Page 20 of A Diamond for My Forbidden Bride

I had to admit, as much as I loved her fiery passion, a part of me was also beginning to find this new cool and imperious Olivia rather fascinating too.

In fact, both aspects of her were exciting, and I wanted to find out more.

‘I said I’d give them to you over dinner,’ I said mildly. ‘And we haven’t eaten yet.’

‘I don’t want dinner. I’m not hungry. Plus, I never agreed to that.’

Of course she was hungry. My staff had told me she hadn’t eaten all day.

But, if she wanted a fight, I’d give her one.

I smiled, took her hand off the glass and poured champagne into it anyway—she didn’t have to drink it. Then I placed the bottle back into the ice-bucket and sat down. ‘You are hungry. You haven’t eaten a single thing since we left Spain.’

‘There is no “we”, Valentin. Stop talking as if you didn’t kidnap me from Domingo’s wake.’

I ignored that. ‘No one’s forcing you to eat and no one’s forcing you to drink that glass of champagne, either. If you don’t want to for pettiness’ sake, then I’m certainly not going to deprive you. Nothing wrong with a bit of pettiness.’

Her expression became even colder. ‘I’m not being petty.’

‘Are you not? Isn’t that why you’re refusing to eat any of the food my staff prepared for you?’

I could see the delicate line of her jaw harden in that stubborn way she had. Once, on our little beach, I’d tried to teach her the best way to start a fire. I’d just read a book on it and knew all about it. She’d refused to listen, telling me she already knew how do to it, and had insisted that her way was best even after I’d pointed out the many reasons she was wrong. She had been stubborn and wouldn’t back down, and in the end we’d lit two fires at opposite ends of the beach.

She’d been right, though. Her way had been the best and the quickest.

‘I’m not playing any more games with you, Valentin,’ she said flatly. ‘Tell me what you want and what you’re going to do with me.’

‘Well, I would.’ I picked up my champagne and took a sip. ‘But, you see, now you owe me.’

Her fair brows snapped together. ‘What?’

‘You slapped me, Livvy. And, granted, it didn’t hurt, but still. You raised a hand to me, which means now you owe me.’

She didn’t look away. ‘If you’re expecting an apology, you won’t get it. You thoroughly deserved it. In fact, you’re lucky I didn’t wring your neck.’

Something intense and fierce sparked deep inside me, something that thoroughly enjoyed the uncompromising look she was giving me. Something that was finding this hard edge of hers extremely exciting and wanted to see more of it.

Had she always been like this? Certainly when we were children she’d sometimes hold a grudge for days and refuse to speak to me. Though it was true that, even when she was angry with me, she’d still come to the beach every day, even if it was only to sit on the sand and angrily throw shells into the sea. She’d known how much it meant to me to see her and she’d come anyway.

I nodded. ‘I’m not apologising for bringing you here, either. So, no apologies all round.’

I knew it would infuriate her and, sure enough, I could see her temper flicker into life, glittering behind her diamond-hard veneer.

Except...she didn’t look much like a diamond now.

She looked soft and pink in that pretty silk dress, with the breeze toying gently with the ends of her hair. It was only her expression that was hard.

Perhaps tonight I’d try and shatter that veneer of hers. Perhaps tonight I’d let that fire out.

‘Wonderful,’ she said coldly. ‘Now we’ve cleared that up, you can tell me what on earth you think I owe you.’

There were many things I could have said, because there were many things I wanted, and mostly from her. But all I said was, ‘A sip of that champagne. Just one. It’s delicious, I promise you.’

She eyed me. ‘Oh, for God’s sake. You never give up, do you?’

I shrugged. ‘No.’

She snorted, but picked up the glass and took a sip.

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