Free Temporarily His Princess by Olivia Gates Page A

breakdown in communications.”
    “Since I speak decent Italian—” she ignored his rising eyebrows; she wasn’t telling him how and why she did “—it wouldn’t have mattered which language you used. No is still my answer. It’s the same in both languages.”
    His contemplation was now smoky, sensuous. “No is unacceptable. Are you prodding me into…persuading you?”
    Knowing what kind of persuasion he’d expose her to, she slipped past the barrier of his bulk and temptation, staggered to her foyer’s decorative storage cabinet and picked up the prenup. Her hands trembled as she turned and extended it to him.
    He took it only when she thrust it against his chest, didn’t even look at it, instead staring at her in that incapacitating way of his, his eyes like twin cloudy skies.
    “I signed.” Her voice was too breathless for her liking.
    “I gave it to you to read. Signing would have been in duplicates, with both our legal counsels present.”
    She shrugged, confused at the note of disapproval—or was it disappointment?—in his voice. “Send me your copy to sign.”
    His gaze grew ponderous, probing. “Does that mean you didn’t find it excessive?”
    She huffed bitterly. “You know your Terms of Submission leave excessive in another galaxy. You only stop short of making provisions that I turn over the tan I acquire during my time in Castaldini.”
    “Then why did you sign? Why didn’t you ask for changes?”
    “You said it was nonnegotiable.”
    “I thought you’d have your attorney look at it, who’d tell you there’s nothing in the world that isn’t negotiable. I expected an alphabetized list of deletions and adjustments.”
    “I don’t want any. I don’t want anything from you. I never did. If you thought I’d haggle over your paranoid terms out of indignation or challenge or whatever, then you know nothing about me. But I already know that. You didn’t consider me worth knowing, and I don’t expect you to start treating me with any consideration now, when I’m just your smokescreen. So no, I don’t care how far you go to protect yourself. This is what I want, too. It makes sure I’m out of your life, with no lingering ties whatsoever, the second the year is up.”
    Silence crashed in the wake of her ragged words.
    Then he drawled, deep and dark, “A year is a long time.”
    Her pent-up breath rushed out. “Tell me about it. I just want to start serving my sentence with as little resistance as possible, so it will pass with as little damage as possible.”
    This time his gaze seemed to drill into her, as if to plumb the depths of her thoughts and emotions.
    And she felt that he could read and sense everything she was thinking and feeling. Which was another new thing.
    In the past, she’d always felt this…disconnection, except in the throes of passion. He’d been the classic absent-minded scientist, with his research occupying his fundamental being, only his superficial components engaged in everything else. Now it felt as if his whole being was tuned in to her. And that only deepened her confusion. What was he after?
    Just as she tried to activate a two-way frequency to read him, he turned away, laying the prenup on her cabinet before turning back to her in utmost grace and tranquility.
    “I’ll wait while you put on something suitable for this momentous occasion. Any more stalling and I’ll do it myself. I probably should since it’s for my pleasure. I can also undress you first, for our pleasure. I remember in vivid detail how you used to enjoy both activities.”
    The avid look in his eyes said he’d carry out his silky threat at the slightest resistance. She couldn’t risk it, since she might end up begging him not to stop at undressing her.
    Exasperated with both of them in equal measure, her glare told him what would give her utmost pleasure now. Giving his perfect nose some crooked character.
    Mumbling abuse, she stormed to her room, with his laughter at her back,