The Beautiful Widow - By Helen Brooks Page 0,33

before he’d responded to her blatant invitation. And what man wouldn’t? Lay it on a plate for any red-blooded single man—and some who weren’t single, come to it—and they’d be up for it. It was the way men were made. Sex to them was like eating and drinking and as elemental as breathing, but without the emotional element necessary to most women.

She could hardly believe she’d reacted in such a way; it had never been like that with Richard or any of her boyfriends before him. Some of them had kissed well and some not so well, but Steel … Her traitorous senses were still tasting him, the feel of his mouth, warm and urgent against hers, his kiss hinting at pleasures and passion she’d never imagined in her wildest, most erotic dreams since she had met him.

She stared at him, utterly bereft and not knowing what to say or do, her cheeks burning hot and her hands icy cold.

‘That was inexcusable,’ he said quietly.

For an awful moment she thought he was talking about her behaviour and her heart stopped beating.

‘I want you to know it won’t happen again, Toni. You have my word. My only defence is that I didn’t expect to lose control in that way, but once I held you in my arms …’ He hesitated. ‘Somehow a desire stronger and more compelling than I’ve ever known took over, but it’s no excuse. Merely an explanation.’

‘It—it wasn’t your fault,’ she stammered helplessly. ‘I shouldn’t have—I mean—’

‘It was totally my fault.’

His voice was strained and she took a little comfort from it; she wouldn’t have been able to bear it if he’d been blasé about the most devastating experience of her life. And it had been. She’d made love with Richard, she’d had his children and then tried to make the marriage work by being accommodating in bed and trying to please him, but never had she felt anything akin to the sweeping passion and desire that had taken her over tonight. And all he’d done was kiss her. What would it be like to make love with him? To spend a night of endless pleasure in his arms?

He was still standing just inside the doorway and his voice was low as he repeated, ‘Totally my fault, I know that, but the bottom line is you have my assurance this won’t be repeated. I don’t want to lose you, Toni. You’re a damn good interior designer and with the plans I have for the future you could go far. I’d hate to think that my stupidity would interfere with that. We will need to work closely together at various times; will you be able to do that after my assurance that this mistake was a one-off?’

Mistake. The word hit her between the eyes, producing a piercing shaft of pain before she told herself that of course that was what it had been. A mistake. One he regretted as much as she did. And that was fine. Just fine. Suddenly, for the first time since he had kissed her, anger was there. It provided a healthy dose of adrenaline that put iron in her backbone and acid on her tongue. ‘Of course,’ she said coolly, wishing she hadn’t run from him outside like a scared rabbit. ‘It was nothing, after all, just one of those things that happens sometimes when the atmosphere’s right and one’s had a glass or two of wine after a hard day’s work.’

The silver eyes surveyed her steadily but a muscle jumped in his jaw, the only thing that indicated he hadn’t liked her tone. ‘Not to me, it doesn’t, and I’d like you to know I don’t make a habit of mixing work and play. This was a first.’

Did he expect her to be honoured? she thought waspily. She nodded tightly. ‘It’s already in the past.’

‘Thank you.’

‘I’ll see you to the door,’ she said quietly, her voice completely neutral and screamingly at odds with the turmoil inside.

She stood aside for him to pass her after she had opened the front door, vitally aware of every handsome muscled inch of him as he brushed past her and stepped down onto the pavement. He didn’t immediately walk to the car, looking at her with glittering silver eyes for a moment. ‘Thank your mother again for the meal, would you? You have a lovely family.’

Now she wanted to cry, which was unthinkable. Speech was beyond her so she moved her mouth in a smile as she nodded.

He