‘You expect me to trust you on that?’ she asked with just the right amount of cynicism in her tone.
He lifted a long-fingered tanned hand and made a sign of a cross over his chest as his eyes pinned hers.
‘Cross my heart and hope to die.’
Something about his air of supreme confidence tempted Nina into giving him the sort of seductive look she’d seen her sister casting men’s way for years. She placed her hand on her hip as she tilted her pelvis provocatively, the corners of her mouth tipping upwards in a taunting little salacious smile as she drawled breathily, ‘Then I would say you’re as good as a dead man, Mr Marcello.’
CHAPTER THREE
MARC gave an inward smile at her overblown confidence. She was just as Andre had described, all pouting little girl one minute, raging sex siren the next. It was a heady combination, he had to admit, but while Andre hadn’t been able to contain his desire for her, temporary as it had been, Marc felt confident he was in no danger of being tested beyond his control. Nina Selbourne was the total opposite of what he most wanted in a partner.
He loathed shallow money-hungry women who had nothing better to do than preen themselves in the hope of attracting a rich husband. He’d been surrounded by them for most of his life, with the exception of his French-born mother, who had had both style and grace without affectation.
No, Miss Nina/Nadia Selbourne was fooling herself if she thought he would fall for her physical charms.
‘I am not like my brother, Miss Selbourne,’ he informed her coldly. ‘My tastes are a little more upmarket.’
Nina wished she could slap that imperious smirk off his handsome face but knew there would probably be distasteful consequences if she did. She clenched her hands into fists and glared back at him.
‘I could make you eat those words and we both know it. I saw the way you ran your eyes all over me the moment I opened the door.’
‘I admit I was a little intrigued as to what made my brother act so incautiously.’ His lazy look took in her heaving chest and feisty gaze. ‘But I can assure you I have no appetite for vacuous women such as yourself.’
Nina schooled her features back under control with difficulty. ‘I take it this marriage arrangement you’re proposing leaves you free to liaise with whomever you want whenever you want?’
‘I will do my best to be discreet if the need should arise.’
‘What about me?’ she asked. ‘Am I allowed to indulge myself similarly?’
He didn’t answer immediately but she could almost hear the cogs of his brain ticking over as he considered her question.
‘Well?’ she prodded with an arch look.
‘No.’
‘No?’
He shook his head in slow motion, ‘Absolutely not.’
‘You can’t possibly be serious.’ She snapped her brows together again.
‘Deadly serious,’ he said and folded his arms across the broad expanse of his chest.
‘You surely don’t expect me to agree to such a double standard?’ she asked. ‘What am I supposed to get out of this arrangement?’
‘You get to keep your child, with a rich husband thrown in as a bonus.’
She let out her breath in a whoosh of feminist outrage. ‘I thought men like you died along with the dinosaurs. Seems I was wrong. So, how are things on Planet Chauvinism these days?’
‘I am not by nature a chauvinist but I am sure it will do you good to be celibate for a while to concentrate on your responsibilities as a mother.’
Ironic laughter bubbled to her lips before she could stop it. Unlike her sister, who had lost her virginity at the age of fourteen, Nina was technically still a virgin. Technically because she firmly believed every modern woman had the right to explore her own body and find out how things worked, although she still wondered what all the fuss was about. The earth hadn’t exactly moved and she’d more or less given up on herself, deciding she was one of those women with unusually low sex-drives. But on principle she wasn’t going to let him have things all his way. He already thought her the biggest tart outside of the red-light district and a perverse little part of her was enjoying every dangerous minute of encouraging him to maintain that view.
‘You find the prospect of being responsible amusing?’ His tone dripped with contempt.
She coiled a strand of her long hair around one finger, hoping he wouldn’t notice her chewed nail as she affected another seductive pose.
‘You’re a laugh a minute, Mr Marcello,’ she said. ‘All this talk of being celibate is hilarious. I haven’t been celibate for ten years and I’m not about to start for you or anyone.’
Anger briefly flashed across his features as he looked down at her. Nina saw his hands tighten into fists as if he didn’t trust himself not to reach out and touch her.
A flicker of sensation unexpectedly erupted between her thighs at the mere thought of any part of his tall hard body touching her. She began to imagine what that firm disapproving mouth would feel like crushed to hers, his tongue searching arrogantly to duel with hers. She felt her breasts start to tingle and, almost without realising she was doing it, her tongue came out just a fraction to sweep over the surface of her lips.
Marc felt the sharp tug of sudden errant desire hit him in the belly like a closed fist punch. He struggled to control it, annoyed with himself for being tempted when he’d been so assured that he would be able to resist her, but something about her struck at him deeply. She positively oozed with sexual confidence, the smoky grey of her eyes and full-lipped mouth making his skin lift in anticipation of feeling her touch.
He decided to strike a deal with her even though he had cause to wonder if he was shooting himself in the foot in the process.
‘Since you seem unwilling to agree to my terms, I am willing to make a small compromise,’ he announced. ‘For the period of one month following our marriage we will both remain celibate; how about that?’
She pursed her lips as if considering it. ‘One month? Hmm…I think I could just about manage that.’
His jaw tightened and she gave him another sexy smile. ‘But no longer or I’ll go out of my mind. But then, from what I hear of you—’ she ran her eyes over him from head to foot as if undressing him thread by thread ‘—maybe you will too.’
‘I think I will manage to contain myself,’ he responded coolly.
‘I take it you don’t have a current mistress?’ She sent him a lash-fluttering glance.
‘I am not currently close to anyone.’
Nina couldn’t help wondering how good he might be when he was close. He was the whole knee-trembling spine-loosening package, even though it irked her to admit it. He was handsome beyond belief, his dark mesmerizing eyes promising explosive passion from within their glittering depths. His mouth was currently stretched into a hardened line of derision but she was in no doubt of its power to persuade if he allowed himself a moment of weakness and brought his head down to hers.
The pram near the window suddenly gave a squeak of protest as Georgia shifted in her sleep.
Marc swung his gaze to the pram before turning back to face Nina, his voice low and deep with concern. ‘Is she all right?’
Sending him a now-see-what-you’ve-done look, Nina went over to soothe her. The mewing cries stopped as soon as her hand stroked Georgia’s tiny legs, the gentle rhythmic movements sending the infant back to sleep within a couple of minutes.
Nina was intensely aware of the watchful gaze of Marc Marcello a short distance away. She could