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Placing a finger under her chin, he tipped it up, his slight touch sending unexpected heat spiralling through her and slashing a serious gash in her concentration.
'It's simple. I hold onto the farm for now and give you complete access for however long you need it, on one condition.'
She leaned forward, drawn toward him against her will, his finger less of a guide than her stupid attraction when it came to this man. 'Spit it out.'
With his lips a hair's breadth from hers, he murmured, 'You become my wife.'
With their lips so tantalisingly close, and the ever-present heat shimmering between them like an invisible thread binding them despite time apart, it took a few seconds for his words to penetrate.
When they did, she jerked back, shock rendering her speechless. Her mouth opened and closed as her mind spun with confusion.
She could've sworn he'd proposed…
'You heard me.' He straightened, and while half of her wanted to clobber him for the ludicrous statement he'd made, the other half irrationally missed his proximity.
He perched on the desk, towering over her. 'Marry me. That's my condition.'
'Are you out of your mind?' She leaped to her feet so she could stand toe to toe with him. 'What sort of stupid condition is that? Like I'd ever marry you, like I'd agree to—'
'The idea didn't seem so distasteful ten years ago.’ He snickered. ‘As I recall, you used to love talking about marrying me.'
Heat flooded her cheeks and she clenched her hands to stop from reaching out and strangling him. 'I was young and stupid then.'
'So you're old and wise now?' His mouth twitched and the itch to strangle him intensified tenfold. 'In that case, you'll see how much sense this makes.'
'None of this makes sense!'
Her temper, which she'd learned to control over the years, exploded like a tinder-dry bush touched by a match.
'You're insane. You've been playing some warped game ever since I saw you this morning and I have no idea why. You pretend you're still working on the farm, you hide your new job from me, then you come out with this ridiculous proposal.'
She dragged in several breaths and released her clenched fingers before her nails sliced into her palms. 'I came to you in good faith, to try and put a simple deal forward, and what do I get in return? A load of bollocks.’
This time, his mouth creased into a wide grin and she almost committed murder on the spot.
'Is that London speak for bullshit—‘
'It sure is and you're full of it.' Hands on hips, she leaned into him, shoving her face in his. 'When did you become such a jerk, Mancini?'
Chapter Six
While Nick's smile didn't slip, his cool composure cracked a little. The woman he once loved labelling him a jerk shouldn't matter, but it did.
But he couldn't dwell on it. The Britt he once knew intimately was still there under the fancy business suit and blonde-streaked hair; she'd shown him with that magnificent temper bursting like a tropical thunderstorm.
The old Britt wouldn't agree to his proposal, while the career-focused woman in sky-high stilettos and a designer suit would if he presented it the right way.
'Consider this a business transaction, Britt, a win-win situation for us both. Nothing more, nothing less.'
He glimpsed a flicker of interest at his mention of business before her temper flared again.
'You're crazy. Stark raving mad.’ She raked her hands through her immaculately blow-dried hair, sending it into the frizz he remembered. 'What's that expression Papa used to say? Sei pazzo. You're crazy, that's what you are.'
His heart griped as it always did at the mention of his father. 'You remember that?'
All the fight drained out of her and she slumped back into the chair, defeated, and he yearned to sweep her into his arms and show her this deal was the perfect solution for them.
Raising wide eyes to stare at him in capitulation, she nodded. 'I remember a lot of things.'
