The Legend of de Marco

She shrugged. ‘I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about most of the time.’ Then she smiled. ‘I would have thought that was a welcome relief.’

Rocco quirked a smile. ‘Strangely enough, not as much as I would have expected.’ He faced her fully then, and asked, ‘That folder in your case, with the sketchings and text … what is it?’

Gracie flushed and her heart constricted. Reality intruded on the halcyon moment, reminding her why she was there. ‘I should have known you’d looked at that too. Did you expect to find plans for a bank raid?’

She looked away, and then back when Rocco caught her chin with his fingers. He actually looked uncomfortable for a moment.

‘I might have suspected finding something like that before … but now I don’t know …’

Something inside Gracie swooped dangerously. She took a breath, and a leap into this very tenuous evidence of Rocco’s trust before it disappeared. ‘I did a basic art degree. I want to write children’s books some day. It’s just a few sketches and ideas. Nothing special.’

‘I thought they looked pretty good.’

Gracie looked at him, a curious melting feeling in her chest. ‘Really?’

He nodded. Gracie’s heart kicked once, hard. He took his hand from her chin.

‘What made you want to write children’s books?’

Gracie’s hands played with her bag. She’d never really told anyone this before and felt ridiculously exposed. ‘I was never very good at school … not like—’ She stopped herself from saying Steven, not wanting to jeopardise the fragile truce that seemed to exist between her and Rocco now. ‘Not like most of the other kids … I always loved reading and books—the way they could they could transport you into another world.’ She shrugged now, feeling silly, and avoided Rocco’s piercing black gaze. ‘It struck a chord and I wanted to recreate that.’

Rocco looked at Gracie’s downbent head. Her hair shone like gold fire. He could imagine only too well how tantalising it must have been to lose herself in stories and magic as a child when she’d been living in such an inconstant world.

Rocco said nothing and Gracie looked up, nearly taking a step backwards at the intensity of his expression. She quickly became transfixed by his mouth, wanting to relax it from the taut line it had become.

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ he growled.

‘Or what?’ Gracie asked, suddenly feeling confident in a way she never had before. It was a confidence that came from Rocco not laughing at her ambition and from being desired.

‘Or I’ll take you out of here right now and do something about it.’

Gracie looked up at him, feeling bold. ‘I’m not stopping you.’

With a half-muttered curse Gracie felt her hand being taken in Rocco’s and she was being led back through the throng. She felt buoyant that she could have this singular effect on Rocco. She felt buoyant with this growing ease between them.

Within minutes they were in the back of his car, the privacy window was up, and Gracie turned unquestioningly into Rocco’s arms, her mouth searching desperately for his …

A short while later, when they got into the lift back at the hotel, Rocco could see Gracie’s face, pink with embarrassment, reflected in the steel surface. She’d stopped him just as he’d been stepping from the car and whispered, ‘They’ll know.’

Her hair was down and dishevelled, her mouth swollen. And her hand was clasped tight in his. He’d almost taken her in the back seat of the car, a simple kiss having exploded into something much hotter within seconds.

Gracie’s eyes were downcast, and he had to curb the concern he felt. He was struggling to rein in anger mixed with desire. He didn’t do this. He didn’t become so transfixed with a woman that he left functions early. And he didn’t make love to women in the backs of cars. It was as if any enclosed space automatically became a provocation, an enticement to seduce her.

Only the tiniest sliver of sanity was preventing him from hitting the Stop button in the lift so he could hike up that dress and touch her. And also the knowledge that his friend Sebastian would not appreciate the X-rated CCTV elevator show.

When they reached the penthouse suite Gracie moved skittishly aw

ay, taking her hand out of his. Rocco’s body throbbed to continue what they’d started.

He saw her hands go to the necklace. He frowned. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I want to take this off.’

She sounded breathless and husky and vulnerable all at once, and Rocco’s chest tightened. Maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling off-kilter because of this insatiable desire.

He stepped forward and gritted his teeth as her scent, musky with arousal, hit his nostrils. He told himself harshly that he could control himself. He took off the necklace and she handed him the earrings too.

She was looking around, still avoiding his eye. ‘We should put them in the safe or something.’