But she could tell by the deepening of Damien’s eyes that his suggestion that she might like to lie down owed nothing to thoughtfulness. He did not have sleep in mind for when she got to bed.
‘I’d love some dinner,’ she perversely ignored the suggestive glint in his eyes. ‘I was much too busy to eat anything at the reception and I didn’t have time before the wedding. Do you have any food in for the weekend?’ This was the one thing she hadn’t thought of during her list of pre-wedding arrangements.
‘And the rest,’ he said derisively. ‘My daily woman seemed to be under the impression that we weren’t going to see the light of day for weeks. I can imagine how she spent her honeymoon!’
‘So do most people.’
He smiled. ‘I can’t see myself being that infatuated with your body. I may want you, but not enough to forget the rest of the world for a week or so.’
So he still wanted her! Kate heaved an inward sigh of relief at that, she had begun to doubt even that of late. ‘The fact that you intend returning to work on Monday has already more than proved that,’ she said icily.
He moved away from her. ‘I have a deadline to meet.’
‘And that must come first,’ she taunted sarcastically.
‘I think you’re right,’ he humoured her. ‘Dinner first. Your hunger is making you bitchy.’
‘I’ve always been bitchy.’
‘Definitely dinner!’
She followed him into the kitchen. ‘What are we going to have?’
He was looking at the contents of the refrigerator. ‘Steak and salad all right?’
‘Fine. I’ll just change and then make it for you.’ She turned away uncertainly, not sure which room they would be using or where her clothes had been put.
‘I’ll get dinner while you change,’ he told her. ‘I’ve had the room with the fourposter prepared for us.’
‘How romantic,’ she taunted. God, she was so nervous, so nervous it was making her shrewish with him. She would have to calm herself down or the whole evening would be a disaster. ‘Sorry,’ she muttered stiffly.
Damien sighed. ‘Go and change, Kate. You know the way.’
‘Yes.’
The room was just as she remembered it, except the bedclothes had been temptingly turned back—the daily woman again, she presumed. It certainly wouldn’t have been Damien. The way he was acting they might just as well not have bothered to get married. He was treating her like any other woman he casually spent the night with.
Because of his uncaring attitude she decided to be likewise, discarding the lovely evening dress she had been going to wear, and donning denims and a thick jumper instead. Back in the kitchen Damien had already placed the food on the table, putting her steak in front of her before sitting down beside her.
Kate ate the steak and helped herself to a little of the salad. Damien certainly wouldn’t starve if left to his own devices, he knew how to cook steak to perfection.
She sipped the wine he had provided with the meal. ‘Do you think we’ll still be married at Christmas?’ she asked bluntly.
He quirked an eyebrow. ‘Wondering if you can save yourself the price of my present?’
She shrugged. ‘I’m just curious.’
He too sipped his wine, then sat back to look at her. ‘When is Christmas, five, six weeks away? Mm, I think we can amuse each other for a couple of months at least. Yes, I should think we’ll still be together at Christmas.’
‘Oh!’
‘You sound disappointed.’
‘Surprised is more the word.’ And heartbroken. Two months—he had given their marriage a life-span of two months!
Damien stood up. ‘Let’s go into the lounge.’
That was a step nearer the bedroom! ‘I—I’ll just wash up the dinner things first,’ Kate said desperately.
He took a firm hold of her arm. ‘Not just now you won’t.’ He saw her seated in the lounge. ‘Do you have anything special you want to do over the Christmas holiday?’
She clung to her glass of wine as if it were a lifeline. She cleared her throat before answering. ‘No—er—no, I don’t think so.’ She didn’t have any plans past tonight.
‘Good.’ He came to sit on the arm of her chair, so close to her she was conscious of nothing else but his thigh so close to her arm.
‘Why?’
‘I have plans for us.’
‘You—you do?’
‘Mm.’ His hand was gently caressing her nape. ‘I thought we could have a belated honeymoon, go away somewhere together for a week or two.’
His hand was causing strange sensations down her spine and she had the feeling her voice wouldn’t be quite steady when she spoke. ‘Go away?’ she squeaked. ‘Where?’
He bent his head to place his lips where his hand had so recently been and Kate quivered with pleasure. ‘I think …’ he murmured, ‘that our destination will have to be discussed between the two of us. But not right now.’ He turned her face towards him. ‘Right now I want to make love to you.’
She flinched away from the desire no longer hidden in his eyes. ‘I—um— It’s early yet.’ She glanced nervously at her watch. ‘It’s only nine-thirty.’
He stood up, pulling her effortlessly to her feet. ‘So we’ll have a shower, then go to bed.’
‘A shower,’ she latched thankfully on to the idea. ‘What a good idea.’
‘Mm,’ his eyes never left her face. ‘The shower is big enough for two—just.’
‘Big enough for …’ Panic re-entered her face. ‘Oh no, I couldn’t! I mean it—’
Damien suddenly looked impatient. ‘You can drop the act, Kate. You have me well and truly hooked now, so you can stop the virginal bride act.’
She shook her head, her eyes wide with distress. ‘I—It isn’t an act, Damien. I’ve never been with a man before. Truly, Damien.’
His eyes snapped with anger and he pulled her ruthlessly after him in the direction of the bedroom. ‘Truth!’ he echoed curtly. ‘You don’t know
