The jigsaw was finally taking shape for Karolina.Those early experiences had shaped Conor, introducing him to those in equal or even worse need than himself, while Mary had given him direction and hope.
“Those poor souls only wanted a chance to break free from crushing poverty,” Mary added.“And they couldn’t do that while they were hungry.And as for you,” she said to Conor, “you’re responsible for your own success.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Conor insisted.
Her husband was to be admired in so many ways, and would he keep these lovely people around him, people who spoke so highly of him, if he wasn’t good through and through?She should cut him some slack, and welcome the chance to meet his friends.
“I’ll introduce you to the team tonight,” Conor offered as if reading her mind.
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said sincerely.
“Is there a but in that statement?”he probed with the lift of a brow.
Did she want to be pegged as a nagging wife when she was hardly a wife at all?“I did hope for some quiet time together,” she admitted, which was the cue for Mary to tactfully leave the room.
“Quiet time?”Conor echoed.
Her throat had dried.It was ridiculous how much she wanted to be close in every way to this sexy brute of a man, who, having shot the breeze with his friends and played a couple of chukkas of polo, was ready for sex.She was too, but not as a convenient form of release whenever Conor had the odd moment or two to spare.
“Why don’t we save it until I’ve met your friends?”she suggested.
“Are you playing hard to get?”
The sacrifice had better be worth it, she concluded, laughing when he added, “Or do you think you can do better than me now you’ve seen my friends?”There was laughter in Conor’s eyes, but also a flicker of danger.
“Certainly not.I don’t flatter myself they’d be interested in me—apart from the effect I have on you.”
“What effect would that be?”Conor demanded with a questioning look in his eyes.
“I would hate for them to think that I only want you for sex.”
He laughed.“I knew I liked you, but now I wonder if I love you, Karolina Murphy.”
“Don’t spend too long thinking about it, or I might change my mind,” she warned.
Conor dragged her close.
His kisses warmed her through—until he pulled back.“This isn’t fair to you.”
“What isn’t?”Dread filled her.
“We have a marriage that was based on my bargain with your father, and that’s no longer relevant.”
“Is this your way of saying that you’d rather not be married?”
Conor shook his head.“I’m saying it’s not fair to you.”
“It wasn’t fair,” she agreed, “not to begin with, because I didn’t have any say in it.But now…”
“Now you have free will and you can do whatever you want to do,” Conor reminded her.
What she wanted was to fling her arms around him, laugh, talk, and build a future together.
“What do you want me to say?”Conor prompted with real concern.“I love you?”
“I’ll settle for you like me.”
“Really?”One ebony brow lifted in blatant disbelief.“Let’s leave it like this,” he said.“Before you make a decision, I’d like you to meet my team.They’re part of my life, and if you accept me and my dangerous lifestyle, it’s important to accept them.Keep that in mind when you weigh your options.I’ll give you space to think about it, okay?”
Karolina ground her jaw with frustration.She didn’t need time to think about it.Pathetic or not, she wanted Conor to say he loved her as much as she loved him.But this was Conor Murphy, the hardman of Ireland, and no one, not even Karolina, could put words into his mouth.
