Page 29 of Modern Romance June 2025 5-8

‘Okay,’ she said.

His eyebrows rose and his face flushed. She had surprised him. No, she had astonished him. Why did that feel so exhilarating?

‘You will agree to a marriage ceremony?’ he asked. ‘In three weeks’ time?’

The whisper of uncertainty in the question felt strangely empowering. While Santiago’s reasons for wanting this marriage were prosaic, her answer still mattered to him. It felt like a start… A start to something more. Maybe.

‘Yes, but I have some conditions,’ she said hastily.

It would be a mistake to let Santiago have everything his own way. He was a guy used to giving everyone orders and having them obeyed, so she had to make it clear from the start, if she was going to be his wife she wanted to be his equal.

That said, she’d never bargained with a duke before, and she suspected Santiago wasn’t used to giving an inch when his brow lowered ominously.

‘What conditions?’ he demanded.

Good question!

She racked her brain. What did she want out of this marriage? ‘I want to spend quality time with you,’ she blurted out, knowing that would be key.

They were still virtual strangers, mostly because he’d been avoiding her until last night. But indulging their physical bond wasn’t necessarily going to build intimacy, especially as she suspected Santiago was a master at keeping his emotional needs under lock and key.

He let out a gruff chuckle, then cradled her neck to drag her closer. ‘I promise we will have much quality time together,’ he said, his hand sliding over her hip to cup her buttock and make her vividly aware of his need, as well as her own. Her clitoris throbbed, already begging for his touch again.

It took every ounce of her strength to flatten her palms against his chest and ease him away. ‘I don’tjustwant to spend quality time in your bed. I also want to be able to talk to you.’

‘About what?’ he asked.

She sighed. This negotiation was going to be tougher than she had anticipated. The man was nothing if not obtuse. ‘Justeverything…thecastillo, your work, my work…’

‘You will not work, we agreed,’ he interrupted.

‘Yes, but that was before…’ She swallowed, the enormity of what she was discussing starting to intimidate her again. ‘I’ll want to work if we’re married. I’m not comfortable with you paying for everything. I’d want to contribute.’

She could see he wasn’t happy with that suggestion.

‘I am a rich man, there is no need for you to work,’ he declared. Then he grasped her wrist to tug her back into his embrace. ‘And do not worry, you will be contributing a lot… And I will ensure you won’t be bored, as I intend to keep you very busy.’

The playful, seductive tone had a predictable effect, but she eased him back again, more firmly this time.

‘It would make me feel like a burden,’ she managed. And she sensed she had felt like a burden too many times before in her past.

‘Okay. What is it that you wish to work at?’ he countered, stumping her.

She had no idea what her skills were—other than those vague memories of working an espresso machine and pulling pints—but surely, she had to be able to dosomething.

‘Well, I’m not entirely sure.Yet.’

‘Then perhaps we can delay this discussion until after we are married,’ he offered reasonably. Far too reasonably really.

She huffed. ‘Okay, but in principle, I want to work. Once I’ve figured out what I can work at.’

‘Noted,’ he said, the confident smile somehow managing to be both patronising and indulgent.

‘I also want to be able to talk to you about Ana, and Alejandro.’ Because they would be her family too now. ‘I want to know more about you, and your past and your family dynamics,’ she probed gently, knowing she’d have to understand all those things if she were going to be a real member of his family.

‘What does this mean? Family dynamics?’ he said, the tone aloof and dismissive.

She forced herself not to be hurt by the flippant response. She knew his father’s affair had hurt him, but it was far too soon to get him to confide in her about the tragedy that had befallen his family. She suspected, though, that was the key to why he was so determined to lock all his feelings away and pretend they didn’t exist. But she couldn’t break down all those barriers at once. What she had to establish, though, was that this was a marriage not just in name—and in the bedroom—which was what she suspected he wanted. That this marriage could eventually be a partnership too.

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