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She was going home with him. It was inexorable.
‘I’m not one of your conquests.’ The words spilled out before she could stop them. ‘That is, I’m only agreeing to this if you promise me that no one will find out.’
‘Agreeing to this?’ he challenged, his face a picture of innocence.
She sucked in a deep breath and quelled her irritation.
‘You know what I’m saying.’
‘I don’t believe that I do.’ He raised his eyebrows but amusement tugged at that sinful mouth. ‘Elucidate.’
Anouk huffed.
But if she couldn’t even say the word then how was she going to manage to do it?
‘Casual sex,’ she clarified stiffly.
‘Indeed?’ He grinned wolfishly and she felt it like teeth against her soul. ‘Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I seem to recall simply offering you a place to stay since there was nowhere else. I don’t recall sex ever being a detail of the discussion.’
Heat flooded her body.
‘I... You...’ She faltered, hardly able to believe her own faux pas.
What was it about Sol that had her acting so out of character? So recklessly? First at the gala, and now this. Shame chased through her, and then something else.
It took her a moment to realise that it was anger. She grabbed hold of it. At least it gave her a sense of courage, even if it was a false sensation.
‘You’re right, you didn’t. I assumed,’ she ground out. ‘But then, we both know that’s where we will end up. Look where we were headed before we got called in last night.’
‘I seem to remember you muttering something about it being a sign.’ He smirked. ‘Though personally, I’ve never believed in that nonsense.’
‘No, you told me as much,’ she reminded him crossly. ‘You also told me that it was inevitable. That however much I tried to outrun it, it would catch up with me sooner or later and topple me to the ground. That the faster and further I ran, the fall would be all the harder as a result.’
‘I didn’t realise you were paying such close attention to every word I was saying.’ Sol stretched his legs out languorously. ‘Not that I am complaining, you understand.’
‘You’re playing games aren’t you?’ she realised, disappointment plummeting through her.
The air around them turned cooler in an instant, as Sol pushed himself off the wall.
‘Contrary to the low opinion you hold about me, Anouk, I don’t play games every moment of every conversation.’
‘Common consensus is that you do,’ she rallied.
She wasn’t sure what else to do, his reaction was so unexpected. As though she’d hit a nerve, even though she’d never known him to have a nerve when it came to the way he revelled in his reputation. So obviously that couldn’t be right.
‘You’re right,’ he managed flatly, moving past her and heading for the door. ‘But let’s just say that it has been a long, exhausting twenty-four hours, and frankly I’m too weary for game-playing.’
‘I see.’ Not seeing at all, Anouk grabbed her bag and hurried after him.
Actually, he did look rather...out of character.
‘So, for tonight at least, you’re safe. All I’m offering you is a place to sleep and nothing more. We’ll have to walk; the car is still by the new carers’ centre. Does that suit you?’
‘Perfectly,’ she confirmed. Lying through her teeth.
CHAPTER NINE
‘DID SOMETHING HAPPEN with one of your patients?’ she ventured after they’d been walking for a while.
