The question just added ice to the bucket and he unwound her arms from around his neck.
‘Cruz...?’
Was he crazy? He had a hot woman in his arms so why was he hesitating? He couldn’t explain it; he just knew it didn’t feel right.
His hard-on pressed insistently against his fly, as if to say it had felt very right ten seconds ago, and he stepped away from her so he wouldn’t be tempted to pull her back into his arms.
Something of his inner turmoil must have shown on his face, because she blanched and he thought she might throw up.
‘Steady.’
He went to grab her but she pulled back sharply and quickly righted her dress as best she could before wrapping her arms around herself.
‘I can’t believe it. I’ve ruined it,’ she muttered, more to herself than him.
On one level he registered the comment as strange, but part of him had already agreed with her—because, yes, she had ruined it. She was ruining everything.
His desire to buy Ocean Haven.
His peace of mind.
‘That sounds like revenge,’ she’d said earlier.
‘Go to bed, Aspen,’ he said wearily, upset with himself and his unwelcome conscience.
Her eyes were uncertain pools of dark green when she looked at him. ‘But what about—?’
‘I’m not in the mood.’
He turned sharply and tracked back into the penthouse before he threw his aggravating conscience over the balcony and did what his body was all but demanding he do.
* * *
Aspen stood on the balcony, the night air cooling her overheated skin as the realisation that he was rejecting her sank in. She swallowed heavily, her mind spinning back to those last few moments. She felt like an inept fool as memories of Chad’s hurtful rejection of her years ago tumbled into her mind like an avalanche. His repulsed expression when he’d told her to go out and buy a bottle of lube.
At the time she’d been so naïve about sex she hadn’t even known what he was talking about. So he’d clarified. ‘Lubrication. You’re too dry. It’s off-putting.’
Completely mortified, she’d searched the internet and learned that some women suffered dryness due to low oestrogen levels. She hadn’t investigated any further. She’d shame-facedly done what he’d asked, but they’d never got round to using it. He hadn’t wanted to touch her after that.
And no matter how many times she told herself that Chad’s harsh words were more to do with his own inadequacies in the bedroom than hers it didn’t matter. She didn’t believe it. Not entirely. There was always a niggle that he was right.
Don’t go there, she warned herself, only half aware that she had pressed her hand to her stomach. Chad’s long gone and you knew this was going to happen with Cruz so, okay, deal with it. And quickly. Then you can go home to Ocean Haven and be safe again.
Fortifying her resolve, she moved inside and found Cruz pouring a drink, his back to her.
‘You still have to lend me the money,’ she said, glad that her voice sounded so strong.
Cruz felt his shoulders tense and turned slowly to face her.
She was a cool one, all right. Haughty. Dismissive. Way too good for him.
Slowly he folded himself into one of the deep-seated sofas. ‘No, I don’t,’ he said, wanting to annoy her.
‘Yes, you do. You signed—’
‘I know what I signed.’ He swirled his drink and ice clinked in the glass as he watched her. Her eyes were cool to the point of being detached. Damn her. That was usually his stock in trade.
‘Then you know that if it turns out you don’t want...’ She stopped whatever it was she was about to say and raised her chin. ‘I trusted you.’
He ignored the way those words twisted his gut. Her soft declaration was making his conscience spike again. ‘The agreement didn’t stipulate which night.’ He waited for his words to sink in and it didn’t take long. ‘Consider yourself off the hook for tonight. As I told you, I’m not in the mood.’
She frowned. ‘When will you be in the mood?’
Right now, as it happens.
‘I don’t know,’ he said roughly, annoyed with his inability to control his physical response to her.
Of course that answer wasn’t good enough for her.
‘And if I’m not in the mood when you decide you are?’
This wasn’t going to work. If he stayed here he’d damned well finish what he had started outside.
He sprang to his feet and those green eyes widened warily. And well they might. He stalked towards her and wrapped one hand around that glorious mane of hair. He tilted her face up so that she was forced to meet his steely gaze, unsure if he was angry with her or himself or just in general.