got for Christmas. A baby-doll black dress and a bone-coloured shortish trench coat over the top of it. It’s the sexiest outfit I own.’
‘A trench coat is the sexiest outfit you own,’ he echoed with a glum shake of his head. ‘That’s just sad.’
‘Never underestimate the transformative powers of couture, Sebastian. I did not choose this outfit. My very savvy, very confident, soon-to-be sister-in-law chose it for me. That woman can rock a room just by stepping into it. I look good.’
‘All right, I’ve noticed. Now what do you do?’
‘I ask you if you’ve ever played billiards in a steel and glass fortress on a deserted islandin a storm before.’ Because the wind was of a certainty picking up and the clouds were on the roll.
‘I say yes.’
‘Who won?’
He sank two more balls in rapid succession and lined up the third. ‘Me.’
‘You’ve played this game before,’ she said and he cut her a glance and sighed.
‘That’s it? That’s all you’ve got by way of flirty words?’
‘And you smell very nice too. I noticed it before. You smell like the sea.’
‘You hate the sea.’
‘I like the smell of it. Always have. And I’m fresh out of flirty words. I think I’m just going to stand here now and look good. See if that suffices.’
‘It won’t. Why don’t you try a few flirty moves?’ he suggested helpfully. ‘At the next gust of wind, flinch and move a little closer. I’ll probably ask you how you’re holding up.’
‘Are you sure that’s a good move for me?’ she countered with a frown. ‘It seems a little needy.’
‘I like being needed.’
‘Don’t we all. I just don’t see why
I
have to be the needy one. I’m all for equal neediness or none at all.’
‘All right, ditch the damsel in distress play, although for future reference it could really work for you. We’re moving on to vamp. You’re going to try channelling Marilyn Monroe. In a trench coat.’
‘Couldn’t I try channelling Mae West instead?’
‘Well, you
could
, but then you’re going to need a few good one liners and you don’t have any.’
True. Poppy sighed. ‘All right. What would a speechless vamp do?’
‘She’d station herself right where I’m going to want to stand next. Look at the table, read the play.’
Finally something Poppy could do with ease. She moved. Seb played the ball. White ball to Poppy. Maths was very predictable.
Men, on the other hand, were not. Rather than head towards her, Seb headed for her drink, picked it up and brought it over to her.
‘Touch my fingers as you take it,’ he instructed.
Poppy did so. Sebastian smiled. ‘Now you have
more
of my attention,’ he murmured, with his lips to her hair and his chest brushing against her shoulder as he turned back towards the table.
Poppy’s shoulder tingled where he’dbrushed it; the heat of him warmed the air between them.
‘You are deliberately invading my personal space,’ she said.
‘That’s the point. If you don’t like it, move away. If you do like it, let me know by turning in to me rather than away from me.’
‘What do I do with my drink?’
‘Good point.’ He took it from her and put it back on the bench and then returned to stand beside her, smiling as he took a strand of her hair between his fingers and tucked it gently behind her ear.
‘What was that for?’ she whispered breathlessly.
‘Maybe I thought it was in the way. And maybe I just wanted to touch you. See if you responded.’
‘How’d I do?’
‘Well, I’m liking the parted lips and the indrawn breath. Not sure you can improve on any of that. However, in the interests of being a true gentleman I’m now going to take a step back and concentrate on the table, and see what you do.’
‘I wouldn’t move away? Give you some space to play the shot?’
‘Not if you wanted more of me.’
‘If I
did
want more of you, what would I do?’
‘You move closer to me. Let your shoulder brush up against mine, yep,
‘A trench coat is the sexiest outfit you own,’ he echoed with a glum shake of his head. ‘That’s just sad.’
‘Never underestimate the transformative powers of couture, Sebastian. I did not choose this outfit. My very savvy, very confident, soon-to-be sister-in-law chose it for me. That woman can rock a room just by stepping into it. I look good.’
‘All right, I’ve noticed. Now what do you do?’
‘I ask you if you’ve ever played billiards in a steel and glass fortress on a deserted islandin a storm before.’ Because the wind was of a certainty picking up and the clouds were on the roll.
‘I say yes.’
‘Who won?’
He sank two more balls in rapid succession and lined up the third. ‘Me.’
‘You’ve played this game before,’ she said and he cut her a glance and sighed.
‘That’s it? That’s all you’ve got by way of flirty words?’
‘And you smell very nice too. I noticed it before. You smell like the sea.’
‘You hate the sea.’
‘I like the smell of it. Always have. And I’m fresh out of flirty words. I think I’m just going to stand here now and look good. See if that suffices.’
‘It won’t. Why don’t you try a few flirty moves?’ he suggested helpfully. ‘At the next gust of wind, flinch and move a little closer. I’ll probably ask you how you’re holding up.’
‘Are you sure that’s a good move for me?’ she countered with a frown. ‘It seems a little needy.’
‘I like being needed.’
‘Don’t we all. I just don’t see why
I
have to be the needy one. I’m all for equal neediness or none at all.’
‘All right, ditch the damsel in distress play, although for future reference it could really work for you. We’re moving on to vamp. You’re going to try channelling Marilyn Monroe. In a trench coat.’
‘Couldn’t I try channelling Mae West instead?’
‘Well, you
could
, but then you’re going to need a few good one liners and you don’t have any.’
True. Poppy sighed. ‘All right. What would a speechless vamp do?’
‘She’d station herself right where I’m going to want to stand next. Look at the table, read the play.’
Finally something Poppy could do with ease. She moved. Seb played the ball. White ball to Poppy. Maths was very predictable.
Men, on the other hand, were not. Rather than head towards her, Seb headed for her drink, picked it up and brought it over to her.
‘Touch my fingers as you take it,’ he instructed.
Poppy did so. Sebastian smiled. ‘Now you have
more
of my attention,’ he murmured, with his lips to her hair and his chest brushing against her shoulder as he turned back towards the table.
Poppy’s shoulder tingled where he’dbrushed it; the heat of him warmed the air between them.
‘You are deliberately invading my personal space,’ she said.
‘That’s the point. If you don’t like it, move away. If you do like it, let me know by turning in to me rather than away from me.’
‘What do I do with my drink?’
‘Good point.’ He took it from her and put it back on the bench and then returned to stand beside her, smiling as he took a strand of her hair between his fingers and tucked it gently behind her ear.
‘What was that for?’ she whispered breathlessly.
‘Maybe I thought it was in the way. And maybe I just wanted to touch you. See if you responded.’
‘How’d I do?’
‘Well, I’m liking the parted lips and the indrawn breath. Not sure you can improve on any of that. However, in the interests of being a true gentleman I’m now going to take a step back and concentrate on the table, and see what you do.’
‘I wouldn’t move away? Give you some space to play the shot?’
‘Not if you wanted more of me.’
‘If I
did
want more of you, what would I do?’
‘You move closer to me. Let your shoulder brush up against mine, yep,
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