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She sighed and shifted her attention to the magpies hopping about and conversing with each other outside the full-length window that took up one whole wall of Valentino’s masculine room.
She was under no illusions as to why he had asked her to stay for five days, and although she had never been the type to enter into a purely sexual relationship there was a first time for everything. She just had to keep things as light and breezy as he did. No intense emotions, no second-guessing herself at every turn. Just...fun.
* * *
Miller stepped from the car and smiled at Mickey as he held the door for her. Mickey was everything she’d expected—large, fit, and capable of lifting a small house with his bare hands. The fact that he was also capable of purchasing women’s clothing didn’t bear thinking about.
The pavement outside the swanky Collins Street retail outlet was lined with photographers and fans, all of whom quickly lowered their cameras as soon as they saw that she wasn’t anybody special. Glad for once not to be part of the in crowd, Miller quickly turned her eyes to the burly security guards who stood either side of the short red carpet.
Swallowing hard, she was just contemplating how foolish she would feel if she gave them her name and they rejected her when a woman in a chic black suit rushed forward.
‘Ms Jacobs?’
‘Yes.’
Thank God. Someone knew her name.
‘My name is Chrissie. Mr Ventura asked me to show you in.’
Miller smiled, ready to kiss Valentino’s feet for his thoughtfulness. Straightening her spine, she followed Chrissie into the brightly lit store.
Faces turned towards her but she ignored everyone as the attractive aide wound a path between glamorous, laughing guests holding sparkling glasses of wine and champagne. The room was buzzing with energy and it grew steadily more frenetic the further she went—until Chrissie stepped aside and Miller knew why.
Valentino stood in the centre of a small circle of admirers wearing a severely cut pinstriped suit and an open-necked snowy white shirt. He looked so polished and poised, so sinfully good-looking, her mind shut down and all she could do was stare.
Having chosen black trousers and a gold designer top carefully from Mickey’s inspired collection, and redone her hair in its normally sleek style, Miller still felt utterly exposed, stripped bare, when Valentino’s eyes honed in on her like a radio device searching out a homing beacon.
God, she was in trouble. Big trouble. He was just so beautiful, with his dishevelled sable hair and five o’clock shadow, and her body knew his, had kissed every inch of him. The urge to bolt was overwhelming, but then he smiled and she exhaled a bucketload of air. It would be all right. She was fine.
Her toes curled in her strappy heels as he walked towards her, his eyes glittering.
‘You look beautiful,’ he murmured as he captured her hand and brought it to his lips in an age-old gesture.
Miller’s stomach flipped and she couldn’t tear her eyes from his. ‘Funny, I was just thinking the same about you. Though I wasn’t going to mention it on account of your ego and your current cheer squad, lapping you up like Christmas pudding.’
Valentino threw his head back and laughed and Miller felt riveted to the spot. Did he have any idea that he was so completely irresistible? Yes, of course he did. The people around them couldn’t take their eyes off him.
‘How did you spend your day?’ he asked, smiling down at her.
‘I worked—’
‘Now, there’s a newsflash,’ he teased.
‘Yes, well. I spoke to Dexter, and although he hasn’t forgiven me for what I said to TJ I don’t think he’s going to do anything to jeopardise my promotion.’
‘Good.’ He grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and handed it to her. ‘When are you going to start painting again?’
Miller was exasperated that he had discovered her most secret dream.
‘Valentino, don’t ask me that.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because it was a childish dream.’
‘Not childish. Daring. A dream unhampered by adult limitations. Perhaps it’s time you stopped hiding behind that wall you protect yourself with and go fot it.’
‘I will if you will.’
The instant the words were out she held her breath, her heart hammering.
His eyes pierced her but there was no hostility behind them, just reluctant admiration. ‘I forgot you were such a shrewd operator. Come on—I have to mingle.’
That easily he closed her down, and although it made her feel slightly hollow inside she refused to address the feeling.
