Clever man.
She tried for her most guileless look. ‘I like the glossy black paint and glistening chrome.’
Which was what she saw the day Alexis had proudly delivered her gift—a classic of British motorcycling. Then he’d taught her to ride. Hours with the wind in her face, as if she was flying. And she’d finally understood the glory of the machine and the joy of freedom.
‘You don’t strike me as the sort of woman who’d make a decision because something looks shiny.’
The corners of Christo’s appraising eyes crinkled in amusement, softening the inherent hardness of him.
‘Sorry to disappoint.’
Christo raised his glass to her with a slow smile. She couldn’t take her eyes from his perfect lips, the sensual way they curved. A slick of warmth bloomed deep inside her, aching to be satisfied in a way she’d never allow.
‘I find you intriguing. Plenty of time for disappointment later.’
Her breathing hitched. He wasn’t supposed to find anything about her interesting. ‘Aren’t I supposed to be asking some questions too?’
‘I’m not finished with you yet.’
Christo strolled back to his seat and sprawled on the couch in apparent indolence. She knew better. He watched her like a predator stalking from the shadows.
‘I don’t think this is how the game is supposed to be played,’ she said.
‘My rules.’
‘It’s unfair. And I’d never marry a man who was.’
He placed his hand over his heart. ‘You wound me. As your husband, I can’t have you thinking that. Ask your question.’
‘Why did your father force you to marry?’
There was that tightness round his eyes again. Christo tossed back his drink. She watched the fascinating bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.
‘Because I intended to enjoy a bachelor’s life for ever. No marriage. No children.’
Children?
Thea tried to relax, resting her hands carefully in her lap. If only she could stop them trembling.
‘Is there something you haven’t told me? Your father didn’t demand a child in the terms of his will?’
A dark, brooding shadow passed across his face. He wasn’t looking at her, concentrating instead on the shimmering tumbler in his hand. It was her first sense that he had secrets himself.
The silence stretched. And then, ‘No. Hector’s uncouth, but that would be vulgar even for him. And I would have told you about the requirement if he had. Though who knows what he’d demand if he suspected this marriage is a sham?’
‘When are we going to meet your father, to prove it’s everything he hoped for?’
His eyes snapped to hers. That focus was relentless. She didn’t look away. She’d never been cowed by a man before, no matter how many times her father had tried. She wasn’t starting tonight.
Christo leaned forward with cautious deliberation, placing his glass on the table in front of him. ‘You’ll meet him when you’ve learned to play the role of wife to my satisfaction.’
‘I’m doing an excellent job as your wife.’
‘This morning?’ His eyes narrowed. ‘That fiction about my snoring like a hibernating bear?’
‘Don’t be dramatic.’
‘You called me a beast.’ A tiny muscle at his temple gave a satisfying twitch. ‘Then at dinner you told Anna I had an obsession with ear and nose hair growth.’