A realisation that now made Michael feel almost as emotionally exposed as Eva no doubt had after the intimacies they had shared the previous night.
The proof of that was in the bristling hostility Eva had shown him this morning when he first entered the kitchen with the bag of pastries, her chilling politeness causing Michael to become equally guarded.
‘Thank you.’ Eva’s gaze avoided meeting his as she now took one of the croissants from the basket.
At least they were still showing a semblance of politeness to each other in front of the twins!
A stilted politeness, maybe, but it was better than the two of them not talking at all, which was what Michael had feared might be the case. Because he had enjoyed Eva’s company last night, as he had the previous two nights.
And he had more than enjoyed making love with her!
Despite Eva’s chilling demeanour clearly communicating that she would endeavour to ensure it was never repeated.
When Michael was certain that it would...
Mainly because he was having difficulty keeping his hands off her right now!
Eva looked more fragile than ever to him this morning, her eyes darkly shadowed, her face pale, and the tight-fitting denims and purple T-shirt she was wearing today clearly outlining her too-slender figure.
What Eva needed—
Michael was pretty sure that Eva had absolutely no interest in knowing what he thought she needed—even if it was something as innocent as several long and uninterrupted nights’ sleep, and having someone looking after her for a change.
Michael had certainly been aware of the twins both waking up twice in the night, had even thought of going to their room and taking over while Eva went back to bed, but thought better of it. He knew he had exacerbated the distance between them when his own defences had fallen into place and he had allowed his coldness to hide both his thoughts and feelings.
And so he had remained in his own bedroom last night, aware of Eva talking softly to the twins as she tried to get them both to settle, frustrated at not being able to do anything to help her. Knowing she would reject that offer of help even if he were to make it.
He had something important he needed to discuss with her today, though. But not here, and not when her attention would be divided. ‘I would like you to come to the gallery later this morning.’
Eva glanced up from putting honey on her croissant, her gaze wary as she looked across the table at Michael. ‘Why?’
‘I need to talk to you.’
She frowned. ‘We’re talking now.’
‘And we have a demanding audience,’ he pointed out ruefully as Sam gleefully threw his toast across the table.
Eva absently picked up the toast and placed it on the side of her own plate before answering Michael. ‘Why at the gallery?’
‘Why not?’ He shrugged. ‘I might even be able to persuade Marie or Pierre to watch the twins while we talk. Pierre has a couple of children of his own.’
She looked at him searchingly, but as usual wasn’t able to read anything from Michael’s closed expression; he really could be as inscrutable as a sphinx when he chose to be. And he was choosing to be so now.
Eva gave a shake of her head. ‘I don’t leave the twins with complete strangers.’
‘And if I vouch for both Marie and Pierre’s trustworthiness?’
Eva gave a humourless smile. ‘Believe it or not, I still consider you a stranger as far as the twins are concerned!’
His brows rose almost to his hairline. ‘Isn’t that a little...short-sighted of you, in the circumstances?’
Eva knew exactly what circumstances Michael was referring to, and she refused, absolutely, to talk about what had happened between the two of them last night. Bad enough it had happened at all, without having a damned post-mortem about it! ‘I’m big enough to look after myself. And take the consequences,’ she added coolly. ‘But I’m much more circumspect when it comes to the welfare of the twins.’
‘I wouldn’t harm a hair on either of their heads!’ He frowned darkly.
‘Perhaps.’ Eva calmly took a bite of her honey-coated croissant.
‘Damn it—’
‘Language, Michael,’ she reminded him dryly.
He stood up abruptly and began pacing the room, shooting Eva thunderously frowning glances every now and then as he did so, as she calmly finished eating her croissant before attempting to clean away the worst of the debris of the twins’ meal.
All the time totally aware of Michael as he prowled restlessly up and down the kitchen.
As far as Eva was concerned last night had been completely out of character for her, and the sooner they both forgot about it, the better she would like it.
And she was still angry with Michael for cancelling her airline tickets without even consulting her. The least he deserved was a little payback for that!
The fact that he looked almost edible this morning wasn’t helping her to maintain this distance between them. His hair was slightly tousled from his walk to the bakery, stubble darkening the square thrust of his chin where he hadn’t shaved yet this morning, and the white T-shirt and faded denims clearly showed the whipcord strength of that lean and muscled body.
At this rate Eva was going to need another shower—cold this time!—once Michael had left for the gallery!
Just looking at him, her gaze drawn to those sculptured lips that had pleasured her so thoroughly the night before, was enough to make her feel hot and trembling inside. And the throbbing reaction of her breasts and between her thighs, just from looking at him, should be made illegal. As it was, Eva’s only defence against that physical attraction was to attempt to keep Michael at a verbal distance. By whatever means.
Besides, it was rather fun winding up the coldly aloof Michael D’Angelo. And goodness knew Eva felt in need of a diversion from the embarrassment she was feeling this morning!
She stood up. ‘I have to bath and dress the twins now, and isn’t it time you were leaving for the gallery?’
His mouth thinned. ‘Don’t try to dismiss me, Eva, because it won’t work.’
