Will nodded. ‘My father’s younger sister. Older than she looks. Why? Who did you think she was?’
‘I had no idea,’ said Bella frostily. ‘You didn’t introduce her.’
‘No. I’m sorry about that too.’
She shot him a look that he felt right in the pit of his stomach, and then nodded briefly. ‘Apologies accepted.’
And didn’t that make him feel absurdly relieved?
‘How long did you wait?’ he muttered, wondering what it was about her in particular that got to him and why he was finding it so difficult to think straight.
‘Longer than I should have,’ she said, glaring at him for a second then folding her arms over her chest, crossing her legs and sitting back.
Will rubbed a hand along his jaw, rapidly coming to the conclusion that, contrary to his earlier self-assurances, at some point over the last ten minutes he had actually lost his mind. Up until now he’d never considered himself to be much of a masochist but now he thought he might have to reassess his opinion. Because Bella, with her flashing eyes and pouty mouth and general air of stroppiness, was seriously turning him on.
He glanced over at her and his blood heated. If it hadn’t been such a cliché and if he hadn’t thought she’d slap him, he’d have told her she looked beautiful when she was angry. And sexy.
And as for her mouth, he thought, his gaze dipping to it, well, that was something else. His body tightened and his pulse hammered as the overwhelming need to know what it felt like, what it tasted like, spun through him.
‘Where would you like me to drop you?’ he said, his voice sounding strangely hoarse as he battled to bring his body under some sort of control.
‘My shop would be fine,’ she said coolly. ‘I live above it.’
‘How convenient.’
‘It is.’
‘How long have you had it?’
‘Seven years.’
During which she’d made quite a name for herself, according to Alex who’d heard it from Phoebe. ‘Bella Scott’ was apparently the place to go if you wanted a unique and unusual piece of jewellery designed.
‘What’s Bella short for?’ he asked in the vague hope that inane small talk might detract him from thinking about how unique and unusual she was and how much he’d like to haul her into his arms and kiss the life out of her.
‘What?’ She blinked and stared at him.
‘Your name. What’s it short for?’
She bristled. ‘What does that have to do with anything?’
‘I’m interested.’
She hmmed. Then lifted her chin and sniffed. ‘Belladonna, if you must know.’
Will felt his eyebrows shoot up as a smile curved his mouth. ‘Unusual.’
‘Yes, well, unfortunately my mother has a long-standing obsession with homoeopathy.’
She didn’t sound as if she thought much of that particular occupation and he fought back a grin. ‘And actually remarkably apt.’
Bella frowned and glared at him. ‘You think I’m deadly?’ she said, the tone of her voice leaving him in no doubt about what she thought of that.
‘I think you’re beautiful,’ he said, wondering what on earth he was doing but finding it hard to care given the way his resolve was disintegrating beneath the overwhelming pressure of wanting her.
Her reaction to his words was unexpectedly dramatic, the change in her palpable. For a moment there was utter silence. Then she let out a shuddery little sigh, her whole body softening and Will felt the slow beat of desire start up inside him as he realised with relief that she wasn’t going to slap him.
In fact he got the heady feeling that she was going to do the opposite. He watched her swallow hard, her eyes beginning to sparkle and gleam in the inky darkness of the car. He could feel the heat radiating off her body, caught the flicker of interest leaping in the depths of her eyes and heard the almost imperceptible quickening of her breathing. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and his gaze lingered on her mouth, lust whipping along his veins and tiny fires igniting in the pit of his stomach.