Page 21 of The Forbidden Bride He Stole

“It’s not funny.” She was maybedying.

“It’s kind of funny. I mean, he ended up having to marry you. And he was so furious about the whole thing. You know, when you offered to get down on your knees and—”

“Yes, I remember that. Thank you. I was there.”

“Well,” Mariana said. “Now he married you. So... Does this mean that you get to have a wedding night?”

Heat burned through her. “I am certain that would be a very bad idea.”

“Why? It would probably be really fun. He is so hot.”

“I’m aware that he is so hot. That’s the problem. But the bigger problem is that he’s... He doesn’t have any feelings. At least, not the feelings that aren’t anger. Every so often, I think maybe he cares about me and that’s why he is so intense about protecting me, but I just think it has to do with his relationship with my dad. They were good friends. And it matters to him a lot that my dad trusted him to care for me. He’s like psychotically intense about it. But really, that is the only discernible feeling the man has. Otherwise, he’s... Unknowable. He doesn’t seem to attach much to anyone or anything. He has his friends, his business partner, and he seems to care for them. But... He never has girlfriends.”

He’d hinted at dark issues in his past, and knowing him and the degree to which he was locked down emotionally she wouldn’t be surprised if there was some terrible trauma he’d endured. But he didn’t share that sort of thing with her, because he didn’t see her as a person.

She was a good deed he was doing,

She was already feeling shattered. Sleeping with him could destroy her.

But he isn’t immune to you...

“Well, men like him don’t. They’re far too sophisticated for that. But then they have wives, and...”

“You don’t suppose they’re faithful to them, do you?”

“Of course not. I work at a hotel. The things that I’ve seen... And a lot of them involve infidelity. Even while wife goes out shopping for a couple of hours. So, no. I don’t think men like that are faithful. But you’re not in love with him. Not anymore. I mean, you have a little bit of an infatuation with him, but if you were to sleep with him, it would get it out of your system.”

All of that sounded logical. Except shewasin love with him. But she couldn’t bring herself to say that now.

“All that sounds very worldly and sophisticated, but I’m afraid that I’m not that. Especially when it comes to him. I just get tangled up. I think he meant too much to me for too long, and it muddies everything. Because I don’t know that I could without... Without having feelings for him.”

“You said yourself he doesn’t have any feelings. So, why can’t that be the same for you?”

“You’ve done that, just had sex with people and not have any feelings about it?”

Mariana shrugged. “I have feelings about it. If it was especially good, I often wish that he would call. I’m notunfeeling. And it’s difficult when you have a physical connection with somebody, but they didn’t feel the same, or it wasn’t strong enough for them to want to reach out to you. But you just get over it.”

She frowned. “I don’t know that I want it to be a thing I just get over. That’s the problem. I had to just get over so many things. I don’t think I’ve ever had a lasting connection in my life. Apollo is really the only one. And that’s kind of sad.”

“Well. Listen, I’m glad that he intervened. Because as much as I don’t want to think Rocco was deliberately going to scam you...”

She groaned. “Yes, I know. The facts can’t be ignored there.”

“Anyway. You’re going to be okay, right?” Mariana touched her arm, the gesture of concern touching. She wasn’t alone.

Things had felt fraught for a while now. And as important as Apollo was to her, and had been, it was good to know she wasn’t alone anymore.

“Yes.” She took a breath, determined to weather this without being watery about it. “Hey, I’m still in charge of my money, and the company. So, the offer still stands. I would like for you to manage one of the hotels. Anywhere you want.”

“Anywhere?”

“Yes. I’ve been looking at the way that things are run, and the company has stagnated in the last few years. I think there need to be some top to bottom changeups in leadership. And I feel comfortable saying that you could be exactly what it needs. So yeah. Anywhere you want.”

Mariana looked shocked. “I’ll look at the catalog and get back to you.”

“Good. I just want... You’ve been a big part of making me see what I needed to do to take control of my own life. And I really appreciate it. I want to pay back.”

Mariana smiled. “That is really lovely. But you know, the thing about friendship is that you don’t have to.”

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