Page 42 of The Italian's Pregnant Enemy (A Diamond in the Rough)

“I know that,” he said.

“What if I tell you no?”

“You don’t want to tell me no,” he said. “Come now. Be reasonable. How would it benefit you to stay separate from me? Especially when I’m offering you a certain measure of freedom. You would rather walk into your father’s office and tell him that you have decided not to marry me?”

“No,” she said, suddenly and hideously appalled by that image. “I don’t want to do that.”

“I didn’t think you did. And so here we are. At an impasse. Would you refuse for the sake of it? For the sake of your pride?” That galled her, because he was right. Half her issue was her pride. Half her issue was the fact that she didn’t simply want to give him what he was asking for. It was a habit. Dario had vexed her for so many years it was difficult now to realize that she had to join forces with him. Even after those days they’d spent snowed in.

He had felt different then.

He had been such a wonderful lover. Courteous and generous and...

She needed to not think about that right now.

Was she going to do this? Agree to marry him and engage in all the spectacle that it would create? Agree to marry him and find herself back in his bed?

You want that.

She did. But she didn’t want to want it. It was pointless. And worse, it was dangerous. What would happen if she ended up having feelings for him that he didn’t return?

Isn’t that already the case?

She shoved that thought to the side. She wasn’t in love with him. But she did think about him quite a bit.

“Marry me,” he said. “Join me. We will combine our companies and sit on top in business...”

Business. On top. Good God.

“You sound like Darth Vader, do you know that?” she asked, sounding a bit acidic.

He smiled. Looking grimly at her. “It is perhaps not a coincidence.”

“Yes. Of course. You’re so dark and bad.”

Of course, saying that, even teasing made a little zip of arousal shiver through her. That was embarrassing. Really.

“Marry me,” he said. “We will tell your father together. That he is going to be a grandfather, and that we are getting married.”

“I...”

And she couldn’t think of a reason not to. She absolutely couldn’t.

Worst of all perhaps she wanted to say yes just for herself. But what would it get her? Well, this hot man would be her husband and they would spar ever after. But they would have a home and a child and perhaps that was all worth it?

Or maybe she was weak.

But if so, then she was weak.

She sighed.

“Well. How do you want to do this, then?”

“I’m canceling all of my plans, and we’re going to dinner. I will then propose to you.”

“Aren’t you going to ask my father’s permission?”

He frowned. “Neither of you would respect me if I did such a thing.”

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