Page 23 of Passion’s Song

April shrugged. “I love all those cities, but they all have one thing that’s missing,” she said. “They’re not home. This is home. I think I made the right decision.”

“So do I,” Damien said. He gestured around the kitchen. “Although, I must say that I was a bit thrown by this particular house.”

“You don’t like my house?” Her frown was as adorable as the rest of her.

“I love your house. It’s just...not what I expected,” Damien said. He pushed away from the counter and walked over to where she stood, just next to the stove. “I’ve discovered several unexpected things about you over the last couple of days.”

“Such as?” she asked in a voice that hovered just above a whisper. It felt as if the oxygen in the kitchen had all but evaporated.

“Such as this little bargain you forced me to agree to,” Damien said.

“Forced?”

“Made damn near impossible to reject,” Damien amended. He took another step closer. “The April Knight I used to know wouldn’t have had the guts to make the kind of demand you made yesterday.”

“I’m not the quiet girl you used to know,” she said.

Electricity sizzled between them. Damien experienced the same jolt he’d felt when she visited his office. It made his skin feel tight, caused the air in his lungs to evaporate.

He took another step toward her, but then she broke eye contact, slipping away from the counter and walking over to the opposite side of the kitchen. She moved a paper towel holder a few inches to the right and brushed invisible dirt from the counter.

“So, this thing that we’re going to tonight, what exactly am I supposed to do?”

Damien didn’t answer right away. He continued to stare at her, debating whether to give voice to the moment that had just passed between them, or ignore it and pretend it didn’t happen. As he considered the hours ahead of them, and how he needed April to be as comfortable as possible so that she could help him woo New Orleans’s elite, he decided to go with ignoring it. There was too much riding on the outcome of the various events he had lined up to risk spooking April.

Damien braced his feet apart and crossed his arms over his chest.

“A week ago I would have said that I wanted you there just so I wouldn’t look like the guy who couldn’t get a date,” he answered. “But after this thing with that magazine, I need you to run interference for me. I’ve been approached by a few...how do I say it? Overeager females.”

“So I’m the designated cock blocker?”

A sharp laugh shot out of his mouth.

“April Knight,” Damien said in an admonishing tone. “Where’d you learn such language?”

The grin that pulled at the edges of her lips was so damn cute Damien wanted to snap her picture so that he could revisit it whenever he needed a pick-me-up.

“Don’t tell my brothers,” she said.

“Oh, I would love to see the looks on the Knight brothers’ faces if they heard what their innocent little sister just said.”

The grin that slid across her mouth this time was decidedly wicked. “You know, I’m not as innocent as I look.”

The words, spoken in that hushed, seductive tone, drizzled down Damien’s spine like warm nectar. They were tiptoeing into dangerous territory here. This was April, for goodness’ sake. He needed to bring them back to a safer playing field.

“So, about tonight,” Damien said.

April cleared her throat and moved the paper towel holder back to where it had originally sat. “Yes. Tonight,” she said.

“It’s a bit like White Linen Night that takes place in August. Several of the art galleries along Julia Street will have their doors open to the public. All participating artists are donating a portion of their profits from tonight to the local charities that support autism research. Ten of the city’s top restaurants will have booths set up on the sidewalk, selling refreshments.”

“And how will this help your particular cause?”

“The McGowan Group is one of the event’s main sponsors. They’re the perfect fit for this special project I’m working on.”

“You mind sharing exactly what this special project is?” April asked.

“I thought I told you?”