Page 114 of A Diamond Deal
She dragged her gaze, with effort, to his face. ‘Were you not expecting me?’
He arched a brow, stepping back and silently inviting her to enter. ‘I didn’t know how long you’d be.’
She swallowed, trying very hardnotto breathe in as she passed, because she knew, straight out of the shower like this, he’d smell—too late. Her nostrils tingled as she caught a hint of soap and something spicy and alpine. Her gut rolled.
Good Lord, but this man was…too good to be true.
‘Coffee?’ he asked.
And just like that, he morphed from good to perfection. ‘God, yes. Thanks.’
When he walked, he looked as though he’d somehow bottled the power of a thousand lightning bolts and infused them into his body. There was such strength to his movements, such lithe athleticism, that she studied him almost as a work of art. Until she realised she wasstillstudying him long after he’d stopped walking, and was simply standing in the kitchen. Looking right at her, his lips quirking with a hint of mocking amusement to find her practically drooling.
Heat flushed her cheeks, but she refused to feel embarrassed. Yet. That might come, given what she intended to ask of him.
‘You wanted to talk?’ he said, switching on a machine that looked way fancier than the one they had in the diner. She watched as he put freshly ground beans into the basket and lifted it in place, then pushed a button.
‘Yeah.’ She moved over to the counter and pulled out a seat, sitting down for a second before realising that was wrong, and jumping back to standing.
‘You are afraid of me.’
She pulled a face. ‘No. I’m…nervous. That’s not the same thing.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I’m tempted to agree with your idea, and that’s unhinged. I mean, I can think of a million reasons to say “no”.’
‘And yet, you’re here.’
Her eyes latched to his as all the air whooshed out of her. ‘This marriage could make my dreams come true,’ she murmured. ‘And I gave up on that so long ago. I really never thought I’d have another chance to live the life I wanted, way back, before everything went pear shape.’
‘Tell me about that life.’
She sucked in a deep breath, shyness taking hold of her. ‘I always wanted more than this.’
His jaw clenched and she wondered if he understood that. How much she’d lost—how much she could have been. ‘I’ve just been getting by for the longest time.’ She cleared her throat, not wanting to bore him with the sob story of her life. ‘I would love to turn my back on what you’re offering, to prove to us both that I’m not that mercenary, but the thing is, I can’t. I don’t want to, anyway.’
‘Do not forget, Amelia, that I approached you. I never offer what I am not willing to pay—and I never give without taking in return. This marriage is important to me, for the sake of my grandfather’s pride. In marrying you, I will be giving him something I could never buy.’
‘But you will be buying it,’ she pointed out, unevenly. ‘In a way, you’ll be buying me.’
‘As I said yesterday, this would be no different from any other business deal.’
She nodded slowly. ‘An agreement.’ Her voice wobbled. ‘That’s what I came to talk about.’
‘Yes?’
‘I don’t want to wait until I’m twenty-five to start living my life.’
His eyes narrowed. This man was so imposing, so incredibly intimidating. Was she actually considering marrying him?
‘What would you like?’
She sipped her coffee, her hand trembling a little as she placed it back on the counter. ‘I want to go to university.’ Her brow furrowed. ‘I don’t speak Italian, but I could apply to study at a British university, online.’
‘Why don’t you speak Italian?’
She swallowed past the bitterness in her throat. ‘Is it a prerequisite?’
