Or anyone, Keira’s fertile mind expanded, setting off a titillating trail of tantalising memories that only served to raise her ire. And that it was directed at herself didn’t dim her ill-humour at all. She couldn’t prevent her stormy grey eyes from raking him. And the king would so enjoy the divine droit de seigneur, she mused testily.
Eden’s dark eyebrows rose. ‘Now that was an interesting thought.’ He raised his firm chin and his lips twitched into an almost-smile. ‘Perhaps I should take you up on that.’
‘On what? I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘Don’t you? I think you do.’
‘If you consider yourself so good at guessing games then perhaps you should put your talent to better use,’ Keira said acidly. ‘On the horses, maybe?’ She arched a scathing brow.
‘Gambling? A mug’s game. Although I’ll admit it has some entertainment value.’
‘Yes. I saw you being entertained at the last Melbourne Cup.’
‘You were there?’ he asked, leaning casually on the chrome handrail that skirted the cubicle.
His immaculate pale grey jacket opened to display a matching waistcoat over a pale blue shirt, and his maroon tie bore a crest Keira couldn’t identify. But there was one thing she did recall. Her mind flashed her a vivid picture from that afternoon in her office, of her trembling fingers fumbling to unbutton his waistcoat.
And, dear lord, she yearned to do it again. Run her fingertips over the hard muscles beneath his silk shirt, slip them inside to…
Keira swallowed and patted agitatedly at some fine tendrils of hair that had escaped her chignon and were teasing her skin. At least, she told herself it was those wayward strands.
More scenes played in her mind’s eye. Eden’s lips on the spot where her fingers now brushed… She moved her position hastily to disguise the shivers of pleasure her memories were evoking.
But he was looking at her, waiting for her reply. What had he said? She swallowed again and angrily chastised herself.
‘At the Melbourne Cup? No, I wasn’t there. I saw you on the television coverage.’ Some of her ire overflowed to centre on him. He was to blame, she told herself irrationally, and her anger loosened her tongue. ‘You were with the current Miss Australia, I believe,’ she added and then wished she could have bitten back the revealing postscript.
‘You have a good memory,’ he said easily.
‘And no doubt you’d forgotten.’
‘No. What red-blooded man could forget such an attractive young woman?’
Fingers of pain seemed to wrap around Keira’s heart and she tore her gaze from his in case he read the anguish she suspected was all too visible in their smoky depths.
‘Another instance of things not being quite what they seemed. It was part of a promotion for charity,’ he continued, and Keira, in command of herself once more, looked up. ‘We stood about and made fascinating small talk while the cameras rolled. Then she went off with her very attentive boyfriend and I went down to place a couple of bets. For entertainment’s sake,’ he added, and Keira could have sworn his blue eyes twinkled.
Whatever happened, it reduced her knees to water and caused a rather different sort of pain to swell in her breast. In fact it was more pleasure than pain, she admitted, as it spread like wildfire, stirring in the pit of her stomach and reminding her again just how physically attracted to this man she was.
‘I lost,’ he said and, totally disconcerted, Keira blinked inanely at him.
‘My bets on the Cup,’ he explained. ‘So my guesses don’t always strike true. But then again, I didn’t get to see the horses’ faces.’
Keira felt her lips tighten. He was so enjoying getting his amusement at her expense, she told herself, while part of her demanded to know why her sense of humour deserted her when she was with him.
As she sought a cutting rejoinder she sensed him move and her startled gaze rose. He’d pushed himself upright and as if in slow motion his hand reached out to follow the path of her own fingers only moments before.
He touched one soft curl of her hair, lifted it, his eyes narrowed now as they centred on the curve of her neck where the errant wisp had rested. Gently he tucked it back into place and his fingers then trailed over her bare skin.
Keira’s senses came alive, and just as her perfidious body began to respond she made herself jerk away from him, her papers falling from her suddenly nerveless fingers in the process.
Pages scattered about them on to the carpeted floor of the lift and they bent down as one to gather them up. Their fingers reached together, touched, and a jolt of electricity seemed to arc between them. They both stilled, their gazes locked, and Keira saw and recognised the same flame of passion in his darkened eyes. The fire of desire was burning furiously within them both.
Keira gulped a breath, knowing she had to douse the blaze before it took hold… But her whole body seemed paralysed. Her lips parted slightly and Eden’s eyes were drawn to her mouth, then fell lower to settle on the pulse that beat wildly at the base of her throat.
Her cream shirt afforded him a tantalising glimpse of the swell of her breasts and she had to put her other hand to the floor to steady herself as she felt herself falter vertiginously.
Then she noticed that the hem of her salmon-coloured straight skirt had risen high on her thighs and, fumbling with her notes, she made to pull it back into some semblance of modesty. Of course this only served to draw Eden’s attention to her nylon-clad legs, and she took a shallow breath as she forced herself shakily to her feet.
Slowly he recovered the rest of her papers and with a wry twist of his lips he handed them back to her.
Neither of them had noticed that the lift had stopped or that the doors had opened with a refined ding. Only when the doors began to close again did Eden move to punch the button to prevent them.
‘Your floor, I think, Keira.’ He motioned gallantly for her to leave and Keira barely suppressed a sigh of relief as she walked out of the lift to safety.
However, her relief was of the short-lived variety because he moved into the hallway behind her.
Keira’s step faltered and she turned to face him. ‘Where are you going?’ she asked, and then mentally winced. She had no right to question the head of the corporation, regardless of what she thought of him. He was her boss, and, as she’d stated before, this was his building.
‘The same place you are, I imagine.’ He raised his arm and flicked back his pale blue cuff to glance at his wristwatch. ‘And we’re five minutes late.’
‘Late?’ Keira repeated. ‘Late for what?’
‘For our meeting. Two p.m. in the conference room.’ Keira frowned.
‘It would appear you didn’t receive my memo.’
She shook her head. ‘No. There’s been no memo. Not that I’ve seen, anyway.’
‘Megan sent it down to Denver’s office yesterday and I could scarcely see him forgetting to pass it on to you and the rest of the staff.’
‘I’m sorry. There’s been a mistake made somewhere,’ Keira said hurriedly. ‘If you’d care to go along to the conference room I’ll tell everyone you’re here. If that’s all right with you,’ she added as evenly as she could, and he nodded.
‘I suppose it will have to be, won’t it? I’ll see you in there.’
With that he left her and Keira spent a few seconds staring after him before she was galvanised into action. Racing through the office she sent everyone after Eden. However, when she stuck her head into Roxie’s office her assistant wasn’t at her desk.
‘Damn!’ Keira said under her breath and continued into her own office next door. She’d have to leave a message for Roxie to tell her to join the meeting as soon as possible.
Keira lifted some papers on her desk but could see no memo. She found a notepad, but before she could put pen to paper Roxie herself appeared in the doorway.
‘Hi, Keira! How did it go with the copy-editing?’ The other girl strolled into Keira’s office.
‘Oh, Roxie. Thank heavens. I thought you might have gone out. Where were you?’
‘Even I need to go to the little girls’ room occasionally,’ Roxie commented wryly. ‘I might have known something drastic would happen if I left the confines of my desk. What’s up? Good grief!’ she exclaimed. ‘That threatened distributors’ strike hasn’t come to fruition, has it?’
‘No. Almost worse than that. Did you see a memo about a meeting today with Eden Cassidy?’ Keira moved quickly around her desk as the other girl shook her head.
‘Are you kidding? If I’d seen a memo from the big white chief himself I’d have claimed it and had it framed as a
