‘Did I hurt you?’ His tone held a trace of puzzlement.
‘Please, just let me go.’
‘Tell me—’
‘I’m exhausted. My body clock is on stupid o’clock. I don’t have any fight left in me and I have an early-morning meeting. You can probably push me into telling you my darkest secret, but I’m hoping you won’t because it won’t be a fair fight.’
Slowly his lips left hers, followed by his hands, then the warmth of his body. Regret pierced her heart but she forced herself to accept it.
Regret was good. It built character.
Regret is also a lonely bedfellow.
Shut up!
‘You’ll tell me one day very soon—without the need for torture instruments.’
She finally opened her eyes and returned his passion-heavy stare. ‘You really are cocky, aren’t you?’
He merely shrugged.
‘Okay … umm … good luck with that.’ She backed up until she was inside the door. ‘Goodnight.’
Turning, she fled.
CHAPTER NINE
‘HOW GOOD ARE your contacts in Eastern Europe?’ Damion asked from across the breakfast bar, where he was finishing his coffee.
She looked up from the box containing the jade figurine she’d retrieved from Pascale Duvall. ‘The best in the business. Why?’
His gaze dropped to the figurine and back to her face. ‘I want you to reconsider my job offer.’ He raised his hand when she started to protest. ‘On a contract basis. I’m thinking of branching into Eastern Europe. My sources took far too long to locate the rightful owners of the Matryoshka dolls. Use your contacts to verify the pedigree of the pieces I acquire.’
‘You must have a thousand employees who can do that for you.’
‘One thousand and one has a nice ring to it.’
He named the price of her employment and her mouth dropped open. That sort of money would make a huge difference to the lives of so many in her support group.
When he reached over and tugged her chin up with one long finger, heat stole through her, followed closely by suspicion.
‘You wouldn’t happen to be making this offer because you’re hoping I’ll end up in your bed, would you?’
‘You’ll end up there whether you take the job or not.’
His sheer audacity stole her breath away. She didn’t bother to argue with him because she was beginning to recognise the futility of it. Instead she picked up the box, grabbed her bag and headed for the door. He was there before her, opening the door for her, a look in his eyes that made her alternately want to keep staring into those grey depths and run and hide.
She didn’t want to be the focus of Damion’s attention. And yet she wasn’t running in the opposite direction as she ought to.
He smiled, and a shiver, delicious and intense, washed over her. Desperately she pushed it away. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down where Damion was concerned. The woman he thought he was pursuing no longer existed.
‘Keep building those barriers against me,’ he drawled. ‘I’ll take great pleasure in knocking them down.’
‘I wasn’t building barriers. I was considering your job offer.’
He took the box from her and led her through the lobby towards the car. ‘And?’
‘I’m leaning towards yes.’