His Irresistible Darling - Sarah Randall Page 0,31

from her again.

“I wouldn’t have lectured,” he said, in a low voice, staring out of her window.

“Ha.”

He stared back at her over his shoulder. “I was concerned about you and I told your brother I would look out for you at the party,” he justified.

Shamed, she hung her head. “Sorry. I er, well, thanks for bringing me home and all. I’m embarrassed that I can’t remember anything. I hope I didn’t make a fool of myself?”

Again, she sucked in a breath and her hand flew to her mouth. “James?” she asked, mortified that she hadn’t thought of him or where he was.

“With Melina,” Jumal informed her, turning to face her again, hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“Ah right.”

“That doesn’t bother you?” he spat, apparently sceptical of her nonchalant response. He shot her a challenging stare.

She shifted awkwardly under his direct focus, hating the fact that he could make her feel self-conscious, causing her to fidget nervously and tug tighter on the belt on her bathrobe. She lifted her eyes and caught the flash of something in his eyes as they followed the movement of her hands at her waist. His stare seemed to intensify further. She swallowed and inwardly cursed as her body heated in response. Traitor.

“Oh hell no, Melina was always going to make a play for him and James is on holiday. Coffee?” she asked, shrugging her shoulders and walking towards her kitchen to put the kettle on.

She heard Jumal mumble something about a spotty kid but she couldn’t quite hear him over the running water as she filled the kettle.

“Sorry, what did you say? I couldn’t hear you,” she called out over her shoulder.

“Never mind,” he mumbled as she walked back into her front room. “So, you don’t remember anything?” Jumal probed, his voice now gentle, and it felt like he was talking to her like a child. She decided she preferred grumpy, challenging Jumal.

“I remember everything up until we started dancing and then nothing,” she conceded, her brows puckered as she ran her hand through her hair and pushed her glasses back up on her nose before rubbing at her temples. “I can’t believe I got so drunk. I only had a couple of tequila shots and I’ve drunk way more than that before and been fine.”

“I don’t think you were drunk,” he stated, shaking his head.

Okay so now she was confused, “You don’t?” she tested.

“No. I think your drink was spiked.”

Chapter Five

“What!?” Pippa gasped, her hand lifting to her throat. “Why would anyone do that? It was my birthday party for God’s sake.”

“Because there was the opportunity and you were careless.”

Her mouth dropped open but as words seemed to fail her, he took the opportunity to continue his rant at her.

“You left your drinks unattended at your table. You gave him the perfect opportunity. As I said, you were careless and stupid!” he shouted, exasperated. “You should never have put yourself in that position.” He knew he was upsetting her and that reason had gone out of the window. He was angry with her, angry that she’d nearly come to harm, angry with himself for not being there early enough. He ignored the little white lie he’d told her about her brother asking him to keep an eye on her at the party. Her brother had made no such specific request but it provided him with the excuse for his turning up without having to be subjected to her scrutiny about his unexpected attendance.

“Him?” she queried, in a soft voice. Jumal shrugged his shoulders and popped his hands into the pockets of his jeans to keep him from reaching out, grabbing the ties on her robe, dragging her into his arms and telling her not to worry and he’d look after her.

“Most likely,” he confirmed. “Someone who could take advantage of the situation—and you. A boyfriend perhaps,” he taunted and raised a brow at her.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” she mumbled, apparently still shocked by the theory.

“Lover, whatever,” he snarled back and waved his arm in dismissal as he turned away from her so she couldn’t see the fury in his eyes.

“This is ridiculous, I—” she shouted back at him, contemporaneously shaking her head.

“Agreed,” he interrupted. “What about the kid at the bar with you doing shots?” he demanded, unable to remember his name, if he’d been told it.

“Kid?” she asked softly. “What, you mean Jake? You think it was Jake?” she blurted out, her eyes wide with shock. “Christ you’ve gone nuts, completely