She stared at him. "I was talking marriage? You were the one who started talking about riding the beaches and making l . . ."

A cold feeling gripped her throat and strangled the words from her lungs. He wasn't proposing marriage - he was proposing an affair. Her face flamed.

He smiled sourly. "Love, Carmen. Making Love. Are the words so difficult to say or does your rule book say it's something perverted."

She faced him coolly, trying to control her temper.

"No, Alex. There's nothing wrong with a man and woman making love - as long as it's sanctioned by marriage."

He rubbed the back of his neck and his gaze became somber.

"Carmen, if and when I decide to get married, I'll do the asking - without being prompted, coaxed, coerced or blackmailed."

Anger and humiliation boiled up inside her and spilled over in a froth of rage.

"Of all the . . . you egotistical, male chauvinistic pig! Why is it that men think a woman is perverted when she won't sacrifice her morals for him, but she's a slut when she gives in for the other guy? You men can use every ploy in the book to get a woman to submit, but if she mistakes that proposition for a proposal of marriage, right away she's blackmailing you."

He stared at her, his neck growing red. "All right, men are hormone driven fools. I was out of line. I apologize. You're so nai . . . innocent. I guess men have always got to push women as far as they'll go."

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"Josh didn't," she shot at him.

His eyes flashed darkly. "Go ahead, Carmen. Beat me over the head with Josh. But tell me, if he's so much better than me, why aren't you asking him to marry you?"

She glared at him. "I didn't have to ask him. He was man enough to ask me."

They stared at each other, shocked by the things they were saying. This was no good. If they kept on lashing at each other like this, their relationship would be torn to shreds. If they cared enough to fight like this, they had to care enough to make up.

She gazed up into his angry red face, knowing she had gone one step too far. Her lip quivered and a sob threatened to choke off her voice.

Alex moved around her. "If you want him that bad. Don't let me stand in your way."

"Alex," she croaked, and grabbed his arm.

He paused, glancing down at her. His eyes were haunted. She had put that pain there. Only she could take it away.




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