The Flaw in His Diamond(26)

A gorgeous man with everything going for him, Leila had protested.  Someone prepared to save our family business? And he gave you a job. And  then Britt had started in, reminding Eva that thanks to Roman's  restoration plans the mining museum was now a solid work-in-progress.

'You're a fool if you let him go,' Leila had flashed with unusual  vigour. 'If your only ambition in life is to become a bitter old shrew,  then you're well on your way.'

As if she needed to be told that. Perching on the sofa by the window, she buried her head in her hands.

Feeling sorry for herself lasted barely ten seconds before she  remembered Britt telling her that life was precious and no one should  waste a second of it.

It was time to call pest control and put that shrew firmly in its box.

She called Britt. 'That party tomorrow night to celebrate the revival of the mine?'

'So you're coming?' Britt sounded pleased.

'Of course, I'm coming.'

'So...? Look, if you're ringing me to ask if Roman will be there, I'm afraid I don't know.'

'You don't know, or you won't tell me?'

Her sister laughed. 'I don't know-honestly. I have no idea what Roman's timetable looks like. He doesn't share it with me.'

Or me, Eva thought.

'Just don't come dressed as one of the boys,' Britt suggested. 'The  press will be there and they'll want to see the Skavanga Diamonds  dressed to thrill now we're all involved in the running of the mine. And  we could do with a decent family photograph-so no boiler suits, Eva.  There are plenty of nice dress shops in Skavanga. I'll come along and  help you pick something out, if you like?'

'Spare me,' Eva begged, imagining some interminable session with snooty  assistants viewing her disparagingly, and a sister who had better  things to do. It was just a shame she had no idea what constituted 'a  nice dress'.

* * *

'Where is she?' he asked Leila, slipping the phone between his chin and  his shoulder so he could open the door, speak on his cell and heft his  case through the fire door without having it slam in his face. He had  one thought in his mind, one thought only, and that was Eva.

'Why should I tell you?' Leila asked him with more honest curiosity in her voice than outright refusal.

'I think you know,' he said, glancing round the room to get his bearings.

'I know you hurt her, Count Quisvada. I know your absence bewilders  her. And I also know that you're the only man, apart from our brother  Tyr, who isn't frightened of my sister. But I'm going to ask you one  last time, why do you need to know where Eva is?'

'Try this,' he said, dumping the case. 'Eva works for me and I need to catch up with her. Does that do it for you?'

'How about you miss her?' Leila countered. 'That might work for me. How  about, you can't function without her, because my sister has taken up  permanent residence in your head? That would also work for me.'

'And you're the quiet sister?'

Leila chose to ignore that. 'I know you have resources, Count Quisvada. Why don't you find her yourself?'

Because using them would take too much time. He wanted to see Eva now.  Right this minute, Roman reflected impatiently as he lifted a slat on  the blind at the window to stare out. 'I've tried all the usual numbers.  She's not answering.'                       
       
           



       

'And suddenly it's an emergency?' Leila demanded sceptically.

'Yes, it is.' He missed Eva more than he could say and he wanted this  conversation over with. Missed her was in fact a preposterous  understatement. He couldn't think straight without her. He wanted Eva  back in his arms where she belonged. He had driven her away and now he  had every intention of making things right. He tried another tack. 'Come  on, Leila,' he coaxed in what he hoped was a winning voice. 'I thought  you were supposed to be the easy-going sister?'

'The pliable one, do you mean?' she said, surprising him with her  heated response. 'Appearances can be deceptive, Count Quisvada.'

Tell my friend Raffa that, he thought, remembering the third man in the  consortium's reaction when Raffa Leon had first caught sight of Leila's  photograph. Raffa had thought the youngest Skavanga Diamond innocent  and appealing. Roman had always thought her shrewder and more obstinate  than she looked. Guess who'd been right?

'Call me Roman,' he said politely. 'And tell me where she is today.  Please,' he added, holding on to his patience by the slimmest of  threads. 'If you care anything about your sister, do it. And do it now. I  need to find her, Leila.'

