‘I know you acted cool about it, but I thought you might worry about being underdressed, so I spoke to my mother’s stylist and she sent these over this morning.’
Hanging from a rail were at least twenty outfits in clear, protective wrappers.
Nola gazed at them speechlessly.
He grinned, obviously pleased by her reaction. ‘Pick something you like. I think there are shoes as well. I’m just going to go change.’
She nodded. But picking something was not as easy as Ram’s throwaway remark had implied. The clothes were all so beautiful... Finally she settled on a pale blue dress with a pretty ribbon-edged cardigan that cleverly concealed her bump. Her cheeks were already flushed, so she didn’t bother with any blusher, but she brushed her hair until it lay smoothly over her shoulders, and then added a smudge of clear lip gloss.
‘You look beautiful.’
Turning, she caught her breath. Ram was lounging in the doorway, his grey eyes glittering with approval.
‘So do you,’ she said huskily, her gaze drifting over his dark suit and cornflower-blue shirt.
Holding out his hand, he grinned. ‘Who? Me? I’m just here to drive the car.’
The car turned out to be a Lamborghini, low to the ground and an eye-catching bright blue.
As they drove the short distance to his parents’ house she couldn’t resist teasing him about the colour. ‘Did you choose the car to match your shirt?’
He gave her a heartbreaking smile. ‘No, your eyes,’ he said softly. ‘Now, stop distracting me.’
She bit her lip, her expression innocent. ‘I distract you?’
Shaking his head, he grimaced. ‘More like bewitch me. Since I met you in that café I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything. I’ve hardly done any work for months. If I wasn’t me, I’d fire myself.’
Glancing out of the window, with his words humming inside her head, she felt suddenly ridiculously happy—even though, she reminded herself quickly, Ram was really only talking about the sexual chemistry between them.
Two minutes later he shifted down a gear and turned into a driveway. Nola could see tennis courts and a rectangle of flawless green grass.
‘It’s a putting green,’ Ram said quietly. ‘Guy is a big golf fan.’
She nodded. Of course it was a putting green.
But then the putting green was forgotten, for suddenly she realised why Ram had taken her to his house first.
As he switched off the engine she breathed out slowly. ‘You thought all this would scare me, didn’t you? That’s why we went to Stanmore first.’
He shrugged, but the intensity of his gaze told her that she was right.
Reaching out, she touched his hand tentatively. ‘Thank you.’
He caught her fingers in his, his eyes gently mocking her. ‘I was a little concerned at how you might react. But, as you can see, I’m way richer than they are...’
She punched him lightly on the arm.
‘I can’t believe you said that.’
Leaning forward, he tipped her face up to his. ‘Can’t you?’ he said softly. ‘Then your opinion of me must be improving.’
For a moment time seemed to slow, and they gazed at one another in silence until finally she cleared her throat.
‘Do you think we should go in?’
‘Of course.’ He let go of her chin. ‘Let’s go and eat.’
Walking swiftly through the house, Ram felt as though his chest might burst. He couldn’t quite believe that he’d brought Nola here. One way or another it was asking for trouble—especially as his relationship with her was still at such a delicate stage. But avoiding his parents wasn’t an option either—not if he was serious about getting Nola to trust him.