Page 13 of Out of Office Nights
Mara interrupted, her focus fixed squarely on Teo. ‘Did you need anything else, Teo?’
He dropped her arm, striding briskly for the door. ‘No,gracias. I’ll see you both in Milan in a couple of days. Have a safe flight back.’
His back was turned so that Teo didn’t see the longing on Mara’s face. Sabeen saw it, though. And something unpleasant flipped in her belly.
It was yet another thing she was wrestling to dismiss when they stepped out of the limo and onto the red carpet leading into the X-Ceed Heights Building in Lower Manhattan twenty minutes later.
‘Do you realise your employee is in love with you? Do you care, or are you arrogant enough to simply take that as part of your due?’ she blurted.
His head snapped sharply to hers.‘Scusi?’
Her desperation for the earth to open up and swallow her whole brawled with the need to discover his reaction to this bout of madness she couldn’t seem to stop. Heaven above, what was wrong with her?
‘I…’ She shook her head, ignoring the flashbulbs igniting giddily around her as the eager paparazzi caught their first glimpse of their beloved Playboy Prince.
‘You what?’ he prompted, a sharp edge to his voice. ‘I’m learning a few things about you. I can’t quite decide whether Iwant my frosty creative director back or if I should delve deeper into just what is behind this curious turn of events.’
‘I… I’m not frosty,’ she argued far too weakly.
The corner of his mouth twitched with a barely there smile. ‘Indeed. I’ve seen you deign to laugh with my sister-in-law.’ He leaned close. ‘And let’s not forget that kiss, hmm?’
Heat pounded her. ‘I thought we weren’t going to talk about that?’
‘You threw this door wide open,cariña. So tell me, is it simply a case of my being tried and convicted of offences trapped in that beautiful head of yours?’ he parried.
‘It’s not… I’m not…’
He bent towards her, ignoring the even more frenzied snapping of media photos she knew with stomach-dropping certainty would wing their way around the social media universe before the hour was out.
‘At least be brave enough to admit your truth, Sabeen. Maybe that would unblock all this…tension that’s holding your creativity back.’
CHAPTER THREE
How dared he?
Of course, her outrage arrived far too late.
Long after he’d stepped coolly away from her, leaving her to face shouted questions about the gown she didn’t have answers to. Leaving everyone to salivate over the possibility of catching a glimpse of a House of Domene exclusive while he sauntered to another batch of the press and charmed them with smooth soundbites that had them laughing.
She was still bristling when he returned five minutes later, suavely offering her an arm she had no choice but to take or risk further rabid speculation. ‘For your information, I’m not blocked,’ she defended hotly.Belatedly.
He plucked two glasses of chilled vintage champagne from a passing tray and offered her one before slanting her a mocking glance. ‘Really? Then, why haven’t you produced anything worth the talent I know you have in over six months?’ he demanded, his voice a lethal blade wrapped in silk.
She wasn’t addressing the Playboy Prince now. She was talking to her boss. The man with the passionate drive and talent that repeatedly left his competitors puzzled and in awe. But since the same question dogged her, and she absolutely refused to attribute it toa man, she raised her chin. ‘Every designer goes through a slow phase.’
‘Should I even bother to laugh, or shall I go straight to pointing out that we both know that’s a load of nonsense?’
‘How dare you?’ she snapped, lowering her voice because if she hadn’t wanted undue attention from the paparazzi, then she most definitely didn’t want the people at this gala to see her remotely ruffled. Designers were worse than fishwives when it came to spreading gossip.
‘I won’t bother answering that either. But whatever orwhoeverit is you’re working through, work fast. My patience isn’t infinite.’
Her insides shook at the ruthless delivery. ‘Is that a threat?’
He held her in suspense, quicksilver eyes wandering over her face as he raised his glass to sip from it, as hers dropped to his strong Adam’s apple, a flash of heat invading her pelvis. ‘By all means. Take it as a threat if it helps focus you.’
Searching his face didn’t show any signs that he didn’t mean it.
Her agitation intensified. Even as she’d thrown down that gauntlet two days ago during the meeting with Teo and Cristobal, she hadn’t quite let herself consider whether her professional demise was imminent.
