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He smiled teasingly as her eyes shot sparks at him. “Your mother’s looking right this way, as a matter of fact,” he said mildly. “I’m trying to figure out if that look on her face is horror or surprise.”
“A bit of both I’m sure. She must know your reputation,” Eva said smartly.
“Ah…my reputation,” he said as if in dawning realization. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that I’m well on the road to reform. For the right woman, I’d be willing to change my wicked ways.”
Eva huffed, enjoying the banter despite herself. She turned to him and saw with a curvy smile, “Well, maybe it’s your wicked side that makes you so irresistible, Mr. Nolan.”
She saw his eyes gleam, and chewed on her lip in consternation. She really shouldn’t be flirting with him, she decided. Tugging her hand firmly from his hold, she said regretfully. “It was nice meeting you again, but…”
“So you think I’m irresistible?” he pressed, cutting through her words with his bantering tone.
“Women think you are,” she said with a shrug. “In general.”
He chuckled deeply at her reply. “You could never bore me, my sweet – I can tell that in a flash.”
Really? She wanted to say mildly. Wait till you get me into bed. I’ve been told I can bore a man to tears in there.
Remembering the things Leon had said, which had been along those lines, made her eyes cloud over.
“I could kill him, you know,” Max said on a furious, low growl. Once again, he amazed her at how well he seemed to be reading her mind. “I can see it in your eyes. How much he hurt you.”
Drawing in a deep sigh, she said firmly, “Look… I appreciate your concern and everything…but whatever you’re asking, I can’t. I just can’t. I’m sorry.”
She sped away before he could stop her, into the crowd. Away from the danger that was Max Nolan…and yet knowing that every step she took from him caused her to ache with regret.
Chapter Three
The next week her boss, the editor of their online magazine, summoned her in. Something about running a very important interview with the billionaire Australian cowboy who never ever gave interviews but was willing to do one with them.
“Wait – what?” Eva asked in shock. She was only beginning to actually pay attention. Her heart was tripping as Nelly, her editor, stared at her over the rims of her stylish half-moon glasses.
“Eva, I’m talking about Max Nolan. He’s agreed to let us interview him. And guess what, he wants you to do the piece.”
“Me?” Eva coughed, wondering why she was even surprised. This looked just like something he would do – wouldn’t it?
“Yes, you. He asked for you in person. Seems like he liked the one you did weeks ago on that young hopeful who’s interested in becoming mayor – or something. Look, whatever. We’ve got our first big break and you will not blow it, do you understand?”
“But…if someone else could just…”
“What part of “he asked for you by name” don’t you understand?” her waspish editor said over those intimidating glasses. “When you came on here as an intern, you gave the impression you wanted to do great journalism. Well, this is your big chance. Our big chance. I’m not really sure why the Max Nolan would pick us, but I’m over the moon about it. What a scoop, Eva. Our online standing will hit the roof.”
“Yeah. Sure,” Eva said, heart sinking to her peep-toe shoes. Just what was Max up to now? Did she even need to wonder?
He had some kind of manor home he stayed when he was in the country from Australia. Nelly gave her the details plus the number of his PA, who Eva had to call to make sure about the time and date of the interview.
“Mr. Nolan has scheduled to meet with you tomorrow. He’s not doing pictures, so you wouldn’t need to bring a camera or a cameraman. We’ll have to use some from the ones we have on file. But you still need to ring his PA to make sure exactly,” Nelly told her authoritatively.
Eva left her boss’s office with a heart that alternatively felt like lead and then pumped like she was running the half-marathon. In her own cubicle down the corridor, she reached for the phone and drew a deep breath before calling the required number.
“Ah, Miss Fowler,” a strange, middle-aged female voice said on the other end, “Yes, the interview is still set for tomorrow. However Mr. Nolan has only been able to fix the time around evening. He was hoping you would join him for dinner at his home. I’m sure the interview can easily be handled over a nice tasty meal?” Her voice was courteous, even friendly.
Eva thought of Nelly’s splenetic face, and sighed inwardly. How could Eva say no? “It certainly can. Please tell Mr. Nolan I’ll make it.”
*
Eva arrived at his beautiful, stately home, reining in her inner annoyance at his tactics. Looked like the one week since the party had only made him more intent to have his way.
She walked up the stone steps to the impressive front door, and knocked. To her surprise, he opened.
