Her Not-So-Secret Diary(16)

While she tucked in, she noticed Jared's attack on the sumptuous food  was just as enthusiastic. She asked, and discovered he'd skipped lunch  too. Watching him eat was as much a treat as watching him work. He gave  both tasks the same enthusiasm and undivided attention and she knew with  a quiet certainty that rippled through her feminine places that he'd  give the same to a lover.

'Dessert?' Jared asked a while later when the main dishes had been  cleared away and she'd more or less calmed down, for the moment at  least.

'Yes, please.'

'Allow me to order for both of us.' He motioned the waiter.

'As long as it's loaded with calories.'

He smiled at her then referred to the menu, indicated his choice. 'For  two, please.' A corner of his mouth tipped up. 'I guarantee you'll like  it.'

A short time later, she stared at the plate the waiter had set between  them. She felt the colour rising up her neck, bleeding into her cheeks,  and thanked the little red tea light on their table for its camouflaging  effect.

Italian blackberry Frangelico torte, she was informed. With a mountain of whipped cream.

Blackberries and cream … well, it was an obvious choice, wasn't it?  Bolstered by a couple of glasses of bubbly, she met Jared's eyes across  the table. Amusement flashed back at her.

In spite of herself, she couldn't help the wry little twist of her lips.  'And here's Pam telling me you don't have a sense of humour.'

He leaned back in his chair. 'Pam said that?'

She toyed with the stem of her wine glass and ventured, 'Maybe it's her way of saying you should loosen up some.'

He cocked his head as if the notion was absurd. 'And what do you think?'

'From what I've seen in the office today, she may have a point. Then  again, there's this other side she obviously hasn't seen that kind of  balances everything out.'

His lips curved. 'You're talking about my sharp wit and immeasurable charm.'

'Naturally.'

His smile widened to a grin for a split second, but then it faded and  something other than humour stole into his eyes. Something darker,  harder, more ruthless. He was silent a moment, staring into space. 'I  run a multimillion-dollar company, Sophie. It's my life's ambition, my  reason to get up in the morning, my passion.' He picked up his dessert  spoon and drew circles on the heavy white cloth. 'Sometimes I forget  that employees have priorities other than their nine-to-five job at  Sanderson's.'

Sophie nodded. There was a sense of remoteness about him. As if he was  used to distancing himself from the rest of the world. She picked her  way carefully, watching his expression as she said, 'She also mentioned  Crystal and Melissa and how you've been brilliant with them.'

His distance remained, his expression shut down. A barrier she couldn't  cross. 'The business is the reason I've been able to afford to give my  sisters something of what they've missed out on over the past twelve  years. Enough about that. We've more interesting matters to discuss.'

His relaxed convivial demeanour returned as if he'd flicked a switch.  How did he do that? she wondered. How could he turn his emotions off so  easily and so completely? She only wished she had the same ability.

She finished the remainder of her wine while she studied the  mouth-watering layers of hazelnut sponge, white chocolate and blackberry  coulis in front of them.                       
       
           



       

'I ordered this concoction for a reason.'

'I can see that.' She was tempted to ask if he was going to feed it to  her and watch her moan in pleasure. After all they both knew how the  story went …  She pressed her tingling lips together. Thank heavens they  were in a public place because she was appalled to think how easily  she'd let him seduce her if they were somewhere more private.

But as she watched him dip his spoon into the cake, add cream and lift  it towards her mouth it was like falling into a hypnotic state.

Especially when he murmured, 'Open up, Sophie,' in that deep silky sexy  timbre that made her think of dark chocolate … and a different set of  circumstances when he might say those words.

He was thinking the same thing because his eyes seemed to take on a smoky gleam as he leaned closer, offering the spoon.

Her heart stopped, thumped once then pounded out a fast rhythm and her  mouth fell open of its own volition. He slid the cake between her lips.  Smooth, slow, slippery. She couldn't look away-it was as if he held her  captive. She sucked the delicious mouthful from the spoon. He'd  engineered this sneaky … whatever-it-was … and she'd played right into his  subversion.

