looked.
It was lucky for Eve the rush of adrenaline from the concert had eased, otherwise Zachary wasn’t sure he’d have been able to stop himself from kissing her. From pressing her against the wall, pressing himself to her and ravaging her lips—and pussy.
Even now, his control was questionable.
“You’re very welcome. I’m sorry if I insulted you earlier, giving you flowers that were meant for me.”
She eyed him in silence for a good few seconds before letting him off the hook. “No harm done.”
“How about we start again? From the beginning this time.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Z…”
She batted his arm away. “There’s no need for such formalities. I know who you are.” Her laughter filled the air, a soft tinkle like a stream trickling over rocks. “The whole world knows who you are.”
Perhaps the whole world knew who Jonah Speed was, but Zachary Pace was another deal altogether. And right now Zachary Pace had an overwhelming need to get to know this woman better.
He narrowed his eyes. “That’s the second time you’ve evaded my introduction. I’m beginning to think you’re determined to never tell me your name.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Fifty long-stemmed red roses mysteriously made their way into my hotel room at midnight. I have more than a sneaking suspicion that you already know my name.”
Zachary bit back his grin and drew his features into an embarrassed expression. “So you heard me, then, after the concert?”
“Heard you…?”
“Asking, yelling really, for someone, anyone, to please tell me your name when you walked away from me.”
“Er, no.”
“I begged who’d ever listen. Maybe even tried to bribe a couple of the lights guys.”
The edges of her mouth twitched. “You did not.”
“Did too. Even groveled at the feet of a complete stranger.”
“Did she answer you?”
“He. And no. But he did look at me as though I were a pitiful mutt.”
Her eyes danced with amusement. “So how did you find out?”
“What makes you think I did?”
She looked pointedly at the rose.
“Okay, guilty. I know it.”
“How?”
“Delilah. She took pity on me.” He frowned. “And by took pity, I mean she kicked me, hard, when I wrapped myself around her leg and refused to let go until I knew your name. She poked me in the eye and demanded I stop humiliating myself in public.”
She laughed in delight. “Well, now I know for sure you’re talking nonsense. Both Delilah and Devine were already in their change room when I got there.”
He winked and finally shared the truth. “Luke told me.”
She looked surprised. “Luke knows my name?”
“Luke probably knows your date of birth, address and social security number too. He’s that organized.”
“I’m Australian. I don’t have a social security number.”
“Your phone number then,” he amended.
“That I have.”
“May I have it?”
“What?”
“Your phone number.”
She looked baffled. “Why would you need it?”
“Oh, I don’t know. To phone you, maybe?”
“But I’m touring with you. There’s no need to phone me. Now that you know it, you can just call my name, and I’ll respond.”
“Eve.” He liked the way it sounded, rolling over his lips.
“That’s me.”
“You’re the first person I’ve given flowers to in a very long time.”
Again she looked surprised. “Well, in that case, Jonah, I’m honored.”
He smiled. He liked the way she said Jonah, but couldn’t help wondering how
“No, thank you.”
“Something to eat?”
“I’m good.”
She looked good. Good enough to eat.
“Would you come with me then, to get some food?”
Eve gnawed on her lower lip. Her eyes filled with trepidation. “Why me, Jonah?”
“Why would I like you to come and get food with me?”
“No. Why did you choose to send flowers to me, of all people?”
“You don’t like flowers?”
“I love them. Especially fresh ones meant for me.” She smiled shyly. “But that doesn’t answer my question. Why did you choose to give me flowers when you haven’t given them to anyone else in ages?”
“You really need to ask?”
“Mate, you’re
Did she say scarred or scared? It was tough to tell with her accent. And why would she be either? “You’re… scarred?”
She waved his question away. “Uh-uh. No getting sidetracked. You’re evading the issue. Why me?”
“Why do you think a man would give a beautiful woman flowers?”
She huffed out a breath. “Do you answer all questions with more questions, or just mine?”
For the second time since meeting her, Jonah found himself apologizing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was. Do I really do that?”
She glared at him for asking another question, and he grinned in response.
“So?” she pushed. “Why me?”
Apparently she really did need to ask. “Because once I laid eyes on you, it was difficult to look away. But when you caught me staring, I couldn’t just keep ogling you. That would have been creepy. So I gave you the flowers.” He snorted with humor. “Thought it would be a good idea at the time.”
“The roses in my room were a good idea. A really good idea.”
Zachary’s stomach chose that moment to growl. “Are roses edible?”
“Uh…” She wrinkled her nose. “I have no idea. Why?”
“Because if you don’t come with me to find some food now, I may have to eat this damn flower.”
She grabbed it back from him. “No way, mate. If you’re hungry, go get food. Leave my rose alone.”
“Come with me?”
“You can’t find the buffet table alone?”
“It’s not that I can’t find it. It’s that I’ll never reach it alone.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“There’s a woman on your right, about ten feet away, who’s eyeing me like I’m breakfast, a reporter behind me who wants to get me alone for an exclusive Jonah Speed interview, a sex-starved cameraman by the bar, and three women who’ve been giving you the evil eye ever since I walked over here.”
“You picked up on all this while talking to me?”
Zachary shrugged. “I’ve learned to become aware of the people around me.”
“And my accompanying you to the buffet table will help you how?”
“People tend to give me more space if I’m not alone.”
