A violent change came over his features. He grasped her flailing hands in one of his and his other arm tightened around her waist. ‘Stop right there.’
His eyes narrowed, a thin white line circled his tight lips, and a muscle in his jaw beat against his bronzed skin. She wasn’t quite sure what had happened, she only knew he terrified her.
‘I am not such a bastard as to put a woman’s life at risk.’ Solo was furious, because Penny was right, he should have used protection, he always had before. Only this woman staring up at him with her huge green eyes had the power to make him forget, and he bitterly resented the fact.
‘So you say.’ She swallowed hard. ‘But…’
‘But nothing.’ His eyes glittered with cruelty. ‘I have the medical proof. But you were never the shrinking violet; quite a tease, as I recall. You might have hung onto your virginity, but there are other forms of sex equally as dangerous.’
Penny stared at him in disbelief. ‘You think… I…’ She was lost for words.
‘Not so nice when the shoe is on the foot.’ Solo mangled the English saying.
‘The other foot,’ she corrected unthinkingly.
‘Whatever.’ His voice hardened. ‘But we are straying from the point. You agree to marry me and you get the house. Obviously there will be a pre-nuptial. But any child I keep.’
She stared at him. His expression was unreadable, his jaw hard, his eyes steely grey. He meant every word. He let go of her hands, and they fell limply to her sides. Fear made her knees weak, and she was grateful for his supporting arm, but she knew better than to let him realise it. She lowered her eyes to fix blindly on his chest. If he sensed the slightest weakness, he would take advantage of it. She didn’t know how, but he was that kind of man, a predator, and she was his prey, and he had caught her.
Penny thought of James, and any child she might have. It was a real possibility—it was the middle of her cycle, and, the way her luck had been running lately, almost inevitable. Glancing up through the thick fringe of her lashes, she could not deny Solo was a devilishly attractive, virile man.
Once she had loved him with all her heart, and she felt moisture glaze her eyes, and she blinked it away. Now she was numb with pain, hating him for what he was making her do.
‘I’ll be your lover,’ she offered, her voice shaking, and she kept her eyes lowered. She couldn’t marry him, not without love.
‘No, I can get a lover anywhere, but you may be pregnant. It is marriage or bankruptcy.' His free hand curved around the nape of her neck, and he tilted her head back, forcing her to meet his gaze. ‘Yes or no?’
There was no choice. Even if she could persuade him to accept her offer of lovers, what would she tell James? Plus if there was a child, she would rather be married, and if they ever divorced there would be more financial support for any children.
‘Yes, all right. I will marry you.’
‘A very wise choice, Penny.’ His silver eyes flared with what looked like triumph into hers. ‘I knew you would see sense,’ he concluded with arrogant self-assurance.
It was the arrogance that did it. From feeling like crying, Penny felt like screaming, anger bubbling up inside, and in that instant Penny changed her mind. His dark head bent, he was going to kiss her, but she placed a small hand on his chest. ‘No, wait a minute, I’ve changed my mind.’
She cried out as his hand tightened on her neck. Contempt raw and violent blazed in his pale eyes. ‘Already you are back to playing games.’ Hauling her against him, he added, ‘But no more, Penny.’
‘No, you don’t understand.’ The colour surged in her cheeks. ‘I want to marry you.’ She looked defiantly into his eyes. ‘But if there is a baby it has to be brought up and educated in England, here at Haversham Park with me.’
Something flickered in his eyes, and his heavy lids fell, masking his expression. ‘I accept, Penelope,’ he said, his deep voice not quite steady.
For a second Penny wondered if he was laughing at her, and if she had just made the biggest mistake of her life, then he kissed her, and it wasn’t in the least amusing. He was taking her mouth with a hungry, raw possession, and she didn’t care, because if he had been gentle with her she thought she would have cried, unable to stand the pretence. This way it was simply sex…
‘Penny,’ he groaned her name, his lips softening, gentling on hers.
Maybe not so simple as she was transported back in time to the first time they’d met, in this same kitchen, to their first kiss. She placed her hands on his broad chest, and responded with the same helpless longing.
She whimpered as he slipped his hands under her sweater and she felt his fingers hot on her naked flesh. She looped her arms around his neck. His mighty chest heaved, and then he took her hands from his nape.
‘Not yet,’ Solo said softly. ‘I have too much to arrange.’
All Penny wanted to do was arrange his gorgeous body naked on the kitchen table and, with a guilty flush of colour at her erotic thoughts, she stepped back, avoiding his gaze.
‘You said James was on holiday.’ He reached out and cupped her face between his palms. ‘When is he due back?’ he demanded, staring down into her beautiful face.
‘Eight days or so,’ she murmured.
‘That should be fine—and Brownie?’
‘It’s her bingo night. I drive down to the village and collect her about ten. Why the sudden interest?’ she asked.
He looked into her eyes and smiled. ‘Because you and I are going to Italy in the morning. With James away and Brownie here to look after the house, it is perfect timing. So pack a bag, and then let’s have something to eat. I’m starving.’
‘Italy! I can’t go to Italy.’
Solo placed a kiss on her brow and set her free. ‘You can and you will, but for now do as I say. I need the laptop from my car, and I’ll use the study.’ Slanting her an almost boyish grin, he left her standing in the middle of the kitchen totally confused…
Penny sliced carrots and wished she were slicing Solo’s neck. What had she done? What did she actually know about the man she had agreed to marry other than she hated him? Solo was a very private man. The first time they were together all she had known about him was that he was a wealthy businessman, and he lived in Italy. She had asked about his family, and he’d told her he was an only child and his parents were long gone, and he had no relatives. Her young heart had filled with compassion and she had kissed him, thinking how awful to be so alone in the world. Now she wasn’t so sure, if it weren’t for James she wouldn’t be in this mess…
Penny gasped, horrified where her thoughts had taken her; for a nanosecond she had actually thought if it weren’t for James she would not happily, but willingly, have walked out of her family home, and out on Solo Maffeiano.
She loved her half-brother, and she glanced around the kitchen, the familiar room she had known all her life, the only home James had ever known. She could walk out, but she would still be stuck with a huge debt, and how could she explain to James they had no money, and no home?
Her lawyer’s plan for her to sell up and start afresh with James was finally consigned to the dustbin of useless ideas. Solo would not allow it. One didn’t need to be a genius to see he could delay the sale for ever if he wanted to. He had the money and the power; he was in complete control.
She shivered, suddenly feeling cold. Gathering up the carrots, she dropped them in the pan with the chopped meat and onions. Solo was used to the finest food. Well, tough!
He was getting beef stew and potatoes.