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too.”
    “I’m not having sex with you.” I’m pretty sure I’m not .
    “Did I ask?” Simon smiled widely at her as he kicked shut the door behind him.
    “Well, no.” Mary felt stupid at the assumption. She was hardly the sort of model-like diva he was reported to go out with. “What do you want then?” The look that answered those words, made Mary feel hot all over.

    “I want to lie beside you and feel at peace.”
    The simple way he said it, in such a world weary way, spoke to Mary. Once again she asked herself who was this man? Why did he need her when there were dozens of women who would happily give him comfort? “Why me?”
    “Because I need peace.”
    “With me?” The idea that she could bring anyone peace, surprised Mary. She was not the restful sort.
    “You know it’s true, Mary.” Simon pushed his way gently yet insistently inside and took her hand. “I can feel how you shiver when we touch.”
    Mary’s gaze locked with his. She could feel the warm, strong essence of the man seep into her skin like a balm. “I feel like I want to—”
    “Jump my bones and make wild passionate love to me?”
    That was exactly what she wanted to do. “How did you—”
    “—know? I just did. I’ve always known you, Mary.”
    Mary was speechless. This was usual for her. Normally she had a response for everything but with this man? It was like she had no control. He was in charge and she would follow and learn. “About the Gypsy Queen—”
    “All true, she was a friend of my mother’s and she told my mother that a woman called Mary Dalton would be my love and I would take no other.”
    “No other? You mean you’ve never—”
    “—had sex before?” Simon laughed in wild amusement.
    “Oh, yeah, well…” Duh. Forehead slap. Of course he would have .
    Simon lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I would take no other as my wife.”
    “Oh, right…” Wife. Me? Married to him? Somewhere in Cairns right now my mother is hysterically happy without knowing why.
    “Invite me to stay over, Mary.”
    By the way he looked at her Simon could have asked her to shave her head and she would have willingly done it. “I have a spare bed.”
    “I need to be beside you.”
    She looked up into his eyes. “Why?” Mary found herself leading him into her bedroom before she realized what she was doing
    “I need your strength, Mary.”
    That surprised her as he looked stronger than any man she knew. “I—er—”

    “Please.” Simon lifted her hand to his lips.
    The gently kiss on her knuckles made her legs wobbly. “You’re my boss.”
    “I’m your man.”
    “I’m confused.”
    “No, you’re scared and that makes you deny reality, but that’s okay.” Simon came to a halt beside her bed.
    “No, it’s not. I’m always in control.”
    “You never will be with me.” Simon pushed her down onto the bed.
    Mary sat there watching him start to take off his clothes. “Does this work with all your women?” She was surprised at how breathless she sounded. There was an air of anticipation that was scary, yet sweet.
    Simon chuckled as his shirt hit the floor. “All my women? Does that mean you recognize yourself as one of them?”
    “I didn’t mean it that way.” Besides she didn’t want to be just a number in Simon’s life. Mary jumped at that thought. What do I want to be? She looked at the taut, hair roughed planes of his chest. The urge to lick his chest was overwhelming.
    “Yeah you did, and there was some jealousy there.” He kicked his shoes off.
    “Me jealous? Of who?” Mary scoffed, knowing at that moment if another woman tried to tempt him away she would scratch her eyes out in the time old feminine way.
    “Exactly. No one will ever be able to compete with what you and I have.”
    “You’re odd.” Mary had never met any man who spoke as Simon did. Her gaze dropped from his chest to where his hand tugged at his trouser zipper. Oh boy. “Um, you should—”
    He arched an