She quirked one dark brow. ‘I have no idea what you mean.’ She gathered up both Sophie and Sam before turning to face him, a baby held defensively in each arm.
‘Archangel,’ Michael bit out through clenched teeth. ‘Twelve o’clock.’
‘I told you—’
‘It wasn’t a request, Eva,’ he assured grimly.
‘And I don’t react well to orders, so it looks as if we’re once again at an impasse...’
Michael held back his temper with effort. A temper that no one else in his acquaintance had ever been able to rouse as easily as Eva now did; even his brother Rafe had to work a little harder at it nowadays! But it seemed that Eva, with just a lift of her eyebrow and a challenge in her voice, was instantly able to annoy the hell out of him.
He drew in a long controlling breath. ‘Fine. I’ll leave twelve o’clock today free in my diary for you, if you find you can spare the time. How’s that?’
Her lips twitched, as if she was holding back a smile. ‘I’ll see how the morning goes, but I’m not promising anything.’
Michael’s tension eased and he held back an answering smile as he saw the satisfied glint in those violet-coloured eyes, and realised the little minx was enjoying this battle of wills between them. ‘Good enough.’ He nodded. ‘Bye, Sophie. Bye, Sam.’ He bent down to let the babies kiss him on the cheek in parting as they reached their arms up to him, but made no move to leave as he instead looked down at a suddenly watchful Eva. ‘This is all very domesticated. Do I get a goodbye kiss from you too...?’
Her cheeks instantly blazed with colour. ‘In your dreams!’
Michael bared his teeth in a smile. ‘Believe me, Eva, in my dreams last night yo
u did so much more than just kiss me on the cheek.’
That colour deepened in her cheeks. ‘I— You—’
‘Yes?’ It was Michael’s turn to quirk a mocking brow.
‘No!’ Eva snapped, very aware of the two babies she held in her arms even if Michael wasn’t. Although their age obviously ensured there was absolutely no possibility that the twins could understand a word they were saying to each other. That wasn’t the point—
Then what was the point?
Eva was too flustered to remember what they had been talking about before, let alone know what the point of this conversation was!
She did know that Michael had very neatly turned her little rebellion around on her, and was obviously now enjoying himself at her expense. As she had enjoyed herself at his just minutes earlier!
Ah, yes, now she remembered... ‘Have a good day at the office, dear,’ she taunted with saccharin sweetness.
Obsidian-black eyes glittered down at her appreciatively. ‘Don’t work too hard yourself...sweetness,’ Michael came back dryly. ‘Or forget our date at twelve,’ he added challengingly.
‘I haven’t said I’ll be there yet.’ Eva frowned. ‘And it certainly isn’t a date!’
He arched one dark brow. ‘We could make it one...’
No, they really couldn’t!
Eva might have briefly lost sight last night of her reason for being in Paris, but she would not allow herself to become distracted by this attraction for Michael by doing so again. She certainly didn’t want to start thinking of Michael D’Angelo in a romantic way, let alone go out on a date with him...
‘I don’t think so, thank you,’ she refused with cool dismissal.
‘Pity,’ Michael murmured.
Eva gave him a sharp glance, but was totally unable to read anything from the coolness of Michael’s expression as he steadily returned that gaze with cool black eyes.
She gave a shake of her head. ‘I don’t happen to think so.’
Michael gave Eva another searching glance, once again noting the dark shadows beneath her eyes in her too-thin face; Eva really did have the look of a woman this morning whose emotions were delicately balanced on a knife-edge.
Was that so surprising when in the last eighteen months she had lost both her parents and her younger sister, put her career on hold when she had taken over custody and care of her sister’s twin babies, and now had the added distress of seeking out the newly married father and asking for his help?
Michael making love to her last night certainly couldn’t have helped Eva’s already tautly strung emotions!
‘I know you were up with the twins a couple of times during the night, so try to get some rest today too, when the twins take their nap, hmm, Eva?’ Michael reached up with the intention of gently brushing those shadows beneath her eyes, only for his hand to drop slowly back to his side as Eva flinched back and away from his touch.
Her chin rose challengingly. ‘Is that an order or a request?’
‘It’s a suggestion,’ he corrected harshly.
She smiled slightly. ‘In that case, I’ll take your suggestion under advisement.’
Michael bit back his frustration with her reply, knowing Eva well enough now to realise that if he continued to push the point she would do exactly the opposite. ‘You do that,’ he bit out tersely, glancing at his watch before looking up at her again. ‘I have to go and take a shower now.’ He turned sharply on his heel and left the kitchen.
Eva gave a groan as she knew she would carry that image—of Michael’s lean and muscled nakedness as he stood beneath the cascade of the hot shower water—around in her head with her all morning!
CHAPTER EIGHT
‘I TRUST I’M not...interrupting anything, because by my calculations Eva and I had an appointment ten minutes ago...?’
Eva gave the handsome Pierre an apologetic smile before turning to face the owner of that coldly sarcastic voice. Michael looked every inch the dark and compelling archangel he was named for as he bore down on where she and Pierre were standing talking together in the reception area of the gallery.
