‘Tut tut.’
Matt turned, shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at her until her bones began to melt. ‘You wanted to know what was wrong.’
Had she? When? Oh, yes. Just before the madness had taken over. ‘I did,’ she said, fervently hoping he wasn’t going to launch into an attack on her work or something.
‘You’re what’s wrong.’
Her heart lurched. ‘Me?’ That was almost as bad.
‘You.’
‘Why?’
‘You drive me to distraction.’
Oh. Laura went dizzy for a second with the lust that shot through her. And then the knowledge that she’d been completely and utterly hoist by her own petard slammed into her. For a second the room spun. Shock ricocheted right through her. Swiftly followed by a deluge of relief and then everything suddenly fell into place.
She’d tried and tried to deny her attraction to Matt and she was sick of it. Sick of feeling constantly on edge and jumpy. She wanted Matt. So badly. And it seemed he wanted her, too.
The realisation was too much to resist and beneath the heat of his gaze the fragile barriers she’d tried to erect to protect herself came crashing down. What harm could just once more do? ‘Well, that goes both ways.’
‘Does it?’ he murmured, his gaze dropping to her mouth.
‘Oh, yes.’
Matt tilted his head. ‘So what do you think we should do about it?’
She knew exactly what she wanted to do about it, but the whole bump-on-the-head/kiss misunderstanding that afternoon in his house suddenly flew into her head and made her pause. ‘What do you think?’
‘I think we should get it out of our systems.’ He took a step towards her, his eyes gleaming, and her pulse thudded.
What an excellent idea. ‘How?’
‘You know perfectly well how.’
Her heart began to gallop. ‘I thought you didn’t mix business with pleasure.’
‘I don’t.’
‘So what’s this?’
‘I don’t employ you. The state does.’
Thank heavens for that. ‘Good point. So when do you think we should set about getting it out of our systems?’
‘What’s wrong with now?’
Thrills scurried through her. ‘There are hundreds of people on the other side of the corridor,’ she said a little breathlessly.
‘I locked the door,’ he said, taking another step towards her.
‘Won’t you be missed?’
‘I doubt it.’ His eyes glittered as he stared down at her. ‘I, on the other hand, have really missed this.’
Matt closed the short distance between them took her in his arms, bent his head and dropped a kiss on the skin where her neck met her shoulder. Her whole body jerked as if she’d been branded.
‘Oh, God, so have I,’ she said, feeling her knees begin to buckle as the last tiny remnant of her resistance crumbled.
As Matt slid his mouth up her neck Laura felt herself melt against him and clutched at his shoulders.
‘You look amazing. You feel amazing,’ he breathed against her jaw.
So did he. A tremble ran through her. ‘This is insane,’ she murmured.
‘I know.’
Matt’s mouth found hers and captured it in a slow scorching kiss that frazzled her brain. Laura moaned. Wound her fingers through his hair and pressed herself closer. She felt him slip his hands down her body and she began to burn.
And then went cold when Matt suddenly stopped and swore softly. ‘What?’ she said as disappointment thundered through her. Surely he couldn’t be having second thoughts? Not now.
‘You’re not wearing any underwear.’
The disappointment vanished beneath a flood of relief. ‘Clingy dress.’
And then she couldn’t say anything more even if she’d wanted to because Matt had slammed his mouth down on hers and was backing her up against the nearest wall and pinning her against it with his hips, one hand in her hair, the other on her breast.
Feeling desperation begin to take hold, Laura delved beneath his jacket, tugged at his shirt and pulled it from the waistband of his trousers. She ran her fingers over the skin of his back and felt a shudder rip through him. Unable to help herself, she pressed harder against the steely length of his erection and rubbed against it.
And then he was pushing her dress up, sliding a hand round to where she was hot and wet and aching, and pressing the heel of his palm against her.
Laura shook with need as she fumbled with the button of his trousers. She yanked the zip down, ran her hand over him and urged him towards her. Matt let out a rough groan, then put a hand over hers and pulled back.
She blinked. What now?
‘Don’t,’ he said, his voice tight with barely restrained need.
‘Why not?’
‘Because if this is going to go any further we need to go upstairs to my room and I won’t be able to walk.’
‘Why do we need to go upstairs?’ said Laura, not caring that she sounded desperate. ‘I don’t need a bed. I’m perfectly happy with a wall.’
‘And an unplanned pregnancy?’ Matt said, his eyes blazing down at her as he stepped back.
‘Oh.’ Laura bit her lip and tugged her dress down. An unplanned pregnancy was the last thing she needed. But still. ‘God, I wish I was irresponsible.’
‘So do I,’ he said, adjusting his clothing. ‘But luckily we don’t have to be, because upstairs I have condoms.’ Taking her hand, Matt marched her across the room, unlocked the door and flung it open.
And came face to face with Signore Capelli, who was standing there, his hand raised as if about to knock.
Laura’s heart banged in shock. And then lurched with something else when Matt dropped her hand as if it were a hot coal and sprang away from her. She glanced at him. Saw his face had turned to stone. Then she glanced at Signore Capelli who was decidedly not looking at her, and she felt herself grow beetroot at the thought of the damage Matt’s hands must have done to her hair. What must he be thinking?
‘Yes?’ Matt growled.
‘I apologise for disturbing you, sir,’ said Signore Capelli, looking cool and unperturbed, as if he encountered this sort of situation all the time, ‘but you’re needed in the ballroom.’
Matt shoved his hands through his hair and bit out a sigh. Then he turned to Laura, his eyes blazing. ‘Stay here,’ he said. ‘I’ll be right back.’
But by the time Matt got back, Laura had gone.
LAURA was cursing Matt beneath her breath and punching the pillows on her bed when the hairs on the back of her neck sprang to attention and alerted her to the fact that she wasn’t alone. Her heart suddenly thundering, she whirled around and nearly swooned.
Matt stood in the doorway, his big body tight with tension and his eyes glittering. His bow tie hung loose around his neck and a couple of his shirt buttons were undone. He looked