‘A bed is fine.’
She wondered if Cruz would put a towel down, the way Chad had done.
A muscle ticked in Cruz’s jaw and he stared at her as if trying to discern all her deepest thoughts. Then he turned abruptly away. ‘Actually, I find I don’t enjoy making love on an empty stomach.’
‘This has nothing to do with love,’ Aspen reminded him assertively.
Halfway to returning indoors, Cruz stopped and his black eyes smouldered. ‘When I touch your body, Aspen, you’ll think it does.’
Oh, how arrogant was that? If only he knew that all his Latin charm was wasted on her.
Aspen hurled mental daggers at his broad back and wondered why he didn’t want to get this over with as soon as possible. By all accounts he seemed to want her—but then so had Chad in the beginning. Oh, this was beyond awful. She hated second-guessing Cruz’s desire. Hated hoping that with him it would be different. She knew better than to count on hope. It hadn’t brought her mother or her father back into her life. It hadn’t made her grandfather love her for herself in the end.
This time when she looked around the vast living area she noticed a bottle of champagne in a silver ice bucket on the main dining table. Maybe that was what she should do. Get drunk.
As if reading her mind, Cruz tightened his mouth. ‘Come—I’ll show you to your room.’
Aspen felt her heart bump inside her chest. He’s just showing you the room, you fool, not asking you to use it.
Yet.
Standing back to let her pass, Cruz indicated towards a closed door. ‘The bathroom, which should be stocked with everything you’ll need, is through there.’
Aspen nodded, feeling completely overwhelmed.
When it became obvious she wasn’t going to say anything Cruz turned to go. ‘I’ll leave you to freshen up.’
She noticed a book on the bedside table. ‘This is your room,’ she blurted out.
‘You were expecting someone else’s?’
‘No. I...’ She spared him a tart look. ‘I thought you might like your own space.’
‘I like my bed warm more.’
Right.
‘Dinner should be served in twenty minutes.’
After he closed the door behind him Aspen sagged against the silk-covered king bed and wondered how long it would be before he realised she was a dud.
Feeling completely despondent, she picked up the novel beside the bed and noticed it was one of her favourites. Surprised, she flicked through it. Could he really be reading it or was it just for show? Just to impress the plethora of mistresses who wandered in and out of his life?
An hour later she was wound so tight all she could do was pick at the delicious Mexican dinner that for once didn’t include tacos and enchiladas.
‘Something wrong?’
Her eyes slid across Cruz’s powerful forearms, exposed by his rolled shirtsleeves.
Was he serious? She was about to embarrass herself with a man who didn’t even like her in order to save her home. Of course there was something wrong.
‘Of course not,’ she replied, feigning relaxed confidence.
He frowned down at her plate. ‘Is it the birria? If it’s too hot for you I can order something else.’
Oh, he’d meant the food. ‘No, no, the food’s lovely.’
He put down his fork and brought his wine glass to his lips. Now, there was relaxed confidence, she thought a little resentfully.
‘Then why is most of it still on your plate?’
He licked a drop of red wine from his lower lip and Aspen couldn’t look away. Remembered pleasure at the way his mouth had taken hers in the most wonderful kiss vied with sheer terror for supremacy. Unfortunately sheer terror was winning out, because he looked like a man who would expect everything and the kitchen sink as well.
‘I...um...I ate a lot at the party.’
‘No, you didn’t. You barely touched a thing.’
‘I’m not a big eater at the best of times.’
‘And these are far from the best of times—is that it, Aspen?’
It was more of a statement than a question and Aspen wondered if perhaps he felt the same way. ‘You could say that,’ she said carefully.
‘Is that because you’re still in love with Anderson?’
‘Sorry?’ She knew her mouth was hanging open and she snapped it closed. ‘No. No, that was a disaster from the start.’
‘So you’re not still pining for him?’
‘No.’
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘Why was it a disaster?’