'What's the verdict?' he asked.

'It's nice,' she managed. It wasn't only her tongue; every part of her  was out of kilter. She gave herself a mental shake and made every  attempt to pull herself together.

'Nice? Is that the best you can do?'

'Right now?' she snapped out-but quietly. 'Yes, it is.'

He grinned slowly. Using the same spoon, he scooped up another morsel  and popped it into his own mouth. Still watching her. Still with that  smoky gleam in his eyes.

She picked up her own spoon. 'Remember where we are.'

'And the reason we're here.'

She watched him through narrowed eyes while she ate. When she'd almost  finished, she said, 'This dessert wasn't on the menu, was it? You  ordered it specially.'

'It was worth it, don't you agree?'

'Your business dinner's a fake and we both know it.' She scooped up a final mouthful, then sat back and crossed her arms.

'No,' he said slowly, as if talking to a child. 'We do need to discuss Noosa.'

Suddenly it was decision time and she wasn't sure she knew the right  answer. Or if he was even going to ask the question. 'I plan to spend  the upcoming weekend familiarising myself wi-'

'I'm talking about after hours.' He cut her off with an impatient flick  of his hand and his gaze pinned hers. 'And we both know it.'

Her words echoed back to her. At the same time, his eyes promised all  manner of tempting after-hours delights and her insides flipped like a  stack of pancakes. Beneath the table she twisted her hands together. 'Go  ahead and talk.'

'Make no mistake, Noosa's been on the agenda a while.'

She nodded, knowing it was important to him that she understood he hadn't planned the whole thing to seduce her. 'Pam told me.'

'The way I see it, this is the perfect opportunity to explore this attraction we have. Get it out of our systems. Move on.'

Attraction. Physical, sexual. Mutual. She was still overawed with the  knowledge that this dream of a guy was interested in her. For however  long it took to 'move on'.

Was she game enough to go along with this? Experienced enough? To play  it casual, have great sex-and it would be great sex with Jared  Sanderson-then fly away to the other side of the world? She was leaving  in three weeks and nothing and no one was going to stop her. So many  ifs. Dream lovers were much less complicated.

But looking at the real man there was no comparison.

'If you're worried about repercussions,' he said, 'Pam'll probably be  back at her desk by the time we return.' We can continue to see each  other if we both decide that's what we still want.

'And your overseas plans won't be a problem,' he continued. 'We both know up front how it's going to be.'

Like a New Year sky-show, she thought. An explosion of sparks, heat and  energy, over almost before it starts. And very terminal. Sky-shows also  left an inevitable trail of cold ashy destruction as a reminder.

'So this … ' she untangled her fingers, laid her palms flat on the table ' … this … what we're going to "explore" … is a fling.'

He must have heard the doubt in her voice because he leaned across the  table and covered the backs of her hands lightly with his-not soothing  or reassuring so much as enticing. It sparkled all the way up her arms  to her shoulders.                       
       
           



       

'You're not comfortable with that, are you?' he said. 'It's only a word, Sophie.'

'A word which conjures up other words like self-indulgence and  irresponsibility.' A good thing is only a good thing for as long as you  enjoy it.

He nodded slowly. 'So call it whatever you like.'

'A short term relationship,' she said. 'At least the word relationship  implies a certain commitment, no matter how short-lived it may be. Don't  worry,' she hurried on, 'I'm not looking for long term any more than  you are.'

He looked at her kind of funny and she couldn't remember if he'd told  her he wasn't looking for long term or whether she'd just assumed it. Of  course he wasn't looking for more, she told herself, still holding his  unreadable gaze. He didn't date the same woman for more than a few  weeks.

She didn't date, period.

And yet, with Jared, even knowing all that, she felt … different somehow.  Apart from being sexy he was a nice guy. Genuine. The kind of guy you  could maybe trust. Maybe.