Page 65 of In Love and Revenge

Her eyes dart back to mine as I let the silence stretch. ‘I just thought I’d come and thank you again for the opportunity to work here. I’m enjoying it.’

‘You are?’

She nods, then walks to the edge of my desk, her steps clumsy and uncoordinated.

I rest my elbow on the arm of my chair and lift my thumb to my lips. I swipe it over the lower one as she rounds the side of my desk and comes to stand beside my seat, resting her pencil-skirt-clad arse against the desk.

‘Yeah, really enjoying it,’ she says, wrapping her fingers around the edge of the desk and leaning back a little.

The position is a flirtatious one, there’s no doubt about it. And my dick thickens in my trousers as I allow myself a slow sweep of her body.

She shivers under my scrutiny, but I’ll give it to her, she holds her nerve as I take my time drinking in her curves, making no attempt to hide the fact I’m eye-fucking her.

Her eyes are expectant the moment I lift them to her face.

‘You came in here to thank me for giving you the position?’

‘I did,’ she replies, her voice coming out breathy.

‘I do appreciate gratitude,’ I rasp, loving the way the blush in her cheeks has deepened.

She looks away quickly. ‘Um, maybe I could buy you lunch as a thank you? Unless you already have plans, that is? Gabriel said you might be having it with a friend, Dominic Ashworth?’

‘DominicAinsworth?’ I correct.

‘Oh, is that his name?’ She blinks innocently.

I smirk internally, applauding her for her acting. So that’s what she’s after. Dominic. The innocent act might work on others who just see a pretty face, but I know a determined gleam when I see it. And Dove’s let slip before about how hellbent Aurora is on appealing her father’s conviction.

The question is, how far will she go to get what she wants?

I always fantasied about her begging for my forgiveness.

But I never considered her begging me for help.

‘It is. He’s an old friend. We go way back,’ I tell her, tilting my head and noting the way her eyes light up.

I hide a smile. I don’t want to make it obvious that I’m on to her little ploy. Especially when there’s nothing for her to learn from me, or Dominic. But I could use this to my advantage. Maybe if I play my cards right, I might learn where my money is.

‘Really? That must be nice. I bet you know all sorts about one another,’ she says, trying to sound casual, but I can see the desperation in her eyes.

‘Pretty sure I’ve seen every skeleton in Dom’s closet,’ I say.

He knows all of mine too, of course, but there’s no way in hell I’m telling Aurora that.

‘Wow, really?’ She inches closer along the desk until her leg brushes my knee. She fights to school her reaction, but there’s no mistaking the small intake of air passing her lips as we touch.

I keep my leg in place, allowing hers to rest against it.

‘My father met him years ago through business. Dominic knew them back when my mother had her accident.’

Aurora’s gaze shoots up from where my knee is touching her leg, and her brow wrinkles.

‘The one where—’

‘We both almost died because she was pregnant with me at the time? Yes, that one.’

A look of genuine concern crosses her face. ‘Dove told me. It sounded awful. That’s why your mum called you Rafael, isn’t it?’