He shuddered and fought for composure. Any words of protest died in his throat.
“Now, I’ll go downstairs and get some breakfast. Come get me when you are ready.”
He watched the older woman leave and dragged in a lungful of air. Waited a beat. Then went to wake up his future wife.
• • •
Carina heard the voice in the background, but she was pleasantly buzzed and relaxed with the endorphins of hours of fabulous sex. She moaned into the plump pillow and stretched. Max’s voice grew louder, so she finally rolled over.
“Morning.”
His voice was deep, sexy, and matched his morning-after look. Tousled hair fell in disarray over his forehead. Shocking blue eyes gleamed with a mix of emotions she couldn’t place, so instead she tugged him forward and kissed those carved lips. His rough stubble contrasted deliciously with her sensitive skin. It took him a moment of hesitation, as if he wasn’t sure how to respond. Then he dove full force.
He pressed her back into the mattress and kissed her like a proper lover. Deep thrusts of his tongue and full-body contact. He tasted of hot male arousal and a hint of her essence, from the endless hours of lovemaking. Finally, he pulled away and smiled down at her.
“Your greeting was better.”
She laughed and stroked his cheek. “I agree. Where’s my coffee?”
“Coming. I got distracted. Wanted to ask you something first.”
“No worries.” Her heart fell apart but she knew what was coming. And desperately wanted to do it first. “We’ll sip coffee, get dressed, and never mention last night. I don’t want you to worry, Max. This is what I wanted, and I can handle it.” She forced a half laugh. “Feels nice to be the jaded American woman for a change. Using a male for her physical pleasure and tossing him aside. Another fantasy checked off my list.”
Oddly, she didn’t spot any relief in his eyes. Instead, he pulled back and sat on the edge of the mattress. Examined her bare leg and refused to meet her gaze. “The rules have changed, Carina. At least for me.”
Confusion swamped her. She sat up and pushed her tangled mane of hair from her face. “What are you talking about?”
He cleared his throat. Looked up. “I want you to marry me.”
She blinked. “Are you nuts?”
His hand shook as he rubbed his forehead. Was he nervous? Had he gone off some deep end because he screwed his best friend’s little sister? “Only you would ask such a question after a marriage proposal. No, I’m perfectly sane. I don’t want to pretend nothing happened between us. We’re in Vegas. We’re meant to be together. Let’s get married.”
She’d dreamed most of her life of such words coming from this man’s lips. Wasn’t it every woman’s fantasy to hear a man propose after a night of endless pleasure? The perfect ending to every romantic comedy and romance novel. So, why wasn’t she launching herself into his arms screaming “yes”?
Because her instincts warned something was off. Why the sudden turnaround? How could he have gone from no commitment to marriage in less than twenty-four hours? She ignored her babbling younger self who whispered she didn’t care, and listened instead to the older, wiser Carina. “Umm, I’m flattered, truly. But if you’re so intent on not hiding our relationship, why don’t we just date?”
He shook his head. Hard. “I don’t want to date.” His aura pulsed with male power and domination, urging her to submit. Damn, his controlling tendencies turned her on. Who would’ve thought? “I’ve waited my whole life to be sure, and I don’t want to wait any longer. You always said you had feelings for me. Let’s do this. Let’s get married and start a life together.”
Let’s do this?
She swallowed and tried to speak past her pounding heart. “Why the sudden change? We had rules in place. One night and move on. You said you didn’t want to settle down. You cited the age difference, Michael, my family, your wanderlust. What’s going on, Max?”
In seconds, he loomed over her and took her mouth. Holding her head, he claimed her lips and plundered every corner, until she hung on and dug her nails into his shoulders. She shuddered in pure lust and softened beneath him. He broke contact and gazed deep into her eyes. Raw command glimmered and tempted. “I changed my mind. I want you, all the way, all the time. Don’t make me beg. Just tell me you’ll marry me.”
She opened her mouth to say yes. Why not? She’d spent the most incredible night of her life with a man she’d always longed for. They were in Vegas where crazy things happened and impromptu weddings were the norm. Maybe he’d discovered in the hours of the night he loved her? After all, wasn’t that the only reason he’d want to marry her?
Unless . . .
Her gut twisted with a knowledge she didn’t want to probe. But this was the new Carina, and she wasn’t stupid enough to just believe Max Gray suddenly got bit by the love bug enough to give up his freedom.
She pushed him away and sat up. Studied him with hard eyes. Determination carved out the lines of his face like he faced a business deal he needed to close. Carina followed her instincts and tested him.
“Thank you for the offer, Max, but I like things the way they are. Let’s just see where this leads. No need to rush into marriage after one crazy night.”
A flare of panic gleamed in those baby blues. His jaw clenched. “Are you listening to me? I’m asking you to marry me! I’m saying you’re The One, and I want to do this right now, today. Let’s get crazy and say our vows in Vegas. We were always meant to be together and I’ve finally realized it.”
He bent forward and she knew he’d seduce her. Wring the yes from her lips and her heart before she had time to seriously wonder what was going on. For her own survival, she scrambled back on the bed and put her arms out in an effort to ward him off.
“Why now?”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “Why not now? Last night proved you were The One.”
A cold ball of misery fisted in her gut. He lied. His muscles tensed as if preparing for a boxing round. A wall of distance sprung up around him. Completely contradictory to the relaxed languor of a man with the woman he loves, he began pacing, another sign of nervousness.
What was she missing? This wasn’t just about guilt. This was sheer panic, as if trapped into . . .
Trapped.
Carina swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Who found out?”
He froze. Pushed his fingers through his hair. Paced some more. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just asked you to marry me and I’m being questioned like a prisoner of war. Excuse me if I’m a bit confused.”
“Michael? Did he call the hotel?”
“No. Listen, I don’t want to go back home and date. I want to make this a permanent relationship. Live with you, sleep with you, work with you. This is the right thing to do, baby.”
The right thing to do.
She wrapped the sheet firmly around her naked breasts and fought for sanity. Her fingers shook but she managed to force the words out. “Tell me the truth, Max. Right now, or I swear to God, I will completely lose it. You owe me that.”
He turned away from her, but the muscles in his bare back turned rigid. A vicious curse escaped his lips, and finally, he faced her. “Your mother is here. She came into the room this morning and found us.”