Somehow Cathy kept her face from crumpling. What had she been expecting—words of love? Or at least words which contained some kind of affection, along with hope for a shared future. Instead, he had presented her with the option of visiting schools and warming his bed at night! Was he expecting her to eagerly snatch at his offer—the way she had greedily fallen into bed with him? Well, she would match his cool words with her own response.
‘But why me?’ she queried. ‘Why not a woman more suitable for a prince—someone high-born and not a humble chambermaid?’
Xaviero nodded, pleased with the dispassionate nature of her question—because surely that boded well for the future. ‘Because I know the identity of every eligible woman on the island—and have no wish to marry any of them. But neither do I have the time to go trawling the world in search of a more…’ He shrugged as he met her eyes, but he would not shrink from what was, essentially, the truth. ‘A more suitable candidate of aristocratic breeding. And of course you have one essential qualification for the role, Cathy—one which I can vouch for myself.’
‘My virginity?’ she guessed slowly.
‘Of course.’ Remembering the afternoon she had lost it, he felt the beat of desire and longed to take her in his arms right then. To lose himself there in the sweetest way possible and to temporarily rid himself of some of the dark weight of expectation which now fell on his shoulders. But he dared not touch her. Not yet. ‘So…’ He raised his dark brows. ‘Your thoughts on the matter?’
If only he had kissed her or hugged her instead of asking the question in such a cold-blooded way. If he had let physical affection masquerade as love—then wouldn’t it have made everything easier? But he was still standing away from her—only a few feet, it was true, but it might as well have been a million miles. Think straight, Cathy, she urged herself. Because this is very important—for both of you. And if you are to give his unbelievable proposal any serious consideration, then you must be in full possession of the facts.
And that meant remaining as detached as he was.
‘So my innocence is the sole reason for this fairy-tale proposal?’
Xaviero gave a quick smile. Was she trying to shock him with her sudden bluntness? ‘I think you underestimate your petite, blonde beauty, mia tesoro,’ he demurred softly. ‘Though our marriage would of course be impossible if you had been intimate with other men. But it is your biddable nature which was equally important in helping me come to my decision.’
Cathy stilled. ‘What…what are you talking about?’
‘It is one of your most commendable qualities—the fact that you are so wonderfully compliant,’ he murmured and he began to walk across the room towards her. ‘Such a wonderfully old-fashioned trait and it is because you are not from aristocracy that you are in possession of it. I watched you begin to learn about sex with an enthusiasm and an aptitude which was thrilling to behold. Your eagerness to please and to improve bodes well, Cathy—and can be applied to other fields outside the bedroom.’
‘Compliant?’ she repeated weakly, because now he was before her—his glorious face in close-up, his own distinctive scent invading her senses.
‘Yes—compliant. You are like a blank canvas on which I can paint whatever I like. Someone who will learn to be the perfect Princess, just as you have learnt to be the perfect lover. Few women are as teachable as you, mia bella Cathy. Now come here—’
His voice had dipped and Cathy heard the raw hunger in it—but she stood stiff and unmoving when he took her into his arms. Say no, she silently urged herself. Tell him what he can do with his insulting request. Tell him that you’re more than just an ex-virgin who learns quickly and will grab at anything he offers you.
‘Cathy,’ he murmured, touching the tousled fall of her hair as he had been longing to do from the moment she had entered the room, tangling his fingers in its silken spill. ‘Sweet, sweet Cathy.’
She tried to fight it, but desire was proving far stronger than pride—and hadn’t she hungered for his touch for so long? Hadn’t he hovered on the periphery of her every waking thought for each moment they’d been apart—reminding her of how totally he could captivate her?
She had thought that she had tasted the last of him, and couldn’t ever have envisaged that she would be in his arms again. But now she was, and it was even better than she remembered—obliterating everything but a hot and urgent desire. He was smoothing his palms down the side of her head, stroking her hair as if she were a cat. Each of his thumbs was now tracing an outline on each side of her lips, sending them into a helpless tremble. It was a fervent and curiously innocent gesture and it was almost her undoing. ‘Xaviero—’