‘I don’t play those kinds of games.’
‘Well, what kinds of games do you play?’ he asked, a light suddenly shining in his eyes.
‘Feed me first and then I’ll show you.’
* * *
Oddly enough, the end of date number three, a week later, came round far too quickly for Dan’s liking.
He’d implemented the rule to prevent the need for intimacy and to avoid the disclosure of any personal information that might be of interest to the paper-reading public, which up to now had worked rather too well, as—as Zoe had so perceptively pointed out—not many of the women who expressed an interest in him and vice versa were happy with his conditions. But somehow with Zoe sex on its own didn’t seem to be enough.
He wanted to know more about her. A lot more. The taster she’d given him when he’d asked her about the effect the bullying had had on her had left him wondering what she felt about and how she dealt with other things, like her family, her business, her friends. He wanted to know what she thought about politics, current affairs, whether she had any hobbies. But as he’d been so bloody pig-headed about the rule in the first place he’d hardly been able to break it and ask her.
However, now they were coming to the end of it, he was thinking that if Zoe were amenable and if they agreed to keep things low-key perhaps they could renegotiate the deal.
It would require something of a leap of faith because even though what he was about to suggest wouldn’t expose him to the possibility of a kiss-and-tell, it would leave him vulnerable nonetheless. But then what was he going to do? Stick to his guns and be alone for ever? That sounded even less appealing.
‘So I guess this is it, then,’ said Zoe, sitting on the edge of the bed all dressed and ready to leave, her expression unfathomable.
‘It doesn’t have to be.’
Her eyebrows lifted. ‘No?’
Dan took a deep breath and hoped to God he wasn’t making a colossal mistake. ‘What would you say to signing that confidentiality agreement you mentioned?’
* * *
Well, that was a suggestion she’d never anticipated, Zoe thought, staring at Dan in surprise as he watched her closely. He’d been so intractable about the three-date thing that she’d worked herself up to leaving without a backward glance and burying the week somewhere deep in her memory, but not so far that she couldn’t visit and indulge herself from time to time.
But now he’d thrown a curve ball, one that appealed more than it should, which meant she was going to have to have a rethink.
‘Why?’ she asked, mainly to give herself some time to do just that.
‘Because I don’t want this to be over.’ He paused for a second, then asked, ‘Do you?’
‘I don’t know.’
Which was the truth. The last three dates had been great, light on small talk, heavy on sex, which had suited her perfectly because it had meant that while she’d been having a lot of fun he hadn’t asked any more probing and potentially humiliation-inducing questions about her past and she hadn’t had to answer. It had also meant they hadn’t gone out and therefore hadn’t been anywhere where the press might express an interest.
If she started dating him properly, however, as he seemed to be implying he wanted, then that would change. They’d inevitably go out from time to time, and the press would undoubtedly take an interest. Depending on how long things lasted, they might even dig around for stuff about her. They might talk to Samantha and her pals, which wouldn’t be pretty. Even worse, her appearance would be scrutinised and would inevitably be criticised. She knew how stuff like this worked. Sort of. And would she be able to handle it? She wasn’t sure.
But on the other hand, now she was being presented with the offer of an extension to their mini-fling, she was wavering. She’d finally got round to Googling him and, although she’d tried not to be too interested in what she read by telling herself that there was no point in thinking of questions she’d never be able to ask, she couldn’t deny that her appetite to learn more about him had been whetted.
And really if anything did make its way into the papers would it really be such a big deal? She hardly ever read the things anyway.
‘Would it still be just about the sex?’ she asked, teetering on the tipping point.
He arched an eyebrow. ‘I don’t see how it could be, do you?’
At the thought she might be on the brink of a real relationship with a man like Dan her pulse began to race. ‘Could we be discreet?’
He grinned. ‘I can’t believe you have to ask when you know how in favour of discretion I am.’
‘OK,’ she said, feeling a thrill ripple through her as over the edge she went, ‘then why not?’
NINE
Four weeks later, and Zoe could hardly believe that at one point she’d ever seriously contemplated not wanting to go out with Dan.