No! ‘Yes.’ Angelique moistened her lips and tasted salty male. It was like tasting a powerfully addictive drug. She wanted more. Now. Right now.
His gaze searched hers for a pulsing moment. ‘Fine.’ He dropped his hand from her face and moved away.
Fine? She looked at him in numb shock. Fine? Why wasn’t he challenging her? Why wasn’t he making her eat her words? Damn it! She wanted him to make her eat her words!
He glanced at his designer watch. ‘We should get going. I don’t want to lose our booking; I had to pull some strings to get a table at such short notice.’
‘I find that very hard to believe.’ Angelique curled her lip as she picked up her purse. ‘The Caffarelli name can get you a table just about anywhere, I would’ve thought.’ Let’s see if I can push a few more of those buttons of his. ‘Maybe I’ll change mine and see if I can cash in on some of the benefits.’
His expression hardened to stone. ‘Don’t get ahead of yourself, Angelique. This is not permanent. Don’t kid yourself that it will be anything but what it is right now.’
‘A war zone?’ she quipped.
‘Temporary.’ He held the door open with a pointed look. ‘Shall we?’
* * *
It was a popular restaurant owned and operated by one of Britain’s celebrity chefs, which meant it was a famous-person hot spot, so the paparazzi were nearly always on hand.
Angelique quailed at the thought of fending off another round of intrusive questions. She was a pretty good actor but any body-language expert worth his or her credentials would be able to see Remy was still angry with her. He hadn’t spoken a word to her during the short trip to the restaurant. He had spent the entire time tapping emails into his phone.
‘Couldn’t we have stayed and dined in the hotel?’ she asked as he helped her from the limousine.
‘No.’ His hand was firm as it took hers.
‘But surely we should be avoiding all this attention as much as possible?’ She gave him a pouty glance. ‘Anyway, what will people think? We’re supposed to be on our honeymoon. Eating’s supposed to be the last thing on our minds.’
‘Yes, well, it’s probably the last thing on your mind, but I’m starving. I need food and I need it now.’
Angelique rolled one shoulder haughtily. ‘Why are men at the mercy of their basest desires?’
He gave her a glinting look. ‘Why do women deny their needs as if it’s something to be ashamed of? It’s not wrong to feel hungry or horny. It’s completely natural.’
‘You know something?’ She frowned at him. ‘I’ve always really hated that word.’
‘What, hungry?’
‘Horny. It’s sounds...I don’t know. Coarse.’
A mocking smile angled his mouth. ‘So underneath that brash, streetwise exterior is a sweet old-fashioned girl? Don’t make me laugh.’
Angelique glared at him. ‘You don’t know me. Not the real me.’ No one knows the real me.
He tucked her arm through one of his as he led her into the restaurant. ‘Maybe now’s a good time to start.’
Dining out for Angelique was like sharing a room with Remy—full of wicked temptation. Being tired and emotionally out of sorts made it much harder for her to rely on her steely resolve to keep to her strict diet. Just like kissing or touching Remy, one taste was enough to throw caution to the wind. Making love with him had changed everything. It was like trying to eat one peanut or one French fry: it was impossible; she would always want more. More of him. All of him. B
ut how could she have him when he didn’t want this arrangement to last any longer than it took to seal his latest business coup?
The Caffarelli brothers—before Rafe had married and Raoul had become engaged—had written the rulebook for rakes. Of the three of them, Remy had the worst reputation for the rate of turnover of partners. He had never had a relationship last more than a week or two.
But then, why would he?
He was spoilt for choice. Women adored him and flocked about him like bees around blossom. He was never in one place longer than a week at a time, which of course made it easy for him to be casual about his hook-ups.
Did he ever want more than just sex? Did he ever think about the companionship and loyalty his brothers were now experiencing? Did he think about the promise of stability and a love that would last through good times and bad? To have someone to share the bond of children with, to watch as they grew from babies to children to adulthood? To love and protect them, nurture them and teach them how to be good, trustworthy citizens?
Angelique’s brow furrowed as she looked down at the menu. Instead of the words printed there, she started to picture a tiny baby with a shock of jet-black hair and big brown eyes fringed with dark lashes.