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‘And why didn’t you?’
He’d told her that she was funny...
Maude tried and failed to stifle the rush of pleasure that remark had given her. She turned to look at him and was entranced by his profile, by his dark, dangerous brand of beauty and by his casual indifference to it.
She blinked but discovered that it was harder than she’d thought to tear her eyes away.
He was compelling.
‘I felt sorry for her,’ Mateo surprised himself by confiding. ‘She’s a fragile person from a broken home and I foolishly ignored the warning bells when they started going off.’
‘That’s nothing to be ashamed of,’ Maude countered gruffly. ‘There’s nothing wrong with empathy.’
‘There’s not a lot right with it when the outcome involves being stalked, and worse when the stalker risks her own mental health by not letting go.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘My amateur interpretation is that Cassie needs therapy. It’s the only way she’s going to solve ongoing issues, and that’s exactly what I suggested, along with an offer to pay for the best money can buy.’
Maude was impressed. Something shifted under her feet. She was barely aware of it. No more was he‘just the boss’ and even less just the cardboard cut-out, one-dimensional womaniser.
‘Being told that I’m involved with someone else will be step one towards her letting go.’
‘Except you’re not.’
‘That’s a technicality she’ll never know about. That’s why this arrangement is such a good idea. I get to set my ex on the right track and you get your plus-one whose role is to...what, exactly, Maude? Pretend to be your boyfriend? That I understand. What Idon’tget is thewhy. Why do you need someone in this role?’
His voice was a low drawl, and Maude could feel his warm breath against her, because he had half-turned to face her.
She faced him and her mouth went dry.
The sounds of laughter and merriment faded, as did the spectacle of the marquee, the assembled party, the boys and girls weaving through with their huge, circular trays laden with delicacies...
Confused and alarmed, Maude sucked in a shaky breath and snatched at the self-control that had momentarily deserted her.
‘I...it’s always easier dealing with these sorts of things with someone at your side,’ she stumbled.
‘Still not really getting it. I can understand a large event where you don’t know anyone. Could be a bit daunting, I imagine. But presumably you know most of the people here? And itison home ground, after all.’
‘I...’
Their eyes tangled and the breathless feeling was with her again.
‘Yes?’
He leant into her and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she did her utmost to wrest herself out of the shaky, sinking feeling trying to stage a takeover. He was so cool, so collected, asking questions that were only mildly curious...while she suddenly felt as though she were trying to balance one-legged on quicksand.
Was this what had propelled her into her initial foolhardy foray into confiding in him yesterday at the office—a sudden weakness when his attention was directed exclusively on her? When he asked her something personal while pinning her to the spot with those dark, brooding, mesmeric eyes?
‘Angus was going to be my plus-one for the weekend,’ she confessed a little breathlessly and then added, surprising herself, ‘It’s not that I’m anxious about being here, or nervous about having to socialise with all these people—I’m not. It’s just that... I wanted to convince my mum that I’m not throwing my life away because I don’t have anyone in my life at the moment.’
‘Come again?’
Maude smiled sheepishly. ‘Ever since I was a kid, my mother has been determined that I follow in her footsteps. She loves socialising and networking and having parties. She can honestly throw herself into the business of planning a dinner party with the attention to detail of someone running a military campaign.’
Mateo’s lips twitched and Maude relaxed and grinned back at him.
‘She wanted a “girly girl” and, well, what can I say? She got me.’
