‘Occasionally?’ His brows lifted. ‘Only occasionally?’ His smile was feral. ‘No wonder you burned so hot in my arms.’
She opened her mouth to snap at him but this time he laid his whole hand across her mouth, leaning in to quiz her. ‘You don’t believe in romance?’
She pulled back from the sizzling touch. ‘I don’t believe in romance, relationships or anything like that. I certainly don’t believe in marriage.’
‘A free woman?’
‘Absolutely,’ she declared. ‘An independent one.’ Her aim was to take only what she wanted when she wanted and leave the rest of the rubbish for others to suffer through. Except she’d not really managed it yet and now wasn’t the time to start trying. She had something way more important to be focused on. It had taken her long enough to earn back the money her father had stolen, and truthfully she’d come over too soon—without all she should have. So she didn’t need distractions now—not of any kind.
He stepped even closer, gleaming green eyes trained on her. ‘Don’t you believe it can happen, Dani? A look across a room? Love at first sight?’
‘Never in a million years.’ She straightened her shoulders. ‘And you don’t, either.’ The man was a complete playboy. But he had every right to be—he had every necessary asset: the looks, the humour, the drive.
‘No,’ he agreed, looking her over, top to toe and back again so every inch of her skin was sizzling. ‘Not love. But lust is another matter.’ He tilted his head as if to study her from a different angle. ‘Why are you breathing so hard? Something bothering you?’
‘I don’t like confined spaces.’ Hell, he got to her.
‘I know the house isn’t huge, but it’s not exactly tiny.’
It wasn’t tiny at all. She stared into his green eyes. ‘I don’t like feeling trapped.’
‘You’re not trapped,’ he said calmly, then moved fast, his arms hauling her to him. ‘But now you are.’
She twisted in his embrace. ‘Watch it, I’ve a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.’
‘Really?’
His muscles tightened—catching her, stopping her. It felt appallingly good. She twisted again, only succeeded in pressing her breasts even harder against his chest. Her nipples screamed with sensitivity. ‘OK, no. But I have done self-defence classes.’ She tried to twist free one more time.
‘Let me guess—practising against other women, right?’
Damn. She fought harder. But he must have had some kind of fighter training too. It couldn’t just be his sheer strength stopping her. Oh, hell, the adrenalin surged through her—excitement, challenge, anticipation. She summoned her strength back up.
‘I don’t think you should do that again.’ He grunted as she hit out with her leg.
‘Why not?’ Panting, she sent him a death look.
‘Because all you’re doing is turning me on.’ Goaded, he pushed her from him. ‘And you’re turned on too. You’re aching for it, just like I am.’
Breathless, she stared, mouth falling at his arrogant certainty. But standing with her feet planted shoulder-width apart, she felt it, the flood of juices that would make his entry slick, the softening within her. He was right, so right.
She bit down on her lips. Wanting and angrily not wanting to want. Her teeth seemed to sharpen. Every muscle primed. She could howl with the need.
‘You want to fight for it? You like it fast and hard? ‘Cause I can do that. I can do that right now,’ he growled. ‘But tell me, who is it you’re really fighting, Dani? Is it me or is it yourself?’
She gasped. ‘You arrogant jerk.’
‘Yeah.’ His laugh was rough. ‘But it’s just sex. It’s just fun.’ He walked towards her again. ‘You already know how incredible we’d be.’
It was surprisingly easy to fell a full-grown man—but she did have the element of surprise. A quick kick with her leg tripped him and sent him to the floor. But he was faster—his hand catching her ankle before she could dodge back to a safe distance. He pulled. The breath knocked from her lungs as she thudded down on top of him. He rolled, spinning her over and pinning her half under him. He was heavy. Hard. The shiver ran through her whole body. His body flexed in response.
Their eyes met.
‘I could beat you if I wanted to,’ she said, wincing at her breathlessness.
‘I’m sure you could. If you wanted to.’ His hand swept down her side.
