The Russian's Furious Fiancee Page 0,46

away so forcefully over the past week.

“The day you told me you wouldn’t sleep with me,” he teased.

Eva blushed and looked away. “Why do you always reduce everything to sex?”

“Why do you shy away from it so often?”

She sighed heavily. “Please don’t push me into a corner.”

“No one is pushing you anywhere,” he said softly and covered her hand with his. “We’re getting to know each other and learning.”

“For two weeks.”

He grinned. “Until you admit you want to be in my bed and wake up with me in the morning instead of slipping away in the night.”

She chuckled along with this blush. “You’re pretty persistent.”

He decided not to tell her that, because of her relaxed position, her blouse was gaping open and he could see the pretty lace of her bra and the delicate curve of her breast. With this view, there really was no getting around the desire he had to pull her into his arms and make love to her until neither of them could breathe properly for a while.

“Let’s walk,” he said and tossed down several bills to cover their meal. “Good food, by the way.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

They walked down the waterfront, listening to the sounds of the seagulls calling to each other and the fishermen pulling in their boats for the day, the traffic behind them and the other ambiance noises. She asked him questions and he avoided most, turning it around and asking her the same questions.

“I have a dinner party tomorrow night at my place for some business acquaintances. Would you come as my guest?”

She was instantly wary and started to pull away, but since her hand was in his, he wouldn’t let her get too far. “As your guest or act as your hostess?”

“As my guest.”

She thought about what that might mean to the people who would see her. “It’s a private party?”

“Yes. No press, no one to see you on my arm and comment about it.”

She smiled, appreciating that he would be thinking like that. “Fine.” She wasn’t sure why she agreed, knowing that the man had seduced her tonight by his niceness. He listened to her, laughed with her and made her feel comfortable. That went a long way in her book.

And she knew it was coming, but right now, he hadn’t made a pass at her, hadn’t drugged her with his kisses and made her weak in the knees so she was terrified of what he might ask of her. She’d agreed with a clear mind and felt pretty good.

Chapter 9

Eva surveyed her appearance in the mirror, wondering if she was sending the wrong signal. The lavender dress was fitting with the soft, draped material clinging to her upper body, but swinging out around her legs. She’d chosen to match her shoes to her dress this time, making the whole effect a bit more dramatic.

If she wanted to avoid Damon, why was it so important to impress him tonight? And she couldn’t deny it any longer. She wanted to impress him, to show him that she was strong enough to fit in with his colleagues.

What a horrible tangle she’d gotten herself into, she thought with a sigh. If she were brutally honest with herself, she wanted to make love with Damon again. But she was now in a pickle because she couldn’t come right out and say it to him, especially after she’d kissed him last night, but pulled away when he deepened the kiss, telling him she had to get home because of early classes in the morning. She’d been lying and he knew it, but he’d released her and watched as she drove away.

How does one say to a man that, everything she’s told him previously, he can now forget and still maintain some degree of credibility in the future?

She took a deep breath and shook her head, trying to figure out what to do.

Her current option was to take this one moment at a time. She’d agreed to get to know the man, he’d asked for two weeks. One of those weeks had already passed so she had one more week with him. What she chose to do with him during the next seven days was a mystery that only time would develop.

By the time she arrived, the party was in full swing. A waiter answered the door as soon as she walked in and took her wrap. Eva walked to the entryway, a bit intimidated at first by the site in front of her.