Five Dates with the Billionaire - Alyssa J. Montgomery Page 0,22

dinner.’

‘Easily.’ Then he teased, ‘Surely you don’t think I’m quite as conceited, arrogant and egotistical as you did earlier today?’

‘I wouldn’t go quite that far now.’

Connor laughed. He could see she was trying to keep a straight face, but her dimples were peeking at him. ‘What if I admit I no longer think you put Gran up to this?’

She quirked an eyebrow at him. ‘You mean you no longer think I’m some deranged Connor Stewart groupie?’

‘You’ve convinced me I was wrong.’

‘Good, because that was pretty conceited.’

‘I’m—’

‘But you insulted me far more with your insinuation that I’m out to fleece Violet and the mahjong ladies.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Connor had few regrets, but he wished he could go back in time and change the way he’d behaved in her office. ‘I let my cynical nature get the better of me and jumped to conclusions. I have to eat a lot of my words from this afternoon.’ He paused, looked at his wine glass for a second before he looked back at Mia and confessed, ‘I said I’d never be attracted to you, but I was wrong.’

Mia gulped. ‘Anyone can have a makeover. This isn’t me.’

‘Mia. Please.’ He didn’t want her to think this was only about her appearance.

Clamping her lips together, she looked as though she braced herself for whatever was coming next.

Damn!

‘I’m not as shallow as you seem to think.’ He shook his head as he tried to explain. ‘Yes, I was attracted to you the second I saw you coming down the stairs—any heterosexual male would’ve been—but that was purely a physical reaction.’

He heard her breath catch.

‘You’re also attractive to me because you’re an intelligent and articulate woman. I admire the passion you have for your work and I’ve enjoyed all our conversation.’ Her lips had parted and she frowned as though she couldn’t quite believe what he told her. ‘I like your straight shooting and I’ve laughed more with you tonight than I can ever recall laughing on a date. In fact, I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed a dinner date more.’

Her head snapped back. ‘Violet was right. You’ve definitely been dating the wrong women.’

This time he didn’t laugh. ‘Gran was right thinking we’d get along well together—that I’d be attracted to the spirit you have—but you can relax. I have no intention of acting on my attraction. This can’t go any further than friendship.’

‘It can’t?’ She sounded disappointed and gave herself a small shake. ‘I mean, of course it can’t.’

It hadn’t been necessary for him to admit his attraction but, for some pressing reason, it was important to him that she knew she was attractive. He wanted her to have the confidence to show everyone who she really was and not revert to being Miss Mouse who hugged the wall of the meeting room and studied her feet rather than the presentation slides.

He knew it would be impossible now to sit through one of her presentations without wanting to talk to her, but he was her boss and he had to curb his desire.

‘I don’t enter into relationships with any type of long-term plan in mind, Mia,’ he warned. ‘And when it comes to my employees, I keep it strictly professional.’

***

‘I’m glad to hear it.’

Well, Mia was glad he wasn’t looking for something serious, anyway. Had he been prepared to date employees she would’ve signed the dotted line on a contract offering a casual relationship.

Her heart beat faster at the thought of having any sort of relationship with Connor. Without meaning to, her gaze zeroed in on his mouth.

It would be so good to be kissed by him.

‘You spoke earlier about how important it is to find the seam of gold.’ For a moment, his lean fingers ran up and down the stem of his wineglass. ‘Gran has found your gold and brought it to the surface. Now it’s up to you to hold it up for all to see. You’re the real deal, aren’t you Mia Simms?’

Oh, no.

His words were a stark, painful reminder that so much about her was fake.

‘What you see is fool’s gold, Connor.’ Her voice was wooden. ‘The way I look tonight isn’t me.’ She drew a breath to ease the constriction in her chest.

None of what you see before you is really who I am.

None of what I tell you about my past is the truth.

I’m so sorry I have to lie to you.

He surprised her by saying, ‘Cinderella’s clothes may have turned back to rags as the clock struck midnight, but she