Page 48 of Robert

“So much better.” She let out a shaky laugh. “But seriously, what if you want to - I don’t know – have sex with someone else?”

He pretended to consider. “Should I ask your permission?” He grinned at her dark stare. “No? Then I suppose I will have to try and be content with what we have.”

She rolled her eyes at him, and he barely stopped himself from snatching her up and kissing her senseless. “My mother has been married several times.”

“I am aware. So?” He sipped the now cooling coffee and watched her carefully.

“Divorce is the in thing when it comes to celebrities,” she pointed out.

“I hardly qualify.”

She snorted. “Yes, you do. You are the boy wonder.”

“I am certainly not a boy, being all of thirty-five.”

“Men are not known to be faithful.”

His eyebrows shot up. “That is a very broad statement. I could say the same about the female species.”

She put down her cup and tapped her fingers on the spotless green and yellow countertop. For someone who did not know how to cook, her kitchen was a designer’s dream. But so was the rest of the house. It showed him how much she likedher comfort. “What’s going to make us different?” She asked challengingly.

“I happen to like you.” He grinned as she stared at him in shock.

“And you think that’s a basis for a happy marriage?”

“I think it’s a start. I also happen to know several members of my club who are extremely happy.” He pointed out. “We could become one of them.”

“You have a lot of money.”

“And?”

“I am not shabby and when I turn thirty-five, I inherit a sizable trust fund. It will in no way compare to your vast resources…” She bit her lip. “I started reading up on some of those resources. A chalet in Switzerland?”

“We should go there for a week. It is quite enchanting.”

“A vineyard in Tuscany?”

“I happen to like wine.” He told her smoothly.

“Oil wells, apartment buildings…”

“Is there a problem?” He asked with raised brows.

She raised her shoulders in a shrug. “It is a lot. I want you to know I don’t want your money. I am quite comfortable off and – God!” She blew out a breath and he waited in amusement. “When I asked you to do me that favor, I never thought I would – we would be…”

“Husband and wife in the real sense of the word?” He supplied helpfully, enjoying her state of confusion.

“Precisely’ She took a sip of coffee gone completely cold. “I don’t know anything about you.”

“What would you like to know?” Rising, he gestured to her cup. “Refill?”

She nodded and watched as he walked with that confident long stride of his to the coffee pot.

“Uhm…” She took the cup from him and took a sip. “I know something of your past.”

“Which was not pretty.” He reminded her mildly, watching her closely.

“When you started making money, how did you feel?”

---