.

      God, even his voice was compelling, containing a mesmerising quality that ensured everyone would listen to him, even though he only spoke softly.

      This couldn’t be happening to her. She was a sensible woman, a trained nurse who had been responsible for dozens of patients over the years; she didn’t believe in love at first sight. Or even second sight. Love to her was something that grew from mutual respect and interests, as she and Tony had, he a doctor, she a nurse. She didn’t know anything about Justin de Wolfe except that he was lethal in a courtroom, was immune to any amount of female persuasion—and that he was dangerous! And the last was all she really needed to know about him.

      ‘Mr de Wolfe.’ She determinedly extracted her hand from within his suddenly steely grip.

      ‘Would you care to dance, Miss Maxwell?’ he prompted as the small band began to play a waltz.

      Her panicked gaze flew up to meet his. She was tiny, only two inches over five feet, and he was at least a foot taller; if he held her in his arms her head would be on a level with his heart. And she didn’t want to be anywhere near his heart! She didn’t want to be anywhere near him.

      ‘I—–’

      He didn’t give her a chance to refuse him, his hand firm against her back as he guided her on to the small dance floor, maintaining that contact as he took her hand in his and began to move fluidly among the other couples dancing.

      Sexual attraction, that was what this was. What else could it be that she felt hot and cold at the same time, barely knew what she was doing as he moved her expertly around the floor? And if she felt this way about a complete stranger, a man who seemed to distance himself from everyone and everything, then she had no business believing she should marry Tony if he should ask her.

      ‘Relax,’ Justin murmured into her hair, having gathered her close against his chest long ago.

      How could she relax when her whole comfortably safe world was crumbling about her ears? She wanted to run from here and never have to see Justin de Wolfe again!

      He moved back slightly to look down at her, very rakish with that black eye-patch over his left eye. ‘Difficult to relax when you’re burning up with desire, isn’t it?’ he mused drily.

      Caroline gasped at the statement, about to deny it, when he suddenly drew her even closer against him, making her fully aware of his own desire for her.

      ‘That’s right,’ he drawled self-derisively. ‘I feel it, too.’

      Felt what, too? This was utter madness. He was Paula’s date for the evening; she had been seeing Tony for over eight months now. Whatever she and Justin de Wolfe felt for each other, it wasn’t real, was based on mere sexual fantasy.

      If only he didn’t feel so very real as he moulded her so snugly against him that she could feel every muscle in his body!

      ‘Are you and Shepherd sleeping together?’ he suddenly asked.

      Her eyes glittered deeply blue as she glared up at him. ‘If you’re trying to be insulting—–’

      His brows arched. ‘I’m not. I just wanted to know how difficult it’s going to be for you to finish with him.’

      She drew in a ragged breath. ‘As I have no intention—–’

      ‘Caroline,’ he cut in patiently, as if he were reasoning with a rebellious child. ‘We want each other. We’re going to have each other. Often,’ he stated with casual indifference. ‘But I don’t intend sharing you with Shepherd. Maybe it’s old-fashioned of me, but when I’m involved with a woman I like to be the only man in her life. I will be the only man in your life.’

      She looked about them frantically, sure Paula had allowed a certifiable maniac to walk off with her. She finally caught sight of Tony, he and Paula having what appeared to be one of their not unusual arguments, engrossed in each other and not in what was going on between herself and Justin across the room. Fond of Tony as she was, she couldn’t help wishing that he hadn’t felt in an argumentative mood tonight. She needed rescuing, and from the way Justin’s arms had tightened about her she didn’t think she was going to be able to do it alone.

      ‘I realise you’re too young for me—–’

      ‘Couldn’t it be that you’re too old for me?’ she gasped defensively, her cheeks aflame with heated colour as he looked down at her mockingly for her outburst. It was rather stupid to be reacting this way when the least objection to their ever seeing each other again was the fact that he was at least twelve years older than she was! There were far too many other reasons why they should never meet again.

      He gave a derisive inclination of his head. ‘I realise I’m too old for you,’ he amended in a drily derisive voice. ‘That we don’t know a great deal about each other yet—–’

      ‘We don’t know anything about each other,’ she denied heatedly.

      ‘We know that we could go to my apartment right now and not come out of the bedroom for a week,’ he drawled confidently. ‘And then it would only be because we would need to eat a little to get us through the next week!’ His gaze was suddenly intense on her flushed face as she gazed up at him unprotestingly. ‘I want to make love to you in every way possible,’ he told her compellingly. ‘In ways no one else has ever made love before.’ A fire burnt deep in the depth of silver-grey, primitively savage.

      Caroline swallowed hard, too weakened by his verbal lovemaking to be able to move away from him. ‘And then what?’ Her voice was husky.

      His mouth twisted into the semblance of a smile. ‘And then we start all over again!’

      She shook her head at the eroticism he portrayed. ‘But—but we don’t know each other, don’t love each other!’

      ‘Love!’ he scorned impatiently. ‘Love is a vastly over-rated emotion that brings nothing but pain to those who suffer from it,’ he dismissed abruptly. ‘Do you have any idea how many people I’ve helped send to prison because of this so-called love?’ He shook his head. ‘Of course I don’t love you, Caroline—-By the way that’s going to be shortened to Caro whenever I want to make love to you,’ he announced arrogantly.

      ‘And I suppose you’ll expect me to crawl into your bed to await your pleasure at those times?’ she returned angrily. How dared he think he could just walk up to her and take over her life!

      His mouth twisted. ‘You overestimate my control where you’re concerned, Caroline.’ He deliberately emphasised the full use of her name. ‘I expect us to make love wherever we happen to be at the time. It’s all going to be part of the excitement. And you excite me as no other woman has,’ he added intensely. ‘And I can also assure you that the pleasure won’t all be mine,’ he finished, answering her angry taunt.

      She knew that, already felt fevered with a need she didn’t want but didn’t seem able to fight. But he couldn’t seriously expect her to meekly leap into an affair with him.

      She looked up at him searchingly, at the pulse that beat in his tightly clenched jaw, at the determination in his gaze, acknowledging the aura of power he had that told her he never said anything he didn’t mean. They had only met a short time ago, Justin didn’t believe in love because he had seen too many people hurt and destroy in the name of that emotion, and yet he calmly expected her to put her life in his hands. The trouble was, with his closeness seducing her like this, it would be so easy to do!

      ‘Do you know that they call you—–’

      ‘I’m well aware of what they call me,’ he bit out harshly. ‘And why,’ he added dismissively. ‘I’m good at what I do, Caroline, and I make no apology for it. If a person breaks the law they should be punished for it.’

      She swallowed hard at the cold implacability of his voice. ‘Can you always be so sure they’re guilty?’

      ‘I wouldn’t take the case if I weren’t sure