High-Society Seduction by Maxine Sullivan Page A

“Is there anything in that about the ball?” she said a little anxiously as she moved a few feet farther toward him.
    “No. There’s some pictures, but we managed to miss out this time.”
    “Good.” Her parents and her sister-in-law might have known about her date last night, but she was still glad not to have her and Adam’s picture splashed across the papers. She really wasn’t interested in that kind of notoriety.
    He frowned. “I assume your question means you haven’t told your parents about me then?”
    “I told them,” she said, disabusing him of the idea. “But only about the ball. They don’t know about Stewart and the money.” She realized instantly her mistake in saying too much. She pulled a face. “Darn. I shouldn’t have told you that.”
    A hint of steel momentarily glinted in his eyes. “We’re in the same boat, remember. My parents don’t know about it, either.”
    “That’s true,” she said, clamping down on her anxiety. They might be able to destroy each other’s families, but in an odd twist, their only guarantees in protecting them were each other.
    All at once he lifted his foot and drew the stool out from beside him. “Come and eat some breakfast,” he said, and suddenly the focus was back on the moment again.
    On them.
    She looked at him, looked at the stool. If she sat down he would be right next to her. “Thanks, but I’m not really hungry.”
    “You’ll need something in your stomach for the afternoon. You don’t want to be light-headed and faint. Then you will be in the papers,” he joked, but she had the feeling he knew why she didn’t want to sit beside him.
    She slid onto the stool, determined to show he didn’t frighten her. “Perhaps I’ll just have some fresh fruit.”
    “Help yourself.” He indicated the platter of sliced fruit then lifted the coffeepot in a silent gesture.
    She nodded. “Thanks. Did you fix all this yourself?” Some how she couldn’t see him in a kitchen peeling and slicing fruit for too long. This man belonged in the boardroom—her pulse fluttered—and the bedroom.
    “No. I have a housekeeper.”
    Jenna concentrated on forking slices of mango and pineapple onto her plate, but she was wondering if the housekeeper had known there was someone sleeping in the spare room last night.
    “Yes.”
    She blinked, then glanced up at Adam. “What?”
    He shot her an amused glance. “Yes, my housekeeper knew someone was sleeping in the other bedroom. I had to leave her a note so she wouldn’t disturb you.”
    He’d read her mind again. Was he clairvoyant, or was she being too obvious? She hoped it wasn’t the latter.
    “That would have been a novelty for her then. I’m sure the spare room doesn’t get used too often around here.”
    He laughed softly. “Oh, yeah, you’re right about that.”
    She couldn’t help it. A smile pulled at her lips. “A novelty for you too, I imagine.”
    “Double ‘oh, yeah.’”
    She chuckled and so did he. And then his eyes snagged hers. She felt like she was being pulled into them…willingly drowning….
    “Er…” She dragged herself back from the brink. “Where’s your housekeeper now? Is she still here?” She’d concentrate on this.
    He took a moment to answer. “She’s gone to Vic Market. She wanted to get some fresh food.”
    Queen Victoria Market was the premier open-air market, brimming with Old World charm, but right now Jenna was having trouble getting past the husky charm of this man’s voice.
    She took a breath and focused. She assumed the woman didn’t live here. That would definitely cramp Adam’s style.
    And then a sudden thought struck her.
    “How well do you know her, Adam? I mean, if Chelsea got to Diane then she could probably get to your housekeeper. Then she might tell Chelsea we didn’t sleep together last night. She could do it inadvertently.”
    He was shaking his head before she’d finished speaking. “No, that wouldn’t happen. Sheryl has been with me for