situation had some extra spice that hadn’t stilled the gossips’ tongues. ‘My father was over seventy when I was born. I have nephews almost twice my age. My half-siblings were not impressed when my mother and I came along.’ And he shouldn’t be talking about this.
‘They made life tough for you both?’
Tougher than this pretty nymph could ever imagine. It wasn’t just the age gap between his parents but the education, background, social status...everything and everyone had made life tough. Especially for his mother. What they’d done to her he’d never forget, or forgive.
‘Did your parents love each other?’ she asked softly.
And there it was, that romantic nature of hers. The truth would crush all her idealistic dreams. ‘You think that love could possibly make a difference?’ He forced a laugh.
‘So handsome yet so cynical.’ She sighed. ‘Such a shame.’
He leaned closer, playing up so he could forget the past. ‘Handsome is a win, though, right?’
‘A very small one,’ she said, flattening him again.
But he’d seen the gleam in her eyes.
‘Not that small.’ He couldn’t resist any more and put his hands on her waist. ‘You’re going to deny we have chemistry?’
‘It’s probably because we’re polar opposites.’
That she didn’t deny it surprised him all over again. He’d been expecting playful outrage and a pout. Instead, he just got a steadying hand on his chest and an assessing look.
‘You’re crazy good looking,’ she said, her gaze narrowing on him. ‘Like, not-of-this-earth good looking. And confident. So I’m guessing you know what you’re doing when it comes to women. And I know I’m nothing like the women you usually bring along to these things. Given how much you like women, you probably would try anything once. For the novelty factor.’
‘Are you suggesting I’m not discerning?’ He couldn’t decide whether to be pleased by her compliment about his looks or insulted by her assumption that he lacked pickiness when it came to women. But then he realised it wasn’t only him she was insulting. ‘And don’t denigrate yourself.’
She looked up at him, that impish light flickering in her eyes. ‘Oh, I’m not. But let’s be honest, I’m not your type. Everyone here knows it. That’s why they’re staring.’
He didn’t like the thought that he was predictable enough to have a ‘type’, even though he knew he did. ‘That’s not why they’re staring.’
They were staring because she was a breath of fresh air—basically barefoot in those flimsy sandals, with her white dress gleaming in the light and her skin glowing in the radiance of all those lanterns. She was stunning. He—like the rest of them—couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She, however, didn’t appear to suffer the same problem when it came to him.
‘There’s a boat coming.’ She craned her neck to peer past his shoulder. ‘Everyone is walking over. Do you know who’s on board?’
He didn’t know, didn’t care. Just wanted her eyes on him again.
‘This party is non-stop drama,’ she said. ‘Are your “elite” events always like this?’
‘Don’t you go to parties very often?’
‘Usually I’m serving the food.’
She was a waitress? That fitted with the travelling. She certainly wasn’t a local with that softened English accent. Yet it surprised him. She had an unworldliness about her, as if her optimism and hopefulness hadn’t yet been crushed by the harsh realities of life. Most travellers he’d met had a few street smarts and sharper edges. Maybe she was new to it all. His body tightened inappropriately again.
‘What are we going to do about it?’ he muttered harshly, unable to hold back his runaway thoughts.
‘About what?’
Astounded, he turned her back to face him. ‘This chemistry.’
‘Nothing.’ She turned back to watch the launch arrive. ‘Do you think it’s someone famous?’
He didn’t give a damn if it was the Queen of England. He just wanted her attention back on him. ‘I don’t think this is something we can do nothing about.’
‘Of course we can.’ She laughed, but she didn’t meet his eyes.
‘You’re not in the least curious?’
She finally focused on him properly. ‘I’m sure you could make me feel amazing.’ That giveaway colour washed over her light golden tan again. ‘I’m sure you could make me want anything and everything. But I’m also positive you’d be bad news.’
‘Bad news?’ How could anything so explosive be bad news? ‘Do you take everything so seriously?’
‘Do you take everything so flippantly?’
‘Not everything. No. But life is for living.’ He tugged her closer. ‘You should live a little.’
She smiled at that. ‘That was a lame attempt at persuasion. I think you can do better.’
‘Lame?’ Was she critiquing his flirting skills? What had she said, that he was ‘appalling’?
‘You should stop trying to tempt me,’ she said with disarming solemnity.
‘Okay,’ he lied. It wasn’t okay.
That guileless look in her eyes was undermined by the knowing curve of her smile. ‘I don’t want to play games, Mr Vitale.’
He’d never met a woman who didn’t want to play games. ‘You calling me Mr Vitale is playing games.’
She drew a sharp breath. ‘Okay. Honestly? I don’t want to get hurt.’
‘I don’t hurt women.’
She sent him another look.
‘I don’t ever want to hurt women,’ he clarified. ‘I would never want to hurt you.’
He felt her shiver as he took her hand.
‘You’re cramping my style,’ she said a little breathlessly. ‘Step away, the nice guys aren’t going to approach when you’re circling me like a shark.’
‘There aren’t any nice guys here.’
Her nose wrinkled. ‘Not any?’
‘None. They’re all sharks. They all want the same thing I do.’
‘And what’s that?’
The lanterns cast a light glow on her fine features. She looked luminous and delicate and she’d melt against him in a delicious bundle of soft heat. One kiss wouldn’t end the world, would it?
She suddenly stepped backwards. ‘That would be a mistake.’
She turned to watch the crowds greet whoever had arrived on that launch.
She was very focused on watching what other people were doing. On not looking at him. Was that her way of trying to keep this chemistry sealed? Didn’t she realise that trying to bottle it would only cause a bigger explosion once the pressure grew too great? Smiling, he gently shook her.
‘What?’ She finally looked at him.
‘Most women don’t spend a date with me looking out for other men.’
‘Am I not paying you enough attention?’ She widened her eyes. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘No, you’re not,’ he growled. That apology had been the most insincere thing to fall from her lips tonight. ‘You’re deliberately avoiding looking at