With a low French curse, Théo suddenly sat up beside her in bed, his black eyes wide. “The dinner!”
“What?”
“I left the steak and bacon frying on the stove!”
He leapt naked from the bed, a horrified expression on his chiseled face.
A sudden laugh rose to Carrie’s lips. Then, as he reached for a robe, her eyes traced the exquisitely muscled, tanned body of the man who’d just made love to her—the man who’d fathered her child. And all the laughter fell away from her face as she felt the anguished pang in her heart.
#p#分页标题#e#
She’d just fallen for him. All over again.
Fifteen minutes later, Théo could tell Carrie was lying, and it made him furious.
“Tell me the truth,” he ordered, standing next to the kitchen table. “I can take it.”
“Um. It’s not as bad as it looks,” Carrie offered as she sat, her naked body covered by a white terry-cloth robe. “Really.” She took another bite of the charred meat and mushy vegetables in an overcooked burgundy sauce and gulped it down hard. He could almost see it go down her throat. “It’s um…not half bad.”
“You mean it’s all bad,” Théo said glumly.
Wiping her mouth with a linen napkin, she gave him a cheerful smile. “Still better than raw foamy eggs.”
Typical Carrie, Théo thought with irritation. Al ways trying to make the best of things. Dipping his wooden spoon in the congealed sauce, he tasted it and nearly spat it out. Covering his face with his hand, he leaned against the table and groaned. “I wanted to impress you.”
Their eyes met. The smile fled from her face.
“You did,” she whispered.
An undercurrent of heat passed between them. Suddenly Théo no longer cared about the ruined dinner. The spoon dropped from his hands, clattering to the floor. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her.
Already he wanted her again.
The kiss lasted a long time before he finally found the strength to pull away.
If once he’d been preoccupied, now he was obsessed.
Their bond would be permanent and strong. He would help Carrie lose her foolish illusions—much as he’d acquire a troubled company and break apart its bankrupt assets, to get a better price for the whole. He would protect the parts of Carrie’s soul he admired—her passion, her intelligence, her love for their son. Her kind heart. Her hopeful, tender soul.
But he would help her discard her big dreams, her impossibly romantic ideals. Everything that could not last. Everything she was better off without.
Yes, their marriage would be solid. Their family would be strong.
And he could hardly wait to start on the honeymoon.
Never breaking his gaze from hers, he sat down heavily in a nearby chair, pulling her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he took her hands in his own. Her hands fell small, delicate and warm. He felt like a clod beside her. She would make the perfect countess.
“We will have a good partnership,” he said quietly. “You will be an asset to my life, and I will strive to be an asset to yours.”
Twisting around to face him, she looked at him with shock. “What are you talking about?”
“Our marriage.” His hands tightened over hers. “We’ve already started on the honeymoon. We should wed immediately. French law requires a ten-day wait, so I thought perhaps Las Vegas…”
Carrie held up her hand sharply. “You’re already planning our wedding?”
Her tone was angry. Of course, Théo thought, biting his lip in chagrin. Every woman wanted to plan her own wedding.
“It doesn’t have to be Las Vegas,” he said, more carefully. “We could marry in Seattle, so your family could attend. And of course if you feel you want a large, lavish reception I would be more than happy to throw an enormous party afterward, either here in the castle or in Paris. We’d invite all the highest society of Europe. We could have your dress specially made…”
“I’m not going to marry you,” she said coldly, “just because we had sex.”
“What?” he gasped. His eyebrows lowered. “Of course that’s not the only reason. But you felt how perfect we are together—made for each other!”#p#分页标题#e#
“Made for each other in bed,” she said. “A one-night stand changes nothing. You don’t want love. I won’t marry without it. We’d only make each other unhappy.”
He cupped her cheek, looking up at her with a growl. “You didn’t seem unhappy a few minutes ago.”
She jumped up from his lap. “You’re taunting me for wanting you? Fine.” Her voice was small as she looked down at her hands. “I wanted you. But that doesn’t change my feelings.”