Page 19 of The Tycoon's Shock Heir

‘Maybe a little,’ she said, her eyes widening over the next load of steaming dishes. ‘I don’t normally eat a lot. Well, that’s not strictly true—I normally stuff my face. But not recently. Not since I’ve not been able to dance.’

‘Don’t they pay you?’ he asked. ‘Don’t they see you as an investment?’ It was none of his business but the injustice of it puzzled him.

‘Of course they look after me—but if I can’t dance I can’t dance.’

She turned her head to the side and twirled her ponytail through her fingers.

‘Anyway, all you need to know is that I’ve been on a bit of a tight budget recently. Normally I’d pay my share if I was on a date, but I’m a bit broke until my cheque clears.’

‘Is this a date, Ruby?’

The forkful of pasta she had stabbed and was drawing up to her open mouth was placed down carefully. She looked up and the flickering candlelight licked the hollows of her huge almond eyes. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a more beautiful woman.

‘I... I don’t think so.’

‘We’ve already established that there’s something interesting going on between us. Wouldn’t you agree?’

‘Is this how you normally seduce women?’ she asked. ‘I thought you’d be a bit more subtle.’

She picked up her cutlery again and continued eating, her eyebrows raised like two black birds, mocking him. He couldn’t help but smile at her quick-on-the-draw retort, but he wasn’t going to let her off that easily.

‘I didn’t think we were working on the premise of “subtle”. I thought you were quite clear that you found me sexually attractive.’

She put her hand to her chest. The solid line of her dress cut right across the shadows of her small breasts and his eyes fell there. She was exquisite. And he allowed himself the luxury of imagining what those small breasts looked like, what those rosy nipples would taste like rolling under his tongue.

‘What? You’re shocked that I would call you on that?’

‘I’m shocked at your double standards. You’re the one who’s been putting it out all night.’

‘Ha! Oh, really?’

‘Absolutely. Every time I had to say something to you, you were well inside my personal space. I couldn’t move so much as an inch and you were right beside me, hands all over me.’

‘Is that right? Hands all over you?’ He could barely contain his chuckle. She was making him more and more aroused with every second. ‘Well, I have to apologise. I didn’t notice you pulling away or asking me to back out of your “personal space”. In fact, as I recall, in between your breathy little whispers, you liked to linger in my personal space much longer than a person would normally take to move away. In fact I’d go so far as to say you were almost rubbing yourself against me. Maybe that’s something that you dancers think is normal, but for the rest of us—I’d say that that was provocative.’

As he spoke he watched her face react. Her eyes widening and the trouble she was having swallowing. It was pure, unadulterated pleasure—just what he needed.

‘That was you! You were provoking me!’

‘And I happen to know just how sensitive your ears and neck are.’

He looked there now, watching the soft pink flush that was travelling all over her cheeks, imagining how she was going to react the next time he touched her.

‘You could barely stay upright when I had to ask you a question. If I brought my lips anywhere close to your ear you practically melted in my arms. You have a very responsive erogenous zone.’

She rolled her eyes, as if he was talking rubbish, but she couldn’t disguise her smile or the deepening of her blush. She was playing for time, and every second thickened the hot, heavy, sultry air between them.

‘I was only doing my job,’ she said, looking up at him coyly. ‘It’s not my fault if you read more into it than was actually there.’

‘Ah. I see. I was imagining things.’ He knew women. He knew what he was and wasn’t imagining. ‘I’d certainly like to revisit my poor judgement over dessert. If I’m wrong, you’ll have my full apology. If I’m right...’

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