Modern Romance January Books 5-8. Heidi Rice

to arrive and he’d dressed down deliberately. Whereas she’d dressed up. Wearing trousers had totally been the right call.

      His smile was too bland given the sharpness of his eyes. ‘I’m a wealthy potential client, isn’t it your job to accommodate my eccentricities?’

      She stared at him slack-jawed for a moment. ‘And isn’t it your job to behave like a decent human being and not use your...attributes to swing an advantage?’

      ‘My attributes?’ He echoed oh-so-innocently. ‘I was hot.’

      Yeah, he was always hot. She glared at him.

      Eyes glinting, he slowly reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist. ‘Better?’

      No, it wasn’t any better. Somehow he looked even sexier. ‘You don’t play fair.’

      At that satisfied expression on his face she mentally kicked herself. She needed to stop saying whatever was in her head when she was around him. Because it was always going to be inappropriate.

      ‘I play to win.’ He stepped closer. ‘There are going to be a lot of people at the party,’ he said temptingly. ‘Lots of potential catering customers. Wealthy ones. Lots of good publicity with all those selfie-addict models and their social media circuses. You know they always love to snap beautiful food.’

      ‘You’re trying to bribe me.’

      ‘You already knew I’m not a decent guy,’ he said huskily. ‘Why don’t you come inside the villa to discuss arrangements? I can show you the facilities.’

      ‘I believe I’ve already seen the facilities,’ she muttered, unable to resist playing on the double entendre sparking between them.

      ‘Only briefly. I’m pretty sure I can give you a better understanding of what’s available for you to use here.’

      ‘For me to use...’ She trailed off.

      The wicked temptation in his eyes was too much. He knew exactly what effect he had on her. She could only hope she had even the smallest similar effect on him.

      ‘It’s too hot to stand outside,’ he murmured coolly. ‘You never know what madness might ensue if we stay out here too long.’

      Well, that was certainly true. Awareness shot through her. It was what he wanted—she did indeed have the same effect on him. Her blood quickened but she wasn’t going to make it that easy for him. Not this time.

      She marched ahead, into the villa, pulling out her phone to take down details. ‘How many guests are going to be at your housewarming?’ She could be professional.

      ‘Between fifty and seventy.’

      ‘Quite the party.’

      ‘Neighbours, work associates, friends...’

      Lovers? She refused to ask. ‘People you would like to impress?’

      ‘People I’d like to feed,’ he replied in a bored tone, following her into the kitchen. ‘I take my responsibilities as a host very seriously. I’d like to meet the needs of all my guests.’ He paused, leaning forward and putting his hands on the back of one of the chairs. ‘I wouldn’t want to leave anyone feeling hungry.’

      ‘Hungry, huh?’ Gracie gave up on the polite sham and tossed her phone onto the table, facing that blaze in his eyes. ‘You used this as an excuse to get me here alone.’

      ‘Yes.’

      ‘Putting both me and my employer in a difficult position—you don’t feel any remorse about that?’

      ‘I like to get what I want.’ He regarded her steadily. ‘I generally do whatever it takes to get it.’

      Playing dirty. Breaking the rules.

      ‘You didn’t think you could just ask for what you wanted?’

      He stared at her for a second and then smiled reluctantly. ‘I didn’t want to risk you saying no again.’

      She frowned.

      ‘You were so eager to leave the other day, you didn’t look back,’ he elaborated.

      ‘Wait. Do you think you asked me to stay?’ She thought back to the other morning when she’d escaped as quickly as she could. She’d thought that was what he’d wanted—no sticky, awkward goodbye. But her swift departure had bothered him? She couldn’t hold back a small smile. ‘You told me you didn’t want me to go. You never asked me to stay.’

      His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

      ‘So you thought that once you’d got me here, you could convince me in person?’ she asked.

      ‘I thought it might help if I was mostly naked but that idea seems to have backfired.’

      She noticed his grip on the back of the chair. His knuckles were white and his breathing, while even, was a little too quick. A trickle of power flowed through her veins. This was good, because he was too mesmerising and held too much of her attention.

      ‘You’ve been away.’ She made herself breathe.

      ‘Yes. On business.’

      She stepped closer. ‘But you went to a party. In Paris.’

      His eyes widened but he remained abnormally still. ‘How do you know that?’

      ‘There were pictures.’

      ‘You searched for me on the Internet?’ A teasing—smug—smile flashed on his perfect face. ‘You set up an alert for me?’

      ‘I didn’t need to,’ she informed him loftily. ‘The village has been keeping an eye on what you’ve been up to and no less than three customers took the time to show me that picture of you with that model.’

      ‘How kind. You must be so pleased with your decision to live in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone.’

      ‘I’m not ashamed. I don’t mind them knowing I spent time with you. I’ll never regret what happened between us.’ She kept her head high. Never was she going to be embarrassed about that.

      ‘But?’ he prompted softly.

      ‘I’m not going to be your booty call. You can’t just have me when you’re home.’

      ‘This isn’t my home,’ he said calmly. ‘And that’s not what I want either.’

      She waited for him to explain.

      He sighed. ‘I was wrong about one night.’

      ‘Oh?’

      ‘Gracie.’ He shook his head. ‘You said you didn’t play games. You said you’d be honest.’

      And she had been. ‘You said you never wanted more than just sex.’

      ‘And I’m still saying that. It’s just that I want more than one night.’ He drew in a breath. ‘I don’t want to resist you. You’re all I can think about.’

      It had been that good for him too? She bit her lip to stop herself smiling in a smug Rafe-like fashion. ‘Yet you ran away.’ She couldn’t help teasing him softly. ‘You left Italy. And it wasn’t for work.’

      ‘I thought it might help. It didn’t.’

      Goosebumps rippled over her skin. She was shockingly, pleasurably aware of his intensity.

      ‘You left the country to escape me.’ She took another step closer. ‘I don’t know whether to be insulted or flattered.’

      ‘Flattered,’ he growled. ‘And you missed me. You know you did. I saw it in your face the second you saw me again. I see it in the way you’re looking at me now. Don’t even try to lie.’

      ‘You know I’m not going to,’ she