A choked noise of embarrassed skepticism left her.
“Again, I was protectingyou. The door wasn’t locked,” he reminded her through his teeth. “I don’t care who sees my ass. I’d happily finish what we started right here, right now, but you fainted today so sex is off the table.”
Her pulse skipped at the lewd image he painted. She almost told him the doctor hadn’t said she couldn’t have sex, but she refused to beg for crumbs from him.
“What I’m hearing is you want me to move in with you, be a mother to your child and conveniently sleep with you. Essentially, be a wife without being your wife.”
“We can talk about marriage,” he said with a note of surprise. “I’m open to it.”
“We don’t even know each other! A few weeks ago, you made it clear you weren’t interested in sharing anything more than one night. Not even that,” she reminded hotly. “So excuse me if I don’t rush to move in with a man who might want his baby, but doesn’t really wantme.”
He did want her, though. It was torturing him how much he wanted her because he had learned to only care about the things he needed. He would battle to the death over food and air. Sleep was a necessity, but a comfortable bed was a want. Sharing a bed withherwas…
An old, twisting sensation went through him, the one that reminded him not to reveal his wants. Wanting her meant exposing a flank. It meant putting her in the line of fire. And their baby? He could hardly stand how vulnerable that made him.
Yet, a dark part of him was pleased her pregnancy forced him to bring her more fully into his life.
“I wasn’t prepared to start something long-term when I met you. Not with all of this going on with my father. A relationship would have been a distraction. But now…”
He sensed her head turn. She was listening attentively.
“I know I’m difficult to read. You’re not the first woman to say so, but I don’t like people to know what I’m thinking or feeling. That’s not comfortable for me.”
“It’s not comfortable for anyone,” she said impatiently, tucking her chin on her palm and her elbow on the armrest as she looked out her side window. “But at least tell me…” She dropped her hands into her lap. “Is that the only reason you gave me the brush-off that night? Or…”
“What?” he prompted.
“It’s not that long since you were engaged. Was I a rebound from that?”
“No.” The car stopped. He stepped out to put an end to the conversation.
His driver opened her door and Joaquin arrived on the sidewalk in time to offer his hand as she rose from the car.
“Thank you,” she said stiffly. “But you don’t have to walk me in. We can talk tomorrow.” She nodded at the car as though dismissing him.
Did she really think she could out-stubborn him? “You’re not spending the night alone. Not until you’ve had all the bloodwork and whatnot from the doctor.”
“What are you going to do? Stare at me while I sleep? Because I don’t see a point in spending time with you if you refuse to talk to me.”
“I’m not refusing.” Just avoiding certain uncomfortable topics. “We’re staying here tonight,” he told his driver. “Come back for me at seven tomorrow morning.”
Siobhan huffed a noise of muted outrage and started toward the front doors.
“What exactly do you want to know?” he asked reluctantly as he caught up to her.
She paused with her key fob in her hand, surprise in her expression. “About your engagement? What was her name? How did you meet her?”
“Esperanza. She works in real estate. She found my penthouse in Barcelona for me.”
“Why did you break up?”
“My father.” He took the fob from her loose grip and waved it at the sensor, then held the door. “I wasn’t involved in LVG when I proposed, but after Fernando passed, I came here to support Zurina through the funeral. My father assumed I was here to fight him for LVG and turned his spite onto Esperanza.”
“In what way?” She wasn’t watching where she was going. She was looking at him so he took her elbow as he led her to the elevator.
“Insults. Tantrums,” he said tiredly. “Veiled threats. Nothing illegal. He’s very clever that way. And manipulative. When I called him out on his behavior and ordered him from Zurina’s home, he accused me of trying to prevent him from seeing his grandchildren. I couldn’t be around him without wanting to strangle him. That’s how he got Zurina to allow him to take over at LVG. She was trying to keep the peace and lived to regret it. He still saw me as a threat, though, and began interfering in Esperanza’s real estate deals. She said she couldn’t marry me ifit meant losing her livelihood. I couldn’t abandon Zurina so I agreed we should break it off.”
“I thinkImentioned not wanting to lose my livelihood,” she muttered as they stepped into the elevator. “Are you…still in love with her?”
