Score one for Mrs. Berry. “Good.” He paused awkwardly, still standing across from her. “How are you feeling?”
Her lovely face looked unhappy. Her hands clasped together as she blurted out, “I think we’ve made a big mistake.”
Danger clanged through him. “A mistake?”
She tucked a loose tendril of brown hair behind her ear. She said softly, “I don’t think I can stay here.”
Leonidas stared at her in consternation. Then he understood.
“Because I almost kissed you last night,” he guessed grimly. She nodded, not meeting his eyes.
He had to soothe her—make her feel safe. He took a deep breath. Going against all his instincts, he didn’t move. Instead, he said gently, “You have no reason to be afraid of me.”
“I’m n
ot afraid of you. I’m afraid of—”
She cut off her words.
“Afraid of what?”
Her pale green eyes lifted to his, and he knew, no matter how Daisy tried to pretend otherwise, that she felt the same electricity. Every time her gaze fell to his lips. Every time their eyes met, and she nervously looked away. Every time he touched her and felt her tremble.
She was afraid of herself. Of her own desire. Afraid, if she gave in, that she would be lost forever.
And she was poised to flee. If he didn’t reassure her, he’d scare her straight back into Franck Bain’s apartment—if not his arms.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “What if I promise I won’t try to kiss you?”
Silence crackled as they faced each other in the breakfast nook. Outside in the courtyard, there was a soft thump as snow fell from the branches onto the white-covered earth.
“Would you really make that promise?” she said finally.
“Yes. I’ll never try to kiss you, Daisy. Not unless you want me to.”
“On your honor?”
He tried to comfort himself with the fact that at least she now believed he had honor. “Yes.”
Daisy bit her lip, then said slowly, “All right. If I have your word, then...then I’ll stay.”
He exhaled. “Good.” He tried not to think about how hard it would be not to kiss her. How hard it was not to kiss her even now.
He took a deep breath. “I need to go to work today.”
“Work?”
“I’m CEO and principal shareholder of Liontari.”
“That’s a store?”
“An international consortium of brands. You’ve probably heard of them. Vertigris, for instance.”
“What’s that?”
“Champagne.”
“No. But I don’t really drink...”