Page 32 of The Maid Married To The Billionaire

‘No?’ Enzo stalked closer, dark eyes as hot and golden as the heart of a fire. ‘You need me. Without realising what I was doing, I placed you in a difficult position here and then I exacerbated the situation by having sex with you. I wasn’t aware that you were in a situation with the children that entailed official scrutiny but I am conscious that my reputation won’t do you any favours. Why shouldn’t I choose the one option that could sort this mess out?’

‘Well, for a start, I can sort out my own problems. You talking nonsense about us getting married is sheer folly!’

Black-lashed eyes of gold shimmered. ‘I’m a very good catch,’ Enzo quipped with an infuriating grin, lean dark features illuminated by his unholy amusement. ‘Well worth the investment of time required and a lot of women would be willing to take the risk on me. I like kids and animals but, most of all, I appreciate very small, slightly built women with curly hair.’

‘Enzo...’ Skye groaned, her face heating as she recognised herself in that description. ‘Stop it.’

‘We would only have to stay married until the children are safely and legally yours by adoption. Then we would both take our freedom back and I would ensure that when we separated you, at least, had a decent home for you and your siblings. Once I was gone, you would be able to make a completely fresh start,’ Enzo pointed out convincingly.

Once I was gone...

That single phrase reverberated inside Skye like a death knell and ran chills down her spine, making her skin break out in goosebumps. ‘It’s a very generous offer—’ Only not quite the offer that could have thrilled rather than chilled, she recognised guiltily. He meant fake, indeed could only have faced the idea of a marriage that would be a fake. It wouldn’t be real, but she would know that from the start. She would also know that it would hurt like hell when she was no longer flavour of the month and he walked away. Her heart sank.

‘It’s the practical solution to all your worries and it allows us to continue our current arrangement for as long as we choose.’

Skye emitted a second groan. ‘Enzo, you wouldn’t even be with me if you were living your normal playboy life,’ she protested. ‘You’re only with me now because there isn’t much choice in this locality and I’m convenient.’

Enzo reached down to grasp her hand and tugged her upright. ‘Madre di Dio, what did that cowardly little rat do to your self-esteem?’ he demanded fiercely. ‘Do you truly believe that I suffer from a lack of choice with women? Or that I would simply settle forconvenient?’

‘No, I was trying to explain—’

‘I could have called any number of women that I know and invited them to keep me company here. But I met you... I wantedyou...youin particular,you especially,’ he emphasised in lethal continuance. ‘Absolutely no other woman would have done or could have taken your place.’

His stunning eyes were smouldering gold, luxuriant black lashes low over his intense gaze, his conviction undeniable. Her tummy flipped, her breath catching in her throat, every inch of her pulled taut with tension. ‘I shouldn’t have said that,’ she mumbled, embarrassed now.

‘Particularly when it wasn’t the truth,’ Enzo cut in, one lean hand travelling from her taut shoulder, through the soft, silky fluff of her curls and down to the taut line of her spine. ‘You and I are together.’

‘In arelationship?’ she stressed in astonishment.

‘We’ve always been in a relationship,’ Enzo countered with unblemished cool, convinced that it was safe to use that word when he was not emotionally invested in it. ‘It was never a question of just one night. The moment I had you, I wanted you again and it’s still that way.’

‘Does that bother you?’ she whispered, more seriously this time.

‘If you wanted your own bed, it would,’ he confided huskily.

As he eased her slight body up against his and he shifted lithely against her, she felt the hard, unashamed promise of his arousal and she trembled, filled to overflowing with sensual awareness. ‘So, you’re prepared to ask me to marry you on the basis of sex.’

‘It’s not that basic. Do we really need to go into detail about this attraction?’

Skye stared up at him in silence because that same attraction, that crazy explosive chemical reaction, was tearing her in two. He was talking about marriage and she wasn’t stupid, she was intelligent enough to appreciate that a wealthy husband would be an advantage in official terms while a legendary playboy would be a dangerous drawback as a lover, their relationship viewed as insecure and temporary. But Enzo could still offer her and the children a safe future where she could not. As yet, she had neither a permanent home nor reliable employment to offer in her own favour.

And more than anything she yearned for the security of knowing that the young brother and sister she loved to distraction would remain in her care. The fear of losing custody of Brodie and Shona haunted her and made her seriously regret the choice she had made when she had agreed to move in with Ritchie. Of course, Ritchie had talked of marriage as well but there had been no further mention of it once he’d had her within his power.

At least, Enzo was truthful about what he was offering and what he wanted from such an arrangement. A wife who was a wife only on paper. A wife who would agree to a divorce the minute he got bored. He wasn’t pretending to love her, he wasn’t acting as though he wanted her by his side for ever and wasn’t there something to be said about that honesty, wounding as it was? With Enzo, she would know where she stood from the outset, what she could expect from him as well as the terrible truth that a parting was inevitable. The status of a wife was, even so, a lot stronger and safer than that of a casual lover.

‘I’ll think about it... Have you ever been in love?’ she asked weakly.

Enzo grimaced. ‘Once was enough. I was young and stupid. I’m not young and stupid any more.’

‘Who was she?’

‘I don’t talk about that. It was years ago!’

‘I would still like to know,’ she admitted, avoiding his gaze.

‘Then you are doomed to disappointment.’

‘Did you think of marrying her?’

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