‘Can you do that?’
‘My lawyers can. They seem quite confident.’
‘If you could do that, I—’
Never one to miss an opportunity, he suggested, ‘You’d marry me?’
‘I didn’t say that,’ she fired back.
‘I’m not trying to blackmail you with empty promises. My lawyers are working on your father’s case as we speak and whatever answer you give to my proposal, they will continue to work until he’s free. That’s all I can say at this moment. I can’t do anything about your mother’s death, and I regret that more than you know. The damage done by your ex-husband was a tsunami that took down everything in its wake. Except you,’ he stated levelly.
‘Don’t do this,’ she said, covering her face with her hands. ‘I need time to think.’
‘You can have all the time in the world—if you make a decision today.’
Choosing to ignore the joke, she raised angry eyes to his. ‘You can’t heal everything with sheer force of will.’
‘But I can try.’
She seemed to accept this, although a lot of seconds ticked by before she started speaking again, and by then she was reflective. ‘I don’t want to do anything without careful consideration first. My mother always said I rushed into things, but then the real world was a mystery to her, and she couldn’t appreciate that sometimes opportunities had to be seized. She was never fitted for enduring reality. Raised in a cocoon of wealth and privilege, she expected that to continue for the rest of her life. I just wish I could have talked to her, to prove how many good things there are away from top show and empty possessions, and all the opportunities she was missing.’
‘Some people just don’t want to hear the truth. You can’t blame yourself for that.’
There was another long silence, and then she admitted, ‘I didn’t expect you to be so understanding.’
‘I’m not. I’m an impatient man with a country to reassure. I’m not proud of my motives, but I ask you to understand them.’ Marrying to seal a deal that benefited both parties made perfect sense to him.
‘This is marriage we’re talking about,’ she confirmed.
‘Of course.’
‘I could give you another list of reasons why I can’t marry you.’
‘But none of them would make sense.’
‘To you, maybe.’
‘I don’t understand what’s stopping you.’
‘Your arrogance? Your sense of entitlement? Your assumption that you only have to speak and I will jump?’
‘Am I allowed to voice a defence?’
Her jaw worked as she stared at him. ‘Here,’ she said, tossing him a robe. ‘Put this on. You’re far too distracting.’ No one had ever complained before. ‘If this is a serious proposal of marriage, I can only assume you have a touch of sunstroke, and should rest.’
‘I can assure you I’m sound in mind as well as body.’
‘I can see that,’ she agreed, narrowing her eyes.
He’d in no way won her over yet, or made up for his crass proposal, but, catching the robe one-handed, he shrugged it on as they exchanged a searing look.
CHAPTER TWELVE
MUSCLESRIPPLING,his wild hair even wilder than ever following some rough attention with a towel, Luca was nothing short of magnificent. She knew he was mocking her with that smouldering look, but he could afford to take chances. She couldn’t, and that was the difference between them. The Pirate Prince was taking one last throw of the dice—and, quite amazingly, it was in her direction—before he settled down to rule Madlena. All this talk of marrying him... What was she to make of it? It wasn’t easy to think straight in the face of so much potent male attraction, which he knew. But she would think straight. She was the most unsuitable bride he could have picked. Even forgetting her past, she had no skills in the bedroom, and a rebellious soul, that, now it was free, wouldn’t tolerate restrictions made by any man. She couldn’t think of a worse choice off the top of her head.
‘If you’re looking for a bride to inspire confidence in your people, I don’t think I’m your gal.’
‘I disagree,’ he said firmly.
