Phoebe raised an eyebrow. ‘How absolutely fascinating.’
‘Don’t you just love siblings?’ he drawled.
‘Simply adore them,’ she said, and then thought of her own. ‘But I couldn’t eat a whole one.’
He didn’t even crack a smile and Phoebe felt her hackles shoot up. What was his problem? ‘I didn’t think international playboys bothered with things like fridges.’
A warning gleam entered his eyes. ‘Are you making assumptions about me, Phoebe?’
‘Simply making an observation,’ she said with an innocent smile.
‘Champagne has to be chilled somewhere, don’t you think?’
‘It certainly does. The colder the better.’
‘Especially in this heat.’
Phoebe shivered at the smouldering silvery sparks in his gaze.
‘It’s not that warm,’ said Jo. ‘Not for May. And, Phoebs, you’ve got goose-bumps.’
‘Cold?’ Alex asked softly, running his gaze over her, and to her irritation her body responded instantly. Her breasts tightened uncomfortably against the close-fitting dress and her nipples hardened while hot flames of desire licked deep inside her.
‘No.’
The seconds stretched, and the longer their gazes held, the more it felt as if nothing else existed beyond the sizzling attraction that arced between them. Her gaze dipped to his mouth and the desperate longing to have it on hers again thumped her in the stomach.
And Alex wanted it too, she realised with a jolt. She could tell by the darkening of his eyes and by the way his body seemed to go utterly still. Phoebe shuddered at the desire that suddenly ripped through her and dragged in a shaky breath. Alex frowned and ran a hand through his hair and when he jerked his attention away from her Phoebe felt as if a piece of elastic had snapped her in the face.
She had to stop this. She’d never had trouble controlling her hormones before, so why now?
Jo thankfully seemed oblivious to the electric undercurrents that fizzed between them and was looking round the gardens. ‘So what do you think of the venue?’ she asked brightly. ‘Isn’t it heavenly?’
‘Quite literally, given that we’re six storeys above the streets of central London,’ Alex replied. ‘The gardens are…’ his gaze swung back to Phoebe and her heart practically thudded to a halt ‘…illuminating.’
‘That’ll be the clever lighting,’ she said, amazed that her voice sounded so steady when her whole body was trembling.
‘Not that clever if you’re falling into ponds. By the way, have either of you seen Mark?’
Alex tensed. ‘Who’s Mark?’
‘My new boyfriend.’ Jo beamed.
Alex’s jaw clenched and his face darkened.
‘I’ve been looking all over the place for him but can’t find him anywhere. I thought he might have come out here.’
‘He did.’
There was a heavy silence. And then eventually Jo swung round, and stared at him. ‘Oh no. Have you met him?’ She frowned, her expression starting out wary but then when Alex didn’t answer immediately, turning to anger. ‘What happened? What did you do to him?’
Alex’s face was as rigid as stone and Phoebe hoped she’d never give him cause to look at her like that. With all that restrained strength and power, combined with the scar and the bump on his nose, she had a feeling Alex Gilbert could be a dangerous man to cross. ‘I poured him into a taxi and sent him home.’
‘I don’t believe it,’ said Jo, her voice tense with frustration. ‘Why did you do that?’
‘Mark was slightly the worse for wear,’ Phoebe interjected. ‘I tried to persuade him to cool off but he wasn’t really co-operating.’
‘Mark was off his head,’ Alex corrected sharply, ‘and I was under the brief misapprehension that Phoebe’s safety was at stake.’