Page 34 of Stolen For My Spanish Scandal

‘No,’ he ordered, his voice still husky. ‘Stay there until I say.’

Puzzled, I did what he said, waiting as he adjusted his clothing and ran a hand through his short black hair. Then he bent, gathering my dress from the floor before pulling me off the window seat. He shook out the fabric and wrapped it around me with expert hands, tying the tie at my waist in a bow then smoothing down the silk.

He was so careful, so gentle, it made my heart ache.

Then he cast around for my underwear and picked them up. ‘You can’t wear these,’ he said, examining the torn lace. ‘I’ll get you some new ones.’

Much to my shock, he folded them up and put them in his pocket.

I opened my mouth to ask him what he was going to do with them, but he took my face between his palms and examined me carefully, and every word went clean out of my head.

His black brows were drawn down, his gaze sharp. ‘Are you okay? Did I hurt you?’

‘No,’ I said. ‘No, not at all.’

His gaze narrowed for a second, as if he didn’t believe me, but then he nodded. ‘You need to eat. You have a long night ahead of you.’

A thrill arrowed down my spine. ‘I suppose that doesn’t mean a night on the couch, watching TV?’

‘No, of course not. After dinner I will be taking you to bed, where I can explore you properly.’

I shivered, anticipation collecting inside me. ‘We don’t have to have dinner. I don’t mind if you want to go straight to bed now.’

His eyes gleamed, the banked flames leaping. ‘Tempting. But food is important, especially when you’re pregnant.’

I should have been thinking about what was going to happen next, about what exactly I’d insisted on when I’d changed my mind and told him I’d marry him. About weddings and living arrangements and all kinds of things...

But I didn’t want to think about that. I couldn’t even remember why it was important.

And when he took my hand, his fingers lacing through mine, I let him lead me to the dining room without thinking about anything at all.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Constantine

INARROWEDMYgaze at the computer screen, noting all my unread emails and deciding to respond to only two. One was to give a direction to my legal department to keep stonewalling Valentin’s continued attempts to take over the company. The other was to remind my management team at Silver Inc that no mention of Valentin’s return was to appear anywhere in the media, on pain of instant dismissal.

I didn’t like being so autocratic with my staff, but I didn’t want that leaked, not until the situation with Jenny had been well and truly handled.

It had been five days since she’d agreed to marry me and I’d kept her in bed, allowing my hunger free rein. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d allowed myself such an indulgence, and it made me greedy. It made me want to cast all thoughts of wedding arrangements and the discussion of other practicalities aside so I could concentrate completely on her.

It was mid-morning already, for example, and I could feel the persistent ache for her begin to build. I’d taken my time with her in bed this morning, hoping that would satisfy it, but it hadn’t. The pull towards her, the demand for more of her presence, more of her time, just more ofherwas relentless.

So I’d taken myself off to the cottage to put some distance between us, thinking to immerse myself in work. But I couldn’t concentrate. My head was too full of the satin feel of her skin and the silkiness of her hair draped across my chest. The tight clasp of her body around mine and the sounds she made when I was inside her.

I’d agreed to a full marriage thinking that I could master my emotions and that sex would be a good way to release the pressure. It wouldn’t complicate matters. Except...that was turning out not to be the case.

Instead, sex had only opened up another avenue of fascination. I’d wanted to be careful with her because she’d seemed vulnerable, and I hadn’t wanted to scare her. Yet I needn’t have been concerned. She had a seam of pure steel that ran all the way through her, and a hunger that matched my own.

It was endlessly surprising to me that something so soft and unguarded should secretly be so strong. Perhaps, though, I shouldn’t have been quite so surprised, considering how she’d had no hesitation in arguing with me since we’d got here. Whatever the case, I wanted to explore this hidden strength of hers in other, more interesting ways. Perhaps tonight I’d—

I growled, realising I’d been staring at my computer screen for a good ten minutes.

Unacceptable. I was supposed tonotbe thinking of her.

Shoving my chair back, I got up and turned to the line of bookshelves along one of the cottage’s thick stone walls. Behind the books, hidden beneath a panel fashioned to look like a stone in the wall, there was a button. I flicked open the panel and pressed the button. A section of shelving slid to one side, revealing a door in the wall with a pad on it. I put my hand on it, my palm print unlocking the door.

The door opened and I stepped into the room beyond, hidden and protected from everyone but myself.

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