Page 27 of Forbidden Bastard
Her eyes had a sparkle in them, though her face was red. “Honestly your home half-convinced me this would be a lovely prison that didn’t depend on me making a decision.”
If he could guarantee security for Clara, and the house somehow went to Sandi, perhaps he wasn’t a completely horrible person if he married her. He ate his salad then pushed the plate back once he finished. “Half?”
Staff came in and took their plates.
Sandi sat on her hands like she wasn’t sure what to do.
More plates were brought in of chicken and mashed potatoes, even though he hadn’t told the staff they were coming.
The servants left and Sandi unlocked herself from the seat. He thought she’d reach for her silverware but she took his hand. His skin was on pins and needles as she said, “Well, the other perk besides all this is… well… you, and your kisses.”
His collar tightened and he couldn’t breathe, never mind eat. His heart raced and he turned his palm toward her. “You don’t have to say that.”
She sucked on her lip and her eyes glistened--he didn’t ever want to look away from her. “It’s true, Charles. I’m genuinely interested.”
He was the wrong choice for anyone like her. This wasn’t fair. Finally he swallowed and took his hand back as he glanced away.
He’d never be able to transition himself to be some hero for her. “You shouldn’t be.”
“Why?” She picked up her fork.
They ate in silence for a few moments. The chicken was tender and the mashed potatoes fluffy. He finished his last bite. “Because I’m bad news for you.”
Done, she dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “Why? What do you believe will happen?”
“That you’ll leave.” His voice cracked.
Servants entered the room and he studied the table as they took their plates.
Others came in with a caramel dessert he didn’t recognize but it didn’t matter because for once he wasn’t tempted by the sweets.
Neither of them spoke during the interruption, but once they were alone again, Sandi murmured, “But you just said that I should leave. That it’s what you want me to do.”
He didn’t bother picking up a spoon. He just stared at the dessert in front of him as he said, “Everyone has always left me. I find if I push people away then it’s my choice.”
“You can’t push me away if you’re willing to let me get to know you.”
“I don’t know how.”
“We’ll figure it out, together.” The swish of her chair caught his attention and adrenaline rushed through him. A second later, she tugged on his shoulder. “But Charles, that requires you opening up to me.”
He stood and pulled her waist toward him. “When you say it’s about the house then I think maybe we can make a deal where we don’t have to build trust.”
Her fingers brushed against his chest and her face beamed up at him like she had angelic powers as she said, “I clearly misspoke. I’m sorry. I would never actually marry a guy because of his house. If I wanted to be secure and safe, I could have married Reza when our relationship first started and not cared that we didn’t suit and in the end he’d leave me first.”
His entire body went cold, frigid even. Seriously. The image of some other man with Sandi made his heart squeeze in his chest. “He must have been a fool.”
“No.” Her nose wrinkled and she shrugged. “He was busy, and we never had time to really know each other. I’m here because your half-sister said you were my perfect match. I’d like to believe that.”
Another man touching Sandi when he hadn’t somehow upset his stomach.
At the same time, his muscles were hard like a stone except for his chest that fluttered where she still brushed. “Why? Computers don’t get to decide stuff like that.”
Her lips pressed together and she leaned closer and held his biceps while on her tiptoes as she said, “I’m not a good judge of things and I’d like to believe computers are smarter than me. And besides that… Ilikeyou.”
More of their bodies touched.
He wanted to rip the black sheath off her body and take her.
