She blushed, and it enchanted him as much as it had the first time. It also didn’t gel with her wanting him as little more than a toy boy. She just didn’t seem to be that kind of girl.
‘Spell it out for me, Isabel. I might be being dense but I’m still not getting the full picture here.’
She sucked in deeply, then let the air out of her lungs very slowly, as though she was gathering the courage to say what she had to say. He watched her, fascinated and intrigued.
Isabel hadn’t thought it would be as difficult as this. When she’d made the decision on the drive down to ask Rafe to come away with her, she’d thought it would be easy. He’d just say yes and that would be that. She hadn’t anticipated that he’d question her so closely, or make her confess her desire for him quite so bluntly.
It was embarrassing, and almost…shameful.
Yet why should she be ashamed? came the resentful thought. Had Luke been ashamed, taking what he wanted? At least she wasn’t guilty of jumping into bed with Rafe the same day she met him, or while she was engaged to someone else. They wouldn’t be breaking anyone’s heart by going away together.
Not that Luke had broken her heart exactly. But he’d certainly shattered her dreams.
Isabel cleared her throat, determined not to start waffling, and doubly determined not to feel one scrap of shame!
‘The bottom line is this, Rafe. Just because I’ve decided to have a baby alone doesn’t mean I always want to be alone. I happen to like sex. Actually, I like it a lot. Perversely, I seem to like it most with men like you.’
Rafe’s eyebrows shot upwards, then drew darkly together. ‘Hey, hold it there. What do you mean by men like me? That sounded like an insult.’
Isabel winced. She hadn’t worded that at all well. ‘It wasn’t meant to be an insult. It was just a fact. I’m always attracted to men who aren’t into commitment. That used to be a big problem, given I wanted marriage and a family. It was the main reason I decided on a marriage of convenience with Luke, because I was sick and tired of falling in love with Mr Wrong. Now that I’ve made the decision to have a baby on my own, I don’t have to worry about the intentions of the men I sleep with, because I won’t want to marry them. I just want to have sex with them. Is there some problem with that? I thought that was what you wanted, too.’
Rafe frowned. He’d thought that was what he wanted, too.
‘I guess I still like my girlfriends to think I’m an okay guy, not some selfish sleazebag who uses women for one thing and one thing only.’
‘Oh, but I don’t want to be your girlfriend, Rafe. After the honeymoon holiday is over, I don’t want to ever see you again.’
He was truly taken aback. ‘But why not?’
Isabel was not about to tell him the truth on this occasion—that she didn’t want to push her luck by spending too much time with him. It was one thing to live out a fantasy fortnight with him on Dream Island, quite another to have him popping around all the time after they came back to Sydney. He really was too nice a guy to allow that. She was sure to end up wanting more from him that he could give.
Right at this moment, however, she just wanted him for sex, and nothing more. One look at his gorgeously rakish self on his doorstep this morning had confirmed that. Isabel didn’t want to risk changing that status quo.
‘I have my reasons, Rafe,’ she said firmly. ‘This is a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. I’m sure I could find someone else to go with me if you turn me down.’
The thought of her going with someone else made up Rafe’s mind in a hurry. ‘No need to do that,’ he said hurriedly. ‘I’d love to go with you.’
‘On my terms and no questions asked?’ she insisted.
‘None except essentials. Firstly, how long will I be away?’
‘Two weeks.’
Two weeks. Fourteen days and fourteen nights. Fantastic! ‘And it’s on Dream Island.’
‘Yes, you’ve been there before?’
‘No, but I’ve heard about it.’ It was the newest and most exclusive of the tropical island resorts off the far North Queensland coast, specialising in romantic holidays for couples and honeymooners. He wondered if they would have one of the special bures overlooking their own private beach. That would be really something. To be totally alone with her with nothing to do but eat, sleep, swim and make love. His kind of holiday!
‘When, exactly, do we fly out?’ he asked eagerly.
‘Today fortnight, at ten in the morning. I’ll pick you up here at eight. Be ready.’ She stood up abruptly.
‘Hey.’ He jumped up also. ‘You’re not leaving, are you?’
‘I have no reason to stay any longer,’ she returned, her manner firm. ‘You said yes. We have nothing more to discuss.’
‘What about contraception?’
She stared hard at him. ‘I presume I can rely on you to see to that.’
‘You’re not on the pill?’
‘No, and even if I was I would still want you to use condoms.’
He supposed that was only sensible, but he still felt mildly insulted. Which was crazy, really.
‘Fine,’ he said. ‘But there’s still no reason to rush off, is there? I mean…fair enough if you don’t want to see me afterwards, but it might be nice to spend some time together before we go off on holiday together. Get to know each other a little better.’
‘I’m sorry but I don’t want to do that.’
‘Why not, for pity’s sake?’
‘Look, Rafe, may I be blunt?’
Did she know any other way? ‘Please do,’ he bit out.
‘We both know what the term ‘getting to know you’ means in this day and age. No, please don’t deny it. I’m being brutally honest with you and I would appreciate the same in return. Aside from the fact my period is due this week and I’m suffering considerably from PMT right now, I simply don’t want us to go to bed together beforehand.’
‘Why not?’
She gave him another of those small enigmatic smiles. ‘Maybe I don’t want to risk you finding me a disappointment in bed and running a mile.’
Never in a million years, he thought. She only had to lie there and he’d be enchanted. Anything more was a bonus. But, since she openly confessed to liking sex, then he figured she was going to do more. How much more was the intriguing part.
‘Don’t you want to try before you buy?’ he said with a saucy smile, and she laughed.
‘I’ve seen all I need to see. You really shouldn’t come to your front door half asleep and half dressed, Rafe darling. Now, show me where you put my phone, please. It’s high time I went home.’
RAFE paced the front room, waiting for Isabel to arrive. She’d said she’d pick him up right on eight. But it was eight-ten and she hadn’t shown up yet.
Maybe she wasn’t going to. Maybe this had all been some kind of sick joke, revenge against the male sex.
This ghastly thought had just occurred to Rafe when he heard a car pulling up outside. Peeping out through the front window, he was relieved to see that it was her. Snatching up his luggage, he was out of the door before she could blow the horn. By the time he’d reached her car she’d alighted