The Housewife and the Film Star by Doris O'Connor Read Free Book Online Page A

retreat from view. As if he'd sensed her agitation, Sven's hand settled on the small of her back. Instant heat flared up at his touch through the sheer material of her silk dress, and he guided her to the sleek Jaguar where his driver was patiently waiting for them.
    "Don't worry, Mum. Timmy will not have time to miss you. Rubes and I have the weekend all planned out. Just enjoy yourself and let him get Aunt Peg. Shame I can't be a fly on the wall." And with one last hug from her eldest Sylvia sank into the plush interior of the luxury car, grateful for the blacked-out windows that hid her from the neighbors.
    Sliding in into the seat next to her, Sven gave her renewed palpitations, as the back seat seemed to shrink in on itself. Did he have to sit so close? His scent assaulted her and threatened to send her into cardiac failure. The sleek interior seemed devoid of oxygen. What on earth was she doing? Why had she ever thought this was a good idea? Bringing him to Peggy's was akin to suicide, and, as for spending the weekend with him, her heart would never survive it.
    Sven gave quiet instructions to his driver.
    "Let's get out of here, George. We've given them enough to gape at."
    He took her hand, interlinking their fingers, and she drew a shuddering breath into her lungs.
    "Why so nervous, älskling? It's only a dinner."
    ****
    Sylvia's heartbeat raced under his fingertips, and he tightened his hold on her hand automatically. But then she snatched it away and scooted as far away from him as she could.
    "This is a mistake, Sven. It'll never work. I appreciate your offer of help, but I never should have agreed to it.  Peggy will not even let you in the house, I'm sure, and Harry isn't your problem, he's mine."
    "That's where you're wrong. I told you yesterday, Harry is very much my problem. I take great issue to men forcing themselves on women."  Especially when the woman is mine , he added mentally, and forced his clenched hands to relax. She was nervous enough without him displaying his famous temper. He would save that for Harry.
    When he'd brought the subject up the day before, Sylvia had turned into a nervous wreck in front of him, once again making him wonder what on earth was going on. He'd eventually got her to admit that Harry had been hounding her with marriage proposals, urged on by her sister–in-law and seemed to think that Sylvia's refusal so far was just coyness on her part. He clearly didn't know her at all, if he thought that. His little firecracker most certainly knew what she wanted, and, whilst Sven was not averse to using some gentle persuasion, he would never force himself on a woman when he was so clearly not wanted , regardless of what had been reported about him in the papers. It went against anything he'd ever been taught in the lifestyle, not that she knew about that yet, and he wasn't at all sure it would be wise to reveal that side of him any time soon. At least Sylvia had experience in the lifestyle. It no doubt explained why he'd been so drawn to her, from the get-go. Whether he could trust her enough to reveal that side of him remained to be seen.
    As it was, the latest kiss-and-tell shamble six months ago had seen his reputation in the business hit rock bottom, and he'd not had any decent script offers since. Whilst the paper had been forced to print a full apology, mud stuck, and he stood no chance of getting the backing for the film he wanted, no , he fucking needed to shoot, damn it. He owed his family that much. Seeing Sylvia worry her bottom lip with her teeth, her arms wrapped protectively around herself as she reiterated over and over that she was never getting married again, had sent all his protective instincts into hyper alert. Clearly all had not been well in Sylvia's marriage to the much older Richard, and he had to force himself to not let her see the potent fury at what he was imagining. No fucking way was he going to let her enter the lion's den on her own.
    "He's not forcing