‘Get off. You’re heavy.’ She wasn’t in the least afraid, but she was desperate to deny the way her body was softening—the way her bones were melting with need.
‘Oh…no…’ he said slowly, brushing her hair from her eyes with gentle fingers before putting his hand on her hip. ‘I don’t want to.’
‘I want you to.’
‘Do you?’ He stroked up the side of her body, his hand gently sweeping up to cup her breast, his thumb caressing the stiff peak. ‘You don’t want to do anything about this?’
She didn’t play dumb and ask what he meant. Instead she chomped on the urge to arch her back so it would press her nipple harder against the palm of his hand. And she pleaded with her hips to stay still and not rock that little bit more into his hardness. She dug her fingers into the carpet. The heat was stifling—it wasn’t the weight of him hindering her breathing, it was the searing temperature between them.
Their eyes held, vision intensifying. Every inch of her body loved the feel of him, but her head was hurting.
‘It would be a really bad idea,’ she whispered. She lowered her lashes so she wouldn’t drown in his eyes and say something she’d regret. ‘My life is complicated enough right now.’
There was a long moment of silence when they were utterly motionless, both straining against the delicious torture of temptation.
‘Yeah,’ finally he groaned. ‘So is mine.’ He rolled and stood in the one movement. Shook his head as he looked down at her. ‘I’ll stay away.’ Then he walked—fast—as if to emphasise it. ‘I’ll get your bag.’
Dani scrambled to her feet as soon as he was gone. Smoothed her hands down her flaming cheeks, tried to get her grip back and shake off the stab of disappointment. Unbelievable. She’d been so close to surrendering everything just then. But she’d spoken the truth—her life was complicated enough. And messing around with a guy like Alex would only make that worse. Despite what she’d said, she wasn’t a player. She needed to stay on the sidelines.
He returned a few minutes later, lugging her pack, didn’t look at her as he spoke. ‘I’ll show you to your room.’ He led the way up another flight of stairs, stopping at an open door.
‘This is your bedroom. You have a bathroom through that door.’ He nodded towards the far corner of the room.
‘Where’s your bedroom?’
The corner of his mouth tilted up. ‘You want to see it?’
‘No, I just want to ensure it’s far, far from mine.’ She was only half kidding.
‘This is only a two-bedroom town house, sweetheart. Mine is just up those stairs there.’
So he’d be sleeping above her. She was not thinking the naughty about that.
‘There’s a pretty high-tech security system I switch on at night,’ he said. ‘If you go outside, you’ll set off all the alarms. Even the balcony.’
‘Are you telling me I’m a prisoner in here?’
‘No. I’m telling you that if you go outside, you’ll set off all the alarms. If you want to go out you can, just call out to me first and I’ll disarm them.’
She relaxed a smidge. ‘I won’t want to go out.’
‘Great.’
He moved into her room and she followed, looking about at the light walls and rich coverings on the fantastically huge bed. She didn’t expect him to just drop the bags and turn so that she nearly bumped into him.
They both made like statues.
Except on the inside Dani’s vital organs were at war—her brain was shutting down while her heart was pumping faster than the pistons in a Formula One racing car.
> When he was close like this all she could think about was kissing him again—and doing a whole lot more. Why don’t you? The little imp whispered inside her head.
Dani looked into his widened green eyes, teetering on losing herself in their mesmerising depths. He was so close and so aware.
Why didn’t she? Because it would be too easy. And Dani had never been one to take the easy option. She would never be the easy option—for all her tarty talk to him. A simple few minutes now would mean complicated mess later—that she did know. She was her mother’s daughter—susceptible to over-emotionality and that spelt weakness. Time after time she’d seen her mother’s softness used against her. And when Dani had finally opened up to someone, she’d been trodden over too. Independence and clear-headedness was all—she needed to reclaim both right now.
The defence Dani had learned was to challenge, to say something smart, even issue a sting. But only millimetres from Alex, it was taking everything she had to stay in control. That made her nervous—and in turn that increased her determination to succeed. Her body went even more rigid.
