ice.
It was happening all over again.
He was offering her stuff as if she were for sale. As if her body was for sale. Because
come with me to New York City, baby
wasn’t an invitation to enjoy his hospitality without serving herself up to him on a plate.
More fool her.
All she’d wanted was a date. A chance to spend some more time with him, get to know him. All of it hopelessly naive.
Right in front of her was the reason she had tried to settle down with boys who didn’t push, who weren’t driven by their libidos—nice, gentle guys who in the end left her cold. Men like Serge were the other end of the spectrum—exciting, challenging, but fuelled by testosterone, confident in their ability to run the world on their own terms and by extension run her.
Well, she was running in the other direction. She’d learned her lesson. She wasn’t some rich man’s plaything.
She stood up so abruptly her chair almost toppled over onto the pavement. ‘That’s quite an offer, Serge, but I think you’ve got the wrong girl,’ she said hotly.
He was on his feet, not looking so sure of himself now. She could actually see him thinking. Probably working out which girl was next on his list to invite for a little nookie in New York. God, men could make you feel like crap.
‘Clem?’
She turned as Luke’s hands closed around her upper arms.
‘Are you okay, babe?’ He was looking Serge up and down. ‘Have you upset her, mate?’
Given any other situation, Luke’s suddenly aggressive stance in support of her would have been amusing. It was kind of like a meerkat standing up to a Siberian tiger.
Serge’s gaze had narrowed on Luke’s hands, and she couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. Did he actually think she now belonged to him? One date and her body was his to ship off to his penthouse for his use? Was he going to take on Luke? Because she didn’t think her gentle friend was going to come off pretty face intact!
She shook her head at Luke. ‘It’s all fine, sweetie. Let’s get back.’ She cast Serge a frosty look. ‘I’m finished here.’
Serge went cold.
What in the hell had just happened?
Had he not been explicit enough in everything he’d offered her? It was a very lucrative deal over and above the sex. What was going on? Was she holding out for something else?
Okay, maybe he’d been a little cocky about it. But he’d been so convinced she’d say yes.
She’d said no.
Had
she said no?
And now she was with this metrosexual guy who was bristling like a guard dog at him.
As if he’d ever hurt a woman in his life. Suddenly what had seemed simple and straightforward felt like a huge mistake.
‘I have your answer, Clementine,’ he said formally.‘Forgive me if I’ve offended you. It wasn’t meant that way.’ He wasn’t going to stand there and pressure her in this thug role he was beginning to feel he’d been cast in. ‘Enjoy the rest of your stay.’
His good manners welded Clementine to the spot. All of a sudden the last few minutes seemed to have rolled up into a ball of confusion in her head. Maybe he hadn’t propositioned her. Maybe it was up-front an offer to spend time with him—his best effort to fit her into his schedule. She knew all about seventy-hour weeks. He said he had business in New York City. It wasn’t a pleasure trip for him. Maybe he just wanted to get to know her…
Had she read him wrongly? Was it just an innocent invitation from a very busy man?
Suddenly the entire world seemed to narrow down to that pinprick of vision she had fastened on the spread of Serge’s muscular shoulders as he walked away.
Was she really never going to see him again?
You’ll never meet anyone like him again
, a little voice whispered in her head. You knew that yesterday—the moment you clapped eyes on him. You knew that he was special. You knew he had been made especially for you. He was your fantasy come to life.
And maybe you’re his. Maybe he’s feeling exactly the way you
It was happening all over again.
He was offering her stuff as if she were for sale. As if her body was for sale. Because
come with me to New York City, baby
wasn’t an invitation to enjoy his hospitality without serving herself up to him on a plate.
More fool her.
All she’d wanted was a date. A chance to spend some more time with him, get to know him. All of it hopelessly naive.
Right in front of her was the reason she had tried to settle down with boys who didn’t push, who weren’t driven by their libidos—nice, gentle guys who in the end left her cold. Men like Serge were the other end of the spectrum—exciting, challenging, but fuelled by testosterone, confident in their ability to run the world on their own terms and by extension run her.
Well, she was running in the other direction. She’d learned her lesson. She wasn’t some rich man’s plaything.
She stood up so abruptly her chair almost toppled over onto the pavement. ‘That’s quite an offer, Serge, but I think you’ve got the wrong girl,’ she said hotly.
He was on his feet, not looking so sure of himself now. She could actually see him thinking. Probably working out which girl was next on his list to invite for a little nookie in New York. God, men could make you feel like crap.
‘Clem?’
She turned as Luke’s hands closed around her upper arms.
‘Are you okay, babe?’ He was looking Serge up and down. ‘Have you upset her, mate?’
Given any other situation, Luke’s suddenly aggressive stance in support of her would have been amusing. It was kind of like a meerkat standing up to a Siberian tiger.
Serge’s gaze had narrowed on Luke’s hands, and she couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. Did he actually think she now belonged to him? One date and her body was his to ship off to his penthouse for his use? Was he going to take on Luke? Because she didn’t think her gentle friend was going to come off pretty face intact!
She shook her head at Luke. ‘It’s all fine, sweetie. Let’s get back.’ She cast Serge a frosty look. ‘I’m finished here.’
Serge went cold.
What in the hell had just happened?
Had he not been explicit enough in everything he’d offered her? It was a very lucrative deal over and above the sex. What was going on? Was she holding out for something else?
Okay, maybe he’d been a little cocky about it. But he’d been so convinced she’d say yes.
She’d said no.
Had
she said no?
And now she was with this metrosexual guy who was bristling like a guard dog at him.
As if he’d ever hurt a woman in his life. Suddenly what had seemed simple and straightforward felt like a huge mistake.
‘I have your answer, Clementine,’ he said formally.‘Forgive me if I’ve offended you. It wasn’t meant that way.’ He wasn’t going to stand there and pressure her in this thug role he was beginning to feel he’d been cast in. ‘Enjoy the rest of your stay.’
His good manners welded Clementine to the spot. All of a sudden the last few minutes seemed to have rolled up into a ball of confusion in her head. Maybe he hadn’t propositioned her. Maybe it was up-front an offer to spend time with him—his best effort to fit her into his schedule. She knew all about seventy-hour weeks. He said he had business in New York City. It wasn’t a pleasure trip for him. Maybe he just wanted to get to know her…
Had she read him wrongly? Was it just an innocent invitation from a very busy man?
Suddenly the entire world seemed to narrow down to that pinprick of vision she had fastened on the spread of Serge’s muscular shoulders as he walked away.
Was she really never going to see him again?
You’ll never meet anyone like him again
, a little voice whispered in her head. You knew that yesterday—the moment you clapped eyes on him. You knew that he was special. You knew he had been made especially for you. He was your fantasy come to life.
And maybe you’re his. Maybe he’s feeling exactly the way you
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