And Michael was right—Eva should have been in his office on the third floor ten minutes ago for that twelve o’clock appointment he had suggested over breakfast this morning. She just hadn’t been able to resist stopping and talking to his assistant manager, when the charmingly flirtatious Pierre had approached and spoken to her as she entered the gallery.
Or trying to pump him for information on Rachel and Rafe while she was about it!
And she hadn’t got very far in that endeavour, had only just got around to casually mentioning her sister’s visit to Paris last year, when Michael so rudely interrupted them.
A Michael, eyes glittering like black onyx, nostrils flared, skin taut over the sharpness of his cheekbones, sculptured lips thinned, jaw tensed, who looked absolutely nothing like the sexily tousled, stubble-jawed man she’d had breakfast with this morning, let alone the sensual and sensitive man who had made such exquisite love to her the evening before...
Michael continued to look down coldly at Eva for several more seconds before turning those glacial black eyes on Pierre. ‘Shouldn’t you have gone to lunch by now?’
Eva drew in a sharp breath at Michael’s coldly cutting tone, pretty sure she was responsible. Michael certainly hadn’t liked her attempt to question his assistant manager three days ago about whether or not he had remembered Rachel from the previous year, or known anything about Rafe’s relationship with her!
‘If you remember, you asked that I take care of Miss Foster’s children during your appointment with her...?’ Pierre now reminded his employer politely.
A nerve pulsed in Michael’s tightly clenched jaw. ‘Then perhaps you should have offered to do that rather than delay Miss Foster arriving promptly for that appointment.’
Eva had heard quite enough—more than enough, when Pierre’s comment made it obvious that Michael was allowing his assistant manager to believe that Sophie and Sam were her children, rather than Rachel and Rafe’s!
‘It’s very kind of you to offer, Pierre.’ She turned to give the Frenchman a warm smile as she touched his arm lightly in thanks. ‘As you can see, my niece and nephew are both fast asleep at the moment.’ She glanced down to where Sophie and Sam slept in the pushchair, their angelic faces revealing none of the mayhem they had caused in Michael’s apartment since their arrival.
The playpen and high chairs Michael had ordered to be delivered had helped to ease some of the strain they had suffered that first evening, when she and Michael had needed to chase the twins all over the sitting room in an effort to prevent them from breaking anything. Michael might have admitted to having no previous experience with babies, but he certainly seemed to know what was needed to make life easier for coping with them.
Or, more likely, he was just trying to protect the priceless artefacts and statuary in his apartment!
Whatever his reasoning, Eva had made good use of the high chairs and the playpen, most especially this morning when, after tidying the apartment, she had been able to put the twins safely in the playpen while she changed to go to her twelve o’clock appointment with Michael.
Which she now wished she hadn’t bothered to keep, when she could literally feel Michael’s brooding disapproval of having found her in conversation with the handsome Pierre. A conversation which, frustratingly, hadn’t as yet yielded any new information on Rachel and Rafe’s relationship...
She ignored Michael’s disapproval as she gave Pierre another warm smile. ‘You know where I am if you should need me.’
‘Of course.’ He returned Eva’s smile with a charming one of his own, at the same time as he seemed to be keeping one wary eye on his employer.
Eva’s smile noticeably disappeared as she turned to look coldly at Michael. �
�Shall we go?’ she prompted tersely, not waiting for his reply as she turned and walked off down the marble hallway towards the stairs that would take them to the upper floors.
Michael managed to catch up with Eva enough in three lengthy strides to be able to take a light grasp of her elbow. ‘Not here,’ he rasped grimly between gritted teeth as she instantly tried to pull away from that hold, his fingers tightening enough to prevent her from doing that without actually bruising her.
Daggers shot out of those violet-coloured eyes as she gave him an angry glance. ‘You behaved like an arrogant boor just now to Pierre!’
Yes, he had, Michael accepted, knowing he had been both rude and overly curt towards the younger man. Although he found his reasons for doing so were a little harder to explain...
His morning at the gallery hadn’t exactly been his finest hour either, as he had snapped and snarled at everyone he spoke to, almost reducing Marie to tears at one stage with his bad temper. Which had only succeeded in making him feel more annoyed, even as he offered Marie his apologies.
Consequently he had been restlessly pacing his office as he waited for Eva to arrive at twelve o’clock, the minutes ticking by slowly once the clock on his desk reached the noonday hour. By eight minutes past twelve Michael had decided to call his apartment, and when he received no answer to that call had hoped it indicated Eva was on her way here, which was when he had decided to go downstairs and wait for her in Reception.
Reaching the bottom of the marble staircase, and seeing Eva in obviously easy conversation with his charming assistant manager, the two of them then laughing together over one of Pierre’s remarks, had made Michael see red.
Or, rather, black...
Because a black tide of displeasure had seemed to sweep over him as he strode purposefully towards the two of them, blocking out all rational or logical thought.
And Michael had absolutely no idea why it was he had reacted in that way...
A D'Angelo Like No Other Page 11