King's Passion by Adrianne Byrd Page B

has been bothering me since the moment we met.”
    She reached for her own glass. “Shoot.”
    â€œI remember Marcus Henderson rather well. Nice guy… but, uh…how in the world did you two hook up?”
    Victoria blinked.
    Eamon chuckled and shook his head while he set his glass back down. “No disrespect, but you two are like night and day. The heiress and the accountant doesn’t quite jibe with me. What gives?”
    â€œI don’t think that I understand what you mean.”
    He locked down her gaze. “I think you do.”
    It was her turn to squirm in her seat. “I didn’t realize that I needed to run my preference in men by the Eamon King committee.”
    â€œYou’re ducking the question.”
    â€œJust because you ask a question doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to an answer.”
    â€œHumor me and answer it anyway.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause…” She struggled for answer. “I don’t want to.”
    â€œFine.” Eamon shrugged. “Then you force me to give my own assessment. Care to hear it?”
    â€œDo I have a choice?”
    He cut his gaze away as if he was seriously considering the question but then delivered a quick “No.”
    She did, however, get a quick reprieve because Benito and a waitress delivered their appetizers, but they blew in and out like a Midwest tornado.
    â€œNow, where was I?” Eamon asked. “Ah, yes. You purposely selected a man that you thought was a safe choice—nonthreatening.”
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous.” She unfolded her silverware and placed her linen napkin into her lap.
    â€œSomeone who didn’t put on airs or was in the market for a trophy wife,” he continued. “Probably even someone who wouldn’t mind signing an iron-clad prenuptial agreement, either.”
    Victoria sliced into the tender crab cakes too hard and then jumped when the fork clanged against the plate.
    â€œHow am I doing?” he asked.
    She refused to answer him.
    â€œI’m not going to pretend that I grew up under similar conditions. My brothers and I grew up with more love than money. But my experience the last few years has introduced me to this phenomenon where it’s difficult to judge whether people are around you for who you are and not what you have or possibly what you can give them.” He paused for a moment. “But from what little I do know about you, I think you’re selling yourself short.”
    During the next pause, her eyes slowly climbed from the gorgeous crab cakes to his maple-brown gaze.
    â€œYou’re beautiful, smart and there’s feistiness in you that is an incredible turn-on.”
    Victoria watched as his gaze went from hot tosmoldering within a snap of her fingers. She didn’t know how long they sat there staring at each other, but it was long enough for their main course to arrive even though they had yet to taste the appetizer. Benito paused just long enough to refill their wineglasses and then directed the waiter to quickly set the food on the table. In another blink they were gone.
    â€œAll right,” she said after finding her voice again. “Since you seem to know so much, what kind of man do you think I should go after?”
    Eamon’s lips sloped crookedly and in that instant, she decided that was her favorite smile by him. “That’s a softball question.”
    â€œThen let me hear your easy answer.” That damn candlelight continued to dance in his eyes, hypnotizing her effortlessly.
    He reached across the table and captured her free hand within his. The electric connection jolted her. The small hairs on her arm and the back of her neck stood at attention.
    Eamon’s voice dropped to an all-time low register, “You need and deserve a man who is bold, adventurous and could take on that hot temper of yours with the same passion that you dish