Claiming My Bride of Convenience

‘No, just a control freak.’ She sighed. ‘But the truth is I didn’t know how you’d react because I don’t actually know you.’

Which provided my perfect opening. ‘Then let’s change that,’ I said with a determined smile. ‘Starting now.’

CHAPTER SIX

HE WASN’T ANGRY. Even as relief pulsed through me I wondered what I’d been so afraid of. Why should Matteo be angry that I had started my own business—admittedly in his house, and with the money he’d given me? Still, as I’d told him, it was my money. My life. And now that my nerves had passed I realised I was proud of all I’d achieved, and pleased that Matteo knew about it.

Why I should be pleased, I didn’t like to think about. It implied that I cared about his opinion, and I knew I shouldn’t. Not if I wanted to keep my distance, which had been my first resolve. Now, with Matteo smiling at me, his expression managing to be both easy and determined, I didn’t know what I felt.

‘You want to get to know me?’ I said uncertainly. ‘Really?’

‘Yes, really. Is that so hard to imagine?’

‘Frankly, yes. Your...transactions with women have not been characterised by your getting to know them, at least in anything other than the physical sense.’

‘But we’re married,

’ he pointed out. ‘And we’re going to have a baby together. It’s different.’

‘We are not going to have a baby together,’ I retorted.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream at the arrogance of the man. Even now, after I’d refused him in no uncertain terms, he was completely confident of winning me round. And the trouble was I knew he might.

‘For now, why don’t we just have a conversation? Spend the afternoon together and see where it leads?’

He raised his eyebrows expectantly and I did my best not to read innuendo into those words. Not to imagine that big bed upstairs with the two of us in it.

‘Fine,’ I said, knowing I sounded ungracious. ‘Since you came all this way.’

‘Why don’t you show me the village? I don’t think I’ve actually seen it before.’

‘All right.’

Against my better judgement I found myself warming to the idea. I could show Matteo the warehouse where we stored the finished fabrics, and the building where we kept the dye vats. I realised I was looking forward to showing him that I wasn’t the pathetic, washed-up waitress with no sense of style or sense that he’d assumed I was. I might not have oodles of confidence when it came to high society or city life, but here on Amanos I knew who I was. Because it was here that I’d found myself.

‘Let me just change,’ I said, and Matteo inclined his head.

‘I will, as well. I imagine things are casual on the island.’

Upstairs, anticipation fizzed through my stomach along with nerves as I flipped through my limited wardrobe, looking for...what? A cute sundress that managed to be both sexy and demure? Something to show Matteo I was a woman with appeal and beauty?

I let out a huff of humourless laughter. I didn’t have anything like that in my wardrobe of mostly shorts, jeans, T-shirts and hoodies—and, anyway, I didn’t want to doll myself up for Matteo’s sake. The only reason he was interested in me was because I was a challenge.

At least that was what I’d told myself over the last week, when I’d been obsessing about his proposition.

I settled on a pair of capris with a loose top in the turquoise linen of Amanos Textiles. Hardly sexy stuff, but I looked nice enough.

Matteo, as usual, looked almost unbearably attractive. Whether he was in a tuxedo, a suit, or, as now, a pair of dark trousers and a grey polo shirt that brought out the vivid colour of his eyes, he was devastating. He devastated me.

‘Let’s go,’ I said, trying to keep my voice light, trying not to react to the way Matteo’s gaze seemed to burn my skin as he looked at me.

My every nerve ending felt as if it were tingling to life as we strolled the half-mile down the rock-strewn dirt road that led to Holki.

‘Why did you buy this place if you were never going to visit?’ I asked as we walked along.

‘It was meant to be an investment, but in the end it suited my purposes admirably.’ He shot me a gleaming glance, all eyes and teeth. ‘You’ve been happy here?’

‘Yes.’