her. “You can’t.”
“I’m a man, you’re a woman. Why not?” A hint of amusement warmed his eyes, softening his impassive face.
“No.” She shook her head wildly.
“Yes.”
Spreading her hands apart, she shrugged helplessly. “We can’t.”
“Why not?” He challenged. “And don’t think you can come up with a reason I haven’t already thought of and dismissed.”
“But—” What was she supposed to say? He’d caught her so off guard she couldn’t even think straight. “You don’t even like me.”
He met her eyes levelly. “You’re quite right. I didn’t think I did.”
She flinched, his honesty stinging. “So how can you even contemplate sleeping with me?” There was confusion. Yet somewhere in a deep, hidden part of her, she felt the first hint of rising excitement.
Damon wanted her.
“I’m beginning to accept that I must like something about you to want you.” A ghost of a smile lit his eyes.
Outrage replaced euphoria. “Well, tough! You’ll just have to live with the wanting, because nothing is going to happen between us. It can’t.” Did he honestly think she was going to take the scraps that he was throwing to her? Did he think she was that desperate?
Probably.
And he was right. Because she had no pride where Damon Asteriades was concerned. All he had to do was snap his fingers and she came running. Just witness her presence here in Auckland. Witness her presence here in this restaurant today. She’d known it would be a bad idea to spend time with him. But had that stopped her accepting his invitation to lunch?
No. Of course not.
Where Damon Asteriades was concerned, she had the survival instincts of a moth circling a bright flame. But she wasn’t ready to be burned alive by him quite yet. No, he was going to have to work a hell of a lot harder. After all, she’d been waiting for him for what seemed like a lifetime. He wasn’t going to knock her feet out from under her with a stark statement that he wanted to make love to her. She wanted more. Much, much more.
“Rebecca, stop resisting. I want you and I’m going to have you—the sooner you accept it, the better.”
God, but he could be arrogant! “No way. I’ve been to hell and back because of you before and it’s not a place I’m in a hurry to visit again.”
He snorted. “You’ve got that wrong, koukla. You almost sent me to eternal damnation. You did everything you could to cause upheaval in my life. I meant nothing to you—I don’t believe that for a second—it was the challenge that I represented.”
You meant everything to me. You were my world, my universe, and you didn’t give a damn about me! But she didn’t say it aloud.
Instead she shook her head and laughed disbelievingly. “I’m not falling for this.”
What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to think? The man who stirred more emotion within her than she’d known existed wanted her. But he fiercely resented the need for her. She’d have to be stupid to take him up on it.
But she was incredibly tempted.
Fool!
Turning him down was going to be the hardest thing she’d ever done. She cast around, struggling to find the words that would drive him away forever.
He reached over the table, covering her hand with his. “Would it help if I told you that over the past few days I’ve grown to admire you immensely? That I think you have courage and tenacity and a compassion that I am only starting to discover? That I’ve seen a caring side of you I never knew existed? That I’m starting to think that I may have judged you too harshly sometimes and that I’m sorry for that.”
His eyes glowed with sincerity and a warmth she’d never seen before. Underneath his hand, hers felt safe, protected.
Oh, God.
“That I’m starting to like you very much indeed. And that I’d like to get to know you better. Much, much better.”
Inside she’d turned to mush. His words pooled in the empty hole below her breastbone and created
“I’m a man, you’re a woman. Why not?” A hint of amusement warmed his eyes, softening his impassive face.
“No.” She shook her head wildly.
“Yes.”
Spreading her hands apart, she shrugged helplessly. “We can’t.”
“Why not?” He challenged. “And don’t think you can come up with a reason I haven’t already thought of and dismissed.”
“But—” What was she supposed to say? He’d caught her so off guard she couldn’t even think straight. “You don’t even like me.”
He met her eyes levelly. “You’re quite right. I didn’t think I did.”
She flinched, his honesty stinging. “So how can you even contemplate sleeping with me?” There was confusion. Yet somewhere in a deep, hidden part of her, she felt the first hint of rising excitement.
Damon wanted her.
“I’m beginning to accept that I must like something about you to want you.” A ghost of a smile lit his eyes.
Outrage replaced euphoria. “Well, tough! You’ll just have to live with the wanting, because nothing is going to happen between us. It can’t.” Did he honestly think she was going to take the scraps that he was throwing to her? Did he think she was that desperate?
Probably.
And he was right. Because she had no pride where Damon Asteriades was concerned. All he had to do was snap his fingers and she came running. Just witness her presence here in Auckland. Witness her presence here in this restaurant today. She’d known it would be a bad idea to spend time with him. But had that stopped her accepting his invitation to lunch?
No. Of course not.
Where Damon Asteriades was concerned, she had the survival instincts of a moth circling a bright flame. But she wasn’t ready to be burned alive by him quite yet. No, he was going to have to work a hell of a lot harder. After all, she’d been waiting for him for what seemed like a lifetime. He wasn’t going to knock her feet out from under her with a stark statement that he wanted to make love to her. She wanted more. Much, much more.
“Rebecca, stop resisting. I want you and I’m going to have you—the sooner you accept it, the better.”
God, but he could be arrogant! “No way. I’ve been to hell and back because of you before and it’s not a place I’m in a hurry to visit again.”
He snorted. “You’ve got that wrong, koukla. You almost sent me to eternal damnation. You did everything you could to cause upheaval in my life. I meant nothing to you—I don’t believe that for a second—it was the challenge that I represented.”
You meant everything to me. You were my world, my universe, and you didn’t give a damn about me! But she didn’t say it aloud.
Instead she shook her head and laughed disbelievingly. “I’m not falling for this.”
What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to think? The man who stirred more emotion within her than she’d known existed wanted her. But he fiercely resented the need for her. She’d have to be stupid to take him up on it.
But she was incredibly tempted.
Fool!
Turning him down was going to be the hardest thing she’d ever done. She cast around, struggling to find the words that would drive him away forever.
He reached over the table, covering her hand with his. “Would it help if I told you that over the past few days I’ve grown to admire you immensely? That I think you have courage and tenacity and a compassion that I am only starting to discover? That I’ve seen a caring side of you I never knew existed? That I’m starting to think that I may have judged you too harshly sometimes and that I’m sorry for that.”
His eyes glowed with sincerity and a warmth she’d never seen before. Underneath his hand, hers felt safe, protected.
Oh, God.
“That I’m starting to like you very much indeed. And that I’d like to get to know you better. Much, much better.”
Inside she’d turned to mush. His words pooled in the empty hole below her breastbone and created
Similar Books
