Richard clenched his teeth. He wasn’t still in love with Joanna. He hated her. But he supposed his hate was just as much of an impediment to falling in love again. Once bitten that badly, a million times shy.
“I see,” he said, his brain ticking away with the implications of what Reece had just told him. At least this news explained why Holly had become stroppy with him at the party for a while.
But she’d still come home with him, hadn’t she? And still gone to bed with him.
That said a lot in his favour.
“You could lie to her, of course, Richard. Tell her you love her. Tell her you’re totally over Joanna. Lots of women will believe whatever they want to believe.”
“I won’t do that, Reece. Did you tell Alanna you loved her?”
“No, but then Alanna’s a very unusual woman. She doesn’t want to be loved. She’s even more pragmatic than I am. But blind Freddy can see that your Holly is nothing like us. She’s quite young, for starters. And idealistic. A bit like you used to be. I wasn’t keen on your going to Wives Wanted to find a wife. Most of those women on that database are out for what they can get. But I still think you might have pulled the wrong straw with Holly.”
“I don’t think so. She’s what I want. And I mean to have her, one way or the other.”
“You’ve already had her, mate, by the sounds of things. That doesn’t mean you have to marry her.”
“I know that, Reece. But I’m going to, if she’ll have me.”
“What will you do about the Wives Wanted business?”
“The only thing I can do. Tell Holly everything, of course.”
Up to a point. He wasn’t about to spill his guts over what Joanna had done to him. He would concentrate on his need to move on with his life, the same way Holly was moving on with hers. Why not move on together? he would argue. They liked each other and desired each other. He would also tell her he thought she’d make a wonderful wife and mother. It wasn’t flattery. It was the truth.
“Thanks for telling me, Reece,” Richard said. “I appreciate it. And tell Alanna not to worry. Everything will be fine.”
“I hope so.”
“I’d better go. The water went off in the shower some time ago. She’ll be coming out of the bathroom any time now.”
He hung up just in time. Holly emerged, her hair down and damp, her face scrubbed of make-up, her beautiful body totally covered by one of his blue business shirts.
For all that, she looked incredibly sexy.
When she saw that he was awake, she halted with a small gasp, a delightful pink zooming into her cheeks.
Richard smiled, thinking how nice it was that she was susceptible to some “morning after” embarrassment, that she wasn’t the kind of girl who was totally blasé about getting up to what they’d got up to last night.
“And good morning to you, too,” he said softly. “You’re wearing one of my shirts, I see.”
He loved the way her blush was quickly replaced by a saucy toss of her head. She had spirit, this girl he’d chosen to marry.
“You didn’t honestly think I was going to go around with no clothes on today, did you? Or wear that silly belt.”
His dark brows lifted. He’d actually forgotten about saying that. “A man can always hope.”
“Sorry,” she said with a haughty sniff. “If you want a sex slave, you’ll have to go elsewhere.”
He had to laugh. “You are unique, Holly, I’ll give you that. And intriguingly unpredictable. After last night a man could be forgiven for thinking you might have enjoyed acting out the sex-slave fantasy.”
“Well, you’d be wrong.”
“I often am,” he said. “Especially about you. So what’s on the agenda for today? I am yours to command.”
She rolled her eyes. “Very funny. You might be a man of leisure today but I have to go home. I always do the books on a Sunday.”
“You will not be doing the books today, madam,” Richard said sternly. “Or any other Sunday, for that matter. Let your stepmother do them. Or let her pay for an accountant.”
“You’re right. I’m mad. No more books. In that case, I suppose you could take me out to brunch somewhere. I’m hungry as a horse. But you’ll have to drive me home first. I will need to change.”
“Oh, I don’t know. You look very fetching, dressed like that. Alternatively, we could eat in. I could go get us some videos and a pizza.”
Already, Richard was changing his mind about bringing up the subject of Wives Wanted today. Why spoil the moment?
“Not on your life!” she retorted. “I spent twelve months having pizzas and videos every weekend. And paying for them myself. I wouldn’t let you buy me a dress, but I don’t mind you paying to take me somewhere nice to eat. That’s perfectly acceptable.”