He closed his eyes and let out a long, relieved breath as Eva's sister finally dished up the information he craved.

'Are you still there?' Leila demanded.

'Thank you,' he whispered on autopilot, his mind full of Eva.

'Do you love her?'

That woke him up. 'Forgive me, Leila, but you're not going to be the  first to hear how I feel about your sister. And now, if you will excuse  me-'

He ended the call on some platitude or other. Urgency had entered his  thinking when the plane landed, and it was at crisis point now. It  wasn't enough to admit the word love and keep it to himself, he had to  tell Eva face to face how he felt about her. And he had to do that right  now.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN

SHE HAD TO accept that sometimes she made terrible choices, and that  potentially this was one of those times. The assistants had just assured  her that the tight blue dress with the bright pink collar looked  amazing with Eva's flame-red hair and ivory complexion.

'As in, amazing I can look this bad?' she said, reaching for the back zip.

'As in let me do that for you...'

'Roman!'

'Eva,' he murmured, holding her stare.

Her world had just tilted on its axis. How could Roman Quisvada be  standing right in front of her in a dress shop on the main street of  Arctic Skavanga? No one knew she was shopping today...except for her  sisters.

'What are you doing here?' she demanded as if he didn't have every right to be there.

'Window shopping.'

His voice was low and his stare was direct, while she wasn't even sure  his name had made it to her lips, or that she'd even said hello  properly.

And he was her boss, Eva reminded herself as she filled her eyes with  him. The shock of seeing him had rendered her speechless. Tall, dark and  preposterously handsome, Roman was standing in the doorway, muffled up  in a dark ski jacket, jeans, boots and scarf, staring into her dazzled  eyes. He was like the one fixed point in an increasingly uncertain  reality. Even the assistants had backed away, and were cowering together  as if they had never encountered such a powerful force. She didn't  blame them. Roman wasn't someone you instinctively stepped in front of.  Rather, you stood to one side in the hope that he didn't notice you.  Unless you were Eva Skavanga, of course.

'That dress is hideous, Eva. I can't imagine why you're wearing it.  We're leaving,' he added. 'I've seen something better down the street.'

'You have?' she said, shooting sympathetic glances at the hovering assistants.

'I'm booked in across the road at the hotel,' he explained, 'and I saw  you come in here. You're looking for something to wear at the party  tomorrow-'

'And that's why you're here?'

'That's one of the reasons,' he said. 'Turn around so I can get you out of that thing.'                       
       
           



       

Eva was sure she heard a collective sigh rise from the cringing assistants as Roman slid the zipper down her back.

'Now go put your clothes on,' he said with all the confidence of a master of seduction. 'I'm going to take you to buy a dress.'

* * *

'I don't need you to buy me anything,' she protested, having recovered  slightly from the shock. 'And,' she began as he ushered her through the  door and out of the shop.

'And I've been away too long,' he suggested.

As his mouth crashed down on hers she could only agree. Backing her up  against the plate-glass window, Roman pinned her in position with his  hands on either side of her face. She was vaguely aware of the  assistants with their faces practically glued to the glass behind them.

'Are you determined to make a spectacle out of me?' she demanded when he finally released her.

Roman's answer was to smile, and when he yanked her close this time she  didn't waste time trying to push him away, she just laced her fingers  through his hair and responded.

'Are we going to make it to the party?' she murmured, speaking her thoughts out loud.

'I very much doubt it as we've only got a little over twenty-four hours.'

'But the dress-'

'I'll have it delivered,' he said, steering her safely across the road.

'How do we know it will fit?'

'I've made an educated guess,' he said, leading her step by wicked step  towards the brilliantly lit hotel entrance. 'I've taken a suite-'

'No. Seriously?' she said, making them both smile as her gaze fixed on Roman's sexy mouth.

'With a very big bed,' he murmured as they waited for the elevator.

'I'd expect nothing less.'

'As well as all sorts of other possibilities, should you choose to be adventurous,' he added as the steel doors slid open.