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‘Why so surprised?I’m not cheap, Calypso, as well you know.’
Her ears pricked.‘Since when do you call me Calypso?How do you know my name is Calypso?’
He took the bottle and lazily started uncorking it.‘Shall we let it breathe a while?’
She said nothing, just kept her stare up, eyebrows still sky high.
The cork came out with a small, satisfying pop.‘I had you investigated.’
‘Youwhat?’
‘Not by a private eye.I wanted to find out more about you.So I got my PA to dig round.’
‘Around what—me or my business?’
‘Your company initially, but, as you are your company, a bit came up about you too nothing terribly exciting save the odd rumour...And as you haven’t been around to ask I got her to—’ He broke off.‘Where’ve you been these last few weeks, Cally?Not at work?’
‘I haven’t been well.’
‘Oh?’He skimmed over her robe.‘Nothing serious, I hope?’
She ignored the obvious question.‘What rumour?About the company?Food isn’t your business.Money is.’
‘Your food makes money.You’ve got a solid performer there.’
‘Don’t try to flatter me.What’s your interest?’
He turned his attention to the bag again, lifted out various-sized containers.
‘Calypso.’He mused.‘Calypso the concealer.Did you know your name meant that?Got anything you’re concealing, Cally?’
‘It’s the name my airhead mother gave me because she wanted something different.I think I’m lucky really.It could have been a lot worse.’
‘Hmm.Seems appropriate to me.’
What did he mean by that?She didn’t get the chance to ask because he was talking again and she was so surprised to see him all she could do was stare.
‘So, have a glass of wine with me.I’ve got some other delicacies.’
She watched with horror as he poured two glasses full of the deep red wine and then pulled the lid off a tub of marinated mussels.Shellfish.She shouldn’t have shellfish.Then he lifted out a creamy camembert so ripe the smell had her gagging.
Quickly she went to the sink and ran a glass of water.Knowing she had to take small sips.Just small or she’d lose it all.
He’d fallen silent, not drinking, not laying out the nibbles, not eating, just watching her with intense focus.
‘I’m not really feeling like wine tonight,’ she started babbling.‘Not that hungry, actually.Would you mind if we postponed this?I’m afraid I didn’t get your message.’
‘I thought it would be a nice surprise.’He placed the glasses across from each other on the centre island.‘Don’t you like surprises?’He ripped the lid off another container.‘I don’t much like them either.And I don’t want to postpone this.In fact…’ he stopped moving altogether and simply stared at her—hard ‘…I think we need to have that chat we didn’t have a few weeks ago.’
She just needed to keep breathing, she thought desperately as she heard the steel behind his words.Whatever it was he wanted to talk about, he wasn’t going away.Defensive, guilty, she tried to rouse anger that he’d had someone pry into her life.‘I can’t believe you had me investigated.’
His body tensed.‘Nothing that isn’t readily available.Company records, newspaper articles, financial accounts.You come from interesting stock, Cally.It wasn’t hard to find out about you.But, honestly, it wasn’t that helpful.I already know things about you that not many others could possibly know.I don’t need an investigator to know you intimately.’His voice lowered and his eyes were like lasers.‘I already know how you want it, what you like me to do, how you sound when I do it.’
The reaction in her body was immediate and she ran her fingers across her forehead, obscuring her face so he wouldn’t see it.The heat fevered her mind and the temptation to slip her robe off her shoulders was almost irresistible.But it wasn’t Blake-The-Playful standing here now and nor was she in any position to resume some frivolous, meaningless sex-a-thon.Clamping down on the desire, she looked back to him, waiting to hear what it was he had to say.
He gestured to the delicacies now spread between them on the bench.‘You sure you won’t have some of the cheese?It’s really very good.’
If it was even remotely a risk Cally wasn’t having it.But he moved to stand opposite her.‘I know you like gourmet, Cally.Have some with me.’
