our children are going to be too busy running my companies and taking over my businesses. They won’t have time to do anything with his. He missed his chance with you,” he stated firmly. “I won’t be so blind to our children.”
She could feel her resolve wilting under the pressure of his words. They sounded so wonderful and she desperately wanted to believe him. “What children?” she asked.
He smiled and her stomach did a flip flop. “The ones we’re going to make as soon as you admit you love me and will never leave me again.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Is that all I’m going to say?”
He laughed, knowing he’d won. “You’re going to give me several daughters that will look as gorgeous as you are.”
“You think so?” she asked flippantly. A thought occurred to her and she stopped his forward momentum with a finger to the middle of his chest. “Will you ever keep a mistress?” she demanded.
Of all the things she might have asked, that one was the most hilarious. “Are you kidding me?” he asked and saw the worry in her eyes. He stopped and pulled her close, lifting her off her feet and carrying her to the bed. “I can’t believe you would ask me something like that but since I can see the anxiety on your face, I’ll let you know that no woman has ever made me feel the things you do. I’ve never had sex with a woman and felt so much pleasure as I do when we touch. I’d never jeopardize that kind of bliss by even thinking of another woman. You’re the only one for me and you’re stuck with me for the rest of our lives. And if you ever leave me again and scare me the way you have for the past eight hours, I will personally carry you all the way home, lock you in our bedroom and tie you to our bed.”
Since he’d already pushed his knee between her legs, Clarissa could barely breathe for the excitement washing through her. “And what will you do with me when I’m tied up?” she asked breathlessly.
He pulled her shirt from her jeans, his large hand covering her stomach as he shook his head. “First you have to tell me that you love me.”
“I love you,” she said forcefully, not even hesitating as she watched his eyes, saw the fire inside of them and the relief when she said the words. His expression told her so much more than his words and she realized that he was right. She didn’t need to trust him. She needed to trust herself, to believe in herself and his love. She had to believe that he could actually love her and wasn’t like her father, always following the next business deal and thrill of making his next million.
“And that you’ll give me lots of daughters with beautiful blue eyes and curly brown hair and the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen.”
She shook her head, her smile growing wider with each sentence he spoke. “I’ll give you lots of sons with black eyes that will charm everyone in sight.”
“And you trust me and you’ll never leave me again, terrifying me and giving me a heart attack.”
“And I…” she started to say she trusted him but his hand moved across her flat stomach and she was unable to think any more.
He bent down and kissed her stomach with his lips. “What were you going to say?” he asked, teasing the sensitive flesh over her hip bone.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” He lifted his head and looked down at her. “You believe that, don’t you?”
“You really don’t want my father’s company?” she asked, the niggle of fear slipping up once again although she hated that feeling.
“I want you. You’re father’s company can go to hell. And if you don’t believe me, I’ll take my support out of his company. He’ll be bankrupt in a year. Then there won’t be anything left for him to give to me. Will that work?”
Clarissa’s eyes widened. “My father’s company is in trouble?” she asked.
Max nodded. “Why do you think he’s asked me to step in?”
“I didn’t know that’s what he was doing.”
He nipped her shoulder, then pulled the fabric down. “It’s the reason I was at the dinner party that night. Although I can’t remember much of anything after you walked in. I’m afraid your father was very irritated with me that night.”
Clarissa laughed happily. “Oh Max! You do love me!”
“Haven’t I been telling you that for the past hour?”
“I love you too,” she said and happily gave in to the feeling of his mouth, his hands and his love.