Defying Drakon

Drakon found he was unable to stop himself from watching the soft sway of her hips as she followed Malcolm down the cabin to the bathroom, admiring the simple elegance of her appearance. The black sheath dress was a perfect foil for that elegant diamond and emerald jewellery and the pale gold colour of her hair.

Once again he was assailed with the knowledge that Gemini Bartholomew was both a beautiful and unusual woman. Unusual in that if she was aware of that beauty—and how could she not be?—then it was not something she attempted to use to her advantage in the way most beautiful women did, as they wheedled and charmed whatever they could out of the men in their lives.

At least, that was how the women Drakon had so far met in his own life usually behaved. And there had been many. Far too many, he acknowledged ruefully. Which probably accounted for his cynicism where all women were concerned. A cynicism he would do well to remember, he warned himself, especially when in the company of this particular woman.

‘That’s better.’ Gemini resumed her seat opposite Drakon, her hair newly brushed, the peach gloss on her lips refreshed. ‘It must be all the excitement,’ she added with a smile.

Drakon raised an eyebrow. ‘I was not aware you found my company so stimulating.’

Gemini felt a prick of disappointment that her brief absence seemed to have brought about a return of his mocking humour. Although this timely reminder of exactly who and what he was like was a good thing, when minutes ago she had felt herself enchanted by both Drakon and the evening ahead.

‘It was probably the champagne,’ she excused lightly.

Those dark eyes narrowed. ‘No doubt.’

‘This is delicious!’ Gemini enthused once Malcolm had served their first course of asparagus tips and prawns enhanced with a delicate minted sauce.

‘The food is from the same restaurant that provided the meal you did not eat last week,’ Drakon revealed.

‘You must be one of their best customers.’

‘Perhaps.’

Gemini absolutely refused to have her spirits dampened by that terse response. ‘I was far too busy to find the time to eat today, so I intend to enjoy every mouthful.’

That dark gaze raked over her mercilessly, lingering on the emerald nestled against her breasts. She obviously had a taste for expensive jewellery—so perhaps she wasn’t so different from every other beautiful woman he knew…

‘No matter how busy you are, today or any other day, I very much doubt running a florist’s shop allows you to purchase such expensive jewellery.’

Gemini stiffened at the insult she heard underlying Drakon’s tone, slowly placing her knife and fork down onto the side of her plate. ‘Exactly what are you implying?’

Broad muscled shoulders moved in a shrug beneath his black evening jacket. ‘It was merely an observation.’

Gemini moistened her lips and took her time before answering him. ‘I take it you’re referring to the necklace and earrings I’m wearing this evening?’

‘And the matching bracelet,’ he drawled.

‘Oh, we mustn’t forget the matching bracelet.’ Her eyes flashed the same colour as the emeralds that sparkled so brightly at her ears, neck and wrist.

Drakon raised mocking hands. ‘There’s no reason for you to become so defensive.’

‘Isn’t there?’ Gemini asked. ‘What’s wrong, Drakon?’ She leant back in her chair to study him speculatively. ‘Is it that you’re regretting your decision to take me to the opera in Verona, even though you know how much I’m looking forward to it? Perhaps you would rather we didn’t go? That we asked the pilot to turn the plane around, after all, and returned to England?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ He looked deeply irritated, his eyes very dark, his mouth a thin, angry line. ‘I was merely commenting on—’

‘I know exactly what you were doing, Drakon—and it wasn’t “merely” anything.’ She gave him a direct look. ‘The earrings, necklace and bracelet were my mother’s. My father gave the earrings to my mother on their wedding day, the bracelet on their tenth wedding anniversary, and the necklace on their twenty-fifth.’ Gemini frowned as she heard her own voice break emotionally. ‘My father decided to give them all to me after she died. There would have been her emerald engagement ring too, but—’ She broke off abruptly, irritated with Drakon for having succeeded in baiting her into revealing this much, and even more annoyed with herself for feeling defensive enough to speak of things that would be better left unsaid.

‘But what?’ Drakon prompted astutely.

Gemini avoided that piercing dark gaze as she picked up her knife and fork again. ‘Could we just eat our dinner before it goes cold?’

‘The first course is meant to be served cold.’

She shot him a fiery glance. ‘I’m trying to change the subject here.’

‘I am aware of that. But what?’ he repeated insistently.

She had never before met a man who could take her through such a gamut of emotions in so short a space of time: puzzlement, excitement, pleasure, irritation, and now sheer frustration at his obvious determination that she would give him an answer to his question