James didn’t answer. Pulling away from Sienna, he held her captive with an intense gaze for an eternity before striding to the other side of his car.
Her heart hammered. She had to stop him doing that. It wasn’t part of the deal. The footpath outside her home definitely constituted as the safety of her studio, surely?
At least she wouldn’t need to worry at the exhibition. He was a Dyson and there was no way a Dyson would be seen kissing someone like her, the daughter of a convicted criminal currently in Long Bay Jail.
So why did her stomach flutter and her sex constrict? Why did she have to fight to stop herself studying his profile as he drove the streets? Why did she want to spend the night being his date? His date, for Pete’s sake. With all the implications that came with that—the flirting, the stolen glances, the kiss at the door after the evening finished.
The possible invitation for more than just a kiss…
“So, Sienna,” Thomas’s deep voice from behind her shoulder made her start, “tell me about you.”
She gave him a quick glance over her shoulder. “I’m very boring.”
“Don’t believe that for a second. Not a second. Tell me everything. Leave nothing out.”
“I’m the only daughter of a convicted felon currently serving time for embezzlement in Australia’s most infamous jail.” She twisted in her seat enough to face him, giving him a wide grin. “He was once this country’s most successful talent agent and is now—apparently—someone called Steel-bar Tony’s bitch.”
She returned her stare to the road ahead, her throat tight. The statement was for her benefit, not Thomas’s. She needed to bring herself back to reality. Tonight was not normal for her. A famous writer flirting with her like crazy? A jealous billionaire? Not normal. Neither was the kind of guy who showed interest in her. Hell, since her dad went to prison, no one had showed any interest in her, and she’d showed no interest in any guy. Life was about painting and making enough money to keep her and Zach in a warm, safe home. Tonight was an abnormality. Her Cinderella moment.
At the end of tonight, the Aston Martin turned into a clapped out old Honda, and the two gorgeous guys turned into… Well, they stayed gorgeous guys, just not hers.
She needed to remember that. Just as surely as she needed to remember James was up to something. If she forgot, she may as well open her chest and hand over her heart to the nearest maniac with a sledgehammer.
…
The moment Thomas asked her to reveal everything about herself, Sienna’s guard went back up.
James wanted to punch the guy. Thomas didn’t know what he’d done, of course. The only thing Thomas knew about Sienna was that she was the artist who created the erotic painting hanging in his office. He knew nothing of her past relationship with Clinton, or the reason for her existence in James’s life. If he’d been thinking ahead, James would have given Thomas a small breakdown of the situation, that Sienna Roberts was off-limits, that he had plans for her.
Plans for her? Huh. Those plans were skewing more and more off-kilter. The second he’d laid eyes on her tonight, the dress clinging to her lush curves, her hair a wild copper-red mass of waves, her eyes nervous and excited—like a child about to witness her first fireworks display—he’d wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and kiss her.
The level of restraint needed to not do so made his gut ache.
And then Thomas had spied her and the flirting had begun.
He’d prepared for it, Sienna was all of Thomas’s boxes ticked at once, and yet he still struggled to control his jealousy.
Why the fuck do I care if her guard goes up again?
Gripping the steering wheel tighter, he navigated through the streets, heading for the Sydney Art Gallery.
Why did he care?
Because he liked her. There was nothing else for it. He liked the way she interacted with her younger brother, liked the care and love in her voice and face when she looked at Zach. He liked the quickness of her mind and the way she laughed at his dry sarcasm. He liked that she didn’t snivel at his feet because of his name and social status. He also liked how she’d tried not to attend tonight’s exhibition opening with him. How she’d tried to go alone.