Lucy King - Red-Hot Affairs - The Crown Affair / Craving Her Enemy's Touch / A Lone Star Love Affair

So there’d be no more seeking her out, he thought, getting to his feet and heading back to the palace. No more lunches. No more conversation. And definitely no more wanting her in his bed.

When their paths crossed he’d be cool and distant. Because he was far better off alone. Always had been, always would be.

Staff, thought Laura for the billionth time that afternoon. Huh.

Disappointment and hurt scythed through her all over again and she threw down her chisel before she could do any permanent damage to the frieze she was working on.

God. How stupid could she be? If only she were wearing steel-capped boots she could have given herself the kicking she deserved. Because she was such an idiot.

She closed her eyes for a second and felt her cheeks burn as her mind hurtled back to the rose garden. There she’d been, going all soft and squidgy and mellowing with the wine and the sun and the heat of Matt’s gaze. Bizarrely she’d found herself enjoying the conversation despite it dredging up things she’d rather not think about. It had actually been a relief to talk about the old her, and she’d discovered she rather liked the person she was beginning to become.

Unfortunately there hadn’t been a hint of arrogance, nor a patronising glance in sight. And while Matt had been annoyingly persistent he hadn’t interrupted her and he hadn’t dismissed anything she’d said. In fact the way his body had tensed and his eyes had blazed when she’d told him about her ex had had her heart leaping with something she wasn’t sure she wanted to identify and desire whipping through her so fiercely that she’d begun to wonder why exactly business and pleasure shouldn’t mix.

And all the time he’d just been interrogating her as he would any employee.

Agh. Laura opened her eyes and scowled. The fact that she was still smarting over it two hours later was infuriating. And what was making things worse was the knowledge that she didn’t have any real reason to smart. Which irritated her even further.

Because Matt was right. She was staff.

So what was she getting so het up about?

Laura plonked herself on the floor and chewed her lip. Was it really the fact that he’d wangled so much personal information out of her without divulging even his age, which was what she’d been telling herself for the past hour or so?

Or was it actually the fact that she’d spent the entire conversation on the point of combusting while Matt had sat there, ice cool and controlled and totally indifferent?

As the heat and desire that were never far away flared to life and started zooming around her body, Laura swallowed. Well, that cleared that up, she thought, hauling herself out of denial and sticking her chin in her hands.

She might as well admit it. For all the decisions she’d made, all the self-analysis she’d done, all the stern talking-tos she’d given herself, she was finding it increasingly difficult to remember exactly why she wasn’t leaping into Matt’s arms and tumbling him into bed.

Whereas he, on the other hand, appeared to have forgotten that that mad passionate afternoon in his house had ever taken place.

Huh. Talk about unflattering.

Laura frowned and her mind raced. She’d had enough of constantly flailing around for control while Matt remained the epitome of cool. Wasn’t it about time she redressed the balance? Wouldn’t it be interesting to see if she couldn’t shake him up a bit and get him on the wrong foot for a change?

Her heart began to hammer and her stomach buzzed with adrenalin. Yes. Why the hell not? And tonight, at the party she’d heard Matt was hosting, would be the ideal occasion.

She hadn’t been invited. He wouldn’t be expecting her. She had a killer dress and shoes that made her feel a million dollars.

What could be more perfect?

MATT had had the event this evening arranged to evaluate the country’s entrepreneurial spirit and ascertain the existing barriers to business. He’d had invitations sent out to five hundred of Sassania’s most innovative and exciting entrepreneurs and the ballroom was now filled with a buzz that gave him more satisfaction than he’d have ever imagined.

So far the evening had been going splendidly. He’d had a number of extremely worthwhile conversations, and had gained a valuable insight into the way to kick-start the economy and stimulate growth.

After all the political problems he’d had to deal with recently, not to mention the unsettling effect Laura had on him, spending an evening within his comfort zone made a nice change.

As did the way he now felt, or rather didn’t feel, about Laura. After she’d left him in the rose garden, he’d gone back to his office, summoned up some of that famed ruthlessness and had simply told himself to get a grip and not to feel anything.

So he didn’t. When she crossed his mind, he felt absolutely nothing. Not a flicker of desire. Not a hammer of his pulse. Not a twitch of his body. The abrupt way in which she’d left him after lunch? Hah. Didn’t bother him one jot.

Laura, metaphorically speaking, was history, and he hadn’t been so relaxed in weeks.

Striding over to the podium and adjusting the microphone, Matt felt an exquisite sense of calm settle over him. Oh, yes. He was back on track and back in control. And nothing, but nothing, could upset it.

Laura hovered at the pair of giant doors that opened into the ballroom, her gaze zooming in on the man standing on the podium speaking to the assembled throng, and her breath caught.

Matt looked absolutely magnificent. Dark and dangerous and devastatingly gorgeous. His dinner suit fitted as if made for him and the snowy white of his shirt emphasised his tan. The aura he emanated and the magnetism he radiated were holding every one of his guests captivated.

God, she’d only just arrived and hadn’t heard any of his speech, yet she was captivated. Her eyes slid helplessly back to him and her blood began to heat. Who knew what he was talking about? She was far too distracted by the hint of a smile curving his mouth and the sexy raise of an eyebrow he gave every now and then. Every inch of him seemed to reach out to her and she was moments away from discarding all her intentions of lofty hauteur, and swooning.

A woman to her right let out a little sigh and Laura felt like going over and patting her arm in sympathy. And then batting everyone out of the way, stalking over and staking her claim on him.

Her totally unfounded claim, she reminded herself, biting her tongue and forcing herself to focus.

‘Small businesses are the backbone to any economy,’ Matt was saying, his gaze sweeping over the assembled gathering, ‘and I plan to see that measures are implemented to—’

His eyes collided with hers and for a second, time stood still. He paused. His face tightened. His eyes blazed and Laura’s heart skidded to a halt. Her mouth went dry. Her entire body froze and then burned as awareness sizzled through her.

And then Matt continued his sweep of the room as if nothing had happened and time set off again.

‘—to encourage their development. Thank you.’

Applause rumbled around her as Matt stepped down, but Laura barely registered it. She could hardly breathe with the nerves that were suddenly attacking her from all sides.

Oh, God, she thought, struggling not to sag against the door. This had been such a bad idea. Because for that brief moment Matt had not looked happy to see her. In fact he’d looked downright furious.

Her heart tumbled. How had she ever thought she could get the upper hand with a man like him? He was a king, for heaven’s sake. A natural born leader. He was alpha through and through, whereas she had spent her whole life sitting squarely at the omega end of the scale. OK, so she might be inching up that particular alphabet but still she was in way over her head.