‘What? Were you expecting a round of applause? Some noble little speech about what a wonderful woman you are, saving your grandmother from the loan sharks with no thought for herself?’
Tabitha looked up sharply. ‘No. I just thought it would help us if you knew the truth.’
‘The truth is that this is a business deal.’ His words were harsh, angry. ‘I don’t care about your grandmother—or you either, come to that—so save the little speeches, Tabitha. Save the guilt trip and the dramas. The only person getting worked up about this wedding is you. And as for the gambling debt, you were right—who it belongs to isn’t relevant.’
She shot a look at him from under her eyelashes. ‘Isn’t it?’
‘You cashed the cheque the day after you got it,’ Zavier pointed out. ‘What you spent it on is your business, so long as it was within the confines—’
‘Of the contract.’ She finished the sentence for him. ‘It was.’
‘Fine,’ he snapped. ‘So unless you come up with the money by tomorrow you owe me, Miss Reece, big time. The contract still stands.’ The anger left him then, and, propping himself on his elbow, Zavier looked at her thoughtfully. ‘Any other little gems you want to toss at me? Any other truths you’d like to share while we’re being so open?’
His voice was laced with sarcasm. Tabitha managed a brief shake of her head, biting on her lips to stop the tears.
‘So nothing’s changed, then?’
‘I guess.’ Her long fingers were dragging through the sand, drawing endless swirling circles in the virgin smoothness.
He watched her, his eyes slowly dragging the length of her body. Her toes were still painted the same shade of coral they had been at the wedding. Her legs were slender and long, pale freckles skimming the translucent skin, her thighs toned yet soft on the underside. The same legs that had been wrapped around him; the same legs that had pulled him closer, driving him on, pulling him deeper. Suddenly Zavier was hit in the groin with a burning longing, and the searing memory of the soft warm flesh against his skin was so vivid his hand unthinkingly crept closer, his fingers absently stroking the soft marshmallow of her thigh, the need to feel her, to touch her, surpassing all logic.
Tabitha turned abruptly. She had been lost in her own world, oblivious of his mental lovemaking, but as his fingers made contact she jumped, her body tremulous, shocked eyes widening despite the glare of the sun, her pupils constricting against the bright light till the pools of calcite seemed bigger than the ocean.
‘What are you doing?’ It was a pointless question, one that didn’t merit an answer, and he rolled towards her, pinning her to the soft beach, a quilt of flesh and muscle bearing down, burying her with hot needy kisses that almost drowned out reason.
Almost.
With a sob of frustration, of anger, she wriggled away, the tears that had threatened dangerously close now. ‘You’ve just told me you don’t care about me, just sweetly reiterated that this is business, and now you have the gall to kiss me, to touch me. This isn’t just business, Zavier, and you know it as well as I do…’#p#分页标题#e#
He gave a low laugh. ‘This is the pleasure. I never said we couldn’t mix the two. In fact you signed yourself up for it, remember…’
In one lithe movement she pulled herself up, but he was too quick for her, grabbing at her ankle. He held his hand there in a vice-like grip as she stood, and when he was sure she wasn’t about to make a bolt, when the rigid muscles relaxed slightly, he loosened his grip, working his hand slowly up the length of her freckled leg, toying with the top of her shorts. She felt her groin contract, a bubble of moisture welling between her legs.
‘This was very much a part of the deal…’
She stared back at him for the longest time. The fact she wanted him was a given, and to deny it would be a lie, but right here, right now, she also hated him. She had told him about her grandmother, her darkest secret, her deepest pain, and he hadn’t even graced her with a decent response. She had been right not to tell him of her love, Tabitha acknowledged with relief, and until that ring was safely on her finger she had to be sure he didn’t realise her truth.
‘You think this is pleasurable?’ Her voice was steady, her lips white, and she stared down at his hand with a sneer. ‘You think I’m enjoying this?’
For the first time she saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes, felt his grip loosen on her ankle. Freeing her leg, she shook her head ruefully. ‘You think you’re such a bigshot? Well, I’ve got news for you. It’s business for me too. The only pleasure I get from you is cashing your cheques.’