‘The dress is nice,’ Zavier mused, looking at the simple full-length velvet with its shoestring straps. ‘It would suit you.’
‘But not my bank balance. And, no, I’m not fishing. This is just window shopping, at which I’m an expert.’
‘I’m sure you are. Right, where do you want to go?’
Tabitha had no idea, but she took his offered hand and they wandered around for a while. People looking, she mused, would think that we were just an ordinary couple. Stealing a look at her escort, she corrected herself—no, they wouldn’t. There was nothing ordinary about Zavier. Such was his aura, his effortless grace, even the most groomed and sophisticated heads turned when he walked past.
She was enjoying herself, Tabitha realised, really enjoying herself. Back at the river she had thought the night had almost ended, the fairytale was over; but here amongst the bustling crowds, clutching her picture, walking beside him, his hot dry hand around hers, in the false day the casino created Tabitha felt that the night might last for ever.
‘What are you grinning at?’
‘I was just thinking what a good time I’m having.’
‘Of course you are. This is what turns you on, isn’t it?’
She dropped his hand and stopped walking then. At first he didn’t appear to notice, but after a couple of steps turned back.
‘What now?’ he asked irritably. ‘Has a Tiffany ring just caught your eye?’
‘I was actually thinking how much better it was when you were being nice to me.’
‘Oh.’ Zavier managed to look uncomfortable, which gave Tabitha the confidence to continue.
‘And if this is going to work, Zavier, surely we should at least try being nice to each other—and not just in other people’s company. It’s going to be a long six months if we’re constantly sniping at each other.’
‘Okay,’ he mumbled, but Tabitha was on a roll.
‘We’ve already established that where sarcastic one-liners are concerned you’re a master, but I for one don’t need my faults and shortcomings being constantly rammed down my throat. Yes, this is a business deal, and, yes, if I do accept then I’ll come out of this with a huge financial advantage. But you were the one who approached me, not the other way around.’
‘Okay, okay,’ he snapped.
‘That’s not being nice,’ she retorted.
The champagne had worked its way down to her toenails now, and combined with the undeniable euphoria of finally having an answer to her grandmother’s problem it was proving an intoxicating combination. A smart reply, easily as witty as one of Zavier’s, was forming, but just as it reached the tip of her tongue a wedge of flesh pushed her against a boutique and he kissed her far too thoroughly, his cool tongue parting her lips like a hot knife through butter.#p#分页标题#e#
‘Is that nice enough for you?’ he growled as she licked her stinging lips, and without waiting for her response he dragged her back into the sea of people.
Tabitha could see how her grandmother’s problem had started. The lights, the noise, the hum of the place—the whole extravagant package, actually—gave her a thrill of excitement in the pit of her stomach. Of course the fact she was also on the arm of one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors amplified the effect, but Tabitha could certainly see the attraction it must hold for a lonely old woman whose days and nights stretched on endlessly.
Zavier had disappeared to a bar and, after feeding her last note into a change machine, Tabitha took her bucket of dollar coins and settled at a poker machine, trying to assume an air of knowledge as she attempted to locate where to put her money.
Love hearts whizzed around before her eyes, cupid’s darts took aim as the machine started singing, arrows flew as dollar signs appeared, and an earsplitting electrical fanfare belted out of the machine.
‘Aren’t you going to take your free spin?’
He was back, and Tabitha instantly stiffened on her stool, sorely tempted to put her arm up and shield the machine from his sight. But she knew that wouldn’t stop Zavier. She could imagine him as a sulky schoolboy, finishing his spelling test first and then peering over with mocking scorn at her futile attempts. And she was positive he was laughing at her—positive at that moment he knew the fraud that she was. Taking her drink, Tabitha pretended to concentrate, pushing the flashing button before her. She could feel the boredom emanating from him and fiddled with the buttons a few more times, watching her credit limit dissolve to zero in two minutes flat.
‘So what now?’ Turning, she gave him a smile.