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‘You really want to know?’ Turning, she shot him her fiercest death look. ‘I’m hungry. I feel worse than jet-lagged. It’s been a shitty day.’

As he dared to nod, she inhaled deeply and yelled at the top of her lungs, ‘And you are a jerk!’

Chapter Seven

Tilly slammed every door on her way back to her room. Only three, but better than none and frankly cathartic. Then she remembered the staff. Shit. How insensitive. She’d not lost her temper like this since…the last time she’d lost her temper with him. But that was years ago and she was never thinking about that moment. She’d forced it out of her head and she’d keep it locked out forever. But she was stuck with him—married to him—for as short a time as she could manage and, while he was eternally annoying, he wasn’t entirely wrong. She was quiet. She’d thought she needed to be, but look where it had got her.

Twenty minutes later someone knocked on her door. It had to be him. Knowing he was rude enough to walk in anyway, she swung it open.

‘Peace offering.’ He held a tray aloft.

Eggs, avocado, toast. Even a glass of juice. Breakfast for dinner less than an hour from midnight. Her mouth watered even as guilt swamped her. ‘Please tell me you didn’t wake Bianca.’

‘I didn’t wake Bianca. I made it myself and, as I’m not entirely a jerk, I didn’t spit in the juice even though I thought about it.’ The devilish grin enhanced his too gorgeous face.

Charismatic. Unrepentant. Winner.

Her stomach rumbled loudly. She sighed ruefully. ‘Clearly I accept the offering. Truce?’

‘Sure.’

She took the tray and he reached in and closed the door for her. Shutting himself out. Quietly.

She devoured the eggs and avocado. After her energy returned she finally showered and got into her shortie pjs—wincing at the thought of the bodyguard going through her smalls—then opened the glass slider and stepped onto the balcony. The night was balmy, and across the water the lights of Montaurella city sparkled, the reflection crazy beautiful, yet her heart ached.

‘Still can’t sleep?’

She turned at his low voice. She’d not realised the size of the balcony or that there was another sliding glass door open onto it. Alex sat in the shadows, but the reflected lights gave enough clues—bare skin, those black boxers, a glinting drink in a curved palm.

Her pulse skidded. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were out here. I’ll—’

‘You don’t have to run away.’ He inhaled. ‘Would you like a drink?’

She locked her muscles from flight mode. After all, she’d been the one to suggest a truce. ‘Okay. Thank you.’

As he rose and strolled with languid movements to a trolley tucked into the corner she felt a crawling sensation over her skin. This was her wedding night and probably the only one she was ever going to have—relationships were unreliable. Yet she wasn’t sleeping in the same room as her groom, and he’d not even kissed her. Which really wasn’t the point of this marriage—why was she even thinking along these lines?

‘You can’t sleep either?’ she asked.

‘Usually I’m on the dance floor for another three hours,’ he drawled.

‘Knee-deep in lovers, of course. I’m so sorry to curb your style.’

He laughed as he handed her a cut-crystal tumbler partially filled with amber liquid. ‘No, you’re not.’

‘Well, it was your idea. Not my fault if you have buyer’s remorse.’ She lifted her glass in a mock toast and sipped.

‘I’m not the one who got burned,’ he pointed out.

Tilly sucked in a breath, the spirits doing nothing to soothe the fires flickering in her belly. She did not hear a sensual undercurrent in his voice. This was just Alex being Alex.

She turned to the railing. ‘This view is incredible. You can see all the way up the coast to the lighthouse.’

Erik’s lighthouse was almost at the Montaurellan and Italian border. He’d solely inherited his mother’s private fortune—that included the lighthouse—and so was happy to manage the massive Crown estate worth billions that it bordered.

She watched the slow sweep of the beam over the sea as it linked up to the sparkling city lights. ‘It’s beautiful.’

‘Like an enormous glitter ball enhancing my all-night party atmosphere.’