hand into his. “You know, my mother has probably just fainted and she’s not sure why. She’s ambitious that we marry well. Unfortunately for her, Fran is the only one doing her proud by getting married to a man who frankly reminds me of bland custard.”
“And you want more?” Simon already knew the answer.
“Yes, I can’t stand custard.”
“What do you want, lovely Mary?”
I want you . That was the answer. But was it a realistic one? Sure, they had enjoyed great sex and she felt more alive with Simon than anyone she had ever met but that didn’t spell longevity or a relationship. “Why me? Out of all the women you could have, why are you here with me?”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
“Hardly.” And yet Simon made her feel that way.
Simon pulled her into his arms. “You are and don’t fight me on that because I know better.” He leaned in and kissed her lips softly. “Mary, I want you to understand me. Yes, I have money. Yes, I can take you to a place like this and dazzle you but I want you to be dazzled by me, the man, and not the place.”
“Trust me, I am.” When she looked into his eyes she could see and feel forever with Simon.
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Mary hesitated and blew out a breath as she wondered what to say to this man. They had only just met and yet she wanted to know everything about him. Was that too needy or desperate? Was she going to come across as someone who wanted him just for his money? Because she didn’t. Visions of him naked flooded her mind. That’s what I want. I want the man . Naked. Clothed. Smiling.
Soulful. Happy. She could see in his eyes that Simon wanted to know more because somehow it was important to him. Mary had no idea why it would be and yet if he needed her in some simple way then she wanted to give that to him. “You make me feel good about who I am.”
“Because we have sex?”
“Yes—no, it’s more the way you take my hand and look at me like I’m important.” No money could buy the feeling that gave her.
“You are.”
“And you say things like that.”
Simon looked deep into her life. “I’ve lived a strange life, Mary. Few people can understand it. I believe you could.”
“Why?”
“Because you look at me like you want to know me. Not many people ever do that. They only want what they can get from me.”
“That sucks.” Mary knew there were people who were sycophants to wealth.
That they used Simon like that made her want to hunt them down and shake them.
“Is that why you pretend to be someone else like ‘Swerve’?” He wanted to be taken as a man and not a walking wallet?
“Possibly,” Simon murmured. “But with you I don’t think you’d care if I had money or not.”
“I don’t care.” It was true. While her mother had drilled into her head that to marry well was what made a woman great, Mary knew there was more to life than that. She would be happy being less than great with a man who just wanted to be loved by her. Like Simon. Though he’d probably have a heart attack if I said that.
“Why?”
Mary placed her hands on his chest and felt the strength beneath her palms.
“Because…” She hesitated and bit her lip in thought. She could hardly announce she was falling in love with Simon. He would probably think she was mad. They barely knew each other. She worked for him and he was “– I like you.”
“Like is good. It’s strong and solid.”
“As are you. You make me want to—” Mary stopped herself. Words were tumbling into her mind and she wanted to say them without thinking, such was the effect Simon had on her.
“What?”
She looked at his chest and not his eyes. He saw too much. “You make me want to collapse against you and feel I’m home.”
Simon hugged her long and hard. “Thank you. I always want to be your home, Mary.”
She lifted her head. “This is going way too fast.”
“Does it feel wrong to you?”
“No.” It felt as it
“And you want more?” Simon already knew the answer.
“Yes, I can’t stand custard.”
“What do you want, lovely Mary?”
I want you . That was the answer. But was it a realistic one? Sure, they had enjoyed great sex and she felt more alive with Simon than anyone she had ever met but that didn’t spell longevity or a relationship. “Why me? Out of all the women you could have, why are you here with me?”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
“Hardly.” And yet Simon made her feel that way.
Simon pulled her into his arms. “You are and don’t fight me on that because I know better.” He leaned in and kissed her lips softly. “Mary, I want you to understand me. Yes, I have money. Yes, I can take you to a place like this and dazzle you but I want you to be dazzled by me, the man, and not the place.”
“Trust me, I am.” When she looked into his eyes she could see and feel forever with Simon.
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Mary hesitated and blew out a breath as she wondered what to say to this man. They had only just met and yet she wanted to know everything about him. Was that too needy or desperate? Was she going to come across as someone who wanted him just for his money? Because she didn’t. Visions of him naked flooded her mind. That’s what I want. I want the man . Naked. Clothed. Smiling.
Soulful. Happy. She could see in his eyes that Simon wanted to know more because somehow it was important to him. Mary had no idea why it would be and yet if he needed her in some simple way then she wanted to give that to him. “You make me feel good about who I am.”
“Because we have sex?”
“Yes—no, it’s more the way you take my hand and look at me like I’m important.” No money could buy the feeling that gave her.
“You are.”
“And you say things like that.”
Simon looked deep into her life. “I’ve lived a strange life, Mary. Few people can understand it. I believe you could.”
“Why?”
“Because you look at me like you want to know me. Not many people ever do that. They only want what they can get from me.”
“That sucks.” Mary knew there were people who were sycophants to wealth.
That they used Simon like that made her want to hunt them down and shake them.
“Is that why you pretend to be someone else like ‘Swerve’?” He wanted to be taken as a man and not a walking wallet?
“Possibly,” Simon murmured. “But with you I don’t think you’d care if I had money or not.”
“I don’t care.” It was true. While her mother had drilled into her head that to marry well was what made a woman great, Mary knew there was more to life than that. She would be happy being less than great with a man who just wanted to be loved by her. Like Simon. Though he’d probably have a heart attack if I said that.
“Why?”
Mary placed her hands on his chest and felt the strength beneath her palms.
“Because…” She hesitated and bit her lip in thought. She could hardly announce she was falling in love with Simon. He would probably think she was mad. They barely knew each other. She worked for him and he was “– I like you.”
“Like is good. It’s strong and solid.”
“As are you. You make me want to—” Mary stopped herself. Words were tumbling into her mind and she wanted to say them without thinking, such was the effect Simon had on her.
“What?”
She looked at his chest and not his eyes. He saw too much. “You make me want to collapse against you and feel I’m home.”
Simon hugged her long and hard. “Thank you. I always want to be your home, Mary.”
She lifted her head. “This is going way too fast.”
“Does it feel wrong to you?”
“No.” It felt as it
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