died of shock.
Hold it there, buddy, he reassessed. Now that was one thing he wasn’t going to do, even if it did mean he’d get to do what he wanted to do most at that moment.
‘Naturally, I would prefer to have a husband,’ she went on, with an elegant shrug of her slender shoulders, ‘or at least a live-in partner before having a child.’
‘Naturally,’ he said with heavy emphasis.
‘But that’s simply not going to happen in my case in the near future, and time is running out for me. So I’ve decided to opt for artificial insemination from a clinic which supplies well-documented but anonymous donors.’
Rafe was both relieved and confused. Why was she telling him all this?
‘Now that Luke is going to make me an independent woman of means, I don’t need a man’s financial support to have a child,’ she elaborated. ‘I can well afford to raise one on my own. I could put the child in daycare and go back to work, if I so desired. Or hire a nanny. Of course, I do realise it’s not an ideal situation, but then, it’s not an ideal world, is it?’
‘No,’ Rafe agreed. ‘But why are you telling me all this, Isabel?’ he finally asked.
‘I’m just filling you in on my plans so you can understand the reasons behind the proposition I am going to make you.’
‘And what proposition is that?’
‘I want you to come to Dream Island with me on the honeymoon Luke and I booked.’
Rafe tried not to gape. ‘Er…run that by me again?’
‘You heard me,’ she said in a straight-down-the-line, no-nonsense fashion.
Rafe stared at her. Wow. Talk about a shock.
He might have been ecstatic if he hadn’t been just a tad wary. The thought that she might have some sneaky plan to use his sperm to impregnate herself without his knowing did not escape him. Though, if that was the case, why tell him about her intention to have a baby at all? Better to keep that a secret if that had been her hidden agenda.
‘Why?’ he demanded to know.
‘Well, it isn’t because I don’t want to waste money,’ she threw at him with a measure of exasperation. ‘Even though the honeymoon package was all prepaid and it’s too late to cancel. I want you to come with me because I want you to come with me.’
Rafe had difficulty embracing the possibility that she just wanted him for sex, even though it was the most exciting thought. All his fantasies of the night before coming true!
‘As what, exactly?’ he persisted. ‘If you think I’m going to pretend to be your husband as a salve to your pride, then you can think again.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I wouldn’t insult you like that. You’ll be with me as my…my lover.’
Mmm, she’d choked a bit over that last word. He stared deep into her eyes and tried to see what was in her mind.
‘Yes, but is my role as lover just a pretend one, or do I get to have the real thing with you?’
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
