But Kitty didn’t wince. She held her breath, waiting for the ultimate in public humiliation. It was suddenly so quiet, it was as if the rest of the world was holding its breath with her. This would actually be worse than when she’d finally found out about James’s infidelity. At least she’d been alone then and not in the centre of a roomful of people.
‘Sarah guessed,’ Kitty muttered as she finally braved a glance up at him and recklessly killed the silence that had been a fraction too long already. ‘She’s always been astute.’
His gaze imprisoned hers and for a second everyone in the room faded. His eyes were like banked furnaces, so very black but so very deep and there was a level of emotion in them that she’d not expected and that she couldn’t interpret.
Oh, God, she should just run away now.
His fingers tightened even more—to the point of pain—as if he’d read her mind and was physically preventing her escape. But she wanted to run. She had to. How could she ever explain?
Sarah—the one who’d never told her that her fiancé was sleeping with someone else. Sarah—who’d never been nice, who’d never welcomed her into the group, who’d never seemed to want her to succeed.
‘You’ve caught her out, Sarah,’ Alejandro said quietly.
Kitty started to die inside.
‘Catriona was reluctant to announce it so soon...’ He trailed off.
Sarah’s jaw dropped. So did Kitty’s, but she caught herself in time. She licked her lips, her heart thundering as she gazed at Alejandro. He was smiling? He was looking...satisfied?
He turned to face her nemesis intently. ‘We can trust you, can’t we?’
‘Of course,’ Sarah said weakly. ‘But I...er...might have been a bit loud just then.’
‘No matter.’ Alejandro smiled. ‘We’re all friends here.’
Did he underline the word ‘friends’? He still held Kitty’s hand in a vice but he was smiling.
‘Congratulations.’ Sarah looked stunned.
Alejandro lifted his free hand to place a finger over his lips and winked at her. ‘Shh, remember?’ Finally he turned to Kitty again. ‘Come along, Catriona. I think you need some fresh air.’
He set off at such a pace Kitty almost stumbled. If it weren’t for the grip he had on her hand, she might have. Instead he wrapped his other arm around her waist and—under the guise of attentive affection—practically dragged her out through the back room, past that bland dishwashing guy and out into the small private courtyard at the back.
Only once they were alone outside did he release her. Kitty took a quick few steps to the corner of the tiled courtyard. Then turned to face him.
‘We’re engaged?’ He sent her a look.
With the bright lights gleaming from the house, this one was easy to interpret. He was amused?
‘It’s your fault,’ she declared, instantly defensive. ‘I was trying not to be predictable. You dared me.’
‘So it’s my fault?’
‘This entire mess is your fault.’ She nodded firmly.
He slowly stepped closer. ‘You don’t feel any responsibility, given you’re the one who broke in and tried to steal from me?’
‘I didn’t break in; I used a key. And I wasn’t stealing anything that belongs to you.’
‘No? I wonder.’ He was watching her closely, then his smile returned, slow and seductive. ‘Catriona, you are going to pay for this, you know.’
‘Not in the way you’re thinking.’
He laughed and stepped so he was right in her personal space. ‘Very much in the way I’m thinking. You think these sparks can be ignored?’
She really wished his accent didn’t make his atrocious words sound so damn attractive. His laugh was low and did things to her insides and the cool air did nothing to settle the fever in her bones.
Now she really wished he’d stop looking at her like that. It made her hot and it was even harder to concentrate. And he knew it. He knew he was like catnip to every woman in the world. He loved it. She didn’t want to want him at all. But her stupid body recognised the talent and experience in his.
‘Is this the bit where you attempt to exert your sexual dominance over me?’ she growled as he stepped closer still.
He let out another burst of laughter, but he caught both her hands in his and forced them behind her back in a move of total sexual dominance. ‘No, this is the bit where I stop you from saying more stupid things in public.’
‘You have no right to censor me.’ She had no idea where the wildness came from. She’d never normally speak to anyone like this. Usually she’d duck her head and mind her own business and let Teddy do the talking.
‘Not censoring you,’ he chided wickedly. ‘Kissing you. To leave you speechless.’
‘You’re...what?’ Her jaw dropped. ‘You’re unbelievable.’
‘I know. So good.’ He mock preened.
But his proximity was getting to her—she could feel his strength and his size and, appallingly, she wanted to lean up against him! She stiffened instead. ‘You don’t think you’re hyping yourself up too much? I’m going to expect something so amazing you’re never going to be able to live up to it.’
‘I’m willing to take the risk.’
‘You’re willing to take a lot of risks.’
‘Possibly. But this is my home and you will not cause trouble when I have this many guests present.’
‘Then let me leave. With my necklace.’ She looked up and sent him a brilliant smile, pleased with her comeback. ‘It’s a very simple solution.’
‘No, that can’t happen now,’ he answered bluntly, his expression intent. ‘Stupid talk earns kissing, remember?’
Kitty didn’t get the chance to breathe, let alone reply. Because he’d bent his head and brushed his lips over hers. It was the softest, lightest kiss and not at all what she’d have expected. Silenced, stilled, she waited. There was another light, gentle caress—lips on lips. And then another.
That was when she realised he was the kind of lover who would take his time. Infinite time and care, to arouse her. The thing was, she didn’t need that much time. Her toes curled in the ends of her shoes as he kissed her again and she couldn’t help her slight gasp, the parting of her suddenly needy mouth. But he didn’t press closer, harder—instead, he kept the kiss light, almost sweet, and he was utterly in control. There was just that underlying edge as she absorbed the rigidity of his body...and started to realise that the tightness of his grasp on her wrists was no longer to hold her in place, but to hold himself back.
She looked up at him, bemused by his tender, go softly approach. He threw her a small smile, as if he knew exactly how much she’d anticipated a punishing kiss from him—all frantic passion and a duelling race to the finish line.
And she was not disappointed it hadn’t become that kind of kiss. Nor was she yearning for another.
‘That wasn’t enough?’ he teased knowingly. ‘You want a little more?’
‘That was more than enough,’ she lied with a little shrug. ‘I guess this is where you say we English have no passion.’
‘I’ve yet to meet a woman who doesn’t feel passion when she’s with me—’
‘You mean anger? Rage?’
He chuckled and brushed his thumb across her hyper-sensitised lips. ‘Too easy.’
Awareness rippled down her spine, a warm tide of liquid desire. It was impossible that she be so drawn to this man. He was a philanderer—a total playboy who’d had more lovers than she had freckles. And she had a lot of freckles.