Page 70 of Bride Under Contract

She finished for him. ‘You’d demand a DNA test.’

‘Did you want me to tell Jonathon that you were a virgin? That we both got carried away? Because I could have—and do you know what? He would have still insisted the DNA clause remained.’

‘In case I spend the next few weeks frantically trying to get pregnant so I can blame it on you because you’re such a big shot?’

‘Something like that,’ he said.

He moved away and punched out two headache tablets, adding another and swallowing them down with a drink that she was sure wasn’t the one recommended on the packet.

‘Then we had to sit through dinner afterwards...as if I hadn’t just been insulted.’

‘He’s just doing his job.’

She kicked off her shoes. ‘I am so not suited for this.’

Then she took off the horrible pale jacket, and the trousers, too, and decided she wasn’t suited to suits either.

‘I agree,’ Carter nodded, tearing off his tie as if it were choking him, and his jacket and shoes too, and then his socks. He lay back on the bed. ‘Believe it or not, it’s your unsuitability for this that makes marriage doable for me.’

‘I don’t get it.’

‘Grace, I take my dates to the theatre, so I don’t have to talk to them. I can’t imagine getting past time in the jungle with any of them, let alone them agreeing to a wedding there, without exclusive photos and a freaking string quartet and white chairs with bows, a few celebrity guests...’ He covered his eyes with the back of his arm and groaned. ‘At least you just want money and a peaceful life.’

Grace was almost terribly pleased he was deep in migraine land, so that he could not see her awkward swallow.

Even as she denied it, even as she ignored it and told all the thoughts to go away, as she sat on the bed and looked over to where he lay she knew the reason for the sudden clarity that had struck her when she’d agreed to this madness. How the impossible decision had been made so easily...

She was more than a bit crazy about him.

Fascinated by him, really.

Trust her to go and fall for the one man who actually was an island...well, at least most of the time. Because now he pulled down his forearm and gave her a half-grimace and a half-smile that almost felt like an apology.

‘Seriously, I know it was hell in there.’

‘I hated it,’ she admitted, still appalled at all that had been discussed, right down to those awful ‘discreet affair’ clauses. ‘All of it.’

There were so many things that had upset her today, Grace thought as she headed into the bathroom. Finally alone, she took the clips from her hair and then washed the make-up off her face.

She was too weary to take off her cami, let alone her colourless underwear, and she just stared in the mirror and didn’t know who she was any more.

By night she felt safe in the decision she was making. Making love with Carter, she felt giddy with desire, safe to take risks, to watch in the mirror as he took her as if seeing herself come to life.

Right now, she didn’t even know if she liked him.

But that question faded when she saw him dozing on the bed. He was why she was here—not that she was going to admit that. And she really was the luckiest—not for ever, of course, but for now. She felt lucky to be able to climb up onto the bed, to take a little of his don’t give a damn attitude and curl into him.

‘What are you doing?’ he asked, pulling away from her touch as she laid her head on his chest.

‘Checking there’s actually a heart in there.’ She felt his half-laugh. ‘I don’t like Jonathon. I don’t get why we had to sit down to dinner and make small talk with him and his wife...’

‘Because...’ he said. But, as was so often the case with Carter, he didn’t elaborate. He tried to peel her off him. ‘Get undressed and get some sleep.’

‘I don’t want to.’ She was too tired even to move, but after a day of having details discussed such as their having no love, no involvement afterwards, no expectations, she could not turn her mind off. ‘He seems very familiar with your private life.’

‘Of course he is. About ten years ago there was a lawsuit about twins. I think the woman was just hoping I’d pay up, but Jonathon shot that down very quickly. Look it up.’

‘I already have.’

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