No reason?He glared at her. Irate with himself.
‘You’re here only temporarily, correct?’ she added. ‘So, it’s no problem. As I said, forget it. Or at least pretend as if it never happened.’
‘You really think that’s going to be possible?’ He couldn’t believe it.
‘Of course.’
‘So what, we meet in open spaces?’ He tried to pull himself together. ‘With other people present?’
‘Are you afraid to be alone with me?’
Honestly, yes.
‘It’s for both our safety,’ he ground out.
‘Safety?Can you not control yourself?’
Apparently not. He stared—appalled—as she refused to look him in the eyes again. Suddenly he was very keen to prove that he wasn’t the only one feeling this. Because her body was sending him the wildest signals. She might’ve changed her top but the new one didn’t hide her entirely—he saw her arousal, saw her flush, saw lust in her eyes. It had strengthened with every step he took nearer. ‘I don’t think I’m the only one. I don’t think you can either.’
‘You’re unbelievably arrogant.’
But not wrong. He placed one hand on the wall either side of her head and held himself back from pressing against her. Colour stained her skin, he ached to feel the warmth of it, wanting to whisper in her ear, to nip that petite lobe again, wanted to spread her legs and—
‘Edo?’ she suddenly whispered. ‘What are you doing?’
He pressed his palms harder against the wall. He wasn’t touching her. Hewasn’t. But just being this close sent chaos through his body. And—thankfully—hers.
‘Proving why webothneed chaperones. At all times.’
More colour flooded her cheeks.
‘Proving that it wasn’ta little incident,’ he added huskily. ‘It was wild. And I don’t believe you’ve forgotten a second of it. I know I haven’t.’
Her breath shuddered. ‘Edo—’
‘Don’t dismiss me,’ he muttered. ‘Don’t dismiss this.’
‘Butthiscannot happen,’ she pleaded.
‘Exactly.’
Yet neither of them moved. He didn’t want to. He cursed the situation. He’d never had an affair at work. Never even been tempted. Never ever thought he would. But right now? He was so on the edge and already behaving badly.
Her pupils surged—drawing him in until she bent her head and brushed back her hair, hiding her eyes from him and something glittered in the light.
‘What’s that?’ He lost his self-control as white-hot fury flared and snatched her hand in his to stare at the little blue stones set in a thin band. It looked like a dainty cross between an engagement and wedding ring. ‘Are youmarried?’
She’d not been wearing a ring when he’d met her in Italy. Had she removed it? Had she cheated on her husband with him? Jealousy strained his already tight leash. He had to make a conscious effort not to squeeze her hand too hard in his outrage. ‘What thehell, Phoebe—’
‘It’s not a wedding ring,’ she snapped.
‘So you’renotmarried?’
‘Iwas,’ she said jerkily.
Edoardo recoiled.
‘Obviously I’m not any more and haven’t been for a while and I never will be again, which is why I wear it on that finger, because I’mnotavailable. Not that it’s any ofyourbusiness.’ Incandescent, she tugged free of his grip.
