‘Now, this is what happens,’ he continued, as if the incident in the middle had not taken place. ‘My bank will buy you out of trouble. It will keep Santa Rosa ticking over until such time as you fulfil your part of the deal.’
‘Which is what?’ she asked bitterly.
There was a pause—a carefully constructed pause that held Cristina completely trapped. Then it came—smoothly, calmly, quietly.
‘I need a wife,’ he announced. ‘And I need one quickly. You, meu querida are in the fortunate position of suiting my requirements.’
CHAPTER FIVE
SHEER disbelief had Cristina twisting to stare at him. ‘You are asking me to marry you?’ The words arrived gasping from her lips.
Anton’s face hardened, his whole demeanour turning to ice. ‘Take note, Cristina, that at no point in this discussion am I asking you to marry me,’ he said, very clearly. ‘This is a business arrangement. I need a wife,’ he repeated. ‘You happen to fit the bill. You are young, presentable, and still desirable.’
‘Even for badly used goods?’ she quavered.
‘As you say.’ He nodded. ‘You also need my money more than I need you.’
‘Why do you need a wife?’
‘That’s my business.’
‘You want a silent wife?’ She was unable to stop the slicing sarcasm from coming out.
‘You could say that—though I think it might be stretching my luck.’ He smiled in spite of the ice.
‘I wonder you are not putting your secretary in the role, then.’
‘She does not suit my requirements.’
‘But she would not say no to you.’
‘Are you thinking of saying no to me?’
Cristina was too busy trying to grapple with it all to say anything.
‘Maybe you would rather let Kinsella suffer my English touch than be forced to suffer it for yourself again.’
That did it. She turned on him, swivelling in the chair to burn him with a look. ‘I never once said I did not enjoy making love with you, Luis!’ she said hotly. ‘And stop throwing my six-year-old words back at me!’
‘Strong words, though, Cristina. Hard words from a proud Marques mouth.’
‘As you have already pointed out, what pride is there now in being a Marques?’ she countered, then had to heave in a deep, unsteady breath. ‘The name, like my reputation, is demolished. Do you think I am too stupid and too proud to have realised that for myself, long before you ca
me back into my life?’
‘My apologies,’ he said.
She looked away from him and said nothing. An apology only meant something if it carried regret.
‘Am I allowed to ask what my role as wife to you is supposed to entail?’
‘Of course you may ask,’ he answered, so smoothly it was like a slap in her face. He was sitting there—relaxing there now—as if the anger of before had never been, while she…
Was hurt and fighting not to show it.
And afraid of what was going to come next.
‘Your role will be the same as any other wife,’ he told her. ‘You will keep my house, be my hostess and sleep in my bed. You will also make yourself available to me for sex whenever I desire it…’ He sat forward then, so he could look into her face. ‘And here is the bad one, Christina, so prepare for it because you are not going to like this,’ he warned. ‘We—as in you and I—are going to have to go all-out for a fast and probably furious attempt at conceiving a baby. I need you to be pregnant, you see, within a few months…’