Blackmailed Into The Marriage Bed

himself. Talking about sex—about their lovemaking—made her want him so badly it was like an unbearable itch taking over her entire body. ‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean I want it now. Or ever. From you, I mean. We’re practically divorced and—’

His hands captured both of hers and drew her so close to him she was standing between his muscular thighs. Everything that was female in her started cheering like cheerleaders at a grand final. Her hands were flat against his chest, her breasts pushed so tightly against him she could feel the ridges of his muscles against her nipples. ‘You do want it. You want me. That’s why you haven’t had anyone since me.’

Ailsa made a vain effort to pull away. Well, maybe it was more of a token effort if she were to be perfectly honest. She didn’t want to pull away. She wanted to smack her lips on his and rip off all his clothes and get down to business to assuage this treacherous need spiralling through her body. But some small vestige of her pride refused to allow her to capitulate so easily. ‘I’m sure you’ve had dozens since me. How soon did you replace me? A week? Two? Or are we talking days or maybe even hours?’

His hands released her and he set her from him and stood from where he had perched on the corner of the desk. He went back around the other side of the desk as if he were putting a barricade between them. His expression was just as barricaded. ‘Until our divorce is finalised, I consider myself still legally married.’

Ailsa looked at him in shock. ‘What are you saying? That you haven’t had anyone since me? No one at all? But I saw pictures of you in the press with...’ She stopped before she betrayed her almost obsessional perusal of the press for any mention of him. She had even gone as far as buying Italian gossip magazines. Ridiculous. And expensive and practically useless since she couldn’t read Italian.

‘I have a social life, but I’ve refrained from getting involved with anyone until our divorce is done and dusted. I didn’t think it would be fair to bring a new partner into such a complicated situation. Why are you looking so shocked?’

Ailsa tried to rearrange her features into blank impassivity. Tried but failed. ‘I just thought you’d...you know...move on quickly.’

He straightened some papers on his desk that, as far as Ailsa could tell, didn’t need straightening. His eyes met hers across the desk—dark and glinting and dangerously sexy. ‘You mean for a man with my appetite for sex?’

The less she thought about his appetite for sex, the better. It was her appetite for sex that was the problem right now. She