Living the Charade

Miller stepped into the room, her eyes sparking fire and brimstone in his direction.

Man, she was something else when she was riled—passionately alive—just like on the beach earlier. Not that he was thinking about that. He’d been honest when he’d told her it wasn’t part of his plan, but watching her come apart underneath him had been possibly the most sensually arousing experience of his life, and as such it was damned hard to put out of his mind.

‘Kat, sweetheart, I’ll ring you back.’ Glad of the excuse to end the conversation early, he dumped his mobile on the quilt cover beside him, reminding himself that he was supposed to be keeping his distance from Miller. ‘Bad day at the office, Sunshine?’

She stalked across the room and dumped her computer bag and satchel on the small desk against the wall. Then she turned on him, hands on hips, her large aquamarine eyes shooting sparks.

Tino lounged back against the bank of pillows behind him. ‘Are you going to tell me what’s eating at you? Or is this one of those times when a woman tries to make a man’s life truly miserable by making him play Twenty Questions?’

Her gaze narrowed. ‘You’ve got that wrong. Women do not make men’s lives miserable. People do that to each other.’

He stared at her and could see she was mentally wishing her words back. He wondered who had hurt her. It was obvious she didn’t like talking about herself. Something they both shared, and that protective instinct she seemed to engender in him tightened his gut.

She drew in a breath as if preparing to go into battle, but her words were resigned when she spoke. ‘It would have been nice if you’d told me that TJ was trying to recruit you to represent his Real Sport stores.’

‘Ah.’ That was where he knew TJ Lyons. TJ’s people had been hassling his publicist to get him to become Real Sport’s public representative for about six months now.

‘First—’ Miller’s voice brought his eyes back to her ‘—you don’t tell me that you’re the legendary lothario Valentino Ventura and nearly make a fool of me. Now you neglect to tell me that my client wants your face and body for his online sports brand and succeed in making a fool of me.’

‘Miller—’

‘Don’t Miller me.’ She stalked towards him and stopped at the foot of the bed. ‘You’ve been having fun with me right from the start of this silly charade and I’ve had enough. I am not here as your resident plaything and nor am I here to alleviate your boredom.’

Irritation blossomed inside him. ‘I never said you were. And might I remind you that this is your silly charade and I’m actually trying to help you.’

‘Some help when TJ all but told me the only way we would win his business is if you “quit stalling” and give him what he wants.’

Tino rubbed his jaw. ‘Sneaky bastard.’

His response seemed to knock the wind from her sails because her shoulders slumped a little and her hands dropped from her hips.

‘Quite.’

‘I’m sorry, Miller. I didn’t deliberately withhold that information from you. I get over a hundred requests of a similar nature every week and my publicist handles that side of my business. Yesterday, when I met TJ, I was aware that I knew him from somewhere but assumed it was a race meet since he was such a fan.’

She swore lightly and retreated to sit on the velour window seat, and Tino found himself fascinated by the play of light on her thick, glossy hair.

‘What did you say to him?’ he prompted when she remained silent.

She scowled and he noticed that her face was slightly paler than usual. ‘Nothing yet. It was his parting volley.’

‘A strategic tactic.’

She looked surprised that he would know such a thing, and he didn’t like the fact that she still thought he had the IQ of an insect. ‘You can stop looking at me as if you’re surprised I can string a sentence together.’

‘I don’t think that.’ She paused at his disbelieving look and had the grace to blush. ‘Any more.’

He grinned at her honesty.

‘Anyway.’ She sighed. ‘I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging it.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because his weapon of choice is to ask his current consultants to re-pitch for the job, but if they had any good ideas they would have already given them to him.’

‘They might have something new up their sleeve.’

‘Nothing as good as mine.’