‘So what’s the verdict?’ she asked, glancing up at him from beneath her eyelashes.
About what? The sudden awakening of his conscience? Her dress and the clamouring urge he had to take her outside and get her out of it? His slow inexorable descent into insanity? ‘About what?’
‘The evening. Do you think we’ve got away with it?’
‘It certainly looks like it,’ he said. ‘Everyone seems awestruck. Eyebrows are shooting up and mouths are dropping open all over the place. I’ve never seen or heard anything like it.’
‘No?’ she said, flashing him a wicked smile and tilting her head. ‘Happens to me all the time.’
His heart lurched and his mouth went dry. What the hell was going on? Was she flirting with him? ‘I’m sure it does,’ he murmured, narrowing his eyes as if that would somehow lessen the destructive effect she was having on his newly discovered principles.
‘And what do you think?’
Will could barely breathe let alone think. ‘I think we’ve been incredibly lucky and it’s an experience I never want to repeat,’ he said, and he wasn’t just referring to this evening.
‘Pity,’ she said, lifting the glass to her mouth and pressing the rim against her lower lip. ‘I’ve found it fun.’
And perhaps she wasn’t either, he thought, his mouth drying as she tilted the glass and parted her lips and gave him a glimpse of her tongue. Then she dropped her head back, giving him a glorious view of her neck, and took a long swallow of champagne. As she brought her head back up she darted her tongue out to catch a drop of liquid that clung to her lower lip and let it linger before sweeping it along a bit. Will’s gaze automatically dipped to trace the movement and his mind went fuzzy. And then went even fuzzier at the light shining in the depths of her eyes.
‘You’ve done an incredible job,’ he said, barely able to speak.
‘It’s been an absolute pleasure.’
God. Had her gaze just darted to his groin? Whether he’d been imagining things or not, the job that immediately sprang into Will’s mind was not of the professional kind. ‘I’m glad you think so.’
‘Did you know today’s my birthday?’
Will blinked and rubbed his jaw. ‘I didn’t. Happy birthday.’
‘I certainly hope it will be.’
She shot him another smouldering glance and Will felt his skin prickle. ‘Did you get anything nice?’
‘My mother sent me an arnica plant.’
‘Why?’
‘I have absolutely no idea. Still, it could have been worse. At one point she asked me if I’d like a goat.’
‘Not hugely convenient.’
‘No.’ Bella shuddered and Will tried not to notice the way her body moved. ‘Imagine the mess.’
‘And the noise.’
‘Well, quite.’ She paused. ‘You know what I’d really like?’
His body tightened at the drop in her voice. ‘I can’t imagine,’ he murmured.
‘Can’t you?’
She shot him a scorching look from beneath her lashes and Will gritted his teeth. What was going on here? How was he to maintain his principled stance when she was in this foxy frame of mind? And why was she in this foxy frame of mind anyway? As bewilderment and frustration spun through him Will had finally had enough. ‘What are you doing, Bella?’
She smiled up at him and arched an eyebrow. ‘Toying with the idea of seducing you.’
For a moment Will thought he must have misheard. But the punch of desire that struck him in the stomach and robbed him of breath told him he hadn’t. Dammit, why couldn’t she have done all this before he’d decided he couldn’t pursue an affair with her? Say, when he’d first suggested it back at that restaurant. Her timing really was abysmal. ‘I see.’