He raised his brow. ‘You mean, place an offer?’
‘If you’ve seen a place you like, which you clearly have, then yes,’ she said. ‘I have a business to think about and while I’m off with you, I’m not bringing in commission with other clients.’
‘Okay, I’ll place an offer. Perhaps Mayfair, perhaps here.’
‘That decisive, hey?’
‘Uh-huh.’ He kissed her gently. ‘But that makes one property. I still need the second.’
‘One is better than none.’ He leant in to kiss her again, but she pressed him away, forcing herself to stay focused and her voice serious. ‘But you will need to commit to a second soon or...’
She couldn’t bring herself to say it and his grip on her waist tightened. Not a lot but enough to make her aware of the tension rippling through him. ‘Or what?’
‘I’ll be forced to move on to other clients,’ she said resolutely. ‘There are only so many properties in London to show you.’
‘And what if I decide to extend my requirements? What if I want somewhere in another city, another country even—will you come to my aid then?’
She shook her head at him. ‘Why are you so determined to employ me?’
His eyes raked over her face, his hesitation palpable.
Please say the right thing...please give me something to cling to, something more...
‘Because I’m not ready to let you go.’
Her heart sank in her chest. ‘And you think employing me is the only way to keep me?’ Did he not realise how it sounded? How cheap it made her feel?
She extracted herself from his hold, creating some much-needed space between them. She couldn’t think straight when he was so close.
‘It’s the one way I know how,’ he said to her back.
His words clashed with the emotions welling inside—he needed there to be a reason. He would always need a reason.
And it would never be love.
Love. Why was she even thinking on it? He’d made his attitude towards relationships abundantly clear. And she had been a fool. Going in with her eyes open and not keeping her heart from wanting more. She’d done exactly what she’d told herself she wouldn’t.
‘We should go. I promised the owners we wouldn’t stop long and I have the awards ceremony to prepare for.’ She headed for the lift, not caring if he followed or what he made of her reaction. The situation was impossible. He was impossible.
Then why go ahead with this evening? Why let it go on at all?
Because the alternative hurt too much...
* * *
Daniel watched her go, the chilling effect of her departure leaving him stock-still.
He knew exactly how he’d sounded, every goddamn word colliding with the emotional turmoil within. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her. He’d just wanted a superficial reason to keep her tied to him, one that didn’t expose him and the feelings he’d sworn he’d never develop. He’d wanted the pretence of an excuse to avoid spelling out how he felt, to avoid laying his heart on the line, because once he did there was no going back—she would have the power to hurt him and it terrified him.
But as he looked to her standing before the lift, her back turned to him in total rejection, his lungs constricted with the pain. It was one thing to live his life in fear, but when that fear had already been realised, surely his only option was to dive right in and hope she would join him.
He moved to go after her, his mind set on what he needed to do when his phone started to ring. He headed for her, retrieving his phone from his pocket and eyeing the screen as he went.
His step faltered—vad fan?
It was his mother. She never called. Would never dare...unless...
He hesitated, not knowing what to do. Zara looked to him over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing. ‘What is it?’