Mine Tonight: A steamy reads romance anthology: four full length books in one! by Clare Connelly

Author:Clare Connelly [Connelly, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-12-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 3

Amy

IT’S LIKE THE LAYING down of a gauntlet. From the minute he tells me not to make him wait too long, that’s all I can think of. It’s as though I need to prove to both of us that I cannot be controlled. He’s right. There’s desire between us, a spark of lust I wasn’t expecting. Perhaps it’s all the stronger for how actively I dislike him? Regardless, I want to ignore it. I want to refuse to act on it.

The thought of falling pregnant with this man’s baby?

No, not of falling pregnant. That’s not where I have problems. It’s the idea of raising a child with him! How can I simply accede to that demand?

My parents loved each other. I grew up believing love and respect were essential tenets of a happy marriage – the idea of my own child or children seeing the exact opposite fills me a sense of dread.

Could I stall him? Go onto contraceptives and not tell him?

I angle my face towards him, heat creeping up my spine. He’s working, a large document with a bulldog clip at the corner spread before him. I watch as he flicks the page, my heart in my throat.

I can’t lie to him – I won’t. This marriage is something we’ve both entered into in good faith, our cards on the table.

“Stop staring.”

Heat colours my cheeks and it has nothing to do with the desert’s intense warmth. “How do you know I’m staring? You’re not even looking at me.”

“Aren’t I?” He drops the pen on the tabletop, his eyes lancing me with their scrutiny as he stands. “Something has been troubling me since yesterday.”

I push up to standing, feeling less at a disadvantage when we’re closer in height. “Go on.”

“You’re not a virgin.”

I gasp at the completely personal question. “How the hell do you know that?”

“Am I wrong?”

I drop my gaze.

“I didn’t think so.” He comes to stand right beside me. “So why do you act as though the idea of sex is terrifying to you?”

His perceptiveness makes my insides spin. “Because you’re a stranger.”

He reaches for my hand, lifting it between us, his fingers rubbing over our wedding bands. “Not anymore.”

I bite down on my lip. “Being married to you doesn’t mean we’re not strangers. It just means we’re the same kind of crazy.”

His smile lacks humour. “Yet here we are.”

I nod, troubled at the idea of what’s ahead of me – of us. Wondering, not for the first time, if this was sheer, impulsive madness. The idea of my dad being able to come home blinded me to everything else, but now I’m here and the expectation that I’ll uphold my end of the bargain weighs on me like a tonne of bricks.

“Something is bothering you.”

I tilt my face to his. “Do you care?”

His frown is infinitesimal. “I am…curious.”

“Because you like to know everything? It’s all just a power trip to you, isn’t it?”

He doesn’t respond, and I sigh at my uncharacteristically catty comment.

“I know you said you need me to fall pregnant.

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