A Match for Celia

She frowned. “From Damien? You can’t be serious. Damien isn’t going to hurt me. His pride might be a bit piqued, but he’s really a very nice man. To be honest, I think he already knows nothing’s going to happen between us. If either of us had really been serious about it, something would have already happened by now.”

Reed groaned. “How can you be so naive?”

That made her mad. She tugged against him, trying to free herself from his arms. “Don’t talk to me as though I’m a dimwitted child, Reed! I hate that. I may not be overly experienced, but I am not naive. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“You don’t—”

“And don’t tell me again that I don’t understand!” she exploded, shoving harder against him.

Reed held her easily. “I’m sorry,” he said, pulling her closer. “Celia, I’m sorry.”

She went still, wanting to believe, but suspicious of the ease with which he’d conceded. “You’re sorry you called me naive?” she clarified.

“Yes. And I’m sorry I tried to give you orders. I suppose you could call it a bad habit,” he added with a twisted smile.

“Then it’s one you’re going to have to break,” she told him bluntly. “I don’t like being told what to do.”

“I’ve already figured that out,” he assured her wryly. “And I’ll work on it.”

She nodded stiffly. “You’d better go make your calls.”

“I know.” He placed a hand at the back of her head and held her face tipped up to his. “I don’t want to leave you.”

She softened. How could she not? “I don’t want you to,” she admitted.

He kissed her, lightly at first, and then harder. Deeper.

Celia wrapped her arms around his neck and responded with everything inside her.

Reed was breathing heavily by the time he drew reluctantly away. He muttered a curse, looked at his watch again, and groaned. “I have to go. I’ll walk you to your suite.”

“No. I’ll walk myself.”

He didn’t seem to like it, but they parted at the koi pond. Reed headed for his building, Celia lingered for a moment to watch the fish and work up her nerve to go in search of Damien.

This was something she had to do, she told herself firmly. The sooner, the better. No matter what Reed said.

Celia found Damien in his office, for once unguarded by his ferociously protective secretaries. He looked up from a stack of paperwork when she appeared in the doorway. He rose immediately to his feet.

“Celia! There you are, I’ve been looking for you.”

“Have you?” She closed the office door behind her. “I hope you weren’t worried.”

“I was, a bit,” he admitted, rounding the desk. “I thought you’d be joining me for breakfast.”

“I saw you in the restaurant. But you were surrounded by your staff and you all looked so serious I hated to interrupt your meeting.”

Damien looked regretful. “We did have an impromptu meeting this morning. I’m afraid my staff had gotten a bit lax in handling press matters. I had to remind them of some basic rules when dealing with the paparazzi.”

“Did it get ugly last night?” Celia asked sympathetically.

He made a face. “Almost. I think we avoided a scandal. But only barely.”

“Did your unpleasant guest leave?”

“Yes. He did so at the urging of local police. His…er…lady friend chose not to press charges.”

Celia frowned. “She shouldn’t have let him get away with beating her. He’ll only do so again the next time he’s angry with her—or someone else.”