Elias didn’t give a damn about the deal anymore. He wanted to pull her close and explore every one of those generous curves. She was a voluptuous, sensual goddess and he wanted to stay right here and learn so many more of her secrets.
‘Elias.’ She swallowed. ‘This is what you wanted.’
Two hours later and Elias couldn’t recall a single reason why he’d ever wanted to attend this celebratory dinner. Watching Darcie attempt to tackle a full four courses was a sensorial nightmare. He wasn’t surprised at all to see her skip dessert in favour of a cheese selection.
He’d tried to keep the conversation on business as much as possible. Tried not to stare at Darcie too much. But, given she was seated opposite him, it had been impossible. He was ready to abandon the attempt altogether.
‘You’re very patient to put up with business meetings only the day after your wedding.’ Vince Williams smiled at Darcie.
‘To be honest I understand more about hedge funds than I do about being a bride,’ said Darcie.
‘You’ve plenty of time to figure the marriage bit out.’ Cora lifted her glass. ‘Are your parents excited?’
Elias braced, realising too late he’d not considered the fact they might impose into Darcie’s past. But she answered before he could divert them.
‘I don’t have much family,’ she said. ‘I grew up in the foster system.’
‘Oh.’ Vince instinctively leaned forward. ‘That can be very challenging. Years ago Cora and I fostered a number of young people.’
‘Oh?’ Darcie was noncommittal.
Elias got the sense not all foster experiences were equal. Not in Darcie’s world.
‘Teens mostly,’ Cora added. ‘The ones who were considered too old for long-term placement but who didn’t thrive in group homes. We tried to offer them a couple of years of stability and offer some skills.’
Darcie carefully sliced a piece of cheese but didn’t eat it. ‘Are you still in contact with any?’
‘Some. Not all.’
‘A lot had had it rough,’ Cora elaborated on Vince’s answer. ‘They’d been isolated a long time.’
‘Yes.’ Darcie smiled. ‘I was lucky to find some close friends in the system. We made our own family.’
She meant Zara. Maybe even that guy Shaun. Lonely kids banding together, trying to forge themselves a better future. He hadn’t any real idea about her past before now. At work she was more than businesslike, she was reticent. A fact he’d appreciated on an unconscious, instinctive level. Because knowing more about Darcie would have been intriguing—fascinating in fact. But now she wasn’t his assistant, she was his wife, and heoughtto know everything because he ought to be able to ease the edge of distress he knew she was near. But he couldn’t.
‘And now you have Elias.’
Darcie nodded.
‘Perhaps you’ll be able to build a bigger family together.’
‘Perhaps,’ Darcie murmured. ‘If we’re lucky.’
He couldn’t take his gaze off her then, seeing that yearning so close to the surface. Apparently his self-control over his own mind was obliterated. All he wanted was to cart her upstairs and discover for himself every tiny detail.
He lifted the water glass and knocked back a deep sip. Having to battle rampant sexual thoughts in the middle of a business dinner was unacceptable. But he kept replaying that pathetic kiss in his head. Why hadn’t he taken advantage of that opportunity? Why hadn’t he pulled her close and explored the chemistry he knew they had? The electricity from the simplest, tamest of touches had him on edge. His warning system sent chills down his spine. Their situation was volatile, their new status wasn’t stable, this could blow up in his face. Yet he couldn’t resist leaning nearer.
Because now, as the conversation moved on, Darcie relaxed—she even laughed. And Elias discovered that relaxed, laughing Darcie was pure torture. The change within—the inability to put these thoughts out of his head?
‘You’re even cleverer than I thought, Elias,’ Vince said shrewdly. ‘Your sublime assistant is now yours forever.’
‘Sublime assistant?’ Darcie overheard the words and echoed them, a full octave higher.
Vince smiled at her. ‘That’s how he referred to you more than once.’
Darcie turned to Elias with a stunned expression.‘Sublime?’
Vince and Cora both laughed. But Elias saw how genuine her shock was. And then the flash of hurt she fast hid. Did she really not know?