An Innocent, A Seduction, A Secret. Эбби Грин

brought back a flood of memories from that night. The way her heart had been pounding so hard after she’d walked over to him. Pounding with desire and nerves. It had been at that moment when someone had jostled her from behind and she’d pitched forward helplessly.

      He’d put his hand around her arm to steady her and looked at her. ‘Who are you?’ His voice had been sharp. Almost accusatory.

      Edie had stuttered out, ‘N-no one. I just... I wanted to come and speak to you. I saw you...from across the room. You were looking at me too...and I thought... I thought you might want to speak to me...’

      His gaze had swept her up and down with an almost clinical disregard. The connection that had borne her aloft to do such an audacious thing had suddenly felt very tenuous. Suddenly she’d been very aware of her hot itchy head and the skimpy dress that felt far too skimpy.

      She’d also become acutely conscious of the thick VIP rope, separating him and his friends from everyone else. And her. She’d become aware of the stunning women orbiting around him—women Edie couldn’t hope to compete with. Women with abundant curves and thick luxurious hair. Confident.

      One of those women had come up to the man and slid an arm through his, pressing close. He’d glanced down at her, and then back to Edie, letting her arm go while saying, ‘There’s nothing for you here. You should run along.’

      Edie had stood there, her arm tingling from his touch and her insides seizing with humiliation that she’d got it so wrong. He’d pulled the woman into his body and bent his head to kiss her, so explicitly that the men in his party had started cat-calling and wolf-whistling.

      It had taken witnessing that final humiliation before Edie had turned blindly away and pushed her way back through the crowd...

      ‘Sorry, I’ll just be a moment.’

      Edie blinked. She hadn’t even noticed the journey to her boss’s office, or the fact that Helen had obviously been called away by another staff member. But suddenly she became aware, as the door closed behind her, that she was now in a tiny room with Sebastio Rivas.

      She’d only known who he was after she’d realised that he and all his friends were the Argentinian rugby team. After she’d got home that night she’d looked them up on the internet to find out that he was the captain. Their most prized asset. And the world’s most successful rugby fly half.

      Sebastio Rivas was looking at her.

      Edie pushed aside the onslaught of memories and cleared her throat. ‘Er... Helen said you had a...proposition?’

      Instead of answering her question he asked, ‘Your accent—where is it from?’

      Edie’s face grew warm. ‘It’s Scottish. I’m from a town just outside Edinburgh.’

      He was looking at her so intently that she held her breath for a moment—he couldn’t possibly be remembering her...could he?

      But then he said, ‘I do have a proposition, Miss Munroe. I want you to come and decorate my house for Christmas.’

      It took a second for his words to sink in, they’d come so far out of left field. Edie’s mouth opened and shut again, in shock. Opened again. ‘I... I’m afraid I don’t do private work... I work for the store. This is our busiest time.’

      ‘Nevertheless, I’d like you to work for me.’

      His tone suggested that he fully expected to be obeyed. Edie’s hackles went up. As if she needed reminding that he was a man used to issuing orders...

       There’s nothing for you here...run along.

      She crossed her arms over her chest and saw his eyes drop there momentarily, before rising to meet hers again. She hated feeling self-conscious, but it was hard when she knew she was...lacking. Small breasts, slim hips. And she’d been even skinnier four years ago.

      Edie had put on weight and filled out since that time, but she’d never be able to compete with the kind of woman he evidently preferred, if the tall buxom woman he’d kissed that night had been an example of his tastes. No wonder he’d told Edie to run along.

      That whole weird connection thing she’d felt? Clearly it had all been in her head...and it was even more mortifying to think of it now. She was thankful he didn’t remember her.

      ‘I’m afraid that’s just not possible. I’m contracted to work here.’

      ‘I’ll match whatever your pay is for a year and triple it.’

      Edie’s breath stalled for a moment at the audacious offer—and the prospect of making more money than she’d ever made in her life. But then she shook her head.

      ‘I’m sorry, Mr Rivas. I can’t just leave and work for you... I’d lose my job if I left them in the lurch at Christmas.’ She saw an obdurate expression come over his face and blurted out, ‘Why do you want me to decorate your house? There are companies that hire out staff to do that specific job every year.’

      She could see the flare of irritation in his pewter eyes—more evidence that he wasn’t used to being questioned. She had the curious urge to stand up to him at all costs, not even sure why it was so important. Maybe because she didn’t want to be so dismissable this time?

      ‘I have a large house in Richmond, where I’m due to host some social functions in the run-up to Christmas. I saw your work. I like the level of detail you’ve put into a window that—let’s face it—not many people will even see.’

      Edie flushed, not expecting the compliment, nor that he would have recognised that their efforts were largely in vain. ‘I’m trained to dress windows and spaces around the store. I’ve never dressed an entire house before.’

      Edie knew a couple of her colleagues did work on the side for some clients—decorating their Christmas trees and the like. But not a whole actual house. And he’d mentioned that it was in Richmond, where houses were mansions.

      He shrugged that aside. ‘I just need to dress the rooms being used for the functions and the exterior. I have no desire to decorate the entire property.’

      His mouth tightened, as if in distaste at the very thought, and Edie had to push down her curiosity to know why. ‘But it’s just three weeks to Christmas—’

      ‘And I have my first function the week after next. So you can see why speed is of the essence.’

      Edie felt bewildered. ‘Why me?’

      He countered, ‘Why not?’

       CHAPTER TWO

      SEBASTIO COULD SEE the woman worrying her lower lip between her teeth, and he had to curb an urge to reach out and free that lip. He quashed the desire. If she was going to work for him then theirs would be a purely professional relationship. He felt a pang of regret and quashed that too.

      She wasn’t his type. She might have sparked something, but surely it was just the resurgence of his dormant libido. Slightly above average height, she was even more delicate up close. Yet once again he had an impression of steeliness underneath her slender frame.

      Their dialogue bore that out. He wasn’t used to meeting anyone who didn’t say How high? when he asked them to jump. In fact, she had an air of palpable reluctance to deal with him. It intrigued him as much as it irritated him—not a reception he was used to.

      Sebastio forced himself to focus. He needed this woman to take care of things he didn’t want to think about. The more reluctant she was, the more determined he became.

      He spoke with a patient tone that belied his frustration that this conversation wasn’t going as easily as he’d planned. ‘Are you telling me you couldn’t do with a considerable bonus in the run-up to Christmas?’

      He