The Innocent Behind the Scandal (The Marchetti Dynasty 2)

She lifted her chin. ‘The truth is that...as you may have already guessed... I’m not that experienced. In fact not experienced. At all.’

Maks frowned. ‘Are you saying that—’

‘I’m a virgin, yes.’

Her words were quick. Clipped. His instinct had been right. A swell of something that felt like possessiveness rose up inside him. Primal. Mine. And relief to know she hadn’t been subjected to a terrible assault.

She said, ‘So, I know that that’ll probably change things.’

Maks focused on Zoe. ‘Change...how?’

She suddenly looked unsure. ‘Well, you won’t...you can’t find that attractive.’

Maks’s body begged to differ. ‘Really? And why would that be?’

‘Because you’re experienced...and I’m not. Most men don’t find inexperienced women a turn-on.’

‘I’m not most men.’ Now Maks folded his arms, bristling at the thought that she was comparing him to her ex. Her bullying abusive ex. He could see her throat work as she swallowed.

‘So...what are you saying?’ she asked.

Yes, Maks, what are you saying? That you want to be this woman’s first lover and risk all the emotional entanglements that come with that?

Maks forced the heat haze out of his brain. He had to be careful. He normally steered well clear of situations like this. He had to let Zoe know the kind of person he was.

‘I’m saying that you being a virgin is not a turn-off.’

Quite the opposite, in fact. The thought of being the first man to witness Zoe in the throes of passion was seriously sexy.

‘But,’ he added carefully, ‘I’m not interested in a relationship. I don’t do happy-ever-afters, and after my experience with my parents I have no desire to recreate that toxic scenario in marriage. You need to know that.’

Zoe looked at him for a long moment. There was no discernible expression on her face, which unnerved him. He’d believed her to be as easy to read as a book.

She seemed to hug her arms around herself even tighter and she said, ‘That’s the last thing I’m looking for. Believe me.’

He did. There was something stripped away in her voice, leaving it bare and compelling.

Then she said, ‘I think I’d like to go home now.’

Maks was surprised at the strength of the feeling of rejection that rose up inside him at the thought of her leaving, but he forced himself to say, ‘Sure. I’d take you home, but I’m over the limit. I’ll have Hamish drop you back.’

* * *

The fact that Maks was willing to let her leave so easily made Zoe feel all at once relieved and disappointed. She’d just humiliated herself spectacularly by revealing she’d been abused in a relationship, and then told Maks how inexperienced she was. And, damn him, he hadn’t reacted the way she might have expected.

She was learning that this man didn’t do anything she expected.

But the fact that he was so willing to let her go told her that he was done. As he’d said, he didn’t do relationships. And he obviously suspected that, as a virgin, she’d want more from her first lover. Even though she’d denied it.

Zoe just wanted to leave now, and take her humiliation with her. She was about to protest that she didn’t need a lift but, as if connected with his boss telepathically, Hamish appeared and started to put on a light puffer jacket.

‘It’s no problem to give you a lift home, Zoe.’

She couldn’t help feeling that Hamish had done this before—sprung into action to help Maks dispose of a woman he was no longer interested in. She followed Hamish and turned at the front door to face Maks. She felt awkward. Why had she blurted all that out? She could have made something up.

She forced a smile in Maks’s general direction. ‘Thank you for this evening. I had a nice time. It was lovely to meet your sister—she’s nice.’

‘She liked you too. Goodnight, Zoe.’