The Man's Outrageous Demands Page 0,59

for the possible embarrassment if someone had walked in?” she asked, amused despite herself.

“I locked the door.”

“So it was a premeditated attack.”

He shrugged his shoulders slightly. “I knew I was angry and didn’t want to be disturbed. I didn’t know how I was going to try and convince you but…” he shook his head. “Don’t deny that you didn’t like it,” he countered.

She sighed. “That isn’t the point, Sam.”

“What’s the point?” he asked, pulling back her chair for her.

Marabeth took her seat, then waived to the servants who were waiting with their lunch. When they disappeared again, she picked up her fork, trying to decide the best way to approach the subject.

“First of all, I want to lay the ground rules for this conversation.”

Sam took a bite of the broiled salmon and nodded his head. “Okay, what are they?” She was talking to him. That was more than he’d expected when he’d first walked in a few minutes ago. If she’d continue to talk to him, he’d do just about anything. Except letting her go.

Taking a deep breath, she started her rehearsed speech. “First, you can’t touch me. I want to talk and well…whenever you start touching me, we stop talking.”

Sam considered that for only a moment and then nodded his head. “Agreed. As long as I can touch you after you’re done talking.”

Marabeth drew in a shaky breath. “If you still want to, then I’ll be happy to be with you, tonight,” she emphasized.

“What are your other conditions?” he asked, not agreeing to the time table she was setting up. He wanted her right now. He had her underwear in his pocket and had been thinking about it during the past hour. Just the thought that she didn’t have any underwear on was driving him insane with lust for her.

Marabeth considered her conditions met and continued on. “I want you to really listen to what I have to say and not just sweep my issues aside as if they were insignificant. I understand that you might think they are silly but they are important to me and I want you to treat them with that same amount of importance.”

“I never sweep your issues aside,” he countered.

“Yes, you do, Sam.”

“Fine,” he snapped, not liking the fact that she thought he didn’t respect her.

“Good enough,” she said. She picked up her fork and played with the food on her plate, not really interested in food anymore. She hadn’t had any breakfast but she still wasn’t hungry. Not with all the emotions running through her at this time.

Taking a deep breath, she started off, “Sam, I know you aren’t in love with me now, but I want to know if there could ever be a time when you could at least respect me.”

“What the hell do you mean?” he demanded. “Of course I respect you.”

She noticed that he didn’t say he loved her. Feeling slightly defeated, she persevered. She’d known he wasn’t in love with her. It was just confirmation that her intuition was correct.

“And why do you think I don’t love you?” he asked.

Marabeth smiled wistfully. “Because you’ve never said you’re in love with me. But don’t worry. I don’t expect you to be in love with me,” she said.

“Dammit, Marabeth! You’re being ridiculous. Why in the world would I want to marry you if I’m not in love with you?”

“Regardless of your romantic inclinations, I want to have your respect,” she said, not willing to argue with him on that point.

“I do respect you.”

“No, you don’t. Respect means that you trust me. You don’t trust me yet. And I need to know how I can earn your trust.”

“Marabeth, you don’t need to earn it, it comes with the territory.”

“Then why won’t you tell me what is going on with my security? Why do you brush off all discussions that have any kind of importance to me?”

Sam calmed down, taking note of the anxiety on her face. She cared. That was evident. And she wanted him to see something which meant she cared deeply. If she didn’t care, she would treat him like she had her former fiancé and he’d just be a burden to her. That thought calmed him down to the point where he really could listen to her. Leaning forward, he started eating lunch, suddenly ravenous and looking forward to tonight when he could take her into his arms again. “When the security issue is resolved, then you can go about to all your usual functions. The rest