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He knew her mind was firmly on business but Nicholas found the action provocative. She was all brisk professionalism on the outside and wanton sex goddess within. He wanted her … wanted her with even more urgency than before.
‘Maybe somewhere closer to home would be better,’ she said softly. She remembered the hotel from last weekend with its beautiful restaurant and terraces. ‘Isn’t there a rumour that Casanova attended a masked ball at your hotel here in London?’
Nicholas laughed at that. ‘Yes—there’s a commemorative inscription in the ballroom. But—’
‘It might be a good hook.’
It wasn’t the kind of hook Nicholas was interested in right now. What he wanted was a place far enough away that there would be no distractions. somewhere he could undress her and have his fill of her at leisure. ‘Actually … you might be on to something there …’he said slowly as an idea occurred to him.
‘So does that mean you like the idea enough to go ahead with the campaign?’ She fixed him with a direct look, anticipation in the green depths of her eyes.
‘No, it means I’m thinking about it.’
She frowned.
‘I’ll have to look at the hotel with your plans in mind, try and picture your ideas and get back to you.’
‘Oh, come on, Nicholas!’ She dropped the pencil and the pretence of being laid-back. If he walked out of here now she could be stewing for days about whether he was going to come back or not!
One dark eyebrow lifted wryly as he looked across at her.
‘The offer on the table is a good one and you like it—you know you do,’ she insisted.
He smiled. Yes, he did like it; it was a definite bonus—but he would like it better if she were on the table alongside. And yes, he knew he had three whole months to work on getting what he wanted. But he was getting a little tired of telling himself to be patient—patience had never been his strong point.
‘I tell you what—you come and have dinner with me tonight at the hotel in question and give me your take on exactly how we could use the place for the advert. And then I’ll give you a yes or no before the end of the day.’
The offer made a wave of heat sweep through her—heat that had nothing to do with the excitement of business; this was an altogether more dangerous anticipation. And that was why she swiftly turned the invitation down.
‘I’m sorry. Unfortunately, I’m busy tonight.’ It was a lie; she had nothing at all lined up. But how could she spend an evening with him in romantic surroundings when he made her pulses race like this? Even with a business desk between them it was hard to ignore the attraction she felt for him.
She didn’t want to feel like this, she wanted to concentrate on work. She needed this contract!
‘Pity.’ He stood up. ‘This is the only evening that I can spare.’
Cat was suddenly filled with the horrible certainty that she was making a huge mistake! He was going to walk out and she would be left to field her boss’s questions without any precise idea on where she stood. And, what was more, if Victoria found out she had turned down a business dinner with Nicholas Zentenas she would be apoplectic!
‘Well, maybe I can do some reshuffling,’ she said hastily as she also rose to her feet.
‘That would be good.’ He didn’t sound surprised by her sudden change of heart. Obviously he was used to calling the tune like this. It annoyed her to have to meekly submit but what could she do? It was business, she reminded herself firmly. And if he agreed to her ideas she would have to take another look at the hotel anyway, to plan what they could use.
He glanced at his watch. ‘What time do you finish here?’
‘Another couple of hours.’ She frowned. ‘Why?’
‘I need to make reservations.’
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sp; ‘Well, I could probably be ready for seven-thirty.’
He shook his head. ‘You’ll have to be ready earlier than that otherwise we won’t be eating until after ten.’
‘Why so late?’
‘It’s about a two hour flight to Venice.’
‘Venice?’ She looked over at him in consternation. ‘I thought we’d decided that your hotel here in London would be the best location for the first advert.’