One, then two, long seconds passed. His mouth was clamped shut and his eyes narrowed. Then he laced his fingers together, put them on his head as if he were an apprehended offender, and stalked from the room.
CHAPTER FIVE
DANI dragged herself from bed—having got to sleep only when the birds started their pre-dawn ‘say hello to each other’ chatter. She tugged up the trousers of her flannelette pyjamas and thudded down the stairs in search of coffee.
Newspapers were scattered all over the breakfast table and the radio was blaring. Dani blinked, struggling to adjust to the light, all the activity and the smell of fresh cooking. Alex was dressed in another devastating suit, sitting at the table with a giant glass of juice and halfway through demolishing an omelette already.
He paused, his fork halfway to his mouth as he looked her over. Dani held her head high—OK, the pink-pig-stamped pjs were indefensible, but at least they weren’t sexy.
‘You want one?’ he asked. ‘Won’t take me a minute to whip it up.’
‘No, thanks.’ She turned her back on his blistering brightness. The words want one and whip it up coming from his mouth made her thoughts go squirmingly naughty.
‘Not a morning person?’
Not when the night had been so long and she hadn’t had her necessary six solid hours and a couple more in the doze-zone. She hadn’t been able to move on from the doze-zone. Because the semi-conscious dreams she’d had there had been rampantly X-rated and out of control. So, no, she wasn’t a this morning person.
He made a small movement and the radio went silent. ‘What about cereal? There’s a selection in the pantry there.’
‘Got coffee?’
He stood. ‘How strong?’
‘As strong as you’ve got.’
Dani looked at the pantry while he pushed buttons and got the oversized coffee contraption working. The pantry was oversized too—not just a cupboard you opened and filled the shelves of, but a small room that you could actually walk into—complete with its own butler’s sink and small bench space. But despite her wanting to explore all the interestinglooking packs of foodie things on the shelves the space was just that bit too confined for her to feel comfortable. She walked out and inhaled.
‘Nothing you like the look of?’ Alex noted her empty hands.
Dani picked up the steaming mug he’d put on the table for her and told herself that there were plenty of other things in the whole entire world to like the look of. Not just Alex Carlisle.
‘My housekeeper will get whatever you like in for you—just leave a note on the fridge.’
‘Housekeeper?’
He nodded. ‘Cleans, launders, cooks meals and is utterly discreet.’
Dani sank into a chair. ‘The last being the most important, huh?’
Alex’s brows lifted. ‘You definitely need food.’
Dani just took another deep swig from the mug and closed her eyes as she swallowed the burning brain fuel. When she returned to almost-alive land Alex was at work behind the bench. There was a popping sound and he put two halves of a hot toasted bagel on the plate in front of him. He spread a thick layer of cream cheese onto it and several strips of smoked salmon on top of that. He put the finished plate of perfection in front of her.
OK, so that was something else to like the look of.
He nudged the plate closer. ‘It’s for eating.’
‘Yeah. Thanks.’ And it tasted almost as good as she figured he would.
He sat in the chair next to her and reached for his glass of juice, pulling part of the newspaper closer to read. ‘Do you want me to organise a stylist for tonight?’
‘A what?’ She nearly choked on the bit of bagel.
‘You know, someone to fix your hair and make-up?’
He thought she needed someone to fix her hair and make-up? Why? Didn’t she make ‘Carlisle standard’? Dani shrivelled inside as his words sliced right through her superficial layer of confidence. So she wasn’t good enough to be seen out with at one of his posh fundraisers? She wasn’t pretty or polished enough? Hurt, she put the bagel down, her appetite all gone. ‘Are you sure you want me to come with you tonight?’ She shrivelled more—hoped he hadn’t heard her insecure edge.
Alex turned quickly to look at her, a frown drawing his brows together. Dani didn’t look back at him, couldn’t, was too flattened by his offer.
