Her scathing tone riled him. ‘You make it sound as though Casa Camelia is a hovel, and moving here would be a terrible hardship. But it’s a hell of a lot better than the rabbit hutch you call home in London. As for your job—you would not need to work and you could spend more time with Nico. Perhaps you could even take up gymnastics again.’
Sergio had played his trump card, Kristen acknowledged. Much as she enjoyed her job, she would love to be a full-time mum to Nico, at least until he started school. And she had often thought she would like to become a gymnastics coach, but she had never had time to attend the training courses while she worked full-time.
But marriage was such a massive step.
‘I’m not convinced that a marriage of convenience would be right for us or for Nico. What if we were to divorce in a few years’ time? That would be more painful for him than if we organise how we can both be a part of his life while leading separate lives of our own.’
The conversation was not heading in the direction Sergio wanted. It struck him forcibly that he hated the idea of Kristen living a separate life from him in London. She was so beautiful that she would undoubtedly attract a lot of male attention, and there would be nothing to stop her having lovers, maybe even marrying some other guy. Jealousy burned like acid in his gut. He was tempted to seize her in his arms and kiss her until she was mindless with desire, prove that the blazing passion they shared was special—just as she was special to him. But the determined tilt of her chin reminded him that she was not a pushover, and so he dropped his hands from her shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes.
‘Nico’s well-being is not the only reason I want to marry you, Krissie. And I am not contemplating us getting divorced. I’m talking about making a long-term commitment to you and to the future that I very much hope we will share. I would also like us to have more children. It would be good for Nico to grow up with siblings.’
Her sharp intake of breath warned him that he was going too fast. ‘But I understand your concerns,’ he said quickly, ‘and I think we should put the idea of marriage on hold for a while and spend time getting to know each other again.’
Sergio smiled suddenly, breaking the tension and causing Kristen’s heart to perform a somersault as he worked his sensual magic on her. ‘What do you say, cara? Will you give me a chance?’
What could she say? she thought ruefully. She was still reeling from his statement that Nico was not the only reason he had suggested they get married. What on earth had he meant? With a helpless shrug she said huskily, ‘I guess so. Yes.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SPENDING A DAY on Sergio’s luxury yacht, which boasted a swimming pool, a Jacuzzi and cinema on its list of amenities, promised to be a relaxing experience. Spending a day on Sergio’s yacht accompanied by an inquisitive, daredevil three-year-old boy was rather less relaxing, but it had still been a wonderful day, Kristen mused as the Dolphin dropped anchor in a small bay close to a private beach belonging to the Castellano estate.
‘This is as close to the shore as we can go,’ Sergio said as he strode across the deck. Wearing cut-off denim shorts and a fine cotton shirt left open to reveal his darkly tanned torso, he was one gorgeous sexy male and Kristen felt a delicious coiling sensation in the pit of her stomach at the thought that tonight he would make love to her. He had been away on a business trip the previous week and after five nights of aching frustration she was impatient to feel him inside her. Just the thought of his hard arousal nudging between her thighs was enough to make her breasts grow heavy, and she was glad that the sarong she had wrapped around her hid her pebble-hard nipples.