He should have been pleased, he supposed. The temple goddess had just given him the green light to sleep with her, without any strings attached.

So why wasn’t he jumping at the chance? Why wasn’t he already ripping that infuriating dress right off her and getting down to business?

Darned if he knew what was going on in his head. Or was it hers he was still worried about? Women could never be totally trusted. Mike didn’t like it that Natalie had already got under his skin. He sure as hell didn’t like it that he was going to ignore his misgivings and do what she wanted.

Resisting her, now that she’d offered herself to him, no strings attached, was impossible. He looked at her mouth and couldn’t wait to make it melt under his—as it had when he’d kissed her earlier. He couldn’t wait to hear her moan.

He’d liked the way she’d clung to him earlier as well. Liked it when her fingertips had dug into his back.

You like her too much, came the warning.

Too late!

‘Fine by me,’ he muttered, and reached out to start unwinding that tantalising scarf from her head.

By the time he tossed it aside, she was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling. His own heart was going like the clappers. As he twisted her round to attack the zip at the back of the dress he told himself to calm down, to take his time. After all, she was his, not just for tonight, or a mere week, but till he divorced her. His to play with and to possess. Over and over and over. He could make all those fantasies he’d been having about her come true. Every single one.

By then, he should have had enough of her. More than enough, he reassured himself.

Mike breathed in deeply and glanced around, his hands stilling on Natalie’s silky shoulders. Richard’s penthouse was a fabulous place. Big, bright and airy, with a relaxed décor and a holiday atmosphere.

But the living room wasn’t the ideal place for the kind of sex Mike had in mind. The tiled floor was cold-looking, and the cane furniture wasn’t big enough for two people in the throes of passion, especially one his size.

His eyes dropped briefly to the blue rug underfoot, which was quite large and thick. The thought of pulling her down onto the floor had his flesh twitching. But he resisted the urge to indulge in something that could be counter-productive. Lots of women didn’t go for that sort of thing. No, he needed a bed. King-sized.