The Flaw in His Diamond

‘I apologise for leaving you to your own devices for so long.’

‘You don’t need to apologise. I was extremely well looked after.’

He didn’t like that any more than she liked Roman monitoring her behaviour at the party. But under the circumstances wasn’t it better to call a truce? ‘It’s a very good party. Thank you for inviting me.’

‘I didn’t have much option.’

‘And neither did I,’ she fired back, lifting her chin to confront him.

Who knew what Roman was thinking? There was calculation and even a little humour in his gaze, as if he knew something she didn’t. Time to go, she reasoned, but then he broke the standoff between them with a laugh, and the night breeze chose that same moment to ruffle his thick black hair. As he raked it roughly into place she was mesmerised.

‘The party isn’t over yet, Eva. I take it you didn’t find a room for the night?’

She silently thanked the shadows for hiding her burning cheeks. She hadn’t even thought to ask.

‘That’s all right,’ Roman soothed as if he had known all along she would forget. ‘You’ll stay with me. I haven’t changed my mind.’

But she had. It would be crazy to stay with him. She had so many fantasies rampaging through her head, but if he touched her. If he—

‘Don’t look so worried, Eva. All I’m offering is a bed for the night.’

Her eyes narrowed. ‘What else would you be offering?’

Her voice might be dismissive, but she was disappointed. She was even a little humiliated to think Roman didn’t want to try to get her into his bed.

Perhaps he knew.

No. He couldn’t know that bold, brash Eva Skavanga was painfully inexperienced. How shaming would that be? He’d probably laugh. She’d probably join him. It was ridiculous for a woman who carried on as she did to be so naive.

‘Problem, Eva?’

‘Why do you ask?’ she flashed defensively.

‘You’re frowning again?’

‘I don’t have a problem.’

Even Eva Skavanga had to remember her manners.

‘And I’m very grateful to you for allowing me to stay the night.’

There was no problem. The palazzo was as big as a hotel. Her fantasies would be the closest she’d ever get to Roman. And that was quite close enough.

* * *

They had made their way back to the dance floor again. She barely had a chance to register this before one of the girls she’d been talking to earlier pushed her playfully into Roman’s arms. Before she could disentangle herself Roman tightened his grip. She stiffened immediately.

‘You’re not going to cause a scene, I hope, Eva?’

She didn’t trust herself to speak while her body was busily registering every tiny shift and change in Roman’s muscular frame. ‘Surely, I don’t have to dance with you?’ Her throat tightened on every syllable.

‘Would that be so terrible?’

Roman’s voice was warm and sexy, and everyone was watching them to see what she would do.

‘I don’t think you have a choice.’

Didn’t she know it! She turned to smile at the other girl, who was now dancing happily with her partner. ‘One dance,’ she gritted out ungraciously.

‘One dance will be more than enough for me,’ Roman assured her with amusement.

CHAPTER SEVEN

‘NO TRICKS, NO JOKES at my expense, no underhand tactics of any kind,’ Eva warned as they stood facing each other on the dance floor. Her body, predictably enough, was going crazy during this speech.

‘If only you didn’t need me quite so much,’ Roman taunted softly. ‘If only you could vent your anger openly as you are used to doing, and tell me exactly where you’d like me to go. You’d feel so much better, wouldn’t you, Eva?’

Smug bastard. Why had she taken so much trouble tracking him down?

Every nerve ending in her body answered that question.

And she had always prided herself on being strong? Her body was softening, while her nipples were tight little buds of hard rebellion. And as for the rest of her—

It was better not to think about the rest of her. Her frustrated body was responding to Roman as if it had identified a solution to its problem in the shape of a man who knew everything about a woman’s needs and how to serve them. And her body was in no rush to let him go. She should have stayed in Skavanga and intensified her campaign against him.