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He watched as her skin flared with heat. ‘I don’t want you to buy me anything!’ she blazed. ‘I can buy my own things.’
‘Whatever you say!’ He raised his hands in surrender.
‘And I want you to take me home,’ she said, pushing her advantage, and was taken aback when he laughed.
‘Do you?’
The sardonic question made her blush wildly. ‘I just said so, didn’t I?’
‘Well, if you want to go home tonight I will, of course, arrange it,’ he agreed smoothly. ‘But first I think we should have something to eat.’
Cat was about to say that she didn’t want anything but as he took the covers off the silver tureens the delicious aroma of pasta floated in the air and she realized suddenly that she hadn’t eaten since early this morning.
‘Let’s see, what have we got?’ Nicholas read the menu that had been left for them. ‘To begin with, Seafood Linguine, spaghetti with artichokes and herbs or Penne Arrabbiata?’
‘That does smell good,’ she conceded as she came closer towards the table.
He pulled out a chair for her. ‘Come, sit down and I’ll get you something. What would you like?’
She hesitated for just a second and then complied. What was the point in starving herself? She couldn’t go anywhere until she had sorted out the problem of her clothes. And Nicholas was obviously not going to arrange for her to get back to the airport until after he’d eaten. ‘Some linguine would be nice, thanks.’
As he pushed in her chair he leaned down close to her. ‘By the way, I meant it when I said you look great in that robe—very sexy.’ His breath was close to her ear and she could smell the clean male scent of him and her senses leapt uncontrollably.
‘Well, as I’m sure you say that to all your guests, I won’t take it personally.’ She was proud of how cool she sounded but when he kissed her neck she found herself turning to jelly.
‘Not all,’ he drawled teasingly. ‘You are in a class of your own, Cat.’
As he turned away to get their food he was aware that there was an element of truth in that statement. Catherine was different from any of the other women he had dated in his life. For one thing, she turned him on so completely that when they made love he forgot everything—even the fact that this was all about revenge.
He frowned, angry with himself for even conceding the thought. It was true that she turned him on with an incredible force; just a smile or a certain look in her eyes was all it seemed to take to make him want her like crazy. But he had to remember she was naturally duplicitous and this was just sex. Once he’d taken her to bed a few times the novelty would wear off, he assured himself forcefully. Certainly by the time he had got around to taking the McKenzie inheritance she would be well on her way to being history.
He put their plates down on the table and sat opposite her.
‘Would you like a glass of champagne?’ Without waiting for her to answer, he leaned across and filled her glass. ‘Thank you.’
Their gazes collided across the table. She saw the fierce intensity in his eyes and it made her shiver. What was he thinking? she wondered. That he had enjoyed his release? Deliberately she reminded herself of the insensitivity of his remark on the plane. She thought it would help her to detach herself emotionally from the effects of those sensually gorgeous dark eyes. But strangely the memory just hurt.
Swiftly she looked away from him, out towards the glittering beauty of the city. They had a fabulous bird’s eye view whilst being completely private. ‘It’s lovely out here, isn’t it?’
‘Yes.’ Nicholas’s eyes were still on her face. How was she able to switch on that vulnerable look with such unerring precision? She wasn’t vulnerable, he reminded himself fiercely. It was an act.
She was a true McKenzie—driven by business deals and money, nothing more. Yet, despite the assurances, he couldn’t help but wonder about that look in her eyes and the fact that she had been a virgin.
‘You know you should have told me that you hadn’t slept with someone before.’ He hadn’t intended to bring up that subject again but somehow he couldn’t leave it.
She looked back at him coolly. ‘I thought I made it clear that I didn’t think it was any of your business.’
‘Pardon me for being old-fashioned, but when two people have been as intimate as we’ve just been, I think it was very much my business.’
‘You are not old-fashioned.’
He couldn’t help but smile at the assertion. ‘Maybe you’re right, but strangely, the fact that you chose to give your virginity to me intrigues me.’
‘Because you view it as an ego boost.’
‘No, because I view it as something special.’
There was an honesty about the way he said those words that tore at her.
