years ago!’
He scowled. ‘That was five years ago, Isabella—’
‘Then you must be pleased to know that you haven’t lost any of your seductive skills!’ she snapped.
Gabriel studied her closely, wanting to take her in his arms, to explain his fears for her—
‘Insulting me is only making this situation worse, Bella,’ he told her softly instead.
‘Worse? Could it be any worse?’ she cried. ‘We’ve just ripped each other’s clothes off in a sexual frenzy—in my case, literally.’ She looked down at her gaping blouse, the buttons scattered on the carpet at their feet. ‘I don’t want to talk about this any more, Gabriel,’ she told him flatly, her expression bleak. ‘All I want is for you to leave.’
Gabriel’s mouth firmed. ‘I will return tomorrow—’
‘Don’t hurry back on my account!’ she exclaimed.
‘We need to talk.’
‘I very much doubt that there’s anything you have to say that I will want to hear,’ she told him wearily.
A nerve pulsed in Gabriel’s clenched jaw. Bella looked so beautiful with the darkness of her hair tangled about her shoulders, and her lips still swollen from the heat of their kisses, so utterly desirable, that all Gabriel wanted was to take her in his arms and make love with her again. And again.
‘Nevertheless, I will return later tomorrow,’ he bit out with grim determination.
She raised mocking brows as he made no effort to leave. ‘I hope you aren’t waiting for me to tell you I’ll be looking forward to it!’
‘No, I am not expecting you to say that.’ Gabriel gave a humourless smile. ‘Your honesty is one of the things I like most about you, Bella.’
‘One of the few things, I’m sure,’ she said knowingly. ‘If you’ll excuse me, now?’ She turned away. ‘I would like to take a shower and then go to bed.’
Alone, Bella could have added, but didn’t. What was the point in stating the obvious?
She raised her chin defensively. ‘Goodbye, Gabriel.’
‘It will never be goodbye between the two of us, Isabella,’ he stated calmly.
No, it never would be, Bella accepted heavily once Gabriel had finally gone. They would continue with this sham of a marriage for as long as it took. For as long as Toby needed them to do so.
For Toby…
Her small, happily contented son had absolutely no idea that his very existence had condemned his parents to a marriage that was completely devoid of love.
Except Bella’s love for Gabriel.
A love she would never—could never, reveal to him…
‘Where have you been?’
‘Where does it look as if I’ve been?’ Bella answered Gabriel sarcastically as she carried on taking the bags of shopping from the boot of her car. ‘I wasn’t expecting you back just yet,’ she added as Gabriel took some of those bags out of her hands.
She had seen the powerful black sports car parked outside the cottage as soon as she turned her own car down the lane, a heaviness settling in her chest as she easily recognised Gabriel sitting behind the wheel.
Despite her exhaustion Bella had lain awake in bed for hours the previous night, unable to stop thinking about Gabriel. About the wild ecstasy of their lovemaking. And then of his declaration that they shouldn’t have made love at all…!
Consequently it had been almost dawn before she had finally fallen asleep. Almost midday before she’d woke up again, feeling as if she hadn’t slept at all. Several hours, and half a dozen cups of black coffee later, before she’d summoned up the energy to dress and go out to shop for food.
Which was where she had obviously been when Gabriel had arrived at the cottage. Much earlier than she had expected—it was only a little after five o’clock—and looking much too rakishly handsome for Bella’s comfort in a black polo shirt and faded jeans.
‘Thanks,’ Bella accepted coolly as he carried half a dozen of the bags through to the kitchen for her. ‘Can I get you a coffee or anything?’ she said offhandedly, her face averted as she began to unpack the bags.
But—as usual!—she was still very much aware of Gabriel as he stood only a couple of feet away from her as she put the groceries away in the cupboards. Silently. Watchfully.
‘Better yet,’ she added brightly, ‘why don’t you make yourself useful and prepare the coffee while I finish putting these things away? Gabriel…?’she said uncertainly when he didn’t answer her. In fact, Bella realised with a frown, he hadn’t said a word since asking where she had been…
Gabriel looked at her quizzically, easily noting the dark shadows beneath her eyes, and the hollows of her cheeks, the pallor of her face thrown into stark relief by the fact that her hair was drawn back and secured at her crown with a toothed clasp.
Dressed in a deep pink T-shirt that clung to the fullness of her breasts, and jeans that emphasised the slenderness of her hips and legs, and with her face completely bare of make-up, Bella looked ten years younger than the twenty-six years she had only yesterday evening assured him she actually was.
Gabriel’s mouth tightened as he thought of yesterday evening. ‘I will make the coffee. Then I wish for the two of us to talk.’
She stiffened. ‘Not about last night, I hope?’
He gave a stiff inclination of his head. ‘Amongst other things.’
Bella made a movement of denial. ‘There’s nothing left for us to say about last night—’
‘There is everything for us to say about last night!’ Gabriel contradicted her furiously before visibly controlling himself. ‘I will not let you put even more barriers between us, Bella. If you prefer, I will talk, and you need only listen…?’
Bella eyed him warily, having no idea what he could have to say that she would want to listen to. He had said far too much last night!
‘And if I don’t like what you have to say?’ she challenged.
‘Then I will have to respect that,’ he said curtly.
Bella continued to look at him wordlessly for several long seconds before giving an abrupt nod of her head. ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘Just make the coffee first, hmm?’
What should have been a relaxed domestic scene, with Bella putting the groceries away and Gabriel making the pot of coffee, was anything but! Bella was far too aware of Gabriel—on every level—to feel in the least relaxed.
How could she possibly relax when Gabriel was just too vibrantly male? Too ruggedly handsome. Too physically overpowering. Too—too everything!
But, having finally put all the shopping away, two mugs of hot coffee poured and Gabriel
