Tycoon's Temptation

‘What are you doing?’

He thrust his long legs into his moleskins. ‘What’s it look like? I’m getting dressed.’

She sat up, still wrapped in towels. ‘Why? What’s wrong?’

‘When were you going to tell me?’ he said, pulling on socks and boots. ‘Or were you just hoping I wouldn’t notice?’

She pulled the towels up tighter around her breasts, fear pulling what was left of her warm glow to shreds. ‘Notice what?’

‘That you’ve never done this before.’

She blinked away at moisture suddenly welling in her eyes. She knew she was inexperienced but she’d hoped it wouldn’t be quite so obvious. ‘Was I that bad?’

He growled in frustration as he pulled his shirt over his shoulders and did up the buttons. ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?’

‘Why should I tell you?’

‘My God, Holly—’ he pulled on socks and boots ‘—because you’re twenty-eight years old. Nobody would expect you were still a virgin. What happened with that man anyway?’

‘What man?’

‘The rich one—the one who only wanted the vines or something.’

‘Who the hell told you about him?’

‘Josh did. He was warning me not to hurt you.’

‘Oh, my God.’ She put her hands to her face, mortified that not only the details of one of the most humiliating episodes of her life was being discussed between the menfolk, but that men were being warned off. Great. No wonder she was still a virgin.

‘So I never for one moment imagined you’re a virgin. I mean, you’re twenty-eight years old. Nobody’s still a virgin at twenty-eight.’

She might be a virgin but she wasn’t some kind of freak like he made out. ‘You know this for a fact, do you? Or is it just that you Chatsfields have different priorities to the rest of us mere mortals. At what age are you expected to lose your virginity? Eighteen? Twenty? Or do the tabloids prefer you lose it even earlier?’

‘That’s rubbish.’

‘How old were you, Franco?’

He shook his head. ‘My family has got nothing to do with this.’

‘Why? Your family permeates every part of this deal. Your family is the reason I didn’t want this deal in the first place. How can I leave your family out of it?’

He tucked his shirt into his jeans and bundled up her clothes from the bathroom floor that he tossed onto the bed beside her.

‘This is about you and me. Nobody else.’

‘So if it’s about you and me, and nobody else, then why can’t you make love to me?’

‘Because you’re a virgin, Holly.’

‘So what?’

‘Isn’t that enough?’

‘What?’ That was no kind of answer at all. ‘So if I wasn’t a virgin, you’d be making love to me right now?’

He grunted a response, neither acceptance or denial, as he threaded his fingers through his still-damp hair, looking anywhere but at her. ‘I should go pack those cartons on the truck.’

‘Why?’ she demanded. ‘Why does me being a virgin make any difference? You wanted to make love to me. God, you practically did. Why is it now a problem? Are you afraid of virgins?’

‘Stop being so melodramatic. I’m not afraid of anything. I just don’t mess with them. Get dressed.’

He was serious! He was actually going to walk away. ‘What do you want me to do? Beg?’

‘I want you to put your clothes on. We’re leaving.’

Dammit, he could not do this to her. Not now. She’d been so close. So damned close. Talk about slamming the door before the horse had bolted.

Holly leapt from the cover of her towels and for the first time in her life didn’t care that she was bare or exposed or naked, because she was so angry. Besides, perhaps he needed a reminder of what he was missing out on.

Tremulously she stood naked in the centre of the room, her hands open by her sides.

‘You wanted to make love to me,’ she said, offering herself to him.

His eyes danced and flickered around the fringes of her. ‘Sure. Right up until I found out about your condition.’

‘For God’s sake, Franco, it’s hardly a condition! It’s not like I’m pregnant!’

‘It was a mistake!’ he said. ‘Now put some damned clothes on and let’s get going.’

The scar at his side ached. With cold, Franco told himself, although he knew it was the pain of a thousand mistakes. Sleeping with virgins was right up there on the top of the list. He’d made that mistake once and he damn well wouldn’t do it again.

Virgins were needy. They gave up their bodies and then they wanted blood in return. Promises. A lifetime of commitment all tied up with a happily-ever-after bow.