‘You weren’t. I am Matt Saxon. I happen to also be King of Sassania.’
Ah. There it was. Proof that she hadn’t been going mad. At least not within the past five minutes.
Laura gulped, completely unable to unravel the swirling mass of emotions rolling around inside her. Maybe it would be best to stick to facts. ‘Since when?’
‘Three weeks ago.’
‘Before or after we …’ she broke off and went red ‘… you know …?’
‘The coronation took place the Monday after the weekend when we … er, met.’
He gave her a little mocking smile and her cheeks flamed even more.
And then out of the tangle of emotions, indignation suddenly broke free and fuelled through her. How dared he laugh at her? It was all very well for him, perched there being all high and mighty. She was the one who was totally wrong-footed and struggling to get her head round what was happening. She had every right to be confused. And to demand some answers. ‘And you didn’t think to mention it?’
His eyebrows shot up at her sharp tone. ‘Why would I? We didn’t exactly stop to engage in small talk.’
Damn. That was true.
Matt tilted his head and shot her a quizzical glance. ‘Did you really not know who I was?’
Laura scowled at him. ‘I really didn’t.’
‘No, well,’ he said, lifting himself off the desk and moving to sit behind it, ‘I doubt the coronation was covered in Architecture Tomorrow:’ Like that was an excuse. ‘However if you remember I did suggest lunch, and if you hadn’t run off quite so speedily I might have mentioned it then.’
Laura’s eyes narrowed. Oh, he was clever. Turning it around so it was her fault. ‘I’d like to believe that, but somehow I don’t.’
Matt gave her a quick grin that curled her toes. ‘We’ll never know now, will we?’
Unfortunately not. ‘What were you doing in Little Somerford?’
‘Escaping the press.’
No wonder he’d flipped when he’d thought she was a journalist. He was gorgeous, young, rich and royal. A paparazzo’s dream. And she hadn’t had a clue. She really ought to broaden her reading horizons.
‘And you got me instead.’
‘Briefly.’ The grin faded and his mouth twisted.
Hmm. Laura bit back the urge to apologise. Any previous notion she might have had of apologising had long since disappeared beneath a blanket of confusion, indignation and something that felt suspiciously like hurt. ‘You sound peeved,’ she said coolly.
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, the speed with which you fled wasn’t particularly flattering.’
A smidgeon of guilt elbowed its way through her indignation. Laura shrugged and ignored it. ‘We had a quickie. It was no big deal.’
His eyes glittered. ‘If it was no big deal why did you run?’
‘Like I told you at the time, I had plans.’
‘Right.’
He fixed her with a gaze that had her squirming in her chair until she couldn’t stand it any longer. So much for thinking she might have had the upper hand. Matt made one formidable opponent.
‘OK, fine,’ she said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. ‘I guess I panicked.’
‘Why?’
‘I’m not entirely sure,’ she said, forcing herself to look him in the eye. ‘It was kind of intense. For me, at least. I don’t know. Maybe for you it’s like that all the time.’
‘Not all the time,’ he muttered, looking less than thrilled by the admission.
At his obvious discomfort Laura suddenly relaxed. ‘It was kind of amazing, wasn’t it?’
‘Hmm.’
Matt regarded her thoughtfully and she bit her lip. It wasn’t his fault she’d been spooked. He didn’t know about the battle she’d had with herself. And now it seemed that fate had decided they were going to have to work together. Unless she cleared the air the tension that simmered between them would soon reach an unbearable level. ‘I’m sorry I rushed off like that.’
He shrugged. ‘It really doesn’t matter. I put it out of my mind weeks ago.’
‘Oh,’ she said, stamping down on the perverse disappointment that he could dismiss it quite so easily. ‘Well, that’s good, seeing as we’re going to be working together.’
Matt’s gaze jerked to hers and his eyebrows shot up. ‘You don’t really think you can stay, do you?’
Laura went very still and felt her face pale. ‘What do you mean?’
He leaned forwards and clasped his hands on the desk. ‘I appreciate the fact that you’ve been given the job, and I realise there’s nothing I can do contractually, but in the light of our recent history don’t you think it would be wise if you refused?’
What? Refuse? He wanted her to give up the job she so badly needed? Over her dead body. Sticking her chin up, she fixed him with a firm stare. ‘No.’
For a second there was a stunned silence. Matt looked as if she’d slapped him. Clearly no one had ever said no to him before. Well, that was tough, thought Laura, folding her arms over her chest and crossing her legs. Her days of endless people pleasing, of always acquiescing, were over.
‘No?’
‘Absolutely not,’ she added, setting her jaw and glaring at him just in case he still didn’t get the message. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’
Matt’s brows snapped together and he shoved a hand through his hair. ‘There’s a conflict of interest,’ he said tightly.
‘Then you leave.’
‘Don’t be absurd.’
‘I’m not the one being absurd,’ she said coolly. ‘Yes, I agree that the situation is far from ideal but I want this job. And you need an architect. The palace is falling apart and bullet holes are so last century.’
His jaw tightened. ‘I don’t mix business with pleasure.’
‘Neither do I,’ she fired back. ‘Believe me, the last thing I’m looking for is a repeat of that afternoon.
‘Nor am I.’
‘Then I really don’t see that there’s anything to worry about.’
‘Don’t you?’ he said, dropping his gaze and letting it slide over her body.
Heat began to pour over her. Desire flared to life but she banked it down. Right now her work was more important than anything else. She was not going to let it go. For anything.
‘I,’ she said pointedly, ‘am perfectly capable of separating business and pleasure. I,’ she added, ‘should be able to control myself. Besides there is nothing you can do to make me go.’
His gaze dropped to her mouth and stayed there. His face darkened, his eyes took on a wicked gleam and Laura swallowed. Her heart lurched and a ball of nerves lodged in her throat. OK, so for all her fine words if Matt jumped to his feet, stalked round his desk, hauled her into his arms and kissed her she’d probably be through the door in seconds. But after loftily declaring that he didn’t mix business with pleasure she had to hope he wouldn’t put her to the test.
But why was he so desperate to get rid of her? Anyone would think she’d been stalking him. And what was all that hostility about? Surely he couldn’t be that annoyed