She nodded. ‘It’s happening in three weeks. Draco says I don’t need to be there. The video testimony is enough.’
He squashed the residual jealousy that lingered at the mention of her agent. ‘When did you speak to him?’
‘Yesterday.’ A bold but wary glance flicked his way, her green eyes turning a shade darker. ‘Javier?’
‘Sí?’ he responded, more than a little perturbed at how much pleasure his name on her lips brought him.
‘You two used to be good friends, yes?’
His jaw tightened. ‘What’s your point?’
‘You know what my point is.’
He shrugged. ‘And I’m trying to be the bigger man here, but you kissed him at your charity event, did you not?’
She gasped. ‘Surely you can’t still be jealous about that? He’s crazy about his fiancée!’
Javier’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as he wondered why he couldn’t get control of yet another irrational emotion. ‘You can assess for yourself how I feel when we see Angelis at my party.’
Her eyes widened with surprise, then a touch of pleasure that made him grit his teeth. ‘They’re coming here?’
‘Should I be put out that you’ve already forgotten about my birthday celebration?’
‘I didn’t think... I thought it would be just us.’
He captured her hand and brought it to his lips, his pulse spiking at the touch of her silky skin. ‘As much as I want to keep you all to myself, I need to uphold my party hard reputation. Angelis and his fiancée have already accepted my invitation. You want us to be friends again, make me forget that kiss and I’ll give it a shot,’ he half teased. ‘You see? I can be progressive after all.’
* * *
Despite his words, Carla sensed his tension as they pulled up in front of a silver, futuristic-looking building opposite an inner city park. After helping her out, he handed his keys to a hovering valet and pulled her to his side.
A quick kiss at her temple turned into a trailing caress that ended at the corner of her mouth. Carla’s pulse was dancing wildly by the time he straightened.
‘Forgive me for the quick pit stop. I won’t be long.’
Carla looked around the foyer with interest. Young executives buzzed around, their casual yet frenetic appearance indicating a creative atmosphere. ‘What is this place?’ she asked.
‘My production design crew are based here. They have the altered specs for the tequila bottle ready for me to inspect.’
‘I thought the design was finalised.’
A quizzical smile teased his sensual mouth. ‘As did I. But inspiration struck and I went with it.’
Intrigued and more than a little surprised that he would bring her to inspect what was obviously a special project for him, Carla followed him into the lift. He positioned her in front of him, then proceeded to plant hot, shockingly erotic kisses on her neck.
When the lift pinged to a stop, he groaned. ‘Perhaps I should’ve postponed this meeting. The timing of this wasn’t the best idea.’
‘Perhaps you should have,’ she teased. ‘Although I doubt it would’ve happened.’
He turned her around in his arms, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinised her face. ‘You trying to make a point, querida?’
She shrugged, her heart doing a funny little dance at the predatory light in his eyes as his gaze dropped to her mouth. ‘You keep threatening to take a day off, but I’ve yet to see you actually take one.’
The hands gripping her waist tightened a fraction before he set her free. ‘I need intense stimulation otherwise I get bored. You think you’re up to the task of providing me with such stimulation?’ he rasped.
Heat flowed up her neck and completely engulfed her cheeks. ‘There’s only one way to find out...caro,’ she countered bravely, unwilling to let on just how out of her element she really felt.
Dark, mesmeric eyes glinted with a feral light that strangled her breath. The hand that curled around hers was implacable, possessive. The urgent strides that had her trotting to keep up announced that her gauntlet had been accepted.