“Of course not,” she said hurriedly. “You think I want to stay in bed all day?”
He looked at her knowingly, and her blush deepened.
Then, shaking his head, he scowled. “The waiter wouldn’t let me pay for room service. Apparently your dear friend Tanaka,” his voice held an edge, “gave his staff orders that this penthouse suite is not to be charged for anything.”
She couldn’t imagine a proud man like Antonio allowing another man to pay his way. Particularly not someone he saw as a rival. Biting her lip, she said awkwardly, “Ren is a dear friend...”
“We will move to my hotel room tonight,” he cut her off.
“It’s not up to you.” She lifted her chin. “I can sleep where I please.”
Antonio gave her an easy smile. “Of course.” He moved closer to the bed in his white terry cloth robe, and she had a flash of tanned, powerful legs and his hard-muscled chest. “Do you want more breakfast?”
Looking down at the tray, Hana realized she’d somehow gobbled it all down. “No...”
His sensual lips curved. “Perhaps I’m being hasty to want to tour the sights of Tokyo. We could stay in, and order more...”
Pushing the tray aside, she jumped out of bed, snatching up her silk robe, which had been left in a puddle on the floor last night when they’d...but she wasn’t going to think about that. She wrapped the robe around herself and tied it firmly. “How did the negotiations end yesterday?”
“A total disaster,” he said cheerfully.
“Don’t you want to try to save the deal? We’ve been working on it for months!”
Antonio shook his head.
“You’re just letting it go?” she asked in astonishment.
He looked down at her, as they stood together next to the enormous bed with its tangled sheets warmed by golden light. He murmured, “I have a different priority today.”
She didn’t have to ask what it was. He’d made his determination plain. But it seemed incredible to her that Antonio Delacruz was putting his desire to marry her as a greater priority than the business deal that would give him routes into Asia. She snorted. “Are you trying to impress me by giving up the deal just to spend time with me?”
“Would that work?”
“No,” she lied, “and I think it’s ridiculous when you know how important this deal is to CrossWorld Airways. Do you want to expand into Asia or not?”
Antonio came so close to her, their bodies almost touched. He looked down at her, his darkly handsome face serious. “I want to marry you.”
Her mouth went dry, and with an effort, she turned away. “This isn’t a game!”
“You’re the only one who seems to think it is.”
“I’m not going to marry you, Antonio. Never ever!”
For a moment, his dark eyes looked vulnerable. Then a veil came down over his gaze. “We’ll see.”
She must have imagined that look in his eyes, she decided. Antonio Delacruz had no feelings. He was heartless. He prided himself on it.
But he was starting to get to her. Could Antonio really care about this baby? Could he actually commit to raising a child? Hana shivered. Could he commit to her?
She was still stunned by what he’d told her of his childhood. He’d always been notoriously closed-lipped about his past. What people knew about him was mostly the business legend, how he’d taken one small leased airplane in the south of Spain and turned it into an empire through hard work and grit. He’d taken big chances, and somehow made those risks pay off.
But no one knew the story of the newborn baby left on the church steps. The young boy who’d been taken home by two different families, then heartlessly rejected. The teenager who’d offered his heart to his first lover, only to be spurned.
No wonder he’d never wanted children. No wonder his company was his only family and money his way of keeping score. Who could blame him for having no heart after that?
“Why is marriage suddenly so important to you?” she asked. “You’ve never wanted it before.”
“I told you. My child must always know they were wanted. He—or she—will have a name. A home.”