The Billionaire's Bride of Innocence. Miranda Lee

Delicious, really. His mind was already racing ahead of his actions, thinking of how for once he would make love to her out of a bed and in broad daylight. Soon he’d pick her up and carry her over to the red leather sofa under the window. Soon he’d be inside her.

      First, however, he would have to get her a little more excited, or she might object. She really was incredibly shy.

      He lifted his mouth from hers but he didn’t let her go, turning her round in his arms so that her back was against him. His left arm wound tightly around her waist, his right hand left free. Free to slide into the neckline of her robe and cup her breast, playing with her nipple through the thin silk of her nightie.

      It was larger than he remembered. Larger and more responsive. Megan moaned softly as he played with it.

      James was stunned when she wrenched herself out of his arms and whirled away.

      ‘You…you have to stop,’ she said, her voice shaking.

      ‘But why?’ he snapped. ‘You want it. I know you do.’

      ‘Yes, I do,’ she admitted, her face flushing. ‘I’m sorry, but we…we can’t do anything right now. I have my period.’

      James almost swore. But just as well he hadn’t: Megan was not the sort of girl one used words like that with.

      ‘For how long?’ he asked, still a little sharply. But, hell on earth, he was in agony.

      ‘Till Friday at least,’ she said.

      That was five whole days away! For a few seconds James struggled with his frustration before realising that those five days would eventually pass. After which…

      ‘Will your period definitely be finished by Saturday?’

      ‘Saturday should be fine,’ she said, and blushed prettily.

      His eyes raked over her, noting that her eyes were sparkling and her nipples hard as rocks. It was going to be difficult keeping his hands off her till then.

      He’d have to work out even harder in the gym this week to work off his frustrations.

      ‘We’ll fly out to Dream Island first thing Saturday morning,’ he pronounced firmly.

      Megan’s eyes widened. ‘But you haven’t even booked yet. How do you know you’ll get a booking for next Saturday? Or even a flight?’

      ‘Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that. I’ll organise everything. Come Saturday, we’ll be on Dream Island.’

      ‘How long will we be gone for?’ she asked.

      James was about to say a week. He really couldn’t afford to be away from the office for longer than that at the moment. He’d just started up a new addition to his business: a casting agency to cater for the increasing number of movies being made in Australia. But then he remembered that he wasn’t just whisking Megan away to have a twenty-four-seven sex-fest with her. He wanted to get her pregnant.

      He’d forgotten that for a moment!

      He quickly worked out the dates from what she’d told him about her period. Her peak time for conceiving would be a fortnight from today, give or take a few days either way. If they didn’t leave Sydney till Saturday he’d have to extend their holiday to at least ten days, just to be on the safe side. He couldn’t rely on getting her pregnant after they came back. She might go back into her shell when she returned. No, he would have to strike whilst his wife was hot. Which she was—very hot.

      ‘I thought ten days,’ he said.

      She suddenly began to look worried again, for some reason.

      Despite his earlier resolve to keep his hands off, he swiftly gathered her back into his arms, and kissed her again. It was worth the pain to feel her melt against him once more. Still, it was going to be a long week, sleeping beside her in bed and not being able to touch her. Knowing him, he was sure to try something and spoil everything. Better to keep her at arm’s length.

      A sudden idea occurred to him.

      ‘Remember how great our wedding night was?’ he said, and she nodded, her eyes glistening a little. ‘Why don’t we try to re-create that?’

      ‘But…but…how?’

      ‘If you remember, we hadn’t seen each other for a few weeks before our wedding day. That time apart made our getting together again extra-special. I know it’ll only be a few days this time, but we could do something similar. You could sleep down here till we go. And have your meals down here. If you promise to eat, that is. What do you think?’

      ‘I think it’s a very romantic idea,’ she said, but with reservation, he thought.

      ‘I can be romantic, you know,’ he said teasingly.

      ‘Can you?’

      ‘Not often, I admit. But I can try.’

      ‘Won’t Roberta think it a bit strange if I don’t come up to the house for meals?’

      ‘I’ll explain what we’re doing.’

      She blinked, then nodded. James smiled. That was another thing he really liked about Megan. She didn’t argue with him.

      ‘Great. Look, I’d better hotfoot it into the office and see to that booking post-haste. Don’t forget to eat some of this food. I’ll pick something up at work. Bye, darling.’ He squeezed her shoulder as he gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘See you tonight.’

      ‘No, you won’t.’

      ‘You’re right. I won’t. Damn. Still, it’s not that long till Saturday.’ Just a bloody eternity!

      ‘What happens if you can’t get a booking?’

      ‘I’ll get a booking,’ he said with a scowl. ‘Even if I have to buy the whole damned island!’