Call Me Cupid. Heidi Rice

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СКАЧАТЬ ‘I have a proposal for you.’

FIVE

      Alarm filled Daniel’s eyes. Chloe could practically hear the word proposal ringing round his head. He was feeling panicked? Good. At least that meant they were on even ground now.

      ‘Not that kind of proposal,’ she added wearily.

      Daniel folded his arms across his chest and leaned back on the opposite railing, close to the curved glass of the Palm House’s roof. ‘What do you mean, then?’

      Chloe swallowed. ‘Have dinner with me,’ she said, her heart pumping. ‘Or something else. Once a month—just before Georgia does her latest radio segment. Just like today, it might keep the crazies at bay.’

      He blinked slowly. ‘You said you didn’t think it was a good idea to go out with me.’

      She nodded. ‘I’m not suggesting we date, just that once in a while we let ourselves be seen together in public, let everyone join the dots. It won’t be our fault if they draw entirely the wrong picture.’

      ‘And at work?’

      ‘We do what we’ve been doing. Keep it cool and professional. People will think that we’re trying to be discreet.’

      He stared at her for the longest time. Chloe held her breath and refused to fidget. No way was she going to let him see how nervous she felt. She was very glad she let go of his hands now, because her palms were sweating.

      It’s not real. You’re not asking him out on a real date...

      ‘Why are you doing this for me?’ he asked warily.

      She shook her head. She didn’t know, really. It was stupid. Crazy.

      You do know, a little voice inside her head whispered. You want an excuse to spend time alone with Drop-Dead Daniel, so you can make believe, torment yourself...

      No. That wasn’t it. She couldn’t let that be it.

      ‘Someone told me about your sister,’ she finally said. That was true. ‘Let’s just say I thought you could do with a break.’ That was also true. It just hadn’t been in her head when she’d put her proposition to Daniel.

      His lips pressed together. ‘I don’t need your pity,’ he said coldly, and he pushed himself up from the railing and walked off down the gallery.

      Chloe let out a huff of frustration and then trotted after him. Damn male pride...

      ‘It’s not pity,’ she said crossly as she closed in on him. ‘It’s a friend helping a friend. That’s all.’

      He stopped, pivoted around to face her. ‘Friends? That’s all?’

      She nodded, not trusting her mouth to toe the party line.

      He looked beyond her, up to the vast curving glass and ironwork ceiling. Despite his knee-jerk temper, he seemed to be chewing it over.

      ‘I do confess I’m not being completely altruistic,’ she added, finally finding something sensible to say, something much more slick and smooth and Chloe to say. The sort of thing he’d come to expect from her—ambivalent, flirty, slightly mocking. ‘After all, you’ll be paying for dinner.’ And then she smiled brightly at him, just to prove there was nothing to worry about, that he needn’t be scared of her getting the wrong idea and joining the ranks of his stalkers.

      Amusement warmed his previously stony expression. ‘Oh, I am, am I?’

      She nodded again. This time because her mouth wasn’t working, not because she was scared it was about to take off on its own.

      There was something about his manner that completely changed. One moment he had been closed off, cold, almost backing away from her. But now there was fire in his eyes and even though she’d swear he hadn’t moved he seemed to be getting closer.

      Suddenly her cheeks felt very hot. She looked up at him, almost leaning over her.

      ‘D-Daniel? What are you doing?’

      ‘If it’s my money we’re going to be spending, my life we’re going to be messing around with, then I get to say what goes.’

      Her chin bobbed up and down. She got that. Daniel had been completely blindsided by the morning’s events. He felt out of control. This request was just about reclaiming lost ground, that was all. She could let him have that much.

      But then Daniel stepped towards her, pressing his body up against hers, pinning her between him and the wooden rail at her waist. His hands clutched the rail either side of her, his strong, taut arms preventing escape, and Chloe realised just how off her calculation of the situation had been.

      It wasn’t lost ground he was about to claim, but her.

      He paused for a moment, just as his lips were millimetres from her. Her pulse lurched and her breath came in uneven bursts.

      And then he was kissing her, expertly wiping any protest away with his firm lips. Chloe clung to his shirt for support. The difference in their height meant she felt she was arching back over the railing, feeling as if she’d fall at any moment.

      But even that fear was quickly erased by the sensations erupting through her body. Sweet heaven, this was better even than she’d imagined it would be. He knew just when to take, just when to tease... Just how to leave her breathless and dizzy, even without the use of his hands, which were still making sure she stayed right where he wanted her.

      If Chloe had been able to string a coherent sentence together, she’d have been able to tell him it wasn’t necessary. As much as her brain was screaming for her to run, her body had been waiting too long for this. It was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

      And enjoy it she did. Pretty soon her hands were unclenching from Daniel’s T-shirt, exploring his rather fine chest, reaching up to pull him closer so she could really lose herself in him. Suddenly, she was claiming him back. And, damn, if that didn’t just turn him on more. He moved his hands to her waist and for a second she thought he was going to lift her up and sit her on the rail. She grabbed him tighter, hoping he’d remember where they were, just how far she could fall if he lost concentration and let go.

      She could feel him starting to lift her, his hands tightening around her ribs. She stiffened, and her eyes flew open, just in time to see him cock an eyelid. He pulled away, a decidedly wicked smile on his face, looking far more pleased with himself than a man had a right to after just such a stunt.

      Even though she was pressing into him rather than leaning back over the railing, she still clutched onto him. At least she did until another noise filtered through her consciousness. She turned her head, slightly dazed, to find a small group of people on the ground staring up at them. Some of them were wearing the distinctive blue polo shirts with Kew’s embroidered logo.

      Drat. She’d forgotten they’d moved out of the cover of their secluded little corner.

      Smiling nervously, she lifted her hand and gave them a little wave. They responded with a round of applause and a couple of wolf whistles.

      She turned СКАЧАТЬ