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‘It wasn’t. I’m well aware that what happened between us was special, which is why you’re not making sense.’
It was hard to keep her focus when he said ‘special’ in that sexy, throaty way, but Scarlet knew she had to. He was a passionate, highly sexed man and the chemistry was intense between them, but how soon before she began to see his picture in the newspapers with other women?
Worse still, would she turn into the woman he went back to when there was nothing better on offer? The sure thing.
She hadn’t wanted to get into this now, but she realised that discussing it while he had to keep his eyes on the road and his hands on the steering wheel was actually not such a bad idea.
‘I can’t sleep with you again because it wouldn’t be good for Sam. He can’t see us as a couple and then not—children need continuity. But don’t worry, we can work out a schedule for you to visit with him. Though I’d prefer you wait a little while before you have him for the weekend or anything.’
‘I’m sure if you dig really deep there is some logic there somewhere.’ The amusement in his voice sounded pretty strained as he added heavily, ‘Damned if I can find it, though.’ The furrows on his brow deepened. ‘What has Sam to do with you sleeping with me? Or, for that matter, you not sleeping with me?’
‘Well, you did imply that it would be convenient if you could sleep over.’
His jaw tightened by several notches. ‘I would want to make love to you if there was no Sam. Even in the incredibly ugly glasses I wanted to make love to you. It’s called chemistry, cara!’ he yelled. ‘There is a Sam, though, and you can’t ignore the fact that us being together will be a good thing for him.’
‘When you say “together”, that’s not what you really mean.’ Together to her meant exclusive, it meant commitment, it meant, in an ideal world, love.
‘I take it you’re going to tell me what I mean.’
The sardonic edge in his voice made her lips compress.
‘If you had turned up and found the woman bringing up your child had a string of casual lovers move in with her you’d have been the first to hit the ceiling.’
‘That’s a totally different thing,’ he responded immediately.
‘In what way?’
He didn’t reply, but a sneaky sideways look told her he was looking explosively angry. Again she was glad he was driving—this way he couldn’t throttle her or, much more dangerous, kiss her.
‘It would just confuse Sam, Roman. He needs things clearly defined. You can’t jeopardise your relationship with him for casual sex.’
‘I thought you didn’t do casual sex.’
‘So did I,’ she admitted, her unhappiness showing. She dragged a hand through her hair. ‘Obviously you are going to be a part of Sam’s life for a long time, and therefore mine.’
‘I can see how happy that makes you.’
She glared at his perfect profile. ‘This is serious.’
A flash of dark annoyance crossed his taut face. ‘I am serious,’ he rebutted grimly.
‘This is about putting a child’s needs first.’
The car slowed at a set of lights and he turned his head. ‘A parent’s life sounds fun: self-sacrifice and no sex.’
‘You’re taking what I’m saying out of context and you know it,’ she accused. ‘Sex within a stable relationship is fine.’
The car behind sounded its horn and Roman cursed softly under his breath as he saw the lights had turned green. ‘I’m not surprised you were a damned virgin if you want a marriage proposal before you accept a dinner date,’ he observed cuttingly as he pulled away.#p#????#e#
He cast a quick sideways glance at her white stricken face and turned his attention back to the road ahead. A few yards farther down the road he released a flood of low impassioned Italian, before heaving a deep sigh.
‘Fine, have your schedule, keep me at arm’s length. I’ll keep my distance for as long as you want me to.’
Scarlet nodded, having decided that on balance it was simpler to pretend she hadn’t noticed his get-out clause.
Roman appeared oblivious to the awkward silence that developed and she was relieved when a few minutes later they reached the gate to the Bradley house.
‘This is it.’
As they drew up outside the front of the house beside a BMW and a big four-wheel drive Scarlet unfastened her seat belt.
‘Do you want me to wait here?’
She sent him a startled look. ‘Not unless you prefer not to come in.’
‘I don’t want to alarm him. I’m a stranger.’
