‘If I decided to go through with it, would I succeed?’
God, probably. Will curled his hands into fists, set his jaw and reminded himself of all the excellent reasons why she wouldn’t. ‘No.’
‘OK,’ she said, nodding slowly and batting her eyelashes up at him. ‘I guess I could let you seduce me if you’d prefer.’
His entire body tensed. ‘Definitely not.’
Her smile faltered a little. ‘Oh. Right … ‘ She bit her lip and frowned. ‘Why not?’
‘It wouldn’t be right.’
For a moment Bella simply stared at him. ‘Scruples, Will?’
‘Looks like it, doesn’t it?’
She blinked. ‘But why? I want you. I think you want me. So what’s the problem?’
He did want her. Oh, how he wanted her … ‘I’m not the man you seem to think I am.’
Bella gave her head a quick shake and then smiled. ‘Oh dear,’ she said softly. ‘First Phoebe, now you.’
‘What?’
‘Phoebe warned me off you.’
Will fought down the stab of irritation that that aroused. ‘She was right to do so.’
‘Surely you can’t be that bad?’
Judging by the light sparkling in the depths of her eyes, Bella was clearly hoping that he was as bad as could be.
Time to disillusion her.
Taking in a quick sharp breath, Will drew himself up to his full height and looked down at her. ‘I lied, Bella.’
Her eyes widened. ‘About what?’
‘This evening.’
She tilted her head and looked up at him and Will felt as if she could see right into the depths of his soul. ‘In what way?’
‘It was my idea. The whole thing.’ He pulled his hands out of his pockets and waved them in the direction of the display cases before raking them through his hair and then shoving them back in his pockets. ‘Caroline didn’t promise the collection to anyone.’
‘She didn’t?’
He shook his head, his eyes blazing into hers as he tried to make her see. ‘I did. I was the one who rang the director of the museum. I was the one who told him he could exhibit it.’
She frowned and he felt something like regret lodge in his chest. ‘Why?’
‘Attrition.’
‘What?’
‘Attrition. Erosion by friction.’
‘Yes, I’m aware of what it is,’ she said. ‘But what does it have to do with anything?’
‘Everything,’ he said abruptly. ‘I’ve spent the last three weeks wanting to wear you down.’