Contracted: A Wife For The Bedroom. Carol Marinelli

of people don’t want to hear it so I don’t say it. I hopefully get them to a point where they’re happy and confident in life and then the rest is up to them.’ She knew he didn’t quite get what she was saying, those knowing eyes narrowing slightly, a vertical crease in that perfect brow, and she told him her truth—revealed to him what she actually thought. ‘The truth is, I don’t actually believe in love.’

      ‘Really?’

      ‘Really.’ Lily nodded. ‘I believe in lust. I believe in romance. I believe in mutual respect. But I truly don’t believe there’s one love for everyone, one love that can last a lifetime.’

      ‘Amanda will be very disappointed,’ Hunter said.

      ‘Amanda’s not going to hear it from me,’ Lily retorted equally quickly, assuming the conversation was over and turning to head for the door. But Hunter lingered, the derisive note gone from his voice now.

      ‘What about someone with, say, disabilities?’ Hunter frowned. ‘I mean, suppose for instance that someone had been told they could never walk again. Are you saying that if they really set their mind to it…?’

      ‘I’m not offering miracles, Hunter,’ Lily answered softly, ending the verbal sparring, sensing for the first time genuine confusion behind his words, wondering if perhaps she was about to find out what really had bought Hunter there tonight. ‘If someone who’s been told they’ll never walk again is focusing solely on proving the doctors wrong, they’re missing out on a lot of other opportunities. Maybe it’s better to expend that energy on different goals…’

      ‘Give in, you mean?’

      ‘I’d prefer to call it acceptance.’

      ‘That’s how you make your living I guess.’ Hunter barbed response didn’t faze Lily this time—she knew his anger wasn’t aimed at her.

      ‘Just who are we talking about here, Hunter?’

      ‘No one.’ He flashed a brittle smile. ‘It’s just a hypothetical question. Right…’ For Hunter it was clearly conversation over. He held out several thousand dollars’ worth of the finest, most beautifully spun wool. ‘Do you want to borrow my jacket?’

      ‘Your jacket?’

      ‘It’s pouring outside,’ Hunter needlessly pointed out as they were having to raise there voices now to be heard above the driving rain that was bouncing off the roof.

      ‘I’ll be fine,’ Lily declined, smiling to herself at the thought of using such a beautiful garment as a temporary umbrella and filled with strange regret that once he stepped out into the night she’d never see him again, that whatever her group offered it wasn’t something he needed. Lily was filled with curiosity, too, as to why on earth he had come. He intrigued her. He was so utterly, utterly confident, so breathtakingly opinionated, and yet, on occasion—she looked at the proffered jacket—when Hunter wanted to be, he was disarmingly nice.

      ‘Take it,’ he offered again, his hand completely steady as he held it out to her, a curious half-smile on his face, but as she raised her hand to accept it suddenly everything changed. In that instant Lily knew, just knew that it was more than a jacket that Hunter was offering, knew from the way he was looking at her that the seemingly simple gesture had dangerous connotations and that stepping out into the night with him would be like stepping out with the devil himself. Brutally aware they were alone now, she felt like Snow White with the dwarfs all out at work, a tempting apple being thrust unexpectedly in her face. Telling herself she was crazy, that she was completely overreacting, she struggled to centre herself, to push away the ridiculous thoughts that were flooding her mind.

      ‘Lily?’ Softly he questioned her indecision but she couldn’t answer. His chest was at her eye level, the rate of his breathing matching her own, awareness, attraction swirling around her like a heavy fog, seeping into her clothes, her flesh, her mind.

      She could smell them—not just the mingling scent of their colognes, but the perilous undertones beneath, the thick lusty yet indefinable smell of arousal, and it made her feel dizzy, confused and more than a little claustrophobic.

      ‘No!’ She didn’t even attempt politeness, instead snapping the word out, his unvoiced question meriting no well-mannered response.

      ‘Your choice.’ Hunter shrugged.

      And it was surely the right one.

      Watching as he stepped out into the night, Lily dragged a shaking hand up to her hair, staring around the room and blinking at the normality of it. Surely somehow the windows should be broken, tables and chairs should upended, that there should be some evidence of the seismic shift that that had just taken place.

      What the hell had happened there? Lily tried to fathom, her breathing still coming out short and uneven, her heart still thumping loudly in her chest, every sense on high alert as if she’d just chased out an intruder. He’d offered her a jacket, for heaven’s sake, yet she felt as if they’d kissed, more than kissed…She felt as if he’d seen inside her, felt inside her.

      Flicking off the lights and stepping out into the pelting rain, Lily was actually grateful for the sting of the wind and rain, the cool change incredibly welcome after such a scorching encounter. Locking up behind her, Lily made a mad dash across the car park, her suit clinging to her drenched body, her French roll uncoiling as she unlocked the car door and, shivering, jumped inside, dreaming of a bubble bath up to her neck to soothe away the tension of the day…

      It wasn’t over yet!

      The day that had started so badly with a phone call from her mortgage broker went from seriously bad to downright disastrous as her engine spluttered noisily, emanating a huge grating sound that seemed to get louder with each and every frantic turn of her key. A mechanic Lily wasn’t—truth be known she didn’t even know where the catch was to lift the bonnet—but even to Lily’s untrained ears the sound was perilous enough to tell her that the only journey her car was taking tonight was on the back of the vehicle rescue truck.

      The passenger door opening momentarily panicked her—she’d thought the car park was empty and Lily wasn’t sure if it was the force of the rain and wind that caused her to catch her breath or the gorgeous but somewhat intimidating sight of Hunter climbing in beside her.

      ‘Most people knock on the window,’ Lily reprimanded.

      ‘I’m not like most people. ‘Problem?’ he added, stating the obvious for the second time since he’d climbed in the car beside her, because he really wasn’t like most people.

      He disturbed her.

      Spun her into a state of heightened nervousness, though not for her safety. An excellent judge of character, there was nothing in his personality that made Lily feel that her safety was compromised, her nervousness, her state of hyper-vigilance when he was around entirely due to the dangerous feelings he evoked.

      ‘Do you know anything about cars?’

      ‘I like silver ones.’ He gave a dry smile as Lily gritted her teeth. ‘I suppose I could do the macho thing and ask you to pop the bonnet and stand there staring for a few thoughtful moments—are you wearing stockings?’

      ‘What?’ Lily did a double-take. ‘What on earth has that got to do with anything?’

      ‘I saw it on a film, I think…’ He frowned for a moment. ‘Or did I read it? Anyway, it’s entirely irrelevant because I’d have no idea what to do even if you were wearing them—I haven’t a clue about cars.’

      ‘Well, thanks for your help.’ Lily gave a tight smile.

      ‘I haven’t given you any help yet,’ he pointed out. ‘Why don’t I give you a lift home? You can sort out the car in the morning.’

      ‘I’ll be fine,’ Lily said, reaching for her mobile phone. ‘I’ll ring the rescue service.’

      ‘They could be a while. Cars will be breaking down and skidding into each other all over the place