Acting otherwise would demonstrate a lack of self-belief his father wouldn’t have countenanced in his worthy heir.
What Charlie needed was to get back into his routine.
Last night, he had slept badly. His body had felt as if it was in a vice. And seeing her earlier in that
electric blue bikini hadn’t helped either.
It wasn’t only the memory of that kiss that had kept him awake. He couldn’t forget the pain in her eyes. It was a pain he understood. A pain that stemmed from fear—fear of being pushed to the outer edges, where it was cold and dark and silent.
But Dora would be fine. He would make sure she was financially secure, for Archie’s sake. This—this flirting, this pull-me, push-me between them—was going to stop now.
That was why she was here.
Here, surrounded by people, he was safe from the hunger and the longing. Or that was the theory.
Leaning back, he watched her blush fade.
‘Sin and secrets,’ she said finally. ‘No wonder you fit in so well.’
He picked up his cup, letting the fragrant steam fill his nostrils. ‘I told you before—I have no secrets.’
‘And I suppose you’ve never sinned either?’
Not with you, he thought, unable to drag his eyes away from her teasing, grey eyes.
‘What can I say? Law by name—law-abiding by nature,’ he said softly.
‘Nicely swerved.’ She smiled. ‘This place is wasted on you. You should be running the country.’
He held her gaze, transfixed by her smile. ‘Who says I’m not?’
She shook her head. ‘Okay, I fold.’
‘That’s pretty early in the game.’
‘You forget...’ She ran her finger along the rim of her cup. ‘I work in a casino. I see what happens if you get out of your depth. Not that I’m comparing Blakely’s to this. Or even to Vegas.’
‘You’ve been to Vegas?’
Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she frowned. ‘Why the surprise?’
‘I didn’t have you down as a gambler.’
‘I’m not a gambler. It was a hen weekend.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘It was okay. Bit like a theme park. We had a private table on the first night, and then we spent the rest of the time by the hotel pool and in the karaoke bars.’
He watched her pick up her cup and glance away. She had covered it up quickly, but just for a second he had seen a flicker of panic in her eyes when she spoke, as though she had revealed something.
More than anything, he wished he knew what.
His guts twisted. His motive for bringing her to the casino was simple. He wanted to show her what he could offer his brother; make her see the benefits of accepting that he was part of Archie’s life.
Now, though, he was getting distracted by her—not just the pretty face, but the woman. Maybe the pretty face too, he thought a moment later, watching her throat as she swallowed her tea.
‘That’s interesting,’ he said.
She looked over at him, and gave him a small, mocking smile. ‘Earth-shattering I’m sure.’
‘No, really. I don’t often get feedback from someone in your position.’