‘So he didn’t put it in as many words?’
‘He didn’t need to. I got the message.’
It was true; she had known Jake before Jenny did. She had worked with him when she first came to London, and he’d sort of taken her under his wing. But she hadn’t had any kind of relationship with him, even though he would have liked to. She hadn’t felt ready to commit to any man. One day he’d gone back to the flat with her to borrow a book and she’d been delighted when he and Jenny struck up a close friendship.
‘Why should it bother you that I might have seen other men during our separation?’ she asked him coolly, at the same time thinking that this could work in her favour. Luigi had had other girls, she knew, but he seemed incensed when it came to her doing the same. This could be a way to keep him at a distance.
‘Because you’re my woman,’ he snarled, practically bouncing on his feet. His dark eyes glittered in the light from the bedside lamp, and his face was angular and savage—and gorgeously handsome.
Megan shook the thought away. Luigi was her number one enemy. She must remember that. She must never see him as an expert lover, as a man who could melt her bones by a mere glance or a touch. He had never treated her fairly, not once in all the years of their marriage. He was self-centred and egotistical. She dismissed the fact that he was an excellent provider and an expert businessman. It was the unadulterated love of a good man that she desired. And love wasn’t high on Luigi’s list of priorities. In fact she doubted it even existed.
‘I am not your woman,’ she told him tersely. ‘You gave up all rights to me when you chose work over your marriage.’
‘I did it for us!’ he exclaimed loudly.
‘So you keep saying. But it wasn’t what I wanted.’
‘And did Jake Whatever-his-name-is give you what you wanted?’ he demanded fiercely.
‘That’s my business.’ She saw the angry glitter harden in his eyes and his body swayed dangerously towards her. But she stood her ground, her eyes fierce in their determination, even though there was a part of her that couldn’t dismiss the sensations playing on her nerve-ends—excitement and hatred bundled into one.
‘And I think it’s my business now to remind you, in a very personal way, that I don’t want any other man to touch you ever again.’ They were so close that Megan could feel his breath on her face, feel the warmth of his body, and she could even smell the male sexiness that had at one time driven her insane. ‘You are my woman,’ he continued grimly. ‘You can deny it all you like, but you belong to me for the rest of your life.’
If that wasn’t a warning she didn’t know what was. For the rest of her life! In her present frame of mind it sounded like a death sentence and she wanted to lash out, to pound her fists on his hard, muscular chest, to kick his shins, to let him know in no uncertain terms that he was mistaken.
But she was afraid to make too much noise in case she woke Charlotte. So she maintained a reasonable decorum. ‘Carry on like that and I really will divorce you,’ she said quietly. ‘Marriages aren’t built on threats, nor on absentee husbands. And if you can’t live with the fact that you believe I’ve had an affair with Jake then I’ll willingly move out.’
‘No!’
The boom of his voice sent her eyes fluttering towards Charlotte’s door, fortunately closed. Sometimes she left it open, but tonight she’d been reading and was afraid the light might waken her daughter. She thanked her lucky stars now for her foresight.
‘I’ve told you, I will never let you go.’
‘Unless you change your ways you won’t be able to hold me,’ she declared vehemently. ‘Threats won’t work.’
‘I’ll threaten you all I like,’ he snarled, ‘since you don’t seem to be prepared to even meet me halfway.’
‘Meet you, when you are the one laying down the rules?’ she questioned heatedly. ‘You are the one who insisted I stay here. You are the one who insisted on employing a nanny for Charlotte. You are the one who’s insisting we go away for a few days. My opinion has never counted.’
‘Because I know what’s good for you.’
Megan’s anger boiled over. ‘There you go again. When are you going to get it through your thick skull that a happy marriage means give and take? All you do is take, and I’m heartily fed up with it. Change that attitude and we might get somewhere.’
She watched as his mouth folded into a grim line and his eyes narrowed until she could see nothing through the slits of his lids. A quiver of unease tracked its way through her limbs. It looked as though she’d gone too far. Yet he deserved it. Why shouldn’t she toss him a few home truths?
‘I’d appreciate it if you’d meet me halfway, Megan.’
It was not the response she’d expected and although it was delivered in hard, terse tones she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt. She dismissed it immediately. Guilt had no place to play in this scenario. Not on her part anyway. Luigi was the one at fault—every inch of the way.
She had thought that meeting his daughter would soften him up, but that hadn’t happened. He was no nearer to being a caring husband or father than he had been all those years ago. He was in charge and he expected everyone to jump at his command. Well, not this girl!
‘Why should I?’ she asked with a toss of her head. ‘Why should I subject my daughter to a tyrant of a father?’
‘Tyrant?’ he exploded. ‘Is that how you see me?’
‘All the time.’
He closed his eyes and his fingers curled into tight fists, and Megan had the feeling that it was taking all his self-control not to lash out at her. She was tired of this confrontation. She wanted him to go. He had come here ready for a fight and because she hadn’t caved in and eaten humble pie he was still spoiling for one.
She wouldn’t give him that pleasure.
‘Fortunately Charlotte doesn’t see it that way,’ she added. ‘Perhaps because she hasn’t been here long enough and you’re on your best behaviour in front of her.’
Luigi snorted derisively. ‘You have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re blinded by hatred. In fact you’re the one with the problem. If you’d jump down off your high horse occasionally you’d see how much I’ve changed.’
Megan gave a tight, brittle laugh. ‘Then I must be blind. Have we finished this conversation? I really would like to get some sleep.’ Not that she expected to drop off now. She was far too uptight.
‘Maybe it is finished, but not satisfactorily,’ he barked, swinging on his heel and heading for the door.
‘You mean that it hurt when I didn’t deny having a fling with Jake?’ she taunted. ‘I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. I’m not worrying about the girls you bedded while I was busy bringing up your daughter. We were free agents at the time. Why drag up the past?’
Again his mouth thinned but to give him his due he didn’t retaliate; he simply wrenched open the door and stepped smartly outside. She half-expected him to slam it, was thankful when he didn’t. She didn’t want Charlotte or even Kate wondering why he was storming out of her room.
The thought occurred to her that Kate might not know they slept in separate rooms. Had Luigi told her anything about their circumstances, or did she think they were a normal happily married couple? It could be embarrassing if she ever came in to see to Charlotte and saw that Megan slept alone.