cold thread wound through the heat. Oh, yes, he remembered.
Ismena tugging on his hand, because she wanted him to take her to get ice cream. It was late and he still had a lot of homework to do, and he knew he should refuse. But the girl at the ice cream shop had been flirting with another boy, and he was jealous. He wanted to talk to her, ask her out before this other boy got to her.
So he’d taken Ismena out to get ice cream. And he’d talked to the girl in the ice cream shop. And by the time he’d finally managed to get her number, Ismena had disappeared...
No, he couldn’t be so irresponsible again. He couldn’t think only of himself. Glory wasn’t a little girl and he wasn’t fifteen any more, but she was still an innocent and he had the power to hurt her, which made it his job to protect her. Especially when sex was something he could easily get from someone else.
It didn’t have to be from her, no matter what his brain insisted on telling him.
Castor released her and pulled away. She looked at him uncertainly, her luscious mouth red from his kiss, and he could feel the heat inside him wanting to break out of the cage he’d put it in.
It was a struggle to control it, but he did.
‘Not tonight,’ he said quietly, holding her gaze so she could see the decision he’d made in his. ‘Not ever. Do you understand?’
Hurt flickered over her face. Then she turned away abruptly, going back to her seat and sitting down, looking down at her plate and saying nothing.
So much for not hurting her.
There was a dull ache in his chest for no reason that he could see so he ignored it. Pain was fleeting and her pain would be fleeting too.
She’d eventually see his refusal as the lucky escape it was and would go on to find another, far more deserving man than he was to gift her virginity to.
Castor reached into his pocket and took out the box he’d put in there earlier that evening, laying it down on the table. ‘This is an engagement ring,’ he said casually. ‘I want you to wear it tomorrow. It’s large and expensive and I’d like some pictures of you wearing it.’
He didn’t wait to see if she picked the box up.
He got to his feet, turned and walked away.
CHAPTER SEVEN
GLORYDIDN’TSEEhim the next morning. Breakfast was served out on the terrace where dinner had been the night before, but there was no sign of Castor when she sat down to eat.
However, there was a note.
Forgive my absence, but I have a few details to attend to this morning.
The marriage ceremony will be conducted tomorrow in the villa’s chapel—if you wish to see it, Nico will take you.
