The incredulous note in her voice was warning enough that she’d find his proposal completely off the wall, but it had to be put on the table and the sooner it was done now, the better, giving him a platform to move forward with her.
‘Not an affair, Tess. I was thinking more along the lines of us getting married. Having a child together.’
For Tess, it was like a huge shift in the fabric of her life. To say she was thunderstruck was putting it mildly. A hysterical bubble raced around her zapped brain, yelling out we’ve already had a child together. But the big incredible door of marriage kept blocking the wild bubble from breaking out into speech.
For the past few minutes she had been see-sawing over spilling the fact of his fatherhood. Several times she had thought the right moment had come, only to be diverted by the seductive idea of Nick positively wanting an affair with her, not just playing with the thought, actually putting it to her, which was amazing enough…
But marriage!
Marriage meant Nick would be her husband, her man, the impossible dream come true…
Except he wasn’t saying she was the love of his life—which would be a totally absurd statement anyway, given their recent history. It was eleven months too late to be bringing up any feeling of deep attachment to her. No credibility at all. The fantasy of the black prince miraculously becoming her white knight in shining armour simply didn’t play out in these circumstances.
In fact, the only thing he was hanging this proposal on seemed to be his desire for a repetition of his sexual experience with her, and since when did marriage have anything to do with his pursuit of bedding a woman?
Which left…having a child together.
Setting aside the fact they already had a child together, why would Nick suddenly want the commitment of fatherhood? Here was a man who avoided any long-term relationship commitment like the plague. What had changed his mind?
He hadn’t said anything about why he wanted her to be his wife or why he wanted a wife at all! He’d always shown contempt for the institution of marriage, calling it a property trap that only fools would enter of their own free will.
She suddenly remembered he’d just assured her he wouldn’t touch a cent of the Steele fortune. And, of course, being the heiress she was, he’d assume she wouldn’t bother milking him of his assets if it came to a divorce between them. So the property trap wouldn’t apply to them if they married. He’d obviously thought that through. But it didn’t answer the big question…why marry her at all?
‘This is…a surprise,’ she said rather limply, needing him to bolster the idea with cogent reasons.
‘Not an unpleasant one, I hope.’ His magnetic smile flashed out, designed to pull her his way. His dark eyes twinkled warm confidence in their reaching a mutual and beneficial understanding. ‘I think we could deal very well together, Tess.’
The persuasive purr of his voice was like a siren song, seductively calling her to set obstacles aside and just go with him, whatever he wanted, because she wanted it, too. But a bank of past hurts wouldn’t let Tess plunge blindly into what would most certainly be an emotional minefield for her.
‘Are you tired of tom-catting around, Nick?’
She set down the cake fork and picked up her drink, eyeing him over the rim of her glass as he constructed an acceptable reply.
‘I think monogamy with the right woman could be very comfortable.’
‘Mmmh…’
Tess sipped the brandy and cream, trying not to bridle with pleasure at being labelled the right woman. This had to be cynical flattery, she told herself. Comfortable was far more apt.
Her own pride had forced her into allowing him to comfortably continue their professional relationship after their one intimate night together, not creating any emotional drama when he’d moved on to satisfy himself sexually with another woman. But if he thought she’d continue a marriage through one infidelity after another, he could kiss any idea of that comfort zone goodbye!
‘You’re actually willing to try it,’ she posed, gearing up to test his sincerity. ‘…staying wed to your wife, cleaving only to her until death do you part?’
He grimaced. ‘I’m talking about a partnership, Tess, not a life sentence. Like any partnership, as long as it’s working for us, fine. If it doesn’t give us what we want, then we dissolve it.’
In short, he would act to suit himself. As always. Definitely no declaration of undying love coming from the lips of Nick Ramirez! They were great for kissing, great for promising the most incredible sexual pleasure and satisfaction. But love to last a lifetime? Forget it!
‘Didn’t you tell me two years was the maximum limit for passion?’ She gave him a mocking little smile. ‘Even if you’ve worked up a head of steam for me while I’ve been absent from your life, do you see us staying married for a longer period?’
He nodded.
She couldn’t believe it.
Nick Ramirez offering her a commitment that went beyond the heat of sex?
‘That’s where the comfort part kicks in,’ he explained. ‘I’ve always enjoyed your company, Tess. I never feel bored by you and you’ve never given off bored vibrations with me. I don’t see that changing. Do you?’
‘I don’t know. Our rather infrequent meetings don’t exactly test that assumption, Nick. I’m amazed you’re prepared to base a marriage on it. Amazed you’ve got marriage on your mind at all.’ She arched one eyebrow in quizzical challenge. ‘Want to tell me why?’
The shutters came down so fast on all his charged-up dynamic energy Tess could almost hear the clanging of steel doors closing out any possible entry to whatever was driving his mind, almost see the signs flashing up—
PRIVATE
TOP SECRET
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
Tess suspected that Nick Ramirez would never let any woman past the barriers surrounding his heart and soul and he wasn’t about to let a wife, either. But one thing she now understood very clearly. The motivation for this marriage proposal went deep and was very personal because Nick was intent on shielding it from her. For some reason he needed a wife and he’d chosen her as the most suitable candidate.
Tess—whose sex appeal had not been completely worn out on their one night stand.
Tess—who hadn’t ranted and raved about his moving on from her to the next woman who took his eye.
Tess—who wouldn’t take him down financially when it came time to part because she had money to burn herself.