.

sure that nobody could claim that a therapist had taken advantage of a vulnerable patient and extorted expensive presents from them. He could understand that. ‘Pity. It isn’t a diamond tiara or anything like that,’ he said, just to reassure her. ‘It’s just something small.’ The kind of thing he’d take to the hostess of a dinner party.

      She looked embarrassed. ‘It’s very kind of you to think of me, Mr Somers, but I’m afraid I really can’t accept anything.’

      He put the box on her desk. ‘Serena. Look at me,’ he said softly.

      Looking at him was a mistake. Those blue, blue eyes. That beautifully shaped mouth. Serena could barely tear her gaze away from it.

      ‘Serena,’ he whispered.

      And she knew in that second that he was going to kiss her.

      In the name of common sense, she should back away. Or at least turn her head aside so he ended up kissing her cheek and not her mouth.

      But she couldn’t move. It was as if some invisible force was holding her in place. Making her wait for the moment when he finally kissed her.

      George’s lips brushed against hers ever so gently; to her surprise, his kiss wasn’t demanding and forceful, but sweet and light and coaxing. Tempting.

       Back away and tell him you don’t do this.

      But her common sense was drowned out by the way her lips were tingling. She wanted more. Lots more. Right now.

      As if he could read her mind, he touched his mouth to hers again. And again, his mouth nipped gently at her lower lip, inviting and inciting. The next thing she knew, her fingers were sliding into his hair, his arms were wrapped tightly round her, and her mouth was opening under his. Inviting the kind of kiss she hadn’t shared with anyone since Ethan’s father.

      And even that had been a pale, pale imitation of the way George was kissing her. The way his mouth promised as much as it demanded, giving as well as taking. Her blood felt as if it were fizzing through her veins. And her temperature was most definitely spiking.

      He broke the kiss and stroked her face. ‘Serena. I knew it would be like that between us,’ he said softly.

      Hot. Intense. Perfect.

      ‘I’ve wanted to do that for weeks.’

      She’d wanted it, too. But it couldn’t happen. She dragged in a breath and took a step away from him; not that it made much difference. They could’ve been standing at opposite ends of Wembley Stadium with thousands of people jammed between them, and she’d still be spine-tinglingly aware of his presence. ‘We shouldn’t have done that, Mr Somers,’ she said shakily. ‘You’re my patient.’

      ‘Actually, I’m not,’ he pointed out. ‘That was my last session. My treatment’s over. So we’re not patient and therapist any more. We’re just you and me. Two ordinary people. There’s no reason why we can’t do whatever we want.’ He stole another of those sweet, mind-drugging kisses. ‘I’d like to see you outside work, Serena. Will you go out with me?’

      She shook her head. ‘I can’t.’

      ‘You’re involved with someone else?’

      This was her cue to tell a little white lie. She knew instinctively that George Somers was an honourable man. He wouldn’t push her if he thought that would mean she’d be unfaithful to her partner. All she had to do was say yes. One tiny little word.

      But her mouth wasn’t playing ball. ‘I’m single.’

      ‘So what’s the problem?’

      How could he not see it? ‘We’re from different worlds. Seriously different. You’re the son of a baron. You mix with royalty.’

      ‘Minor royalty,’ he corrected. ‘Not that often. And most of whom I find pretty tedious, to be honest.’

      ‘And celebs.’ She’d seen the pictures in the gossip rags that clients left in the waiting room. George Somers didn’t date ordinary women like her. He had a taste for tall, skinny blondes with incredibly short skirts and teeth so white and even that it was obvious they’d spent a fortune on cosmetic dentistry.

      He shrugged. ‘My world isn’t all glitz and glamour. And if you don’t want to go to a showbiz party, that’s fine by me. I can think of plenty of other things I’d rather do with you.’

      Heaven help her, so could she. And it made her skin feel too tight. ‘I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.’

      ‘I’m just an ordinary man, Serena.’

      That absolutely wasn’t true. There was nothing in the least bit ordinary about George Somers.

      ‘I find you attractive.’ His eyes glittered. ‘And, from the way you kissed me back just now, I’d say it’s completely mutual.’

      It was. She did find him attractive. Which was a huge problem. Help. It had been so long since she’d been out with anyone that she couldn’t even remember how to play the dating game. She’d only make a mess of this.

      ‘I have a child,’ she blurted out. ‘I’m a single mum.’ And then she felt ashamed of herself for using Ethan as an excuse. As a shield. Her son deserved more than that.

      ‘OK. I can understand that you want to protect your child—it’s not fair for a kid to get attached to an “uncle” who isn’t going to stick around,’ George said.

      He understood that?

      ‘Which isn’t me suggesting that you have a string of men parading through your life, either,’ he added.

      She felt the colour rise in her cheeks. So he didn’t think she was an easy conquest, either.

      ‘If anything, I get the impression you’ve gone completely the other way and you don’t normally date anyone. But having a child doesn’t mean that you can’t see anyone, Serena. It doesn’t mean that you can’t have a little fun in your life.’

      Exactly what her colleague Jess had said. She pushed temptation away. ‘I’m a working mum. I need to spend my free time with my son.’

      ‘Of course you do. But you need a little time for you, too,’ he said softly. He leaned forward, closing the gap between them, and brushed his lips against hers. Almost as if he was promising that nobody was going to get hurt by this.

      ‘Have lunch with me on Tuesday,’ he said, his voice soft and incredibly seductive.

      ‘I c—’ she began, and he pressed the tip of his finger lightly against her mouth, not letting her refuse.

      ‘I know you have patients to see, Serena, and you need to stick to your schedule at work. If you’re busy on Tuesday, we can make it another day. But we’re going to have lunch together next week. Just lunch. You, me, and—’ his eyes crinkled at the corners ‘—hopefully a little bit of sunshine.’

      How could she possibly resist an invitation like that?

      ‘Thank you,’ she said.

      ‘Are you vegetarian? Is there anything you really don’t like or are allergic to, foodwise?’

      ‘No to all three.’

      ‘Same here. Which makes life simpler. Good.’ He took a card from his wallet and scribbled a number on the back. ‘That’s my mobile. So I’ll see you on Tuesday at midday. If that’s a problem, text me with an alternative. My schedule’s reasonably flexible at the moment.’

      Her fingers touched his as she took the card, and it sent a shiver of desire all the way through her. Crazy. She’d managed to keep the attraction in check while he was her patient. Now he wasn’t her patient any more, all bets were off. And her mouth was still tingling from that kiss.

      He took the box from her desk and handed it to her. ‘Right. Now,