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The tender emotion of a moment ago melted away as she absorbed his critical expression and came to a startling realization.
His opinion mattered to her.
He’d hurt her.
Which could only mean one thing: she could be falling for him.
Desperate to ignore the surge of panic telling her to make a run for it while she still could, she forced a laugh. “Of course it’s too modern for you, considering you’ve spent half your life rummaging in the dirt looking for old stuff.”
Something in her tone must’ve alerted him to the fact she wasn’t as unaffected by his opinion as she’d like to be, because he captured her chin in his hands and tilted it up gently until she had no option but to stare into his gorgeous grey eyes.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
She lowered her gaze before he read the lie there, only to be confronted by his equally gorgeous lips, lips that felt exceptionally good plastered against hers.
“This isn’t the time or place,” he said, in a voice like smooth velvet as he skimmed his thumb along her bottom lip before releasing her as if he’d been burned. “But trust me, if you look at me like that later tonight, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”
Grateful they’d slipped back into flirting mode, she quirked an eyebrow and tapped his chest with a French manicured fingernail.
“Haven’t you heard? Being responsible all the time is highly over-rated.”
Flecks of speckled cobalt flared amidst the dreamy grey depths of his eyes as a confident smile curved his lips. “I’m all for forgetting my responsibilities for a night.”
She splayed her palm on his chest, absorbing the heat radiating through his dress shirt before sliding her hand down and tucking it around his elbow as if that had been her intention all along.
“And I’m all for being the one responsible for you forgetting. But don’t we have an auction to attend first?”
Muttering a curse, he tucked her hand closer and headed into the ballroom at a half-run.
She laughed. “If you’re in such a hurry because you can’t wait to get me alone later, I like the way you think.”
He stopped dead and she bumped into his side, relishing the all-too-brief contact of one half of his body slamming against hers.
“I’m hoping you’ll like a lot more than that.” He slipped a protective arm around her waist as his enigmatic gaze sent a thrill of anticipation through her. “In fact, I’m counting on it.”
Beth couldn’t think for a moment, what with his hand nestled comfortably around her waist, his thumb strumming back and forth, and the intent in his eyes notching up her excitement levels to unbearable.
Moistening her bottom lip with her tongue, and enjoying the fleeting tortured expression that flickered across his face, she murmured, “The faster you bid, the faster we get to the good stuff.”
With a muffled groan, he released her. “Come on, quit dawdling.”
She chuckled, the confident sound of a woman who knew what she liked in a man and how to get it, as Aidan all but dragged her into the ballroom in a fair imitation of a sedate sprint.
ChapterEight
As they pulled up outside Beth’s warehouse and Aidan parked, he couldn’t help another disgruntled muttering.
“You should’ve told me,” he said, as they walked toward the front door, a vibrant crimson that hurt his eyes even in the dim street light.
Beth unlocked her front door and pushed it open, shooting him a mischievous glance over her shoulder, accompanied by a toss of her silky blonde hair. “Why? I knew you’d find out soon enough.”
Shaking his head, Aidan followed her into the cavernous warehouse, hoping the inside was a lot more inviting than the bleak exterior.
“I certainly did.” He blinked as she flicked on switches, flooding a suspended wooden walkway in light. “Unfortunately, I get to find out that my newest wannabe tour guide is actually a star sculptor when I see her name on the program, and how much her art is worth rather than hearing it from the sculptor herself.”
She chuckled, the throaty, full-on laugh he’d grown way too fond of way too quickly.
