He shook his head. Hard. “I don’t want to date.” His aura pulsed with male power and domination, urging her to submit. Damn, his controlling tendencies turned her on. Who would’ve thought? “I’ve waited my whole life to be sure, and I don’t want to wait any longer. You always said you had feelings for me. Let’s do this. Let’s get married and start a life together.”
Let’s do this?
She swallowed and tried to speak past her pounding heart. “Why the sudden change? We had rules in place. One night and move on. You said you didn’t want to settle down. You cited the age difference, Michael, my family, your wanderlust. What’s going on, Max?”
In seconds, he loomed over her and took her mouth. Holding her head, he claimed her lips and plundered every corner, until she hung on and dug her nails into his shoulders. She shuddered in pure lust and softened beneath him. He broke contact and gazed deep into her eyes. Raw command glimmered and tempted. “I changed my mind. I want you, all the way, all the time. Don’t make me beg. Just tell me you’ll marry me.”
She opened her mouth to say yes. Why not? She’d spent the most incredible night of her life with a man she’d always longed for. They were in Vegas where crazy things happened and impromptu weddings were the norm. Maybe he’d discovered in the hours of the night he loved her? After all, wasn’t that the only reason he’d want to marry her?
Unless . . .
Her gut twisted with a knowledge she didn’t want to probe. But this was the new Carina, and she wasn’t stupid enough to just believe Max Gray suddenly got bit by the love bug enough to give up his freedom.
She pushed him away and sat up. Studied him with hard eyes. Determination carved out the lines of his face like he faced a business deal he needed to close. Carina followed her instincts and tested him.
“Thank you for the offer, Max, but I like things the way they are. Let’s just see where this leads. No need to rush into marriage after one crazy night.”
A flare of panic gleamed in those baby blues. His jaw clenched. “Are you listening to me? I’m asking you to marry me! I’m saying you’re The One, and I want to do this right now, today. Let’s get crazy and say our vows in Vegas. We were always meant to be together and I’ve finally realized it.”
He bent forward and she knew he’d seduce her. Wring the yes from her lips and her heart before she had time to seriously wonder what was going on. For her own survival, she scrambled back on the bed and put her arms out in an effort to ward him off.
“Why now?”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “Why not now? Last night proved you were The One.”
A cold ball of misery fisted in her gut. He lied. His muscles tensed as if preparing for a boxing round. A wall of distance sprung up around him. Completely contradictory to the relaxed languor of a man with the woman he loves, he began pacing, another sign of nervousness.
What was she missing? This wasn’t just about guilt. This was sheer panic, as if trapped into . . .
Trapped.
Carina swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Who found out?”
He froze. Pushed his fingers through his hair. Paced some more. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just asked you to marry me and I’m being questioned like a prisoner of war. Excuse me if I’m a bit confused.”
“Michael? Did he call the hotel?”
“No. Listen, I don’t want to go back home and date. I want to make this a permanent relationship. Live with you, sleep with you, work with you. This is the right thing to do, baby.”
The right thing to do.
She wrapped the sheet firmly around her naked br**sts and fought for sanity. Her fingers shook but she managed to force the words out. “Tell me the truth, Max. Right now, or I swear to God, I will completely lose it. You owe me that.”
He turned away from her, but the muscles in his bare back turned rigid. A vicious curse escaped his lips, and finally, he faced her. “Your mother is here. She came into the room this morning and found us.”
Carina gasped and shook her head. “Dio, no. What is she doing here? How did she even know where to find us?”
“She wanted to stop and see you before flying to your brother’s house. Michael gave her the room number.”
Her brain turned numb with the awful possibilities. No wonder he’d proposed. If her mother pushed him to be honorable, Max buckled immediately under the guise of honor. Rage and humiliation twisted in her gut. She couldn’t even have a decent one-night stand properly. What other woman engaged in raw, dirty sex and had to face her mother’s wrath the next morning? Her skin turned clammy with nerves, and she wished desperately for clothes and solitude. Instead, she made herself speak. “Now I understand.” Her laugh rang hollow through the silent room. “Nothing like an overprotective mama to spur on a proposal. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. Where is she?”
“At breakfast.”
“I’ll go down and speak with her. Clear up the whole mess. Can you give me a few minutes to get dressed, please?”
He walked over and knelt beside the bed. Her heart wobbled between pure emotion and betrayal at his stony expression. How easily he tried to woo her with false endearments that meant nothing. Did he really believe she was so stupid to jump into marriage out of gratitude? Did he still think so little of her?
“We have to get married, Carina.”
Her eyes widened. “Hell, no. We don’t have to get married. I’m in America now, and just because we had sex doesn’t mean we have to make it legal. I don’t even want to marry you!”
Max jerked back but remained intractable. “Your mother will not accept anything less. Your family is going to find out and it will ruin your reputation.”
“Good, my reputation needed a bit of color.”
“This isn’t funny. My mother will also know, and it will break her heart.”
A rage of emotions shook her body. Damn him. Carina squeezed her eyes shut and prayed she’d wake up out of the nightmare. “She’ll get over it. We’ll make them understand. It will not affect our lives back in Bergamo or here.”
“I can’t do that to her. I can’t let her believe I turned my back on everything I value. We have no other choice.”
Her eyes flew back open. “Hell, yes, we have another choice. I need you to go, Max. Please. Let me go see my mother, and I promise I’ll clear the whole thing up. Okay?”