His Virgin Acquisition by Maisey Yates Read Free Book Online

beautiful women he’d ever seen.
    Her hair, which he’d only ever seen in that schoolmarm bun or hanging wet down her back, was styled into soft blond waves that fell down past her shoulders and ended right above the swell of her lush breasts. And that necklace fitted right in the dip of her cleavage, touching her where he wanted to touch her.
    This was the woman he had heard about. The one who could drive a man to do something stupid and reckless and condemn the consequences to hell.
    And she didn’t want to consummate their marriage.
    He ran his hand down the length of her arm and moved it to the small of her back; he saw her pulse jump at the base of her neck. He fought the smug smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. So she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she wanted him to believe.
    He pulled her chair out for her, and for once she simply accepted his offer.
    She sat ramrod-straight, a strained look written across her delicate features. He reached across the table and took her hand, rubbing his thumb across the pulse of her wrist. “Do you ever relax?”
    “No. Do you?” Her heart fluttered rapidly in her chest and a knot of excitement coiled in her stomach.
    He leaned his head in so that his nose was nearly touching hers, and her fluttering heart stopped for a moment. “Only when I’m with a beautiful woman.”
    The intimacy of the moment was shattered by a flashbulb that momentarily blinded her. She looked and saw a photographer sitting at the bar, trying to look nonchalant as he sat and drank his beer. “Is it always like this for you?”
    He gave the photographer a sideways glance. “Not always, but being spotted together two days in a row is bound to have the paparazzi descending in droves. The prospect of me settling down has them chomping at the bit to get the scoop.”
    “I guess it’s a good thing.” Another flashbulb went off. Elaine’s head whipped in the direction of the light. “We do want the word to get out.”
    She tried to feign indifference at the constant flashes punctuating their conversation, but it was almost impossible when she felt as if she was an actor in a play. Being on show was getting tedious, and it had only just begun.
    By the time dessert arrived they had engaged only in small talk, and made no mention at all about the impending nuptials. It was starting to make her nervous. She knew he hadn’t brought her here to discuss how well the Knicks were playing this season. Marco De Luca didn’t do anything without a purpose. She didn’t like feeling like this: unprepared, out of the loop. She had intended on retaining control of the deal, but he was wresting it away from her inch by inch.
    Before she could take a bite of her tamarind white chocolate mousse, Marco stood and grasped her hand, then pulled her up so she was standing beside him. She had been afraid he was going to do something like this.
    “Can I have everyone’s attention?”
    Elaine’s heart rate kicked into overdrive. Oh, he was not doing what she thought he was doing.
    “I have something I would like to ask this beautiful lady.”
    Yes, he was.
    The press started snapping pictures like mad. It was the reminder she needed to try and look happy. She didn’t need to try and look surprised.
    “Elaine Chapman.” He turned and looked her in the eyes, covering both of her hands with his. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
    He pulled out a small velvet box, and even though she knew exactly what was in it everything in her tightened up. She couldn’t breathe properly. He opened the box and held the ring out to her. She stood frozen, unable to get a word out around the lump of emotion that was blocking herthroat. She could only nod. He gave her a smile that stopped her heart; he looked like a man who had just proposed to the love of his life.
    He slipped the brilliant ring onto her finger, and in that moment she could almost believe that he wanted her—almost believe that all of this was