Drawing in a deep breath, she pulled the door open and walked in. Then she stopped in surprise. The entrance and front office were practically devoid of furniture and there was no-one to be seen. The marble floor glistened under the pot lights and the lone potted plant sitting on top of the receptionist counter looked fat and green and very healthy. But outside of that, there was not a stick of furniture to be seen anywhere and not a single soul to greet her. Of course, she didn’t have an appointment. It wasn’t like the man would have been expecting her. But still, what kind of business could he be running in a barren place like this? For a moment she was nonplussed, just standing there in the middle of the open room, not knowing where to turn. Was Davidoff even in the building?
And then a door opened and there he was, in blue Oxford shirt and khaki slacks, looking tall and strong just like she remembered, and looking totally shocked.
One second his eyebrows raised up and the next they dropped back down in a scowl. “What are you doing here? Who are you, anyway, and how did you find me?” He shot the questions at her in rapid succession, his eyes pinning her to the spot.
Caught off guard by his sudden appearance, for a moment she was lost for words. Then she cleared her throat and turned to face him. “Uh, hi. I’m glad I caught you. I just wanted to…” Her voice trailed off and she blinked, the words suddenly stuck in her throat. She tightened her grip on the strap of her bag. Why was it always so hard for her to apologize? Pulling teeth would be easier.
He was watching her through narrowed eyes, his frown heavy like the onset of rain, but he said nothing. He was definitely not making things easier.
She swallowed. “I, uh…”
“Let me guess,” he said, folding his arms across his chest, his stance wide and his back straight like he wanted to block her from taking even one more step into his domain. “You came here to apologize for being the craziest female on the planet but now that you’re here you’re having one of your attacks of insanity.” His lips twisted in a cynical smile. “You’ve changed your mind,” he said drily, his look cutting into her like the barbs of a wire fence.
And that pissed her off. What right did he have to speak for her? Adopting his aggressive stance she straightened her back and folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t need you putting words in my mouth, thank you very much. I can speak for myself.”
“Well, speak,” he said, his jaw tightening as glowered at her. “I don’t have all day.”
Well, of all the nerve… “You know what? You’re right. I’ve changed my mind. I really did come all the way down here to apologize but now that you’ve confirmed what a jerk you really are, I see I’m just wasting my time. Even if I did curse out the wrong man, you probably deserved it.” She lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eyes. “Maybe even more than he did.”
She could see him gritting his teeth and then his nostrils flared as he sucked in his breath. “Is that right?” His voice was soft, almost menacing, and when he uncrossed his arms and lowered them to his sides she could see the tension in the way he clenched and unclenched his fingers.
But she wasn’t scared. If he’d thought she’d tuck in her tail and make a dash for the door he’d better think again. She’d come here to apologize but he’d gone and rubbed her the wrong way and now she was ready for a fight. “Yes, that’s right. Jerks come in all shapes and sizes, and obviously you’re one of them.”
The man’s face darkened and she could see from the vein throbbing at his temple that she’d touched a nerve. Whether what she’d said was true or not, she’d obviously pissed him off big time. He looked just about ready to throttle her. God, why did she have to be so perverse, forever daring to goad the devil himself? Even when it didn’t make sense…
But there was just something about this man that brought out the worst in her…and she had no idea why.
She could feel a serious pout coming on and suddenly she felt the weird irony of her situation. It was just like the first grade when she’d fallen hopelessly in love with Timmy Pickett in the front row. She’d called him names and acted so mean when what she’d really wanted to do was grab him and kiss his fat cheeks till he begged her to stop.
And now it was happening all over again. Holy crap.
Except that this man’s cheeks were the polar opposite of fat. And he was nowhere near as cute as Timmy Pickett. No, this man was what she would call ‘craggily’ handsome. Almost like James Bond.
“Want me to show you what a jerk’s really like?” His voice was little more than a whisper but it was cold, so cold she felt a shiver run through her.
But, contrary creature that she was, she would not back down. “I dare you.” Where his voice was cool, hers was hot and defiant.
“Sure you can handle it?” Almost imperceptibly he moved closer and before Silken knew it they were mere inches apart.
She was tempted to step back but she didn’t. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of thinking he could scare her. She didn’t have a black belt in karate for nothing.
“There is nothing you can do,” she said, her voice soft and challenging, “that I can’t handle.”
At her words the tension in his face slid away and in its place was a look even more frightening than his rage…because it was a look of supreme confidence, made even more worrying by the wicked smile on his lips.
“Why don’t we put that to the test?” His voice, deceptively soft, slid over her like liquid silver, freezing her blood in her veins. She couldn’t have moved even if she’d tried.
But she didn’t try. She could see the promise in his bold gaze, the daring in the twist of his lips, the desire in his intake of breath. He was going to kiss her. And, God help her, she wanted it.
Maximillian Davidoff stepped forward and, bold as you please, he reached out and cupped her chin in his hand. Then slowly, mercilessly, he drew her face to his, closer and closer, until all she could do was close her eyes tight and wait in breathless anticipation.