Derrick folded his arms across his bare chest. “I don’t have to explain myself, but Johnnie was before you. Even if she wasn’t, my seeing other women didn’t affect what we had. You don’t hear me demanding to hear all the juicy details about your other male friends, like the schmuck you planned to go out with the weekend I canceled my trip to the island. Spare me the jealous act. I don’t question the men you slept with when we were together, so don’t question what I did.”
But there hadn’t been anyone else for her. Because she’d waited around for him to grace her with his presence whenever he was in town, happy for the crumbs from the table of his time.
“You don’t even know him. James isn’t a schmuck. He’s a nice guy.”
He became very still. “His name is James?” His eyes locked on to hers, and she saw the anger simmering in them. The smoky blue-gray darkened to slate. She’d never seen that look on his face before. “Don’t ever mention his name in this house again,” he said quietly.
A little piece of her thrilled at the command, even as she understood the gravity of his words.
“We shouldn’t have gotten married,” she said in a quiet voice. “This whole thing was a huge mistake. We don’t see each other. We don’t talk. We don’t do anything.”
With a sardonic lift to his eyebrow, he said, “I figured you’d be happy to be alone.”
“Normal people don’t like being alone.”
“I take it you’re implying I’m abnormal?”
She let her silence be the answer.
“What you see is what you get. What more do you want?”
She thought about the day spent with Cassidy and Celeste and the life they shared with their husbands.
“I want a real marriage—”
“We have a real marriage.”
“With affection and . . . love.”
“Love wasn’t on the table.”
Her throat tightened.
“You can’t live off of love,” he continued. “It doesn’t pay the bills. Ask your girlfriends what they would rather have: love or money. The realistic ones will say money. The Pollyanna ones looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, like you, will say love.”
“I’m not Pollyanna,” Eva said defensively. “Is it so hard for you to understand a woman would want to marry for love? This—this marriage won’t last.”
“It has as much of a chance of survival as any other marriage. Fifty-fifty. Those are the odds. I promised you fidelity, and I promised to take care of you. That’s a hell of a lot more than most women can say they receive. You should be on your knees thanking me.”
He moved restlessly, pushing away from the dresser, and took a few steps in her direction. “This conversation is over. I’ve had a long day, and I’m ready for bed.”
His gaze wandered down her body, and prickly longing oozed into her again. Why couldn’t she stop wanting him? Even when he angered her, the heat of desire stirred her blood.
“Unless you plan to join me, I suggest you head to your own room.”
Eva pulled the robe tighter around her body. “I wouldn’t let you touch me if you begged.”
“Beg? You must think you have kryptonite between your legs.”
“No, because that would make you Superman. And we both know there’s nothing super about you.”
“Ouch, you’re really pulling out the big guns tonight.”
“You make me sick.”
His mouth lifted at the corner. “You’re so sick you come up in here like a jealous wife. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were purposely trying to piss me off. Is that what’s going on?”
Was it true? Had she come here to goad him into some type of response, to get a reaction—anything—instead of him being so cold all the time? She certainly wanted more contact, and ached for the way they used to be before they broke up, even if it had been one-sided. Nothing would please her more than to get just a little bit of affection from him, a touch . . . anything.
“I’m riled up because of your dishonesty, and I wish I’d never agreed to this sham marriage,” she said instead.
“Too late to back out now, sweetheart.”
“You’ll never change, will you?”
His smile came slow. “Why should I?”
“God, I hate you.”
This entire episode had been a wasted effort. Nothing could penetrate the ice around his heart. With nothing left to say, Eva stepped wide around him toward the connecting door.