are an insult to women!’ she said, beginning to stomp along the path once more. ‘It’s utterly barbaric to be forced into a marriage with a perfect stranger or someone decades older than you.’
‘Marriages have been arranged for centuries,’ he countered as he worked hard to keep pace. ‘In fact, the notion of a couple falling in love and marrying is a very recent one. Before about two hundred years ago couples married for political reasons or for the sake of securing family property and asset-building or to strengthen community relationships. Of course, affection often occurred in ages past but it wasn’t a given.’
‘I always knew you were living in the Dark Ages. Where exactly did you get your doctorate in chauvinism?’
He smiled at her sarcasm. ‘I’m just quoting history, Mia. Our marriage has just as much chance of being successful as any other; in fact, it may even have more chance.’
‘I can’t imagine how you came to that conclusion,’ she said as she pushed a broken melaleuca branch out of her way. ‘I dislike you intensely and I can’t see that changing unless you undergo some sort of immediate character reconstruction.’
‘As I said previously—you might think differently after a few days alone with me.’
‘If the last twenty-four hours is any indication I’m afraid you’re in for a big disappointment if you’re expecting me to subscribe to your fan club.’
‘Look, Mia, I’m just asking you to try and get to know me as you would any other person. You’re so prejudiced against me you can’t see me for who I am.’
‘Here we go again.’ She rolled her eyes expressively as she turned back to face him, her hands on her hips. ‘The replay of the I’m-nothing-like-my-public-persona speech. Give me a break.’
‘Damn it, Mia,’ his voice rose in frustration, ‘why won’t you just give us a chance?’ His dark eyes held hers. ‘Will you at least consider the possibility of our marriage becoming a little more permanent?’
‘Define what you mean by a little more permanent. Are you talking months or years?’
‘I’m talking about you sleeping with me.’
It was a moment or two before she could get her voice into gear. ‘I see.’
‘I want you, Mia. You know that. I’ve wanted you from the moment I met you.’
The silence of the bush surrounded them, closing in on them until Mia felt as she was being cut off from the rest of civilisation.
She was alone with him, alone with him and her unruly, traitorous desire for him, which was getting harder by the second to control.
‘You only want me because I’m the first woman to have said no to you.’
‘That’s not true,’ he said. ‘It’s much more than that.’
‘You’re surely not going to tell me you’ve suddenly discovered you’re in love with me,’ she said with a brittle look. ‘That would be about as low as anyone could go.’
He took a moment to answer, his expression giving little away. ‘I have some feelings for you, yes.’
‘No doubt lust is at the top of the list.’
‘It’s up there, yes, but so too are admiration and respect. That’s more than I’ve felt for anyone else in the past.’
‘Wow, I feel really honoured,’ she said mockingly. ‘I bet you say that to all the girls when you set out to seduce them.’
‘I’m not trying to seduce you for the heck of it, Mia,’ he said. ‘I really want a relationship with you.’
‘A temporary relationship,’ she put in. ‘Where you get to wave the chequered flag when it’s all over—when you get bored or find someone else a little more interesting.’
He didn’t answer immediately and it made Mia wonder if he did in fact care something for her. She unconsciously held her breath as his eyes shifted away from hers to stare out to sea. He turned back to her after a moment and handed her one of the bottles of water he was carrying. ‘I can’t promise you forever, no one can.’
‘What exactly are you offering?’
‘A relationship for as long as it works for us.’
‘So at the first rocky patch we encounter you’ll be off to find your next candidate.’
‘All I’m asking is for you to think about it, Mia. We’re in this marriage for the time being and it makes sense to put in some kind of effort to see if it could work out between us.’
‘I can’t see how two people who hate each other can make a go of marriage, especially considering the way ours came about.’
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