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SEVEHADCHOSENthis restaurant for its privacy, pleasing ambience and excellent cuisine.
He’d spotted a few business acquaintances on his way to their table but the ultimate reason he’d wanted to come here was because discretion was guaranteed.
There were no raucous birthday celebrations or hen dos deafening everyone else.
Which was why heknewhe hadn’t misheard her.
So it was most likely the shock that made him demand, ‘What did you say?’ in tones that sounded like the crunch of broken glass.
The stunning genius in front of him merely pursed her lips, immediately drawing his attention—as had happened aggravatingly often since they’d first met this afternoon—to plump crimson lips that stood out like a neon sign on her otherwise pale face. Coupled with her astonishing green eyes fringed by thick black lashes, they made her face resemble a fairy-tale character come to life.
It was the first of many revelatory shocks when he’d impelled his way into her office this morning. Before then, he’d only seen grainy pictures of the child prodigy turned innovative genius who’d written the unparalleled ground-breaking code with the ability to significantly combat the global climate crisis, amongst many things.
Nowhere on that list of astounding revelations had he anticipated...thisreality.
I struggle with social cues.
Abrupt but vulnerable. Honest. A brief glimpse behind her impressive titanium armour.
Dios mio.How on earth could five random words immediately give him a hard-on? Five words that should make him hurry up and be done with this so he could get on with the important business of helping Cardosia, but instead made him want to know everything about her. Like how she’d even arrived at her absurd demand.
She’d floored him completely—a feat most would pay hard-earned money to witness when it came to Seve Valente.
‘Ideally, I’d like it to happen before our deal is concluded. I wish to give birth before my twenty-ninth birthday. If it helps, my ovulation window is from next Wednesday to Saturday.’
Seve was glad he hadn’t taken a bite of food. He feared he would be writhing on the floor choking on his veal by now.
‘Eugenie.’
She froze, her green eyes widening to saucers. ‘You know my given name,’ she muttered before she shook her head. ‘Of course you do. If it helps progress things, I’ll allow you to call me that. No one else does though.’
‘Why not?’
She blinked. Then a tiny spark he hadn’t even been aware of died in her eyes. Immediately, illogically, he wanted it back. ‘My parents forbade anyone from calling me that. They said Genie was more appropriate. Because it sounded a lot like—’
‘Genius?’ he guessed.
Another spark died and he bit back a growl.
‘Yes.’
He inhaled long and deep to establish some semblance of calm. ‘When we’re more...comfortable with each other you’ll tell me which one you prefer. For now you’ll repeat what you just said about...wanting a...’ He paused, not sure why he couldn’t even utter the word.
She couldn’t know that on his list of things he intended to avoid in this life was fathering a child. That the still vivid horror of his own childhood demanded that the label never be pinned on him.
‘A child, Mr Valente. I want you to provide me with the requisite equipment to create a baby.’
The requisite equipment...
Was it possible to be punch-drunk having consumed only a few drops of alcohol? He had to give her her due, though. It wasn’t often he was this astounded by anything any more.
At the ripe old age of thirty-six he was severely jaded. Nothing and no one had surprised him for a long time. People were predictably greedy, cruel and selfish, and not necessarily in that order.
On paper, Genie Merchant had been just another run-of-the-mill eccentric genius who smugly believed that the world revolved around her. He’d encountered more than his fair share in his line of business. They often laboured under the wrong belief that their wish should be everyone else’s command and when they discovered that Severino Valente didn’t intend to jump, they tended to throw a strop, then postured before quickly capitulating to his will.
He’d waited forweeksfor Genie Merchant to fall into line. Had watched her attempt to align herself with a trove of unsuitable candidates. Hell, he’d had to slyly step in once or twice to ensure the more deplorable runners on her list didn’t progress past the initial consideration stage.
After weeks had gone by, and after he’d had to admit that this timehewas the one destined to capitulate, it’d chafed for a while before he’d set the unfamiliar feeling aside for the greater good.
