Page 147 of The Prize

He pulled me into a hug. “What did she want?”

Tobias felt so good crushed against me, his natural scent mixed with his sexy perspiration from having sat out in the midday sun wafted over me and sparked all the wrong responses, the same ones that rendered me boneless in his hold.

“I need to take a shower.” He stepped back. “So do you.”

“Last week,” I managed, “you were in New York the entire time?”

“Yes, why?”

“You didn’t need to pop over to England?”

“Without you?” He strolled over to the fridge and opened it, peering in and seemingly looking for something. “I would have told you.”

“Right.”

“Will you forgive me?”

“Why would I need to forgive you?”

He laughed and brought out an oyster shell. “Come here.” When I didn’t move, he neared me. “Open.” He lifted the dark shell to my mouth and tipped in the oyster and a blast of the ocean melted on my tongue.

“Forgive you?” I repeated, wiping away a trickle of juice, though my hand stayed pressed to my lips to hide my terror. I’d been wrong, I’d been used as a pawn in Tobias’s carefully orchestrated plan.

He took an oyster for himself and tipped it into his mouth. “I meant, forgive me for diving into the seafood early. God, I love oysters.”

“Love that farmers market.”

“You can always be assured the produce is fresh.”

“Yes.”

“It’s true what they say. These suckers are an aphrodisiac.” He planted a kiss to my neck and then pulled away. “I know what this is.”

I gasped and stepped back.

“And I know the cure.” He reached for my hand and led me out of the kitchen.

“Tobias.” My voice sounded shaky.

“This is what’s expected.”

As we climbed the steps, my hand trembled in his. “How do you mean?”

We made it to the top of the stairs and he brushed a hair out of my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the steep drop down those stone steps and instinctively stepped back from the edge.

“This is prewedding nerves, sweetheart.” He tugged my hand and we entered the master bedroom, walking through it and entering the bathroom en suite.

He led me all the way into the shower, and I stood before him naked now with my arms covering my breasts, huddled in the chill until he got the water running.

He reached out and pulled me against him. “Body warmth.” He planted a kiss to my forehead and then turned to work the dial.

Hot water showered over us and though it heated my chilled bones I couldn’t seem to think straight. I should have made an excuse, should have gone off to find that West and gotten this over with. Right here, now, I was beneath the same roof as one of the queen’s most treasured possessions. I was betraying everything I held dear.

Tobias pressed me against the glass. “Where are you?”

“Here,” I lied, but my thoughts were anything but in this shower with him.

“You’re not scared about marrying me, are you?”