Suddenly Paul tugged at her hand and made her turn. She realized that she would have walked past his parents’ house in the dark, had he not guided her to the path that led up to the pool.

When she headed toward the terrace, Paul pulled her in the opposite direction. “What?”

“We’re not done talking. And for this talk, I want some privacy.”

Reluctantly, she let him lead her to the little pool house that stood a few yards away from the pool. He reached up to the ledge over the door and pulled a key from it, then unlocked the door and nudged her inside.

Paul locked the door behind him and leaned against it. A moment later, a low light illuminated the room. Holly had only a moment to glance around and notice that there was a large sectional sofa in one corner, a coffee table in front of it, and a door leading to another room, before Paul began to speak.

“Would you please tell me why you’re suddenly angry?” he asked softly, his eyes full of affection.

Holly blinked, wondering if she simply saw what she wanted to see. She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s nothing.”

He took a few steps toward her and instinctively she stepped back. By the time he reached her, she’d backed herself against a wall. Paul placed his hands on either side of her head and leaned in.

“Holly, I’m sorry if I said something that bothers you. I wish I knew what it was so I could take it back.”

She looked at him, searching his eyes. Was he really trying to understand her? “It’s not something you said.”

Paul furrowed his forehead. Then he suddenly said, “So it’s something I didn’t say.” He came even closer, his chest now touching hers. “Baby, I think I told you yesterday morning when I apologized to you that I’m still attracted to you. That hasn’t changed. On the contrary. After what happened between us last night, and the things you just told me, I have an even harder time keeping my hands off you.”

He was saying all the right things, but could she allow herself to be with him, knowing that there was no future? She hadn’t forgotten what he’d told her about his sister—that she’d trapped Quentin with a pregnancy. Wouldn’t she, Holly, in fact be doing the same? And Paul’s comments about having a child so early in a relationship hadn’t escaped her either. It was a strain on any relationship, and on theirs it would be the iceberg that sank the ship.

“Holly,” he murmured seductively, and his voice sank into her cells. “Despite everything, I wanted to see you again. That’s why I made that ridiculous proposal. But I don’t want you to feel that you have to do anything just because I paid for your time. Our deal still stands: no sex for money.” He sighed and his breath ghosted over her face. “But by God, you can’t imagine how much I long to make love to you again. After last night I realized that it wasn’t enough. I’m starving here, Holly.”

Her heart hammered in her chest. “What you said last night—is it true that you haven’t slept with anybody else in two months?”

Paul closed his eyes for a moment, then blinked them open again. “I don’t want you to put too much stock in those words, though they are true.”

Holly smiled, inexplicably pleased that he appeared embarrassed about it. “Because you were busy with work, right?”

“Right.”

“So you took care of yourself.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Like you took care of yourself the night I stayed with you in New York.”

“You watched me?”

“I was thirsty and wanted to get a bottle of water from the kitchen. I saw you on the couch. The light from the city made it hard not to see you.” She remembered the sight only too well. “How you touched yourself. How hard your cock was.”

Paul pressed his groin against her. The hard outline of his cock was impossible to ignore.

“As hard as it is now,” she confirmed. “I wanted to go to you then and suck you into my mouth, but I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“You didn’t want me. You didn’t want to be touched by an e—”

He pressed a finger to her lips, preventing her from finishing the word. “Do you want to know what I was thinking of when I touched myself?” He paused for a moment. “You. I was thinking of making love to you. Just like all the other nights before that. I was imagining spreading you before me and licking your beautiful pussy and then, once you came, thrusting into you and riding you until we both came together. That’s what I was thinking of. Does that sound to you like I didn’t want you to touch me?”