contrary to the momentary racing of her senses, she refused to concede that the contemplation of such an erotic development excited her at all.
Casually she arched her eyebrows. ‘If you have some question concerning the magazine then I suggest you discuss it with Dianna,’ she began, and one corner of his mouth twisted derisively.
‘I’ve just spent the last half-hour with Dianna doing just that, discussing the magazine,’ he put in abruptly. ‘I was simply asking you to have lunch with me,’ he finished evenly, narrowed eyes challenging her.
Keira’s breathing fluctuated with her heartbeats and she made a show of shuffling some papers on her desk while she took an iron grip on her floundering composure. ‘I’m afraid I’ve got far too much work to do,’ she said, surprising herself with her firmness.
‘You have to eat.’
‘We’ve had a few glitches this morning and I’m way behind. I’m just going to send out for a quick sandwich.’
‘You can have a sandwich if you like,’ he agreed easily. ‘But we’ll get away from the office.’
His dark brow rose as Keira’s mouth opened slightly in disbelief.
Surely he didn’t intend they should waste a couple of hours fighting their way through lunch-hour traffic to share a cosy meal at a fancy restaurant? Did he imagine she’d go with him, even if she could spare the time? Which she couldn’t.
‘And some coffee, wasn’t it?’ he added, challenging her again.
Keira spared a second to look at Daniel, who was regarding his uncle through narrowed eyes, obviously assessing this latest development. Then he noticed Keira’s glance and changed his expression to one of bland interest.
‘Why not have a decent lunch for once?’ Daniel added his suggestion to his uncle’s, and Eden’s gaze centred momentarily on his nephew. ‘Wouldn’t you prefer to go to a restaurant, Keira?’ Daniel continued. ‘You’re always grabbing a sandwich, and eating on the run is bad for your health, apart from the fact that the canteen serves cardboard food.’
‘You’re exaggerating, Daniel,’ his uncle put in. ‘And for your information I didn’t have the canteen in mind. We have a perfectly good restaurant in the building and I’ve made reservations for-’ he glanced at his wrist-watch ‘-five minutes’ time. So shall we go, Keira?’
‘I really can’t…’ Keira began, but Eden had turned back to his nephew.
‘Don’t let us keep you, Daniel. No doubt you’ve got work to do, too,’ Eden dismissed the younger man and Daniel’s mouth tightened as a silent battle went on between the two men.
Keira saw the almost imperceptible jut of Daniel’s chin as he flushed slightly. She had no wish to see Daniel embarrassed any further in a contest the younger man was ill-equipped to win.
‘I’ll no doubt see you before I leave,’ Eden added, and Daniel lifted his chin.
‘Don’t worry about that,’ he put in sulkily. I’ll be pretty busy and going from job to job so you probably won’t catch up with me. I’ll see you tonight at the apartment,’ he finished, a bite to his voice, and Eden glanced at him.
‘I can only spare an hour,’ Keira cut in quickly and flashed Daniel what she hoped was a reassuring smile. ‘Perhaps you wouldn’t mind letting Roxie know where I’ll be if she needs me?’
Daniel hesitated for a moment, then gave Keira a meaningful look before nodding and leaving them, closing the door behind him with quiet hostility.
‘Was it necessary to belittle Daniel in front of me?’ Keira asked into the ensuing silence.
‘You would have preferred I invite him to join us?’ he came back coldly, his blue eyes chilling, and Keira snatched up her handbag.
‘Not for the reasons you’re implying. And if this is going to be another lecture of dire warnings about seducing your nephew then-’
‘I have no intention of mentioning Daniel,’ he remarked drily. ‘I suspect it would only be giving you more ammunition to use against me. And I’m sure you have enough already,’ he added, his voice imperceptibly lower, a nuance that didn’t pass unnoticed by Keira’s sensitised nerve-endings.
‘Shall we go?’ He opened the door and stood back for Keira to precede him. ‘And perhaps we should stamp certain subjects taboo for the duration of the meal, in the interests of good digestion.’
With one swift glance at the quirk of amusement that lifted the corners of his mouth, Keira stepped into the hallway.
If only he weren’t so incredibly attractive to her. To every woman, she reminded herself caustically as she continued across to the lifts, every centimetre of her so aware of his hard body so close beside her. That he still had the power to move her more physical senses at a basic level shocked and to no small extent shamed her somehow.
She was a long way along from the virginal eighteen-year-old she’d been when she’d met Dennis, but she would hardly describe herself as a woman of the world in that respect.
Perhaps that was why her immediate response to this man, this so obviously experienced man, filled her with a fear of the hold his magnetism could exert over her. And the fear that her capitulation could be so overtly easy.
Fortunately the lift doors slid open immediately and Keira breathed a quick sigh of relief to see that at least half a dozen other people would be sharing the cubicle with them as they sped upwards.
The
In no time at all they were seated at a table over-looking a magnificent panorama of the city and the harbour. As Keira watched, a Manly ferry left its berth by the Harbour Bridge and headed out to round the Opera House.
With a flourish the menus appeared and Keira gave hers her attention, trying to concentrate on the flowing script. But nothing seemed to make sense. Except the knowledge that Eden’s body was so very close to hers. In fact she rather fancied she could feel the heat emanating from his skin. And if she moved her arm just a fraction they would touch.
She blinked, lifting her gaze over the top of the menu to meet Eden’s steady blue eyes, and he raised his eyebrows enquiringly.
Keira realised he must have spoken and she moistened her dry lips with her tongue-tip. I’m sorry. I’m not sure… I’m not really very hungry,’ she finished lamely and Eden reached across and took the menu from her nerveless fingers.
‘Two club sandwiches,’ he said evenly as he handed the menus to the hovering waiter. ‘And some wine. My usual.’
Keira drew a sharp breath, her eyes narrowing. She had to pull herself together, rebuild her resolve. Did he think he was going to woo her with expensive wine and an intimate setting?
And their table was secluded, she realised now. They were totally isolated from the other lunchers. Yes, it was far too intimate. And Eden Cassidy was far too close for comfort.
She had to put some distance between them. It was her only defence.
‘What do you want, Mr Cassidy?’ she repeated her earlier query as evenly as she could, deciding to return the ball firmly into his court.
‘What do you think I want, Mrs Strong?’ he countered, relaxing indolently back in his chair.
‘I really can’t imagine, but I suppose there is a reason why you came all the way down here. I mean, a man with a media conglomerate to run, one as extensive as Cassidy-Ford Publishing, wouldn’t be visiting one of his lowly subsidiaries just to share an undoubtedly expensive club sandwich with…’ She paused, valiantly trying to finish the sentence without becoming even more enmeshed in the conversational web she’d woven about herself.
‘With?’ he prompted, infuriatingly nonchalant, but Keira’s mind had drawn a blank. ‘With a very attractive woman?’ he suggested, and her hackles rose, but only after she’d consciously quelled that split second of heady excitement his provocative words evoked.
‘With one of your insignificant underlings,’ she bit out, her grey eyes bright with an anger that was aimed as much at herself as it was at him. ‘Especially one who has so recently knocked you back,’ she added, unable to guard her impetuous tongue.
‘Knocked me back?’ He shook his dark head in mock dismay. ‘Come now, Keira, I prefer to refer to it as exercised your freedom of choice. Much more refined, don’t you think?’
