called for her later that evening, his gaze appreciative as he saw how beautiful she looked in the white gown, its halter-necked style suiting her tall elegance, her hair secured in a casual bun on top of her head, several tendrils falling loosely about her nape and ears.
'You look lovely,' he told her enthusiastically.
'So do you,' she smiled, liking his navy blue suit and lighter blue shirt.
He looked abashed, one of those men who felt uncomfortable taking compliments himself. 'Are you ready to leave?'
'Unless you want a drink first?' she offered.
'Not for me,' he refused.
'Then lead on MacDuff,' she instructed lightly, following him down to his car, determined that she wasn't going to worry for this one evening, especially after the shock she had received earlier. She had always felt uncomfortable about the other woman using her bedroom to change, although it hadn't occurred to her that Audra would actually invade her privacy in that way. 'There are two ground rules for tonight,' she told Lewis brittly.
'Oh?' he looked disappointed.
'Not those sort of rules,' she chided teasingly. 'Really, Lewis, I'm surprised at you.'
'I can't imagine why,' he grinned. 'I've made my feelings about you obvious since the first time we met.'
That was true, and she had been making it just as obvious ever since that she liked him only as a friend. 'All right, you can include no flirting with me too." She laughed at his woebegone expression. 'You introduced the subject, Lewis,' she reminded.
'That's the trouble with me, I never know when to keep my mouth shut,' he grimaced. 'So what are these two rules?'
'Number one, I don't want to talk about work.'
'Neither do I, so that's easily settled.' He looked at her curiously as he waited for the second rule.
'Number two, I don't want to talk about Nick Andracas or anything remotely related to him. Also agreed?' she raised shaped brows over luminous green eyes.
'Well....'
'Lewis!'
He grimaced. 'That might be a little more difficult,' he finally admitted ruefully.
'Why?' she demanded sharply.
'Well.... You see, I—'
He didn't need to explain any further, not any more. Danielle recognised the house in the exclusive part of London that he was parking the BMW outside, even though she had only seen it once before. The Andracas house!
'Lewis, who invited you to this party?' she turned to him stiltedly.
He looked evasive. I didn't think you would
mind,' he almost pleaded. 'And I've heard he gives
really good parties. I thought you would enjoy
yourself. We don't have to stay long if you—'
'When did he invite you, Lewis?' she queried in a softly patient voice.
'He telephoned me this morning, just before I called you and asked you to come with me,' he told her reluctantly.
That's what she had thought! Well if Nick thought he had outwitted her he was mistaken. Forewarned is forearmed, and she was now fully armed. 'We had better go inside, then, hadn't we?' she said brightly, getting out of the car.
'Danielle—?' Lewis hastily followed her as she —walked up the steps to the house.
'Hm?' she met his gaze with innocent inquiry.
He looked slightly overawed by her sudden composure. 'You aren't—angry or—anything?'
If she was it certainly wasn't at him; he didn't have a devious bone in his body. But she knew who did! 'Should I be?'
'Well —no. But—'
'Then I'm not,' she put her arm through the crook of his. 'We've been invited to a party, Lewis, so let's go and enjoy ourselves.'
He seemed relieved that she was taking it so well after telling him she didn't even want to talk about Nicholas Andracas, smiling his relaxation as they entered the house together.
Danielle wasn't relaxed at all, although that wasn't obvious from her smiling demeanour, looking at Nick with coolly uninterested eyes as he came over to greet them, the lounge much as she remembered it, filled to capacity with guests tonight, too.
'I'm so glad you could both make it,' he drawled, his gaze mocking on
'You look lovely,' he told her enthusiastically.
'So do you,' she smiled, liking his navy blue suit and lighter blue shirt.
He looked abashed, one of those men who felt uncomfortable taking compliments himself. 'Are you ready to leave?'
'Unless you want a drink first?' she offered.
'Not for me,' he refused.
'Then lead on MacDuff,' she instructed lightly, following him down to his car, determined that she wasn't going to worry for this one evening, especially after the shock she had received earlier. She had always felt uncomfortable about the other woman using her bedroom to change, although it hadn't occurred to her that Audra would actually invade her privacy in that way. 'There are two ground rules for tonight,' she told Lewis brittly.
'Oh?' he looked disappointed.
'Not those sort of rules,' she chided teasingly. 'Really, Lewis, I'm surprised at you.'
'I can't imagine why,' he grinned. 'I've made my feelings about you obvious since the first time we met.'
That was true, and she had been making it just as obvious ever since that she liked him only as a friend. 'All right, you can include no flirting with me too." She laughed at his woebegone expression. 'You introduced the subject, Lewis,' she reminded.
'That's the trouble with me, I never know when to keep my mouth shut,' he grimaced. 'So what are these two rules?'
'Number one, I don't want to talk about work.'
'Neither do I, so that's easily settled.' He looked at her curiously as he waited for the second rule.
'Number two, I don't want to talk about Nick Andracas or anything remotely related to him. Also agreed?' she raised shaped brows over luminous green eyes.
'Well....'
'Lewis!'
He grimaced. 'That might be a little more difficult,' he finally admitted ruefully.
'Why?' she demanded sharply.
'Well.... You see, I—'
He didn't need to explain any further, not any more. Danielle recognised the house in the exclusive part of London that he was parking the BMW outside, even though she had only seen it once before. The Andracas house!
'Lewis, who invited you to this party?' she turned to him stiltedly.
He looked evasive. I didn't think you would
mind,' he almost pleaded. 'And I've heard he gives
really good parties. I thought you would enjoy
yourself. We don't have to stay long if you—'
'When did he invite you, Lewis?' she queried in a softly patient voice.
'He telephoned me this morning, just before I called you and asked you to come with me,' he told her reluctantly.
That's what she had thought! Well if Nick thought he had outwitted her he was mistaken. Forewarned is forearmed, and she was now fully armed. 'We had better go inside, then, hadn't we?' she said brightly, getting out of the car.
'Danielle—?' Lewis hastily followed her as she —walked up the steps to the house.
'Hm?' she met his gaze with innocent inquiry.
He looked slightly overawed by her sudden composure. 'You aren't—angry or—anything?'
If she was it certainly wasn't at him; he didn't have a devious bone in his body. But she knew who did! 'Should I be?'
'Well —no. But—'
'Then I'm not,' she put her arm through the crook of his. 'We've been invited to a party, Lewis, so let's go and enjoy ourselves.'
He seemed relieved that she was taking it so well after telling him she didn't even want to talk about Nicholas Andracas, smiling his relaxation as they entered the house together.
Danielle wasn't relaxed at all, although that wasn't obvious from her smiling demeanour, looking at Nick with coolly uninterested eyes as he came over to greet them, the lounge much as she remembered it, filled to capacity with guests tonight, too.
'I'm so glad you could both make it,' he drawled, his gaze mocking on
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