The Best Of The Year - Modern Romance 2016. Кейт Хьюит

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СКАЧАТЬ taxi ride was completed in silence. Typically, Alexa thought, he had said what he had to say and then, rather than continue driving his point home, had dismissed the topic by spending the ride to the airport with his laptop open, sifting through dozens of emails and ignoring her completely.

      He was just so damned sure of himself—just so convinced of his own monumental appeal that he didn’t envisage her standing a chance of saying no to him.

      She despaired.

      Would she be able to withstand an onslaught? Even though she knew that he was not in it for more than just sex? Even though she knew that she would end up being desperately hurt? That she would turn into one of those clingy, needy women he had no time for? The sort who never forgot him and staged scenes whenever their paths chanced to cross?

      All her resentment and anger, her conviction that she could never in a thousand years fall for a guy like him, now seemed like naïve stupidity. She had been able to hate the one-dimensional cardboard cut-out, but the minute the three-dimensional man had emerged she had not been able to resist.

      She’d turned into just another one of his conquests, and she shivered at the prospect of those lips touching hers and her knowing that she wanted more. She was terrified of being betrayed—not just by her own weak body, but by her emotions.

      Her head buzzed with so many scenarios that she was barely aware of the flight. He left her to stew. In fact she was certain that he wasn’t even aware of her presence next to him. He was utterly absorbed in his work, and sex, however compelling, played second fiddle.

      Only as they were taxiing on landing, and after having fitfully dozed for part of the trip, did she find other concerns settling—and the main one was whatever it might be that her father had to say to her.

      All over again she felt anxiety begin to claw at her insides. Theo had calmed her fears by telling her that if her mother’s health was involved he would have known about it. Now, Alexa could see all the flaws in that argument. Why would her father advertise something like that to his dad? It was a personal problem and he would surely want to keep it to himself. The fact that his instincts had always been to protect her from anything unpleasant meant that whatever he wanted to say must be of grave concern. It must be something he couldn’t keep from her.

      ‘What if something’s really wrong with Mum?’ she couldn’t help asking as they disembarked.

      She hated herself for appealing to Theo for reassurance, but she had had time to contemplate the worst and she needed to hear the strong conviction in his voice. It was irritating—especially considering she should be trying to erect whatever fragile defences she still had at her disposal to protect her pathetic, foolish heart—but she needed his logical explanation. Even though she had already convinced herself that it made no sense.

      ‘It won’t be.’

      Theo had had plenty of time on the trip to try and work out why he was in the process of breaking his own self-imposed rule never to chase any woman. She was backing away, and instead of shrugging his shoulders and moving on he was intent on pursuit. Ego and pride, he presumed. Not exactly the most endearing traits in the world, but he wasn’t going to pretend that there was anything more to it than that.

      ‘But you don’t know...’

      Theo stared down at her flushed, earnest face and his libido kicked into gear with surprising ferocity. What was it about this woman that made him want to drag her off to the nearest empty room and take her?

      He actually caught himself doing a brief mental tour of what he could recall of their route towards Immigration, trying to figure out if there were any cubbyholes he could pull her into, so that he could yank down those oh, so prim and proper trousers, taking her underwear with them, and have sex with her in the most basic way possible.

      Reluctantly he gave up the idea, but this, he thought, was precisely why he would carry on his pursuit... Because to back off now, when neither of them wanted to, whatever she said to the contrary, would be like having to endure an indefinite erection without the benefit of a cold shower to get rid of it.

      ‘Nor do you,’ he said with a hint of impatience. ‘Now, don’t forget that we’re back in the public eye. Try not to trail behind me—and it would help if you wiped that anxious expression off your face.’

      With his free hand he massaged the nape of her neck, underneath her silky hair—which Alexa knew was unnecessary because there was no one with a camera around. But he had warned her that he wasn’t going to play by her rules... He was just proving to her that he had meant what he said.

      And right now, in these crowds, she was powerless to do anything about it.

      Even when they were in the back of his chauffer-driven car—he had called from the airport for it to come for them—she still had an insane urge to close the gap she had studiously put between them.

      Like a predator, with all the time in the world to hunt its prey, he made no move to get closer to her, contenting himself with watching her through brooding, speculative eyes that gave her goosebumps.

      Finally she hissed, with one eye on the driver, although the screen, as always, was up, ‘I wish you’d stop staring at me!’

      ‘Why?’ Theo drawled.

      ‘Because I don’t like it!’

      ‘Liar. You like it—and so do I.’

      His words floated around her like a physical caress. There was lazy intent in his eyes and she looked away hurriedly, her body turned on to screaming point. Because he was one hundred per cent right... She did like him staring at her—liked the way it made her whole body tingle, as though it had been plugged into an electric socket...

      She heard herself launch into nervous chatter, babbling even while her body recalled how and where it had been touched, and fought against the seductive temptation to think about how and where it would be touched again...

      She was surprised that they made it to her house with her nervous system still intact. Of course he hadn’t opened his computer once, or checked his phone at all. He’d just leaned against the door, limbs loose, his fabulous green eyes pinned to her face, fully aware that he was unsettling her and amused by it.

      ‘I’ll come in with you,’ Theo murmured, pressing a button and talking to the driver once the partition was lowered.

      ‘There’s no need,’ Alexa said hastily.

      He didn’t bother to answer, instead stepping out of the car and moving round to wait for her as she followed suit.

      ‘There’s no need to pretend now that we’re here,’ she muttered as he neatly tucked her arm into the crook of his.

      ‘Oh, I know that,’ Theo murmured silkily, ‘but remember what I said to you?’

      Alexa’s breath caught in her throat, because she knew that she just didn’t have the weapons for a sustained assault.

      ‘And remember what I said to you!’ But her voice was weak.

      He actually laughed under his breath. Laughed and patted her on her arm. ‘You want me. Don’t fight it, Alexa. Enjoy it while it lasts. Now...’ his tone changed from lazy to brisk as he rang the doorbell ‘...why don’t we see what all the fuss is about with your father?’

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