‘Shaun might,’ he agreed. ‘But then he’s not going to look very good in it, is he? Especially when he still has the money you transferred to him.’
Yeah. She’d tried to buy a husband. She’d tried to play on Shaun’s feelings for Zara. It wasn’t that he and she were that close. And she hadn’t had anyone else to call on. No family—she’d never had that. No friends—because she’d lost Zara. And since that terrible moment, she’d been working—striving towards getting Lily. It cut deep to realise yet again how alone she was. She didn’t want Lily to be alone the way she was. She wanted to build a better life for them both.
She tried not to pay attention when Elias unfastened his seatbelt and moved to the rear of the compartment. She had to get back to not looking at him too much again. But then he appeared right back in front of her. He’d rolled up his sleeves and she couldn’t help drinking in the sight of his strong forearms. She knew he went to the gym to work out, but those muscles and that tan suggested outdoor activity as well. He was long, lean and strong and bending towards her and she wanted him to—
‘Oh.’She bit her lip.
‘I don’t believe you’re not hungry, Darcie.’
‘This looks amazing.’ She hurriedly gestured towards the fresh platter he was holding. ‘There’s always cheese in the office,’ she added inanely, desperately trying to cover that embarrassing moment. ‘Actually, there are all kinds of snacks in there.’
‘Yes.’
She narrowed her gaze suspiciously because that purring answer didn’t sound benign. An odd thought occurred. There hadn’t always been snacks. Not at the beginning. The other assistants had commented on it when they started appearing. Her heat began to rise.
‘Did you...’ She trailed off and shook her head. That was astupidthought. All of a sudden she was reading everything into nothing.
‘Did I what?’ He retook his seat and then gazed across at her with that amusement glinting more visibly in his eyes. ‘Did I order all those snacks that are in the office especially for you? Why yes, Darcie, I did.’
Especially for her? She gaped. ‘Why would you do that?’
No one had done that—not thought of her tastes, not done something solely for her—in ages. Not since Zara. They’d have done anything for each other, and Darcie would do just that for Zara’s daughter. Literally anything. Even marry a man she didn’t love.
‘Why wouldn’t I?’ Elias asked casually. ‘You function best when you’re not starving.’
She bristled. ‘I havenevernot functioned well.’
Nor had she starved. Well, not really.
His amused expression deepened. ‘That’s not what I said. I meant that your performance isoptimalwhen you’re properly fuelled. Though how you can never seem to manage an actual meal is beyond me. But you like to snack on small plates interspersed throughout the day and that’s fine. It is in the company’s best interests to supply you with them.’
‘Thecompany’sbest interests?’
‘Fine. Mine. As I basically am the company. So I guess I really mean me.’
‘I guess you do,’ she said huskily.
She was astounded he’d even noticed her habits, let alone surreptitiouslysuppliedher preferences. But he’d not told her. Not until now. Why? Didn’t he want her to think he was actually kind? Too bad. She already knew he was. She’d seen him do things in an annoyingly abrupt way for others—he was thoughtful, yet sandpaperish at the same time. It was those barriers of his, she realised.
‘Thank you,’ she said softly. Her flush built. It wasn’t something she was used to saying because people didn’t often do things for her.
He was watching her too closely. ‘It was my pleasure.’
Her pulse pounded. It was a courteous reply. He didn’t mean it in anintimateway. Except his voice was gravelly and the heat in the cabin had increased even more.
‘Now will you please enjoy it?’ He gestured to the platter.
But she nibbled only a little because strangely her appetite still hadn’t made an appearance. It wasn’t anxiety; it was hotter than that. ‘What about you?’
‘I’m enjoying watching you.’
Again there was that thread of something that shouldn’t be there. That she couldn’t really have heard. She was tired, right? Hearing things he wasn’t intending. Except she wasn’t all that tired anymore. When she ought to be exhausted, she was growing more alert by the second. But Elias turned to his computer, apparently content to work on the journey for once. That was on her; she’d stolen his time.
They finally landed and were driven to the hotel in the heart of San Francisco. Darcie’s breath got shorter, her awareness more intense.
‘We have the penthouse suite,’ Elias muttered to her as the concierge deferentially stepped forward to greet him.
Darcie lost her stomach in the lift as it whisked them to the top of the building. She heard the beep as the door unlocked and she stepped forward into the suite. There was a large lounge with stunning views across the skyline and several doors leading from the vestibule. Elias walked to the nearest and opened it. Darcie stilled.