before she realized men like Johnson would never satisfy her.
“I’ll call him when I get back to the office. Invite him around this evening. Maybe cook him a meal and explain everything to him.” The tension around her soft pink mouth told Nick that this wasn’t a prospect she relished.
All the better that she didn’t have to face it alone.
“That won’t be necessary. I’ve made all the arrangements. No need to worry.”
“What do you mean? What arrangements ?”
Anna was frowning, her eyes stormy again, but for a second all Nick could think about was the old cliché about a woman looking beautiful when she was angry. There was an avenging war goddess just inches away from him and the urge to fall down and worship her was so strong that his limbs tensed, ready for action.
“I’ve booked a table for the three of us this evening at La Girandole. Eight thirty. I thought it would be more pleasant to discuss our ‘situation’ in relaxed surroundings and over good meal.”
“The three of us? Are you out of your mind?”
Anna threw back her head and stared at the ceiling. She looked tenser and more aggravated than ever, but the sensuous line of her elegant white throat was suddenly all that Nick could focus on. The sweet taste of her skin was in his mouth again and the texture of it fiery against his lips. He wanted to kiss, lick, explore—maybe even nip at her with his teeth until she moaned with desire.
“I’m not telling Martin about all this with you there. It’s going to be hard enough as it is. What on earth are you thinking about? It’s insane.”
I’m thinking about kissing your neck , amore mio , Nick told her silently, but instead he observed. “I thought my presence would make things easier for you. Johnson is hardly likely to behave unpleasantly if I’m there to support you, is he?”
For the most fleeting of moments, he saw relief cross her face and it sluiced through him too, like an invigorating shower. Yes. In her subconscious at least she was already aligned with him rather than with that insipid nonentity Johnson.
“What do you mean ‘behave unpleasantly’? Martin isn’t like that. He’s sensible and reasonable. A perfect gentleman.” She flashed him a savage, cutting look. “Not like some people I could mention.”
“Sensible? Reasonable? A perfect gentleman? What a thrilling sex life you two must have.”
Anna was on her feet in half a heartbeat, and Nick wanted to kick himself. He’d done it yet again. Upset her like some jealous adolescent. Why had he no control over himself whatsoever where the question of Anna’s relationships with other men was concerned?
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry.”
Up just as quickly, he clasped her arm and prevented from leaving as she so obviously intended to, “Can’t you see I’m simply envious of his right to be with you?”
And never more than now.
Anna’s breasts were heaving and her eyes were flashing sparks like a blade against steel. He imagined pulling her to him, crushing his mouth against hers as he ground his sudden, fierce hardness against her exquisite softness.
“Let me go, Nick.” Her voice was low and deadly. She meant business. He released her arm, but the thought of her walking out cut him to the quick.
Amazingly, she stayed.
Her voice was astonishingly calm as she spoke. “Look, I want to help Carlo. You know I care for him. But if you don’t stop sniping at Martin and making things impossible for me…I…I don’t know how I can go through with this thing.”
The thought of his father brought a blessed clarity to Nick’s thoughts.
“You’re right, of course. I’m behaving like a fool. It won’t happen again.”
Anna glanced about, distracted, looking as if she’d almost hoped that he might do something drastic.
“All right. Okay…but I don’t think this dinner is such a good idea,” she responded quickly, her body full of tension and an obvious desire to get away from him as soon as
“I’ll call him when I get back to the office. Invite him around this evening. Maybe cook him a meal and explain everything to him.” The tension around her soft pink mouth told Nick that this wasn’t a prospect she relished.
All the better that she didn’t have to face it alone.
“That won’t be necessary. I’ve made all the arrangements. No need to worry.”
“What do you mean? What arrangements ?”
Anna was frowning, her eyes stormy again, but for a second all Nick could think about was the old cliché about a woman looking beautiful when she was angry. There was an avenging war goddess just inches away from him and the urge to fall down and worship her was so strong that his limbs tensed, ready for action.
“I’ve booked a table for the three of us this evening at La Girandole. Eight thirty. I thought it would be more pleasant to discuss our ‘situation’ in relaxed surroundings and over good meal.”
“The three of us? Are you out of your mind?”
Anna threw back her head and stared at the ceiling. She looked tenser and more aggravated than ever, but the sensuous line of her elegant white throat was suddenly all that Nick could focus on. The sweet taste of her skin was in his mouth again and the texture of it fiery against his lips. He wanted to kiss, lick, explore—maybe even nip at her with his teeth until she moaned with desire.
“I’m not telling Martin about all this with you there. It’s going to be hard enough as it is. What on earth are you thinking about? It’s insane.”
I’m thinking about kissing your neck , amore mio , Nick told her silently, but instead he observed. “I thought my presence would make things easier for you. Johnson is hardly likely to behave unpleasantly if I’m there to support you, is he?”
For the most fleeting of moments, he saw relief cross her face and it sluiced through him too, like an invigorating shower. Yes. In her subconscious at least she was already aligned with him rather than with that insipid nonentity Johnson.
“What do you mean ‘behave unpleasantly’? Martin isn’t like that. He’s sensible and reasonable. A perfect gentleman.” She flashed him a savage, cutting look. “Not like some people I could mention.”
“Sensible? Reasonable? A perfect gentleman? What a thrilling sex life you two must have.”
Anna was on her feet in half a heartbeat, and Nick wanted to kick himself. He’d done it yet again. Upset her like some jealous adolescent. Why had he no control over himself whatsoever where the question of Anna’s relationships with other men was concerned?
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry.”
Up just as quickly, he clasped her arm and prevented from leaving as she so obviously intended to, “Can’t you see I’m simply envious of his right to be with you?”
And never more than now.
Anna’s breasts were heaving and her eyes were flashing sparks like a blade against steel. He imagined pulling her to him, crushing his mouth against hers as he ground his sudden, fierce hardness against her exquisite softness.
“Let me go, Nick.” Her voice was low and deadly. She meant business. He released her arm, but the thought of her walking out cut him to the quick.
Amazingly, she stayed.
Her voice was astonishingly calm as she spoke. “Look, I want to help Carlo. You know I care for him. But if you don’t stop sniping at Martin and making things impossible for me…I…I don’t know how I can go through with this thing.”
The thought of his father brought a blessed clarity to Nick’s thoughts.
“You’re right, of course. I’m behaving like a fool. It won’t happen again.”
Anna glanced about, distracted, looking as if she’d almost hoped that he might do something drastic.
“All right. Okay…but I don’t think this dinner is such a good idea,” she responded quickly, her body full of tension and an obvious desire to get away from him as soon as
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