For goodness’ sake, girl! Miranda told herself with hidden annoyance. He might be the most handsome face you’d seen in a long time, and he’s certainly packing a lot of appeal – but you need to keep your feminine urges in check. Whoever this guy was, he was probably way out of reach, totally out of your league in many ways. Everything about him seemed to exude power, magnetism, and an almost predatory undertone, which warned her to instinctively be on her guard.
Easier said than done.
“Do we know each other?” she asked lightly, eyes scanning his gorgeous face for any clues. He seemed to look thoughtful for a moment.
“You’re not a woman I’d let slip from memory easily,” he told her in like tone, and she shivered to feel his startling eyes rake swiftly over her. “So no, I’m sure we don’t.”
“Maybe on TV, then,” she added teasingly. “You certainly have the face for it.”
He chuckled, eyes narrowing even further in intent as he looked at her. “I’m not sure whether that’s a compliment or not.”
Oh, it’s certainly a compliment, Miranda thought, her heart beginning to pound. With every look, and even with the slight pressure in his touch as he guided her in the slow, swaying waltz – she could tell he was going in for the kill. The problem was, Miranda had a crazy feeling she was going to be very, very easy game…
“It would be nice to at least know the name of my dance partner, and the man responsible for rescuing my toes from bruising,” she purred, surprised at her audacity.
Here she was, flirting with a total stranger…and yet, a man thrilling enough, gorgeous enough to make her forget every one of her personal principles – a man dashing enough to make her kick her good-girl image right out of the window. She wanted to leave. Right then. Just grab his hand and run off to somewhere they could be alone, all alone – and she could do with him all the unspeakable things her mind was telling her body to do…
“My name is Jude. Jude Stone.”
Miranda paused, his words sinking in like lead. And in moments, her wild, wanton attraction to him was checked, shattered – before finally shriveling to nothing as she went to ice in his arms.
“Jude Stone? The billionaire?” she breathed, eyes flashing with anger and disbelief.
“Yes,” he said calmly.
Miranda gasped, arching away from him in distaste and anger. “Jude. I should have recognized you for a snake the moment I saw you.”
“It was business, nothing personal.” Jude replied with curling lips. “Just like how you found yourself dancing with Kirk. Was that not purely a business strategy? Whatever you think he can offer you, I can provide ten fold. I destroy men like him every day, Miranda.”
“Just like you destroyed my father?” she asked through thin lips. “You bastard. Well let me tell you this: the day I ever give in to a man like you will be the day I dishonor my family and all it stands for. And that’s something that’s never going to happen.”
“My affairs with your father have nothing to do with you and I,” he growled.
“There is no ‘you and I’ Mr. Stone,” she bit out clearly, finally able to wrench herself from him. “I hope I never have to lay eyes on you again.”
***
“That didn’t go well.”
Jude didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Carly at his elbow. He could hear the smugness in her tone, but didn’t look her way as he kept his narrowed gaze on the disappearing figure of Miranda Quinn.
“Obviously,” he replied at last, his tone wry.
“You’ll forget her, of course?”
“Never,” he said simply, softly, raising the glass Carly had handed him, to his lips as he saw Miranda exit the ballroom, his last glimpse of her being the gorgeous swaying roundness of her curvy bottom. He felt the beast in his rise to the surface. Getting to talk to her, holding her soft, curvy body close in his arms – had got him wanting her more than ever. In fact, at this point he was ready to do whatever it took to get the luscious Miranda in his clutches – and in his bed.
He faced his assistant at last, his eyes gleaming with intent. “As to be expected. But now I simply have to give her an offer she can’t refuse.”
He heard Carly sigh deeply, and heard the resigned note in her voice as she asked, “So what do you have planned?”
***
Miranda couldn't think of last night without shuddering - especially when she'd been so close to making the biggest mistake of her life. The instant attraction, the burn of desire... It had fizzled in a heartbeat when she'd found out his name. Jude Stone.