The Millionaire's Revenge(36)
‘Oh, for God’s sake, is that really necessary, Laura?’ it’ll help me remember if I just jot down what you say.’ Their eyes clashed for a few seconds, and then she fled to the kitchen where she dug around until she managed to excavate a sheet of A4 paper and a pen.
This was proving to be even harder than she could ever have dreamt in a million years. If she could have held onto her hostility. If he could just have done her the favour of remaining a one-dimensional cardboard cut-out—ex-lover with an axe to grind. But no, he had to turn things on their head, he had to be gentle and amusing one minute only to switch back into arrogant aggression.
She returned to find him in the sitting room, staring around him. ‘I came here that last day to see your parents. Did you know that?’ Gabriel had not meant to utter a word about that fateful, humiliating episode, but now that he had he could see that he had shocked her.
‘You came here?’ She shook her head in bewilderment. Whatever for?’
‘To ask for your hand in marriage.’ His mouth twisted cynically and he continued to watch her face as it was suffused with colour. ‘Naturally I was thrown out on my ears.’
‘I didn’t know.’
‘No. I did not expect your papa to confide that little titbit to you.’
‘He didn’t dislike you, Gabriel, he just thought...’
‘That his baby could do better?’
‘Isn’t that what all fathers think?’ Her eyes flashed suddenly, if you had a young daughter and the situation was the same, wouldn’t you have reacted in exactly the same way?’
‘Naturally not,’ Gabriel said shortly, but her retort had him turning away. ‘Anyway, it is all water under the bridge. For the moment, we have other things to talk about.’
‘You’re the one who raised the subject.’ it’s history. Tell me what you suggest for this room. I find it too dark and depressing.’
‘It’s your house,’ Laura said stubbornly, and he shot her a glowering look from under his lashes.
‘And I am ordering you to tell me what you think.’
I like greens,’ she said finally, when the option was either to say what she thought or remain locked in silence, which she knew he had no intention of breaking. ‘And creams. Autumnal colours. Mum liked all this floral stuff and when she became, well, really ill, she said it cheered her up to look at the flowers on the walls.’ Laura’s mouth trembled and she frowned down at the piece of paper in her hand.
‘I’m sorry.’
She had barely noticed how close he had come to her. He filled her nostrils with his masculine scent.
‘You can cry, querida. Tears are nothing to be ashamed of.’
‘Of course I’m not going to cry.’ She shook her head briskly and looked up at him. It was the gentle compassion in his eyes that did it. She blinked and felt the hot sting of tears begin to seep from under her eyelids, and suddenly his arms were around her, pulling her towards him.#p#分页标题#e#
Laura allowed herself to be folded against his broad chest. She hooked her arms around his waist and he seemed to just wrap himself around her, one hand on her back, the other pressed against the side of her head, whilst his fingers weaved through her hair. She could hear him making soothing noises under his breath, which only made matters worse because the oozing of her tears became more of a torrent until her body was shaking from crying.
Eventually, she edged herself away, only conscious now of how closely their bodies had been entwined, and raised her eyes to his.
‘I’m very sorry. Not very professional.’ She tried to give a self-deprecating laugh, which emerged as a croak of sorts.
‘Here.’ He reached into his pocket and handed her a handkerchief, which Laura gratefully accepted, but he continued holding her tightly against him. It felt good. Better than good, he thought.
‘I’m fine now,’ she said in a more normal voice.
‘Sure?’ Gabriel tilted her face with one finger under her chin and then softly brushed away the remainder of dampness on her cheeks with the pad of his thumb.
‘Sure. Thanks for the hankie. I’ll wash it and return it to you.’ She had to remove herself from this clinch. Her breasts were pushed against his chest and, now that she was no longer sobbing like a maiden in distress, she was all too aware of them reacting with perky vigour to his body. As was the rest of her. Where his fingers had traced her cheekbones, her skin burned. She wanted to just tiptoe and capture that beautiful, arrogant mouth with hers. She wanted to close her eyes and lose herself in him.