The Most Expensive Lie of All by Michelle Conder Page A

sagged against the silk-covered king bed and wondered how long it would be before he realised she was a dud.
    Feeling completely despondent, she picked up the novel beside the bed and noticed it was one of her favourites. Surprised, she flicked through it. Could he really be reading it or was it just for show? Just to impress the plethora of mistresses who wandered in and out of his life?
    An hour later she was wound so tight all she could do was pick at the delicious Mexican dinner that for once didn’t include tacos and enchiladas .
    ‘Something wrong?’
    Her eyes slid across Cruz’s powerful forearms, exposed by his rolled shirtsleeves.
    Was he serious? She was about to embarrass herself with a man who didn’t even like her in order to save her home. Of course there was something wrong.
    ‘Of course not,’ she replied, feigning relaxed confidence.
    He frowned down at her plate. ‘Is it the birria ? If it’s too hot for you I can order something else.’
    Oh, he’d meant the food . ‘No, no, the food’s lovely.’
    He put down his fork and brought his wine glass to his lips. Now, there was relaxed confidence, she thought a little resentfully.
    ‘Then why is most of it still on your plate?’
    He licked a drop of red wine from his lower lip and Aspen couldn’t look away. Remembered pleasure at the way his mouth had taken hers in the most wonderful kiss vied with sheer terror for supremacy. Unfortunately sheer terror was winning out, because he looked like a man who would expect everything and the kitchen sink as well.
    ‘I...um...I ate a lot at the party.’
    ‘No, you didn’t. You barely touched a thing.’
    ‘I’m not a big eater at the best of times.’
    ‘And these are far from the best of times—is that it, Aspen?’
    It was more of a statement than a question and Aspen wondered if perhaps he felt the same way. ‘You could say that,’ she said carefully.
    ‘Is that because you’re still in love with Anderson?’
    ‘Sorry?’ She knew her mouth was hanging open and she snapped it closed. ‘ No. No, that was a disaster from the start.’
    ‘So you’re not still pining for him?’
    ‘No.’
    His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘Why was it a disaster?’
    Had she really just told him being married to Chad had been a disaster? ‘Don’t ask.’
    ‘I just did.’
    ‘Yes, well, I’d rather not talk about it, if it’s all the same to you.’
    He sat staring at her and Aspen wished she knew what to say next. His unexpected question about Chad had completely derailed her.
    ‘Come here.’
    The soft command made her senses leap and she felt her breath quicken with rising panic. He was trying to control her, and she knew she couldn’t let him do that.
    She tossed her hair back behind one shoulder. ‘You come here.’
    Despite the fact that he hadn’t moved she could sense the tightly coiled tension within him. It radiated outward across the table and stole the breath from her lungs. And for all her dismissive tone she still felt like a puppet on his string—despite her resolve not to be.
    He watched her with heavy-lidded eyes and she was totally unprepared for the scrape of his chair on the terracotta tiles as he stood up.
    Aspen’s heart jumped as if she’d been startled out of a trance.
    Determined to remain neutral—outwardly at least—she didn’t move. Couldn’t, if the truth be told. Her limbs were completely paralysed—by his laconic sensuality as much as her own blinding insecurities.
    ‘You have amazing hair.’
    She snatched in a quick breath to feed her starving lungs. She could feel the heat emanating from his strong thighs beside her shoulders and even though he hadn’t touched her she started to tremble. Her only saving grace was that he couldn’t possibly be aware of her inner turmoil, and she stared straight ahead as she felt him roll a strand of her hair between his fingers as if it were the finest silk.
    She couldn’t do this. Already she was freezing up, and to put