Helen frowned. ‘Me, of course.’
Oliver’s expression didn’t flicker. ‘How did you meet him?’
‘He worked for my dad.’
Oliver gave a wry smile. ‘And he was deemed a suitable partner for the boss’s daughter?’
Helen flushed. ‘Something like that. But I liked David.’
‘But you don’t marry someone because you like them,’ Oliver said softly, leaning forward and trapping her eyes with his. ‘You marry them because you love them. Did you love him, Helen?’
There was a long silence and she was suddenly aware of the steady beat of her heart and the heat in his eyes.
‘I don’t know.’ She swallowed hard. ‘A week ago I would have answered definitely yes, of course I would. If I hadn’t loved him, I wouldn’t have agreed to marry him.’
‘Wouldn’t you?’ Oliver’s gaze was steady on hers. ‘You’re a sweet girl, Helen. It strikes me that you spend a lot of time doing things for other people. Who were you marrying David for? You or your parents?’
She shook her head. Suddenly the only things she could think about were his unbelievably thick, dark lashes and the lazy, sexy look in his eyes.
‘I don’t know.’ Her voice was barely a whisper and he gave a soft curse and pushed his chair away from the t
able.
‘Oliver?’
He strode around to her side and dragged her to her feet, his mouth descending on hers with a fierce passion that took her by surprise.
She melted instantly, loving the feel of his hard body against hers, this time without the frustrating barrier of outdoor clothing.
As kisses went, this one was crazy, a desperate, driven explosion of sexual chemistry that was stronger than both of them.
‘You’re driving me nuts,’ Oliver groaned against her mouth, one strong hand sliding into the softness of her hair, anchoring her head for his kiss. The other arm dragged her closer still, trapping her against the hardness of his arousal. ‘Living and working with you is driving me nuts.’
She gasped and pressed closer still and he slid her uniform up her thighs and lifted her in an easy movement, his mouth still on hers as he sat her on the table. Then he slid both hands over her bottom and tugged her close so that her legs were wrapped around him.
He gave a moan of pure masculine appreciation and reluctantly dragged his mouth away from hers, but only so that he could kiss his way down her neck.
‘Have I ever told you that you have fabulous legs?’ His voice was husky with passion and his strong hands slid purposefully up her thighs, caressing the smooth skin with deliberate strokes, ‘because you have totally, amazing legs—I love your legs.’
‘Oliver…’
His mouth smothered her broken plea for satisfaction and she felt the burning heat of his body against hers, felt the warm seduction of his lips and tongue, the skilled touch of his hands. With a moan of frustration she tugged his shirt out of his trousers and her hands slid underneath, exploring warm, male flesh and hard muscle. He had an incredible physique. Suddenly she wanted to feel all of him and she didn’t resist when she felt his fingers impatiently freeing the buttons on her dress.
When his fingers slid beneath her flimsy bra and claimed a nipple she gave a tortured gasp and arched against him, feeling the insistent throb of his arousal pressed hard against her, and when he bent his head and replaced his fingers with his mouth she sobbed with a mixture of pleasure and arousal.
Bells rang in her head, loud and insistent, and it was only when Oliver lifted his head with a reluctant groan that she realised that it was the phone.
His breath fractured and his eyes slightly dazed, Oliver slowly released her. ‘I’ve got to answer that,’ he said hoarsely, pulling the edges of her dress together with visible reluctance. ‘I’m on call.’
Unable to move or think clearly, Helen waited until he’d eased away from her and then tugged her uniform down her thighs, her face scarlet as she reviewed her own behaviour.
What had she been thinking of?
She’d been all set to marry David and yet here she was, only a month later, virtually making love with a man on his kitchen table. And the power of her own response to Oliver shocked her. Never before had she experienced one tenth of the urgency, the need, the desperation that she’d experienced with Oliver.
If the phone hadn’t rung…
Utterly shocked and confused, Helen fastened her buttons quickly, wondering what had happened to her.