LITMIR.BIZ

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her head and her long hair spilled over one shoulder. ‘I don’t think I’ll answer that lest we start an argument.’

      ‘You’re here. That’s almost guaranteed to start one.’

      She smiled. ‘Now you’re teasing.’ Her eyes sparkled as she tried not to laugh at him again.

      He wasn’t, but he decided to let it ride. Sitting out on his deck on a moonlit night with a beautiful woman he did not want to be attracted to was not conducive to bringing out his sense of humour.

      ‘I tried to find you earlier tonight.’

      ‘Why?’

      She gripped the back of the deckchair in front of her. ‘I wanted to ask you if you would like to read Ty a bedtime story.’

      ‘I was in a meeting,’ he said, his voice sharper than he intended.

      She tilted her head as she considered his answer. ‘Would you have done it if you hadn’t been in a meeting?’

      He was shocked when she called his bluff.

      ‘No.’

      He could see that his curt reply had surprised her and he was glad. Don’t ask questions, moya milaya, that you don’t want answers to.

      ‘Why not?’ she asked softly.

      Did the woman never give up? Did she somehow expect him to open up and spill his guts all because she had asked an insightful question in a nice voice?

      Leo leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, annoyed with himself and her. ‘You really want to know?’

      She stepped forward, drawn in. ‘If you want to tell me.’

      ‘Take a seat.’ He indicated the deckchair next to his, his voice low.

      She looked from him to the chair and back, a shade warily, and Leo felt some primitive thrill of a bygone age rise up inside himself. The lure was set and she just had to take two more steps and then he’d trap her and tell her to mind her own business. That he would not discuss his relationship with his son with her or anyone else. He might even kiss her as well. Just to find out if she really did taste as good as his recall said she did.

      She hesitated beside the chair, but he could tell she hadn’t taken the bait. More was the pity. ‘There’s always tomorrow night.’

      He raised a mocking eyebrow. ‘To take a seat?’

      Her eyes flashed. ‘To read him a story.’

      ‘Alas, I’m all out of fairy tales, angel.’

      She pursed her lips at the pet name he’d given her and he cocked his head as he considered her. ‘Is that why you became a childcare worker? You like fairy tales.’

      ‘I like children. They’re honest and pure.’

      Like her? He leant back in his chair. ‘Could it be that you prefer dealing with children more than adults?’

      ‘Of course not.’

      ‘Of course yes!’ He gave an unrepentant grin at her fervent denial, enjoying himself all of a sudden.

      Something her next sharp words ground into dust.

      ‘Do you have any intention of spending time with your son this weekend?’

      ‘I didn’t think you wanted an argument,’ he sneered.

      ‘I don’t. I just think it’s important.’

      ‘You’re not here to orchestrate a family reunion, Miss Somers, so stop trying.’

      Her eyes glittered angrily in the low light. ‘You would have to be a family in the first place for me to be able to do that,’ she blazed back at him.

      Fortunately the steward arrived with their beverages and eased the tension that had hardened the air between them. He could feel Lexi watching him but he ignored her and picked up his bottle of mineral water, lamenting the fact that he had given up alcohol seventeen years ago and wishing it was a full bottle of Stolichnaya instead.

      ‘I don’t understand you,’ she said, breaking the silence once the steward was safely out of earshot. ‘You grew up in what sounds like a wonderful family and yet you treat Ty as if he doesn’t exist.’

      Leo observed her with a level of calmness he was far from feeling. ‘I won’t discuss my relationship with my son with you, Miss Somers,’ he said through clenched teeth, ‘so stop prying.’ She pulled the chair out opposite him and Leo felt as if a rock had settled in his stomach. She had an uncanny knack of making him feel guilty about Ty but she didn’t know the truth behind his decision. She didn’t know what he was capable of and for a split second he considered telling her. Which was madness! He never talked about himself. Ever.

      And he sure as hell wouldn’t be telling Lexi Somers about it either.

      He was just about to return to his suite when she bent one knee up and rested her chin on it. ‘Do you ever do anything besides work?’

      A myriad of answers formed in his head but they would be dangerous to play to. Because while intellectually he had already decided to ignore the chemistry between them, physically he had already started to respond to the hint of vanilla carried across to him on the warm evening air.

      ‘Sometimes,’ he said evenly.

      ‘Like what?’

      Like sex. His nostrils flared as the thought hardened his groin. Right here and right now if she were willing. He saw her eyes widen slightly and knew she had picked up on the direction of his thoughts. Maybe the fact that he was staring at her mouth wasn’t very subtle.

      ‘Looking for a demonstration, angel?’

      The air between them became charged and he noticed her running her silver necklace between her fingers.

      Oh, boy.

      In trying to find out more about him and how best to influence him into spending time with Ty, Lexi had inadvertently jumped into a minefield with a man who knew where all the loaded mines were.

      He wasn’t trying to hide his sexual interest in her and she was shocked to see it. She had convinced herself that what had happened last night was because they had both been half asleep and that the chemistry she felt was entirely onesided, but perhaps that wasn’t the case. Or perhaps he was just bored and toying with her to avoid talking about himself. That would make more sense but, whatever it was, she was just glad he hadn’t remembered his nightmare last night or what had followed.

      It would also help if she could stop thinking about how well the man kissed and how hard his muscles had felt pressing her into the bed. God, he made her feel desperate for sex and already her body felt hotter, heavier. But she wasn’t any good at sexual banter and her cup clattered as she put it down. ‘I think I might go to bed,’ she said, inwardly grimacing at her gaucheness.

      ‘Scared, angel?’

      ‘Of?’ she asked carelessly, glancing everywhere but at him.

      ‘The way I make you feel, for one.’ His voice was a lazy purr.

      ‘Excuse me?’ She coughed out a laugh as if he’d just told her an implausible joke.

      His smile said he didn’t believe her for a second and his stunning eyes glittered in the low light, laughing at her.

      ‘So tell me,’ he said in a way that put her even more on edge, ‘how did lover boy take your rejection last night?’

      ‘It wasn’t a rejection.’ She bristled at his arrogant confidence. Well, it was, she supposed, but it had nothing to do with him. ‘And his name is Simon.’

      ‘That wasn’t what I asked.’

      ‘I’m not telling you,’ she said, wishing now that she had headed for her room when the thought had first occurred to

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