Page 37 of His Innocent Unwrapped In Iceland

She still felt bad that her gifts to him weren’t nearly as wonderful as his were. He’d said that he wanted to know more about her, but she was running out of interesting things to tell him. Were her favourite colour and food really all that interesting? He’d been amused by her Christmas confession, which had pleased her, and then he’d been so understanding when she’d told him why. And when he’d told her about his own childhood, and how similar it had been to hers, she’d felt...almost amazed. She’d met very few people who’d had similar experiences and to find that he’d been in the foster system too... Well, it had felt as if a bond had been created between them.

She felt vaguely ashamed of herself that she hadn’t known. Then again, she hadn’t liked him for a long time and had told herself she didn’t want to know anything about him. Perhaps if she’d known about his childhood, she might have felt differently.

Not that it mattered. She felt differently about him now. In fact, she thought she might like him now. She definitely liked the way he touched her, the bonfire they created between them when they were in bed together. And she liked how he listened to her, looking at her as if every word that came out of her mouth was of intense interest to him. She liked how he teased her and how there was affection and warmth in his cold, deep voice whenever he did so. And she liked how he responded when she teased him, the amber of his eyes glinting with a wickedness that only made her want to tease him even more.

In fact, the only shadow on the day had been that morning when they were in bed together and he’d said,‘You’ll find a family of your own one day, Snow White.’

She didn’t know why that made a kind of hollowness gather in her chest. Because shewouldfind a family of her own one day. A family that was hers, that she got to keep. Who wouldn’t send her away or be disappointed because she wasn’t what they wanted.

It wouldn’t be with Orion, naturally. It would be with someone who wanted the same things she did. Who would be good for the company, of course, and who would love to have children, because she wanted children.

She didn’t have to be in love with him. Love had been a scarce commodity in her own life—in fact, she didn’t know if anyone had ever loved her, apart from her mother—but she’d managed to survive without it so far. And if it took time for love to develop between her and her chosen partner, then she was fine to wait for it.

You could fall in love with Orion.

The thought streaked through her brain like a comet streaking through the night sky, a brief burst of glowing light that she quickly shoved away. No, she wasn’t going to fall in love with Orion. Absolutely not. He didn’t love her and while that wasn’t necessary, she did want someone who’d stick around for the duration. And he definitely wouldn’t. He’d already told her that she was only here so he could get to the bottom of his fascination with her and then once he had, he’d move on.

Plus, he’d said that he hoped she’d find her family one day, obviously implying that it wouldn’t be with him. Which was fine. Absolutely fine. She didn’t want to be with someone who didn’t want her and didn’t want what she wanted.

Their marriage had to stand for a year, according to his promise, but after that she’d be free to find someone else. She didn’t know why that thought made her throat close up.

Orion shifted her head so it rested on his shoulder and then pointed out a few of the major constellations, murmuring softly in her ear.

‘Where’s your belt?’ she said, hoping to make him laugh.

And he did, a soft rumble in her ear. ‘Very funny.’

‘I bet you get that a lot.’

‘Not as much as you might think.’ His hands drifted over her beneath the water, undemanding and gentle.

The sky was black and deep above them, the stars glittering pinpricks of light.

Except she couldn’t concentrate on the sky, not when she was resting against his hot skin and his hands were on her, making her shiver and ache, making her long for something she couldn’t name.

‘Are you going to tell me any secrets?’ she asked him idly. ‘Or do I only get a fun itinerary of excursions?’

His hands stroked down her thighs. ‘Do you want secrets from me?’

She wasn’t sure why she was asking him about it. Probably because all her gifts to him seemed lame in comparison with volcano tours, skating and hot pools. Plus, he said he was fascinated with her and wanted to know her, but she wanted to know about him too. And he hadn’t told her much about himself.

‘I like what you’ve given me so far, don’t get me wrong,’ she said. ‘I’ve loved the volcano and the skating, and this pool is magical, but... You know quite a lot about me, but I don’t know anything about you apart from the fact that you were in the foster system.’

His hands slid up over her stomach and cupped her breasts. ‘I wasn’t aware you were interested in more than excursions.’

There was no heat in the words and yet she could sense a sudden tension in him. ‘Perhaps I am.’ She tried to sound as if she didn’t care one way or the other. ‘Perhaps I’d like to hear a couple of secrets. I can’t be the only one to give up mine.’

He didn’t say anything for a long moment. ‘That would constitute an extra present.’

‘I know, but I gave you an extra one yesterday,’ she pointed out. ‘A kissandme.’

His thumbs circled her nipples lazily. ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have something else?’

He was trying to distract her. Which meant that he didn’t want to tell her. So, did that mean he did have secrets? And did that also mean that they were painful? If his childhood hadn’t been easy then his life couldn’t have been, so maybe they were.

‘I might,’ she allowed, since she was starting to feel hot and it wasn’t just the water in the pool. ‘But I’d rather have a secret first.’

For a long moment he was silent. Then his hands dropped from her breasts and he slid an arm around her waist, bringing her over to the side of the pool where there was a stone seat beneath the water.

---