Aware that he was still watching her, and hoping he hadn’t guessed quite how much her body had revelled in his touch, she gritted her teeth and gave him a quick, tight smile.
‘I think I’ll pass.’ She glanced pointedly past him to the door. ‘Kate will be coming back any moment. She’s going to give me a facial.’
According to Kate, it would help clear her skin of toxins. Her chest squeezed tight. If only it would also purge her body of this stupid and inappropriate physical attraction she appeared to have for Rollo. Not that anything was going to happen, she told herself firmly. She might have agreed to call a truce, but that didn’t mean she was going to have sex with him.
Sleeping with Rollo would be a mistake—and she’d already made quite enough of those. Maybe if their situation had been different, she might have considered exploring the chemistry between them. But she could hardly ignore the fact that he was blackmailing her. And, besides, she wasn’t about to do anything to jeopardise the entente cordiale between them.
Logic demanded that she override her hormones. It would be a lot easier though if her brain and body both felt the same way about him.
Or better still felt nothing at all.
Suddenly she was desperate to leave—to escape Rollo’s unsettling presence and the spiralling tensions in the room—and, reaching down, cheeks burning, she snatched the towel, pulling it swiftly up to cover her naked breasts.
‘Actually, I should probably go and look for her. Would you mind passing me my robe?’
He held it out to her, his fingers curling loosely in the soft fabric, and her heart started to beat faster as she remembered how freely and recently those same hands had roved over her body.
His green eyes lightened with amusement as she pushed her arms into the sleeves, trying to cover herself up as quickly as possible.
‘Relax,’ he said softly. ‘I’m not in the habit of jumping women. Besides, I’ve got a meeting with my head of finance—and, much as I’d love to give it a miss, I can’t just turn my back on work. Otherwise...’ pausing, he gave her a slow, curling smile ‘... I might not have a business left for when we finally convince Dunmore to sell to me?’
Sliding off the bed, disconcerted by his sudden, blunt reminder of why she was in his life, Daisy tried to match his smile. ‘Okay. Then I’ll see you later.’
He frowned. ‘Actually, a little earlier than that. There’s been a change of plan. That’s why I dropped in.’
His eyes rested calmly on her face and Daisy was jolted back into reality. Of course, there had been a reason for his visit. Hard-headed businessmen like Rollo didn’t do random or impulsive.
Ignoring the prickling disappointment inside her chest, she met his gaze. ‘Why earlier?’ she said stiffly.
‘We’re going out tonight,’ he said coolly. ‘To a gallery. I meant to say something before, only I got a little distracted.’
She nodded. But her brain was seething with resentment. He was so autocratic—taking it for granted that she had no plans, or none that couldn’t be rearranged to suit his agenda.
‘The limo will pick us up at seven. That should give you plenty of time to get ready.’
He spoke with the same brisk detachment he used for discussing the logistics of his day with his driver, Kenny, and he was walking towards the door before she finally managed to speak.
‘Tonight?’
He nodded. ‘It’s an exhibition. I’m a patron at the gallery and they’re having a party.’
Daisy stared at him in horror. ‘But what about my parents and David? They don’t know anything about us.’
‘That won’t change. It’s a small, private gallery. Local paparazzi will pick it up, but I doubt it’ll make the national news.’
She lifted her chin. ‘But you said we wouldn’t be ready for another week—’
His eyes drifted mockingly over her flushed cheeks. ‘I think we’re ready. Don’t you?’
She met his gaze. Her skin was still tingling from the heat of his touch, her body quivering like a city after an earthquake, and she knew that she must look dazed, feverish. Turned on. So, yes, they were ready.
Not that it mattered either way, she thought as the door closed behind him. Judging by Rollo’s expression, she was going to be at that party—ready or not.
* * *
Only another two minutes and it would be showtime!
Glancing furtively at the screen on her phone, Daisy felt a familiar rush of nerves—the mixture of excitement tinged with fear and dread that preceded every first night. Tasting the adrenaline in her mouth, she shuddered involuntarily.