Скачать книгу

hanging from a chain around his neck. He was tall, broad, tough—the kind of man to whom a weapon was an extension of his body and not just a foreign object. It’s what made him so good, she realized. And so lonely.

      “So where is home for you? Where is the place you most identify with?”

      She wasn’t sure, but it seemed as if he stiffened. And then he was looking at her sharply before he smoothed his expression. “I’m a mutt,” he said. “I have no specific home.”

      “A mutt?”

      “Someone of mixed ancestry, like a dog that you can’t quite tell what the dominant breed is.”

      “But you live in London,” she said, trying to approach it from a different angle. “Is that the place you prefer over the rest?”

      “I don’t prefer anywhere. I go where I want to go.”

      “Like here?”

      “Precisely.”

      She took another sip of wine. “But what about when you’re ready for a family? Where will you settle then?”

      His eyes were hard, glittering. “Don’t, Veronica,” he said. “Don’t take this conversation down that road.”

      She tilted her chin up to glare at him icily, though her stomach was doing flips. “Don’t flatter yourself. I was simply making conversation, not trying to set up house with you.”

      He shoved a hand through his hair and leaned back on his chair. The torches crackled, the sea churned, and he was silent for a long moment. “It’s complicated,” he finally said. “I’m complicated.”

      “Aren’t we all.” She said it as a statement, not a question, and he looked at her, appraising her.

      “You certainly are,” he said softly. And then he took a drink of his wine. “Family is not for me,” he said. “It’s not what I want.”

      Her heart pinched in her chest. Yes, she did want a family—a husband, children—but she didn’t want them right this moment. Nor was she naive enough to think that one night of sex with Raj made him her ideal man, her love for all time. But the fact he could state so emphatically that a family was out of the question …

      Yes, it bothered her. Because it seemed as if men never thought of her in terms of family life. They thought of her for sex. For uncomplicated, uncommitted relationships based on physical attraction.

      There was nothing deeper. There never had been. And that saddened her.

      She set her napkin on the table, pushed back and got to her feet. “Thank you for a wonderful meal,” she said. “But I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day. It’s time to turn in.”

      “Veronica,” he said, standing, holding his hand out as if to stop her.

      She turned slightly, her gaze not on him but on a point behind him. “It’s okay, Raj,” she said. “I understand. I’m just tired.”

      “It has nothing to do with you. I just don’t feel the need for those things. I’m happy the way I am.”

      “Are you?” she said, her voice stiff even though she tried to make it casual.

      He looked as if he pitied her. She hated it, because she knew what he was thinking. It made her wish she’d never told him about the baby. She didn’t want his pity. She didn’t want anyone’s pity. She didn’t deserve it.

      “Not everyone needs the same things out of life. I have money and freedom. I need nothing more.”

      “How lonely that sounds,” she said. “And what happens in twenty years when you wake up and realize you have no one who cares?”

      He shook his head slowly. “You’ll find him, Veronica.”

      “Find who?” she asked, quaking inside.

      He reached out and skimmed a finger along her cheek. “The man who will love you the way you want to be loved.”

