‘I know what you mean, Rachel,’ he said, his voice holding only the faintest trace of amusement. ‘Believe me, you’re nothing if not crystal clear. And Jennie told me you don’t date so there’s no misunderstanding on that score. I’d just like you to share a meal with me now and again while I’m over here, that’s all. Business in the day and hotel rooms at night are OK, but eating alone can get pretty tedious.’
She stared into the dark face lit now and again by the lights flashing by outside the taxi windows. His voice had been casual, deceptively so. For a moment she almost believed him if it wasn’t for those unusual tawny eyes so intent on her face. Jennie had told him she didn’t date and for a man like Giles—or in this case, Zac—such a challenge couldn’t be ignored. Keeping her voice even and steady, she said calmly, ‘You mean as a friend? Dinner companions?’
‘Exactly.’ He nodded. ‘Friends.’
‘Purely platonic.’ She raised one eyebrow.
‘Right.’ He nodded again. ‘Sure thing.’
Yeah, and pigs could fly. ‘But I’m sure there’ll be lots of business colleagues willing to have dinner with you.’ And all of them women. ‘And Jennie’s free most nights, Susan too. You could meet her Henry, he’s a lovely man.’
‘I’m sure he is,’ he said, his Canadian burr warm. ‘But I enjoy your company and I had a good time tonight.’
So had she. That was the trouble.
‘And the thing is, we know where we stand with each other, right?’ he added, shifting slightly in his seat.
‘I’m sorry?’ She couldn’t think with him so close.
He assumed a patient tone. ‘I’m over here for a short time so there’s no question of any romantic attachments, and some women—even after one date—can make things a little awkward.’
Now, she did believe that. She bet women tried to stick to him like limpets; she might have done before Giles had woken her up to the fact that such men were dangerous.
‘You’re not looking for togetherness or anything permanent at the moment, so what’s the harm in us enjoying each other’s company for a couple of weeks, no strings attached?’
‘As friends?’ she emphasised again.
‘Sure. That’s not to say I don’t think you’re kind of nice, pretty too. And under that outward facade you’re soft and funny and sweet.’
Yeah, yeah, yeah. ‘There’s one thing I’m not, Zac,’ she said, a touch of steel in her voice. ‘And that’s willing in the bed department.’ She stared straight at him and she wasn’t smiling.
His languid gaze stroked over her face. He grinned. ‘You think I’m a wolf?’ he drawled lazily. ‘Of the big bad variety?’
‘Aren’t you?’ she prevaricated.
‘Not these days.’ Something flashed in the golden eyes and was gone. ‘Although I won’t say I’d be able to resist doing this occasionally.’
His lips had taken hers before she could do anything about it. It was a confident kiss, firm and sexy, his mouth exploring hers with an expertise that was far from chaste.
Rachel knew she’d stiffened but the sensual stirring of her blood and the knowledge that she’d wondered all night what this would be like kept her from pulling away. And all her imaginings couldn’t have prepared her for the impact anyway.
He broke the kiss before she regained enough control to finish it, lifting his head and smoothing the outline of her lips with the pad of his thumb. ‘Just a kiss,’ he said very softly, ‘because I’m not a wolf, Rachel. OK?’
She hoped he couldn’t feel she was shaking. It was the hardest thing she’d ever done, to pull herself together and speak coherently. ‘You prove you’re not a wolf by kissing me?’ she asked, proud of the slightly amused note she managed to inject into her tone and hiding her trembling hands in her lap.
‘Absolutely,’ he said firmly. ‘A wolf wouldn’t have stopped at a kiss, he’d have pressed his advantage by continuing until he got you to his hotel room which, of course, he would have arranged with the taxi driver beforehand.’
‘And you didn’t do that.’ Good line, she thought cynically.
‘I rest my case.’ His eyes lingered on the fullness of her lips and her body heat increased tenfold.
Her throat worked around a tight swallow, her mouth tingling from his kiss. She was equally amazed and devastated by her body’s reaction. She had thought herself in love with Giles but even in her most abandoned moments he hadn’t aroused her like this, and Zac Lawson was virtually a stranger—and a stranger she didn’t like at that. No, she corrected herself in the next instant. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him. Didn’t trust or approve of him was more to the point. Which made it even more humiliating, if anything. She just hoped and prayed he didn’t know.
‘Have I convinced you?’
She’d been so lost in the maelstrom of her thoughts that she blinked before she said, ‘That you’re not a wolf? Hardly. Apart from the fact that I think this reasoning is flawed, it could be a clever tactic on your part.’
He considered that for a moment. ‘Then the only way you can prove if I’m genuine is to see me again.’ He smiled winningly. ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating.’