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Another surge of despair deflated her hurt and anger. ‘You ask for the impossible, Damion.’
His gaze darkened. ‘Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu.’ Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
And for the next week, Damion showed her just now determined he could be. And how utterly he was prepared to trust her. Reiko used her connections to speed up the delivery of pieces of art that were coming in from far-flung places such as Nicaragua and Zanzibar. The pieces from Kazakhstan arrived. Five of them were above board. She phoned through her suspicions over the last piece to Yoshi, then concentrated her efforts on the château opening.
With the help of the St Valoire committee, specially selected to assist with organising the open days and the ball, she watched with growing satisfaction as the château was transformed from stunning private residence to magnificent public masterpiece.
She was placing the last stack of glossy leaflets that gave a brief but rich history of the château on a Louis XIV credenza when strong arms slid around her waist.
‘It’s nearly seven. You were officially off the clock almost two hours ago.’ Damion’s lips teased the shell of her ear as he pulled her back against his warmth.
‘I’ve never been a nine-to-five sort of girl,’ she replied. Unable to resist, she leaned into him and felt his hardness against her backside.
All week he’d made such intimate gestures, sometimes in full view of his grandfather and the assistants running around trying to get the château ready. This morning their kiss had got so heated a committee member had coughed several times before they’d sprung apart.
And with every touch, every kiss, she felt her resistance eroding just a little further. Even now, resisting the urge to turn and bask in his magnificence, she knew it was only a matter of time before she gave in.
‘As the boss, I’m calling it a day. And take those shoes off.’ She heard the frown in his voice. ‘I don’t understand how you keep walking in those things.’
She finally turned to face him, fully prepared for the punch to her system the sight of his gorgeous face and incredible body always produced. ‘I feel fine. The pool has worked wonders for my back …’ Her words spluttered to a halt when he let go of her and knelt at her feet.
‘It’s still not a reason to abuse your health.’ He grasped her calf. ‘Off.’
Reiko grabbed the credenza to steady herself against the strange new emotion that battered her. The unexpected sight of Damion at her feet knocked the breath clean out of her lungs. There was nothing especially erotic or lustful about the gesture, but her senses screeched all the same, her heart hammering a beat so wild she almost gasped with the force of it.
‘There—that’s better.’
Disrobing her feet of the platform heels, he flung them to one side and surged up to tower over her. Without the benefit of her heels, he loomed bigger, larger than life, and he made her feel as delicate as cherry blossom as he gathered her into his arms.
‘Damion …’
‘I’ve been dying to kiss you properly since we were interrupted this morning.’
‘I think we scandalised Madame LeBoeuf.’
‘She needs to learn that discretion is the better part of valour,’ he said huskily before he lifted her into his arms. ‘Put your legs around me.’
She gasped at the image that shot into her mind. The intimacy of their position made the blood roar through her veins. He walked forward as he kissed her, taking his time to explore her mouth with an ease and expertise that left her reeling. She didn’t know where he was taking her until a cool breeze touched her skin.
They were on the east side of the château, where an elevated terrace gave fantastic views over the valley. St Valoire was breathtaking during the day and mesmerising at night.
He set her down and she turned to find a single round table set out between two imposing arch-supporting columns. After seeing her seated, he lifted the lids off the plates.
A simple meal of châteaubriand with potato cutlets and green beans was accompanied by a rich, full-bodied Bordeaux from the château’s vineyard. After their meal was cleared away, they lingered over the last of the wine.
‘Thanks for giving me this job. I wasn’t sure I could pull it off, but I’ve had a blast.’
‘You love art and you love a challenge. The combination was always going to work in your favour, and ultimately in mine.’
‘But as you said it’s your grandfather’s last ball. You could’ve trusted a dozen other people with it. You trusted me. So thank you.’
He looked at her for a long time, an indecipherable expression entering his eyes before he lowered his lids.
The soft glow from the wall-ensconced lights threw shadows over his face as he leaned over to refill her crystal glass. She traced the chiselled perfection of his bone structure and the mouth that had kissed her senseless a short time ago.
He raised his gaze and caught hers. ‘What?’
‘You truly are spectacularly gorgeous, Damion.’
