At Dante's Service. Chantelle Shaw

and the memory caused his jaw to tighten. He did not want to feel this powerful attraction to Rebekah. He had asked her to accompany him tonight on a whim, thinking that it would be nice to give her a treat by taking her to the theatre in thanks for her hard work at the christening. He had been intrigued by the idea of her wearing an evening gown, but he had not expected her to turn into a gorgeous sex siren who made his heart race and had a disturbing effect on another pertinent area of his anatomy.

      Dante’s silence stretched Rebekah’s nerves until she blurted out, ‘If the dress is not suitable then I won’t come with you tonight. I … I don’t have anything else to wear.’ She felt crushed by his reaction—or rather lack of it—to the dress. And that made her feel angry with herself because deep down she admitted that she had wanted to impress him.

      ‘The dress is fine. You look charming.’ Dante forced himself to speak. But as soon as the words were out and he saw the little flash of disappointment on her face he cursed himself that his tone had been unnecessarily brusque. He walked over to her, smiling with the careless charm that came so easily to him, but the delicate rose scent of her perfume filled his senses and it took all his willpower to resist the urge to run his fingers through her long satiny hair.

      Flicking back the cuff of his jacket to check his watch gave him something to do with his hands. ‘We should go,’ he murmured. ‘The traffic is usually hellish along Shaftesbury Avenue.’

      With a nod of her head she spun round and preceded him out of the sitting room. Dante could not prevent his eyes from following the gentle sway of her bottom beneath its covering of shimmering silk, and as they walked down the hall to the front door he glanced towards the stairs and almost gave in to the fierce urge to sweep her into his arms and carry her up to his bedroom. He had been looking forward to the evening, but now he felt tense and frustrated and not in the mood to act the role of urbane playboy that was the façade he presented to the world.