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He shook his head, a half smile tugging at his lips. ‘Why? Are you interested in applying for the position?’ He crossed his arms and leaned back against the window frame behind him, watching her with that hooded look of amusement still in his eyes.
‘Don’t flatter yourself!’ She felt a flare of annoyance. She had been right in her first assessment of him. He was arrogantly confident—a man who always got what he wanted when he wanted it. ‘I just have a feeling that back home you have a woman in your life who would be deeply unhappy if she knew you were propositioning me tonight.’
‘What makes you think that?’
‘You are a wealthy … not unattractive businessman who has jetted into the country on business. It doesn’t take rocket science to work out that you probably already have a partner and are just looking for a bit of recreational activity to fill a momentary gap.’
‘You are very suspicious,’ he said quietly. ‘And, if you don’t mind my saying so, you don’t seem to have a very high opinion of wealthy not-unattractive businessmen, do you?’ Although the question was asked in a mocking tone, there was enough of a cool serious edge about it to strike a chord inside her.
He was right—she was suspicious. She didn’t trust any man easily, which begged the question—why was it taking so much strength to turn him down? Why did she want so badly to feel his lips burn against hers? The question pounded inside her.
‘Maybe you are right.’ She shrugged and forced herself not to think about that. ‘And maybe I was naïve, accompanying you up here to your suite, but I did assume that because you had helped me earlier that your offer was made with chivalrous intentions.’ She raised her chin higher.
He smiled. ‘Well, just for the record, there is no woman waiting for me in my bed at home.’
She was aware that she was more pleased than she should have been to hear that. She shouldn’t have cared, because she wasn’t going to sleep with him. When she did choose to divest herself of her virginity it would not be on a one-night stand with a stranger.
‘And unfortunately I do have a chivalrous side.’ His lips twisted wryly. ‘It’s over there.’ He nodded towards a door at the far end of the room. ‘And it’s called the spare bedroom.’
‘Oh!’ Against her will she found herself liking that lazy, teasing note in his voice.
‘So if you would like to avail yourself of it—the offer is still open.’
‘Thanks.’ She smiled suddenly and it was as if her warmth lit the room.
She had probably practised that look in a mirror, Nicholas reminded himself sharply.
‘If I thought the worst of you I’m sorry,’ she added softly.
‘You mean thinking I was married and looking for some fun on the side?’ He shook his head. ‘Don’t worry about it. I’m not.’
She cringed. ‘I really am very grateful for your help tonight.’
The contrition was probably as false as that feigned look of innocence. But she acted the part very well. He could almost believe that she was softness and morality personified and not a money-grabbing witch who had stumped up several thousand pounds to fund a con trick for her brother.
A witch had no right to be this beautiful, he thought distractedly.
The ring of an intercom on a bureau at one side of the room interrupted them. Nicholas walked across to answer it.
‘Mr Zentenas, the police are here,’ the receptionist informed him.
‘Send them up.’ He flicked the switch off and glanced over at her.
Something about the bold sensual glitter in his eyes made a shiver run through her, but she wasn’t sure if it was a shiver of apprehension or desire. Feeling as she did, she should have been out of here in double-quick time.
Yet the feeling was exciting, a double-edged sword. She would just have to be careful not to sway too close to the blade.
CHAPTER THREE
NICHOLAS listened as she gave her statement to the police and Cat could feel his eyes resting on her and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
Why did she feel as if he were weighing her up? Why did she feel this constant tug of almost hostile sensuality between them every time their eyes connected?
There was one point when an officer asked her a question and she couldn’t even think straight about the incident outside; it seemed to have paled into insignificance next to Nicholas’s powerful presence.
He helped her out at that juncture. She noticed that he spoke with the quiet authority of someone who was used to being in command, and the officers treated him with the utmost deference.
‘That was probably a complete waste of time,’ she reflected a little later as Nicholas came back into the room after showing them out.
