Five Dates with the Billionaire - Alyssa J. Montgomery Page 0,29
was over.
An unfamiliar throaty sound of protest pushed past her vocal cords when he lifted his mouth away from hers. Although her lips still tingled and the slightly minty taste of him lingered in her mouth, it wasn’t enough.
‘Amazing!’ He shook his head as he looked at her in confusion. ‘That was madness, but I don’t regret it.’ His hands still cradled her head. ‘It wasn’t supposed to happen, Mia. I promised myself it wouldn’t happen and that I’d keep myself in check. Hell! I gave you assurances. But somehow when I’m around you, I don’t act the way I should.’
‘It’s mutual.’ She lowered her eyes and heard him let out a long breath.
‘You’re my employee.’
‘Yes.’ But did it really matter?
‘You told me you’re not resigning any time soon.’
‘I’m not.’
‘I vowed I wouldn’t give into this. I barely know you.’ ‘Do you really need to?’
A furrow appeared between his brows. ‘You’re not exactly open to discussing your life, are you?’
‘No.’ A sliver of unease shot through her. ‘But neither of us wants a long-term relationship.’
He sent her a considering look. ‘Our chemistry is undeniable and it’s growing stronger every second I’m with you.’
Chemistry.
It was amazing he felt it too, but even as he acknowledged it, a thousand nagging doubts flitted through her mind.
She shook her head to discourage a vendor who caught her eye and held out a stick full of Harlequin puppets. Then she faced Connor again. ‘You would never have kissed me if I hadn’t had a makeover.’
His mouth compressed. ‘You’re possibly right.’
She wasn’t sure whether to be crushed when he didn’t bother denying it or whether she should respect his honesty. ‘There’s no possibly about it. I’m definitely right.’
His frown was thoughtful—as though he was reaching deep inside himself and analysing his own actions. ‘You’re a very attractive woman now. But, even before your makeover, there was a definite spark between us the afternoon I came to your office.’
‘That’s an understatement!’ she said with a wry smile. ‘I would’ve classified it as more of an explosion.’
‘You impressed me the way you held your ground. I found it sassy. Sexy.’
Sexy? ‘You seemed more ticked off than attracted.’
‘Mm. Well, I was already in a mood and having holes blown into my theories about you didn’t help.’
‘I’ve been part of the marketing team for years and have made countless presentations to you. You’ve never been attracted to me.’ She was shooting herself in the foot here, but she had to hold on to reality before this chemistry tipped her over the edge and made her believe her fantasies could come true.
‘But I’m only beginning to see the real you, aren’t I?’ he countered. ‘The woman who’s made all those presentations to me wasn’t really who you are. You’ve been hiding her away all this time—cloaking your body, subduing your spirit and leashing your innate sensuality.’
Innate sensuality?
Oh hell. His words made her world spin. They were so flattering, but they also reminded her of why she’d hidden away.
How could she have forgotten how imperative it was to continue with her masquerade?
‘It doesn’t matter that your grandmother put me in fancy clothes, I’m still the woman who works in your marketing department and when we return from this trip I’ll be that woman again.’
‘Are you seriously telling me you’d rather continue to be mousy Mia than the sexy woman I’m with now who has every male head turning her way?’
She had to work hard to concentrate on his question because he’d called her sexy. Again. ‘I’ll have no use for these clothes when I return to London.’
‘You didn’t look at your reflection this morning and get a kick of pleasure?’
How did he know?
She closed her eyes for a second, trying desperately to work out how she could express herself so he’d leave the topic alone. ‘I… I’m not feeling at all like myself right now. Looking like this… Being here in Venice with you… It’s all very surreal and confusing.’
His hands fell away and he took a step backwards. ‘It would be wrong of me to take advantage of your confusion.’
No! He was giving up way too easily. Despite her protest—and knowing it was too dangerous to keep playing this role—the second he let her go she felt gutted.
Why did this have to be so complicated when it was so simple?
Connor wanted to kiss her and she wanted to kiss him.
Damn that there were so many things that stood in the way of it happening again.