‘Y...yes,’ she agreed faintly. Sergio’s words were an unwelcome reminder that he had been prepared to fight her for custody of Nico, an unwelcome reminder that the only reason he had asked her to marry him was because he wanted his son. Kristen’s determination to admit her love for him faltered. ‘Of course our marriage will be for Nico’s sake,’ she said quickly. ‘He adores you, and he is so happy living here in Sicily. I’ve realised that it would be unfair of me to take him back to London. Also...’ a soft flush stained her cheeks ‘...I think it would be nice for him to have a brother or sister. He’s three, and already there will be a big age gap between him and another child, even if I fell pregnant straight away.’
A lead weight settled in the pit of Sergio’s stomach. Why did he feel so damnably disappointed that Kristen’s reasons for deciding to marry him were sensible and coldly logical? he asked himself irritably. Four years ago he had sensed that she had been falling in love with him, and he had hoped over the past weeks that he might have revived her feelings for him. The realisation that she regarded him as a stud was bitterly hurtful.
He lifted his hand and released the mother-of-pearl clip that secured her chignon so that her hair fell like a curtain of gold silk around her shoulders. ‘It would make sense for us to get married as soon as possible. What kind of wedding would you like?’
Taken aback by his cool, almost indifferent tone, Kristen shrugged helplessly. ‘Nothing fancy. After all, we’re not marrying for conventional reasons so it would be silly to go to a lot of fuss. Maybe we could just slip off to a register office.’
Sergio’s brows rose. ‘Can you clarify what you mean by “conventional reasons”?’
‘Well, it’s not as though we are in love with each other like most couples are when they decide to marry...is it?’ she said huskily. ‘It’s just a sensible arrangement.’
‘Indeed it is,’ Sergio agreed pleasantly. His eyes were hooded, but Kristen sensed that for some inexplicable reason, he was angry with her. ‘So, following on the sensible theme, I assume you hope to fall pregnant quickly so that Nico can have a little playmate?’
She bit her lip. ‘Well...yes.’
‘In that case, we’d better have sex.’
Kristen caught her breath as he swung her round and briskly ran the zip of her dress down her spine. With no straps to hold it up, the taffeta gown slithered to the floor and for some silly reason she was tempted to cover her breasts with her hands when he spun her back to face him. She couldn’t explain why she felt so vulnerable. He was the same man who had made love to her with tender passion these past weeks, yet tonight his smile did not reach his eyes and his calculating expression chilled her.
‘You had better get into bed—unless you want me to take you here on the carpet?’
‘Sergio...?’ She couldn’t disguise the tremor in her voice but, before she could ask him why he was acting this way, his head swooped and he slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her with searing passion that lit a flame inside her so that she wound her arms around his neck as he lifted her and carried her over to the bed. He placed her on the silk bedspread and she watched dry-mouthed while he stripped down to his underwear. His boxers followed his trousers to the floor and, as usual, the sight of his jutting arousal turned her insides to marshmallow. But, instead of stretching out next to her and taking her in his arms as she hoped he would do, he tugged her knickers off and pushed her legs apart.
Anticipation licked through her as he cupped her breasts and rolled her nipples between his fingers until they hardened and tingled. She was on fire for him, but the faintly speculative expression in his eyes disturbed her.