‘Dani,’ he said deliberately. ‘There’s nothing I want more than for you to come with me tonight. But I did promise I’d go to the dinner. And I don’t want an empty chair beside me.’ He put his hand on hers to stop her leaving the table.
She ignored her sizzling skin and gave him a baleful look. ‘That wasn’t what I meant.’
‘I know you didn’t,’ he said, the cheeky grin giving way to an earnest expression. ‘Look, my mother never used to leave the house without having checked her appearance with her stylist. It’s just something I’m used to. Not a comment on the way you look.’
A personal stylist? Wow—rich people like him really lived in an alternative universe, didn’t they? But she didn’t want to get sucked into the fantasy and start thinking such things were normal. She didn’t want to be sucked in by Alex Carlisle any more than she’d been since she first clapped eyes on him.
‘Umm, I think I can manage. It’s only hair, right?’ She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the wounded rasp. ‘And my style you can’t do a lot with.’ It was so thick she had to have it cut regularly into a plain and simple bob. But it was well overdue now, her fringe annoyingly long and too unruly for her to risk trimming herself—another reason to earn money asap.
He brushed the stupidly long bit back with his free hand and smiled, his gaze dropping to her pink pyjamas. Her toes curled into the heated tiles beneath her feet. What was she doing without shoes? And what was he doing looking so fine in his dark suit so early? And so clean-shaven? It was too early for that—shouldn’t he be tousled, shouldn’t his eyes be shadowed and sleepy, shouldn’t he be…in bed?
‘I’d better get ready.’ She jerked up. ‘Don’t want to be late on my first day.’
The warehouse was impressive. Turned out Lorenzo was some sort of wine god and there were pallets of cases everywhere. And a very flash reception area and even a tasting room. Not that Alex stopped to give her the guided tour.
‘The office is on the first floor.’ He headed straight up. ‘Cara, this is Dani.’
The woman behind the desk gave Dani a wide smile. Dani registered the russet-coloured cropped hair and the elfin features and sparkling eyes.
‘I’ll leave you to it.’ Alex was crisp. ‘Take care of her.’
Dani wasn’t sure who he meant by that—but he was gone before she could check.
‘It’ll be great to have you onboard,’ Cara said cheerfully. ‘There’s always way too much to do.’
There was too. Dani’s head whirled as she followed Ca
ra through the routine. The woman was a dynamo—full of energy, effervescence and unfailing good humour.
She took the seat beside her and shadowed her while Cara explained everything in minute detail. It was fascinating and full on. But there was one burning question Dani couldn’t bring herself to ask—how pregnant was Cara? Because her tummy was really, really flat. In fact, her tummy was flatter than Dani’s. But she wasn’t going to go personal—not on her first day. She was just here to work and pick up the wages.
Alex checked his watch again. He’d been stuck behind his desk for hours—hadn’t gone down to the floor. No point. She wasn’t there.
He should be feeling great. The situation with Dani was resolved, right? Now he could concentrate on far more important matters—like figuring out what he was going to do, whether he had any real right to be the boss at the bank. But his brain was stuck on one track. If he so much as thought of her his body went rock-hard. The things he wanted to do…but he hadn’t taken her to his home to jump her bones the minute he had the chance, except the ache in his body had made him make moves and he’d loved every moment of touch and tease between them.
So had she. She couldn’t deny the heat in her gaze, the reaction of her body—and she hadn’t tried to. But she didn’t want to act on it. And that got him.
He could kind of understand it. Her life was messed up enough—and in large part because of him. So succumbing to the lust—seducing her—just wasn’t on, even though he knew it wouldn’t take much to make it happen. But while Alex liked to play, he wanted an equally enthusiastic playmate.
Until she stepped up to the plate, he was standing back.
And she was a flatmate now, right? He knew the rule as well as she did—don’t screw the crew. The one everyone learnt while flatting at university. Alex didn’t mess around at work, and he sure as hell wasn’t messing with someone in his own home.
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