‘What did you think of his wife?’ Mike asked.

‘Hard to form an opinion. She didn’t say a single word.’

‘I would imagine that making conversation is not Mrs Helsinger’s role in Mr Helsinger’s life,’ Mike said drily.

‘They might be very much in love,’ Natalie suggested.

Mike’s face showed a wealth of scepticism. ‘You saw the size of him. She married him for his money and he married her for what she does when she’s not talking.’

Natalie recoiled as her mind shot back to what she’d done for Mike a few times when she hadn’t been talking.

‘What is it?’ he said sharply. ‘What did I say?’

‘Nothing. I…nothing.’

‘No, it’s not nothing. You look upset.’

Her eyes searched his. ‘I…I just didn’t want you to think that anything I’ve done with you has anything to do with money. Because it hasn’t. I…I like you, Mike. I like being with you. Honestly.’

Natalie didn’t know how else to put it without saying that she loved him.

He turned his head away to stare through the tinted window next to him. ‘It has been fun, hasn’t it?’

Natalie swallowed. He was talking in the past. Was that it, then? Had the boredom begun to set in? He certainly hadn’t been bored with her earlier this morning.

Still, she’d sensed a change in him later. A cooling. And a distancing. He hadn’t held onto her hand in the lift. Or touched her in any way for a while. Yesterday, he hadn’t been able to stop touching her.

‘Are you trying to tell me something here, Mike?’ she asked him, determined not to cry. Or make a scene. If it was over for him, then it was over.

His head turned slowly back to face her. ‘Like what?’

‘Like we might have to pretend to be lovers from now on?’

‘I don’t think I could manage that,’ he muttered.

‘Manage what?’

‘To be with you in such close quarters and not have sex with you.’

‘Gee. I’m that irresistible, am I?’ she threw at him.

He looked hard at her, his dark eyes glittering. ‘Actually, yes, Natalie. You are.’

She sucked in sharply, her mind spinning at his admission.

‘Nevertheless, come Thursday, I’m calling it quits,’ he added, suspending her breathing altogether.

‘But why?’ she choked out.

‘Because.’

‘Because why?’ she demanded to know.

‘I have to stop this before you get hurt,’ he ground out. ‘I’m no good for you, Natalie. I’m nothing but a twisted, heartless bastard. I’m not interested in love. I’m not interested in anything but having sex with you.’

‘So? You haven’t heard me objecting, have you?’

He glared at her before suddenly reaching out to grab her upper arms and yank her hard against him.