Page 47 of Marriage Bargain with His Innocent
‘No. I don’t.’ She kept her voice cool. ‘And I wish I’d never said anything.’
‘Look around,’ Matias told her quietly. ‘You’re cooking for me...you’re tidying up behind me... Somewhere along the line you’ve started the business of trying to domesticate me.’
‘Matias, I’m doing no such thing! And please don’t forget that it wasyouridea to take things one step further by pretending to be engaged! And if I’m cooking, and tidying up your clothes, have you stopped to think that it’s because you happen to be staying inmyhouse and I don’t want to see clothes everywhere? And I have to cook for myself so I might as well cook for you as well.’
She tilted her chin at a defiant angle, and in return Matias looked back at her with appreciation.
‘I’m not up for grabs, Georgie. And the reason I blame myself is because you were wet behind the ears and a virgin. I should have known that there was always going to be a danger that you might start confusing fantasy with reality...start thinking about a relationship I’d never have time for. I wanted you—and I took what I wanted because I’m a selfish bastard.’
Georgina’s eyes flashed and she held his stare steadily. ‘Don’t try and take responsibility for this, Matias, and please don’t try and make out that I want all this to be real. I might be inexperienced, but I’m not an imbecile. I didn’t have to carry on sleeping with you after that first night. If you took what you wanted, then has it occurred to you that I did the same? Took whatIwanted?’
‘Is that your story and you’re sticking to it?’
‘Ihaven’tstarted confusing reality with fantasy,’ she said through gritted teeth.
And she hadn’t. She knew that their engagement was a sham, but the truth was that she’d begun to hope... They’d slipped into a comfortable zone, and she’d started hoping that beneath that comfort there was something substantial for him, just as it had become substantial for her. She’d deluded herself into thinking that the sizzling sex and their easy familiarity amounted to more than it obviously did.
He hadn’t been lulled into wanting her more because of what they’d ended up sharing. He’d ended up having to deal with just the sort of unwelcome expectations that got on his nerves.
‘Okay.’
He shot her a crooked smile, which made her teeth snap together in frustration because of the disbelief he couldn’t be bothered to conceal. But she knew that it should come as no surprise. His history with women told its own story, and she had chosen to ignore all the warnings he had put out there at her own peril. He was too astute when it came to the opposite sex not to have noticed those sidelong glances, the tender touches and, yes, that slide into domesticity that said more than words ever could about what they had and what it signified for her.
If, however, he thought that she was going to break down and start getting emotional, then he had another think coming—because no way was she going to do that.
‘Perfectly understandable to call off the engagement at this stage,’ she informed him. ‘You’re right. Rose is in a much better place now that the operation is out of the way and she’s been given a clean bill of health. Also it suits me, because I can focus exclusively on seeing where my career takes me now that my field is expanding.’
‘So you do intend to move to London?’
‘Possibly. I don’t know.’ She fiddled with the ring on her finger, then removed it and slid it over to him. ‘I don’t want this. The thought of keeping something “for services rendered” makes me feel sick.’
‘Georgie...’ Matias stared at the ring but didn’t pick it up. Instead he raised his eyes to hers and held her gaze. ‘This is for the best.’
‘I know,’ she said sweetly. ‘I think I’ve already heard that speech from you. Remember? When you were getting rid of the Amazonian blonde?’
‘This is hardly the same sort of situation.’
Georgina shrugged. ‘It is—more or less. It’s a break-up...one that was always expected. But there’s no need for you to spin the line about you being bad for me.’
‘It wouldn’t be a lie.’
‘Nor would it be relevant.’ She looked at him defiantly, challenging him to take her up on that statement. When he didn’t, she continued, ‘I’ll talk to Rose...let her down gently.’
‘You can leave that to me,’ Matias muttered heavily. ‘Like I said—and whether you choose to believe me or not—I blame myself...’
‘If you want to be a martyr then I can’t stop you. But I’m not blaming you, so there’s no need for you to jump in and throw yourself in front of the train. At any rate you’re no longer the bad guy in the story. You’ve built a great relationship with your mother. Don’t jeopardise that by being the one to let her down. I don’t want her assuming that you’re leaving a heartbroken wreck behind because you couldn’t resist returning to your revolving door love life.’ She tilted her head at an angle, eyes cool.
‘What will you say?’ Matias asked, recognising the stubborn set of her jaw.
‘That things didn’t work out in the end but that we’re going to remain good friends.’
She stood up and wondered how the rest of the evening was going to play out after this conversation. She couldn’t see some cosy chat over the chicken casserole followed by a romp in the sack. What shecouldsee was her howling to the four winds because the void opening up in front of her made her feel nauseous and lost and defeated.
‘I’ll leave now.’
Matias had read her mind and stood up. He hesitated and Georgina spoke quickly, before pity could cloud his face and before he could reopen the conversation about it all being his fault.
‘Good idea. I think that’s for the best. Will you take all your stuff? Or I’m quite happy to drop it off to your mum’s house.’
