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Just as she wasn’t sure why her gaze dropped to his lap at that moment. Sure enough, the erection she’d felt was a bold statement. She quickly averted her eyes, but not before he caught her looking. A breath punched out of him and his jaw gritted for a control-gathering moment before he rapped on the glass window.
He didn’t exit immediately, probably because of the surge of paparazzi that surrounded the car.
The bodyguards who’d travelled in a separate car held back the throng as Xandro stepped out and held out his hand to her.
More flashbulbs erupted, the questions coming thick and fast as he helped her out. His sunglasses were back in place. While she was left feeling raw and naked.
‘Can I have my glasses back, please?’ She silently cringed at the husky, breathless quality of her voice.
He didn’t hand them to her. Instead he took his time to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear before he unfolded the glasses, his gaze fixed on her face as he placed them on her nose. Then his fingers drifted down her cheek to brush the corner of her mouth.
If he’d wished to confirm their involvement without saying a word, Xandro achieved it in that single, carefully choreographed moment. The media frenzy erupted around them.
Through it all, he remained calm and supremely collected as he placed his hand in the small of her back and escorted her into his hotel.
She was still shaking, partly with shame, partly with the sinking feeling that he’d manipulated her yet again, as the private lift raced them towards another penthouse suite.
Words churned through her mind. She wanted to accuse, to challenge, to blast him for the rioting emotions coursing through her body. But she was just as responsible. She’d let this wild hunger that he stoked in her take over her senses. She could blame him all she wanted for taking advantage of it, but she’d handed herself over to him on a platter.
Perhaps he was satisfied with the events of the last ten minutes, or he had already moved on from it. Either way, he was back to scrolling through his phone, the very epitome of arrogant control as he strode out of the lift.
The penthouse they entered was twice as large as the one in Athens. ‘Do you only live in hotels?’ Her voice was sharper than she’d intended.
He stilled, his gaze snapping up from the phone to track her as she paced. ‘No. I have several properties around the world,’ he drawled.
‘Properties, not homes?’
Grey eyes narrowed. ‘Do you have a point you wish to make?’
Did she? ‘It just seems like a cold existence, that’s all.’
He folded his arms and it took a lot of effort not to stare at the flexed power of his biceps. ‘You’re sure that’s all? You want to tell me what’s really bothering you?’
She snatched in a breath. ‘That was all orchestrated downstairs, wasn’t it?’
‘Not initially, no. The need to kiss you in the car stemmed from the simple fact that you’re exceptionally beautiful and extremely desirable,’ he stated baldly.
Her mouth dropped open.
His lips twitched. ‘I’ve succeeded in robbing you of speech.’
It took a minute for her to regroup. ‘But again you took advantage of the situation?’
‘Every success in life comes from the right advantage being taken at the right time.’
She swung away, unable to look at his breathtaking face and lithe body without recalling how she’d felt plastered to him. But she silently thanked him for reminding her exactly who he was. A manipulator and control freak who used every single situation to his advantage.
Suitably re-armed, she started to walk away, then stopped when she was confronted with a trio of hallways. ‘Can you tell me which one is my bedroom? I’m tired.’ It was a half-lie. Travelling in private luxury had taken away a huge amount of discomfort, but her senses felt battered. The need to retreat and regroup was paramount.
He studied her for a beat before he started towards her. She tensed, but he walked past her with a curt, ‘Come with me.’
She followed, past two doors to the last door on the right. The suite was as plush as the rest of the penthouse, the furnishings elegant and classy. In the small adjoining living room a wide sofa with a dozen cushions beckoned relaxation, as did the impressive drinks cabinet and entertainment centre.
She spotted a door at the far side of the living room. ‘Where does that go?’
‘A corridor and stairs to the floor upstairs.’
‘What’s upstairs?’
