One Night with Morelli(49)

                ‘Oh, no, take her to lunch.’ Shelley pressed her palms together and rested her chin on her fingertips. Batting her eyes at Draco, she confided, ‘It’s her birthday.’ She met her boss’s glare with an innocent look. ‘Well, he doesn’t work here, does he?’

                Thank God for small mercies!

                ‘You said don’t tell anyone in the office,’ Shelley pointed out.

                ‘Your birthday? Oh, well, that settles it,’ Draco announced with satisfaction. ‘I’m taking you to lunch.’

                Eve would have loved to assure him that it settled nothing except the fact that he obviously couldn’t comprehend a situation when a person wouldn’t do what he wanted, but decided it was better to appear at least to give in gracefully than risk having her personal life discussed in front of an audience. The horror of this thought actually made her shudder.

                Outside the building and away from the prying eyes of her assistant, Eve pulled away from the light touch of the hand he had placed between her shoulder blades as he guided her out of the building—as if she didn’t know her own way.

                ‘I am more than capable of—’ She broke off, taking a sideways step to avoid being knocked over by a middle-aged man whose eyes were glued to his phone. Luckily the heavy line of traffic had ground to a standstill so all she did was step into a puddle, though Draco took the opportunity to haul her back to the pavement.

                ‘We had sex.’ Eve cleared her throat, privately congratulating herself on how matter of fact she had sounded when that statement sounded weird on so many levels.

                He did not blink, just held her eyes with a stare that made her stomach muscles quiver with the same tension that shimmered in the air.

                ‘I had not forgotten.’ Though once he had felt her cool little hands on his skin he had forgotten almost everything else, but that he would never forget, if only for the reason Draco had never totally lost control with a woman before. He had always stayed in control of his passion, his lust. Ironically when he had lost it the woman who had disintegrated his control had been a virgin.

                It turned out his initial suspicion regarding her innocence had been right after all. The shock had lessened but the sense of total mystification lingered. She was so sensual and so sweetly responsive that it made no sense she hadn’t tried sex before, but the fact remained he was her first lover. In moments of honesty he admitted that he was not a worthy recipient of that gift, but in return he would teach her how to enjoy her own body.

                Eve struggled to hold onto her antagonism. His deep voice had a tactile quality and his heavy-lidded stare did dangerous things to her as the busy street around them receded; it was scarily easy for the world to vanish when she looked into his eyes.

                ‘That does not give you the right to stroll into my place of work and flirt with my staff.’ Somehow her comment made it sound as though the latter was the worst sin. ‘I don’t suppose you can help yourself,’ she muttered.

                ‘Lighten up, Eve.’

                She compressed her lips, irritated by his amused response. ‘I’m perfectly light, thank you.’

                His eyes widened as if in sudden comprehension. ‘Or is it one of those birthdays,’ he commiserated.

                Her expression froze. ‘I’m not thirty for ages yet.’

                He grinned and chalked up an invisible point in the air. ‘It’s reassuring to know that you have some of the normal vanities.’ His dark gaze grew warmer and more intent as he touched a finger to her chin, tilting her face up to his. ‘You look about eighteen, which can be a little disconcerting, especially when half the time you act as though you’re middle-aged.’