“A pampered wife?” Diego exclaimed. Raking the back of his neck with frustration, he shook his head. “I expect my wife to be an equal partner. I expect her to help me as I’ll help her, but I also expect her to have a life of her own.”
“All I’m asking for is a chance to help the team.”
“You’re helping the team right here in the tech department.”
“No,” she argued hotly. “I could do more if I went back. You want me to stay because you’re mistaking love for sex.”
“When did you become such an expert on love?”
“That’s just it!” she exploded. “Neither of us has got a clue about love.”
“Speak for yourself,” he fired back.
She rose to the bait with fury. “If you won’t let me help you, I might as well hand in my notice right now.”
“That’s the biggest load of crap I ever heard. You help us with your tech skills more than you can ever help us on the ground. Do you really think we need the distraction of worrying about you when there are so many others waiting for the chance to be rescued?”
The truth was brutal. Her certainty died. Diego was right. If she went back to the front line, the team would be distracted. They’d made it clear from the start that Blood and Thunder had a duty of care toward all their staff. She’d felt safe and protected for the first time in her life, and she was at the point of throwing that away—worse, she was at the point of putting others in danger. “You’re right,” she admitted grimly. “I’ve been selfish. I didn’t think—”
“You think too much,” Diego argued.
Balling her hands into fists, she turned away to try to steady her breathing and saw a snapshot of her friends and colleagues on the estate, going about their day-to-day work, happy, productive, vital, and fun. There was a full life here. Deep down, she didn’t want to leave. This was the first real home she’d ever had. “Can’t we just go back to where we began, when you were my employer and I worked for the team?”
“Not a chance,” Diego flashed. “What’s this really about, Celina? Is it love in general that frightens you, or just loving me?”
“Why should love frighten me when sex is all we have?”
“Are you sure about that?”
He moved so quickly to take hold of her, she had no chance to answer. “You’re coming with me,” he said. Keeping a tight hold on her arm, he marched her back to the house.
“You feel this way about me now, but what about tomorrow and all the days after that?” She tried to forget the chains around her heart that bound her to Diego.
“Are you done arguing with yourself?” he demanded. “Who the hell knows about tomorrow? We work at it like everyone else has to. That’s how we learn about each other—”
“Until you find someone new,” she stated with confidence.
By this time, they’d reached the grand double doors that marked the entrance to his home. Pressing her back against the smooth, cool wood with the weight of his body, Diego glared into her face. “I’d love to say you’re not worth the trouble, but God help me, you are.”
