Deliberately, she chose to direct her anger at the way he'd coerced her up here. As for the other things he'd said, she was still so shaken by them, she didn't trust herself to voice anything yet. In any case, any protestations she made would no doubt be futile. He'd made it quite clear this morning that he'd already made up his mind about her.
"And why can't you understand I'm not the ogre you think I am?" He sounded more frustrated than angry. "Like a fool, I thought it might be nice for us to spend a day together, discuss a little business, instead of being holed up in that tiny office of yours and then avoiding each other like the plague the rest of the time because of what happened last night. But with the mood you were in this morning, I knew you wouldn't come unless I was persuasive enough."
"Persuasive!" Laura snorted. "Is that what you call blackmail nowadays?"
"It was never intended that way." Daniel seemed thoroughly exasperated. He waved at the bustling square in front of them. "Tell me honestly you're not glad you're here now, instead of hiding away from me in your room."
"That's not the point," she muttered, resenting him for guessing exactly how she would have spent the day. They sat for a moment in stalemate.
"Laura, I'm sorry," Daniel said again, but this time the gruffness and stubbornness were gone from his voice, and a hint of tenderness was back.
"You already said that."
When she wouldn't meet his gaze, he shifted his chair until it was directly opposite hers.
"Not properly. I wasn't sure which of my misdemeanours we were discussing."
Laura rolled her eyes. "Neither was I."
"I've explained the heavy-handedness in my invitation, so I can only assume you're still upset over what I said about last night?"
When she didn't answer, he went on. "Laura, what I said about your motives was unforgiveable. It was just that . . ." He sighed. "You were so bad-tempered this morning, and I was tired. I only wanted a day out together, to discuss what I needed to discuss somewhere nice. But you were being so unreasonable about it."
She opened her mouth, but he held up a hand to stop her. "And then that phone call from my brother . . . it was bad timing. I know I jumped to all the wrong conclusions. But in my defence, I would like to say you've had me pretty confused. Whenever we get close, you back away and you never want to tell me why. One minute you're swearing blind you're not interested, and the next . . . well, that dance and that kiss were prime examples. I guess I was looking for a reason, and Ben conveniently provided me with one."
"The wrong one!" Laura bit out.
"I know. If I'd let myself think straight, I never would have said those things. Last night . . . I know you don't want to discuss it, but I need to tell you I know you weren't acting. Neither of us was," he added.
His heartfelt apology was more than Laura had expected, but it resolved nothing. She had no idea what he wanted from her—if anything. And she wanted more from him than she thought she should. He was right about her blowing hot and cold with him, and she could see how it would frustrate him. It was no excuse for the way he'd spoken to her, but she did feel she owed him an honest explanation.
"You were right about one thing," she said quietly.
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Thank the stars for that! What might that be?"
Laura took a deep breath. "I've not been honest with you, and since I think you know that already, I might as well come clean. I denied there was any . . . chemistry, as you like to put it . . . between us, because you were pushing me too hard. The fact is . . ." She bit her lip before ploughing on. "The fact is, I am attracted to you. And I'm only human—hence last night. But when my head's in charge, it tells me to stay well away from you." Her lips twitched at his bemused expression. "I would have thought you have enough complications with Miss Hartman," she went on. "And you're only here for a short while. I'm not the kind of person who has holiday flings. I'm sorry if that's caused problems for you."
Daniel was quiet for a long moment. "Thank you for being so honest," he finally said. He looked into her eyes, melting the last of any anger she still held. "Will you forgive me for what I said this morning?"
"Hmph. You already said yourself that it was unforgiveable," she pointed out as she picked up her bag, ready to go.
Daniel rolled his eyes as he paid a passing waiter and rose from the table. "Has anyone ever told you that being so pedantic is one of your less admirable qualities?"
With a delicate truce between them, they strolled through the narrow cobbled streets, pausing to look in the shops at the pottery and linens on display. Laura bought gifts for her mother and brother, Daniel for his nephews. Their wanderings led them into one of the main squares where the restaurants were already almost full.
Laura checked her watch. "I think we ought to think about lunch, or we might not be able to get a table," she said, staring doubtfully at the crowds.
"And I think that's about the only sensible thing you've said all day."
Daniel strode towards a restaurant with a couple of empty tables before she could hit him. As she caught up with him, there was a shout behind them.
"Daniel! Fancy seeing you here!"
Her heart sinking, Laura turned to see
