The Only Woman to Defy Him by Carol Marinelli

conversation. ‘How old were you when she died?’
    ‘Thirteen.’
    ‘Your father?’
    ‘I don’t know who he was.’
    ‘At all?’
    ‘He was poor,’ Demyan said. ‘Well, given how we lived, I assume that my mother didn’t charge much.’
    He knew then why he was telling her this.
    Be appalled, Alina, Demyan thought.
    Gather your things now and we’ll head back to the car. He half hoped for it, for she was innocent and he was far from that.
    Instead, Alina sat up and took another drink of water.
    He watched her tongue lick over her lips and it was not a seductive move. Still, he felt it in his groin.
    ‘It sounds as if she was terribly ill.’
    ‘She was weak,’ Demyan said. ‘She chose drink...’ Then he paused and looked at Alina, who said it again.
    ‘She sounds as if she was ill.’ Alina thought about what he had said about his mother not charging much. ‘Is that why nothing shocks you?’ she asked, and he watched as her cheeks turned to fire.
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘Well...everything shocks me. Maybe I was too sheltered. I mean, there was just Mum and I and then school was only girls...’
    ‘We’re taking about sex, yes?’ Demyan checked unnecessarily. He loved it that even her throat was red and then he thought of her breasts and whether or not it was convenient. Demyan was turned on, just at the thought of her shy, and then not.
    ‘Yes.’
    They were talking about sex.
    Alina lay back down.
    ‘I don’t think men...’ She faltered.
    ‘Go on.’
    ‘Fancy me.’
    ‘Wrong.’
    ‘Or if they do, then they don’t want to be seen with me.’
    ‘Alina, it was work.’
    ‘Even so, you didn’t want to...’
    ‘Wrong,’ Demyan said again. ‘I very much wanted to but you would have thought it...’ He circled his hand and she didn’t jump in. ‘A date.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Yes,’ Demyan said. ‘You would have thought it a first date and then been upset when there wasn’t a second.’
    ‘How many second dates have you had?’
    ‘Survival rates are shocking,’ Demyan freely admitted. ‘If I were a hospital I’d be closed and audited.’ How could his appalling reputation make her giggle? ‘You will find that nice man one day, you just need confidence, experience...’
    ‘Ah, but you can’t get that without confidence and experience, it’s like trying to get a job.’
    ‘You’ve worked for me now,’ Demyan said, and their faces turned to one another, their eyes met and held. She felt her stomach fold over on itself as she stared into unblinking eyes. ‘You will have no problem getting any job you want now.’
    ‘Are we still talking about sex?’
    ‘Perhaps.’ Demyan thought about it for a long moment. So badly he wanted to escape his own thoughts but Alina deserved more than the rather straightforward exchange that sex usually was for him. ‘Just so long as you don’t go falling for me.’
    He was so direct, which meant Alina could be as well. ‘Too late.’ It was surprisingly easy to be honest lying next to the sexiest man she had ever met and she admitted a little truth. ‘Kissing you took care of that.’
    ‘Don’t be so honest,’ Demyan said.
    ‘I never usually am,’ Alina admitted. ‘But you don’t have to worry, I’m not going to fall in love, you’re really not my type.’
    ‘Am I not pale and interesting enough?’
    ‘Too interesting,’ Alina said. ‘Though I do think I’ve got a crush on you.’
    ‘A crush is okay,’ Demyan said. ‘I have a crush on you.’
    ‘Really...’ She smiled and looked over at him.
    ‘Anyway, we can’t—my jacket is in the car’
    ‘I’m sure there are other things we can do.’ Alina smiled again. ‘Anyway—’ she repeated his word ‘—I’m on the Pill.’
    ‘First,’ Demyan said, ‘you never give that answer if there are no condoms to hand. Second...’ He hesitated, he didn’t really do other things, well, certainly not the ones she was alluding to. ‘You want a man who makes love, a man who...’