CHAPTER TEN
POPPY CAME AWAKE with a start and pushed herself into a sitting position. The sofa Sebastiano had slept on the night before was possibly the most uncomfortable piece of furniture she had ever fallen asleep on. Not that she had meant to fall asleep.
‘Why aren’t you in bed?’
She glanced across the room to find the cause of her disturbance silhouetted in the doorway. ‘I was waiting for you.’
Sebastiano stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, enveloping them in semi-darkness, the floor lamp Poppy had put on the only light source in the room.
He strolled towards her with the loose-limbed grace of a professional marauder, his bow-tie swinging from his collar, his jacket tossed carelessly over his shoulder.
Dumping the jacket on a chair, he made his way to the drinks cabinet. ‘Why?’
Poppy’s heart thudded heavily inside her chest as he poured himself a drink. ‘I wanted to make sure you were all right. It’s what I would do if we were in a normal relationship.’
‘Only we’re not in a normal relationship,’ he pointed out.
Poppy pushed her hair back from her face impatiently. ‘Why do you get to pull that card out when it suits you but I can’t?’
His lips twisted as if she amused him. ‘Because I make the rules, intern, not you.’ He tossed ice into the glass, not looking at her. ‘You should go to bed.’
The fact that he’d called her ‘intern’ in his deep, sexy voice set her insides ablaze. There was something so intimate and affectionate in the way he said it, although right now he probably hadn’t meant it to sound either of those. ‘And you should stop drinking,’ she offered pleasantly.
‘Where’s the fun in that?’
Poppy stood up and smoothed her hand down her beautiful dress. ‘Are you very drunk?’
His eyes skimmed her. ‘Not nearly enough that I want to listen to your “good little girlfriend” act.’
Poppy pursed her lips. ‘How about my bad one?’
His smile didn’t quite meet his eyes. ‘Now that one has potential.’
Poppy remembered everything he had said to her downstairs, every seductively appealing word he had uttered to prevent her from asking probing questions, and warned herself not to fall for his pretences again. The man was a ruthless shark, after all. ‘Isn’t your grandfathe
r’s announcement of you taking over CE supposed to have made you happy?’
Sebastiano smiled at her. ‘You know, that’s the strangest thing. It didn’t.’ He downed another finger of Scotch. ‘Go figure.’
She crossed the floor and stood in front of him, her arms folded defensively across her chest.
‘I was really angry with you for walking off and leaving me before but now...’ She sighed. ‘If I’d known about your parents I could have—’
‘What?’ His blank eyes met hers. ‘Dressed me in flannel pyjamas and brewed me a pot of tea? Isn’t that what you English do when you feel sorry for someone?’
Her mouth settled into a stubborn line. ‘Maybe it would help if you talked about your feelings, Sebastiano, instead of pretending you don’t have any.’
‘You know, I spent most of last night wondering what you wear to bed and I couldn’t decide if it would be silk.’ He took a long slug of Scotch. ‘Or cotton.’
‘Don’t,’ Poppy said warningly. ‘Don’t pretend you want me to distract me. That trick might have worked once but only a fool would fall for it twice.’
‘And you’re no fool, are you, Poppy?’
‘Sebastiano...’
‘You’re really very cute when you’re riled. It turns me on immensely. In fact, everything about you turns me on, bella. Especially in that dress. Por Dio, but you look hot. Deliciously, sensually hot.’
Even though she knew he was toying with her, Poppy felt the warm flush of desire flow through her. Clearly her hormones did not require honesty as a prerequisite to arousal, and wishing it were otherwise wasn’t going to change anything.