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4SVeRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAcAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAjodp AAQAAAABAAAApAAAANAALcbAAAAnEAAtxsAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTMiBXaW5kb3dz ADIwMTU6MDU6MTYgMDk6NDk6NTQAAAAAA6ABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAABAAAHOqADAAQAAAAB AAAKAAAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAEeARsABQAAAAEAAAEmASgAAwAAAAEA AgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAEuAgIABAAAAAEAACQoAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/2P/gABBKRklG AAECAABIAEgAAP/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAB/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJDBEL CgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAENCwsN Dg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwM/8AAEQgAoAB0AwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQACP/EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIEBQYH CAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIRAwQh EjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX0lXi ZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAICAQIE BAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUGFqKy gwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYnN0dX Z3eHl6e3x//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A4Oqp9tgrZG4+Og08Srg6RlRJdWO0e4/98TdKrLuoUNGhe4t+ 9rl1ePg5Fbw4gboJEcyJaNpjb6m39LWtDFDHKBMjrZAF10Vz/N8xizRhiHpMRImuLeUovNDot+u6 xrQOTtcjV/Vy11Rudd+ircBa4NHtn6J2ufufv+j7V1RoAdNdbGvB0dq5xPewPd+f/wB/SZgPYf5x zQdHCZAG8Ne33Od+Z+lQlGBA4AIm437hlL0fp6QYcfN8xcvdnKUeGQj7UccP1n6FyyR+X/AfPXgN e5pOrXFp+RhRlvitU9OfdlZrKx76ci0AeO152Bu6PpOc1qt09HNNxc0Nrc5pIaHgtMEAtbsLtv0/ zlGIEnUgD9nk6WLLKQjYAsDW3n5b4hIuYOXBdfj11UtczLr3GwH03N2u2afS31v3+5yP0B4FWXWX Na/7U8w6ONlPdR8wfahxj161+7/zvWzYCcuWWPhMBHbIR6J/3Xit9f7w+9LfX+8PvXpRqe8BzXsc D2aRp8v5SFcy5lby2A8DTQP1/qM+kqP+kNQPa3/rf+gNoctH/Ox8q/8AQ3hcPBblUusFhbD9ggBw MBrv+/KZ6PcZ2Wh23mWER8dpcusfityb3BxcSLGkExuDXT6tX5n6Kr8x6sDAx2bxS0uxyS802SJO 1rR+l09fY7/BO9jFeE48IJ3oE8J4o6/uz/SRLHjjQN3+l+i8MelZesGtwHJDo/6poQbcTJpDjbWW ishrzI0J7c+a7GzEY6rc3ZS+sCIZLHMJcxjX7t272V/13rO+tFN1eOz1g11u9lRewughu+zbsf8A R4Su9tNdlk8YA0vY8V9xs80knSRY6f/Q5fo1Rd1bCaNN9zW/50t/ivR6OkVuAhgA8NxIXAdN243U cLIfoynIpsefBrXtL/8Aors/rT9bD03peRZgNDMpxZVj2uBJD3y51gqfX6XsqZZ/hLP5dSse8YCg PH/uWfm8AlOMj+7X+Lq7I6biY9L8jILKaKml9tryQ1rW/Sc4krnMP68/VPIzRiFl2Kx7gyvLuY30 iZhrrGsc6yhj3bfe9n/GemuSp+tH1l606voufn/aMTMe1ljbmtaND6jXPvpYy/2OaiP+rmDBxDY8 WOsLmOADjtLQ30vUb/OVqDJzRB1J/NjxcrxgkAaadnb6rQ/D61n4jcffF73Ay0OPrHHubt3fD/wR AY57oeaNsuD3OloBd7WT/J3uYqPXsnKb1G/ItaM8hlAutdDXl4pZXvubWNrfUdU//raq9P6lj5Ty z0RRa0jcNXNIJ2S14G5rt35jv89Wo58BgDetAn5v0vUyxM41Agaen/FehFb7K/T9DbJJJJbIdIJ9 w2u2N+hsd/58rVTAY4ZOcGhhAyDo9wb+bWfbu/dc1v8ArYq9HUMZ9llNTXOsqO0gCR4Nfv8AzWK1 i2GvG6hmls103WvdOh9ldZ2n+17FW53Pjhi9JE7lH0g+r1trlSZzIPpABlf910G7ydwFQAG3+cbr 7vpfvf8AqNWaqrg3/BnaDzY0iILTuaVy/Qqfrr1yi/qHTszGIpl7sN7mB20e6G0em/bX+ZufaxXu qZPV8mup/ScivGcHtqfjvDDa976ftu5gua/bVVWz06/9NaszLjkSI+kXZu/l4f8AAbOPmcfDIgT9 NaEfNxbf5R0Mr6xdC6bkjEyN2VkPcDbXQA8Vk6MrtyHPqb3+hV/1xX8O3pnXKXnE97cd2y2h01Pr f9Ieow/RY/8Awdv829ct9VvqqzrGZk2dTba1oDw8n9GfXJ273s9rnM9Xfvq/f/kLT699UcLBpDmZ GTe619FWdLQ2j0nOmmt3pw65/wBorZ6bP0ivRzcAEekYiOn9Vq+7kMyepOg1TVZ/1avudjMza3v3 7TWLgAS2R7HWNqqt/kbH/wDFqp9b+nuZ9lrIdLn2WEu+kdrWj3f9urO6j9SL8PAzc0vApxml1Tdo l1Usa99rt22ja6zYyv8ASPf6f+DV/ojMjL+r+EMkl32Vt9dT3EklnqgMhzvzK9j6m/8AFqWGXiR7 074Z9exeY+zO9SI18Uls/ZW/a9sJKS2b+D//0cRtYIGg5Gh45HKsf4wMC3Gw8KxpqfS66xtjqSI3 7W+ju2uf/g227ENrf0bvJpK3Pr/RkX/VucamW1XMuvIZBbU1rhv9v5m61v5ylyGhXf8AY3+ex6wP YScr/Fj0bCzc+7OtfuycQD0qdIAsHpOuM/Sczeun6x1HHyPUuprYHtIqdkzudZU2zbW2fzP0m2z0 1ifU/MbjfVuh1VjsV7bHb3V

Скачать книгу