LITMIR.BIZ

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don’t know how I’m going to take nine more months of this.’

      ‘Nine months?’ She wrinkled her brow. ‘I didn’t realise there was a set timescale for Valentine’s-related insanity. Or an expiry date.’

      One corner of his mouth twisted. ‘No, it’s not that. I’m getting out of here—going on the expedition with the South Asia team. Early next spring I’ll be back in Borneo and all this so-called civilisation will only be a distant nightmare.’

      Nine months? Chloe didn’t like the way her chest squeezed at that thought.

      ‘It’ll die down,’ she said.

      He frowned. ‘That’s what I thought at first but, if anything, it’s getting worse.’

      ‘I heard your ex on the radio yesterday,’ she said, ‘doing her monthly spot about her bounce-back year.’

      Daniel looked thunderous. ‘I can’t really hold it against her—the radio station is making her do it—but it’s the broadcasting equivalent of a full moon. Brings out all the crazies...’ His expression softened. ‘You helped, though. That woman backed off when she thought we were together.’

      Chloe nodded. ‘I guess the cat’s out of the bag—even if it was an illusory bag and an illusory cat. No comment isn’t going to cut it now.’

      He gave her an uneven smile. ‘If today was anything to go by, No comment wasn’t cutting it anyway.’

      There was that.

      She sighed and gently slid her hand out of his. He didn’t stop her. Then she turned and rested her forearms on the gallery rail and stared out over the Palm House, even though, because of the secluded spot they’d chosen, much of what she could see was the dark waxy leaves of the bushy tree in front of her. It was so hot up here. Her jumper was starting to cling and her fringe was growing damp against her forehead.

      ‘So what do you want to do about it?’ he asked, then leant on the rail beside her, mirroring her pose.

      For a long time neither of them said anything but, eventually, a seed of an idea dropped into Chloe’s brain from somewhere, floating on the wind. A few minutes later it had grown into a little green shoot of a plan, new and fresh and unexpected. She didn’t want to see any more women suffering the way that lady had today. And she didn’t think Daniel deserved the embarrassment, either.

      She pushed her weight back onto her feet and straightened. ‘Let’s make it work for us,’ she said.

      He turned to look at her, clearly unconvinced that was possible. ‘How?’

      She took a deep breath. Her heart began to pump faster. This must be what it feels like for them, she thought, for the guys, when they’re gathering up the courage to ask a girl out.

      But this wasn’t like that. Not really. Because she wasn’t really asking him out; she certainly wouldn’t risk being refused by Daniel a second time.

      So she swallowed her nerves down, then looked him in the eye. ‘I have a proposal for you.’

FIVE

      Alarm filled Daniel’s eyes. Chloe could practically hear the word proposal ringing round his head. He was feeling panicked? Good. At least that meant they were on even ground now.

      ‘Not that kind of proposal,’ she added wearily.

      Daniel folded his arms across his chest and leaned back on the opposite railing, close to the curved glass of the Palm House’s roof. ‘What do you mean, then?’

      Chloe swallowed. ‘Have dinner with me,’ she said, her heart pumping. ‘Or something else. Once a month—just before Georgia does her latest radio segment. Just like today, it might keep the crazies at bay.’

      He blinked slowly. ‘You said you didn’t think it was a good idea to go out with me.’

      She nodded. ‘I’m not suggesting we date, just that once in a while we let ourselves be seen together in public, let everyone join the dots. It won’t be our fault if they draw entirely the wrong picture.’

      ‘And at work?’

      ‘We do what we’ve been doing. Keep it cool and professional. People will think that we’re trying to be discreet.’

      He stared at her for the longest time. Chloe held her breath and refused to fidget. No way was she going to let him see how nervous she felt. She was very glad she let go of his hands now, because her palms were sweating.

      It’s not real. You’re not asking him out on a real date...

      ‘Why are you doing this for me?’ he asked warily.

      She shook her head. She didn’t know, really. It was stupid. Crazy.

      You do know, a little voice inside her head whispered. You want an excuse to spend time alone with Drop-Dead Daniel, so you can make believe, torment yourself...

      No. That wasn’t it. She couldn’t let that be it.

      ‘Someone told me about your sister,’ she finally said. That was true. ‘Let’s just say I thought you could do with a break.’ That was also true. It just hadn’t been in her head when she’d put her proposition to Daniel.

      His lips pressed together. ‘I don’t need your pity,’ he said coldly, and he pushed himself up from the railing and walked off down the gallery.

      Chloe let out a huff of frustration and then trotted after him. Damn male pride...

      ‘It’s not pity,’ she said crossly as she closed in on him. ‘It’s a friend helping a friend. That’s all.’

      He stopped, pivoted around to face her. ‘Friends? That’s all?’

      She nodded, not trusting her mouth to toe the party line.

      He looked beyond her, up to the vast curving glass and ironwork ceiling. Despite his knee-jerk temper, he seemed to be chewing it over.

      ‘I do confess I’m not being completely altruistic,’ she added, finally finding something sensible to say, something much more slick and smooth and Chloe to say. The sort of thing he’d come to expect from her—ambivalent, flirty, slightly mocking. ‘After all, you’ll be paying for dinner.’ And then she smiled brightly at him, just to prove there was nothing to worry about, that he needn’t be scared of her getting the wrong idea and joining the ranks of his stalkers.

      Amusement warmed his previously stony expression. ‘Oh, I am, am I?’

      She nodded again. This time because her mouth wasn’t working, not because she was scared it was about to take off on its own.

      There was something about his manner that completely changed. One moment he had been closed off, cold, almost backing away from her. But now there was fire in his eyes and even though she’d swear he hadn’t moved he seemed to be getting closer.

      Suddenly her cheeks felt very hot. She looked up at him, almost leaning over her.

      ‘D-Daniel? What are you doing?’

      ‘If it’s my money we’re going to be spending, my life we’re going to be messing around with, then I get to say what goes.’

      Her chin bobbed up and down. She got that. Daniel had been completely blindsided by the morning’s events. He felt out of control. This request was just about reclaiming lost ground, that was all. She could let him have that much.

      But then Daniel stepped towards her, pressing his body up against hers, pinning her between him and the wooden rail at her waist. His hands clutched the rail either side of her, his strong, taut arms preventing escape, and Chloe realised just how off her calculation of the situation had been.

      It wasn’t lost ground he was about to claim, but her.

      He

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