Hired For His Pleasure. Кэрол Мортимер

him to feel the way her fingers tightened about his and her steps seemed to slow as they approached the top of the stairs.

      Jaxon turned to look at Stazy in the semi-darkness. Her eyes were deeply green and too huge in the paleness of her face. ‘Stazy, would you rather have company tonight …?’ Even though he spoke softly his voice still sounded over-loud in the stillness of the dark night surrounding them.

      Stazy came to an abrupt halt at the top of the stairs, frowning as she turned to look at him searchingly, the contours of his face sharply hewn in the moonlight, the expression in his eyes totally unreadable with those grey eyes hooded by long dark lashes and lowered lids. ‘Exactly what are you suggesting, Jaxon …?’ she finally murmured warily.

      ‘I’m asking if you would like me to come to your bedroom and spend the rest of the night with you,’ he bit out succinctly.

      Exactly what Stazy had thought he was offering!

      ‘Why?’

      Jaxon chuckled softly. ‘How about because I know how the hours between two o’clock in the morning and five o’clock can sometimes be tough to get through if you have something on your mind.’

      Stazy raised auburn brows. ‘Are you talking from personal experience?’

      He gave a hard grin. ‘Difficult as you obviously find that to believe, yes, I am. Never anything as serious as your present concerns over your grandfather, but I’ve definitely had my fair share of worries over the years.’

      ‘Things like looking in the mirror for the first grey hair and wrinkle?’ she came back teasingly.

      ‘Hair dye and botox injections,’ Jaxon came back dismissively.

      Her eyes widened. ‘Have you ever—?’

      ‘No, I can honestly say I’ve never resorted to using either one of those things!’ he assured her irritably, seeing her obvious humour at his expense.

      ‘Yet.’

      ‘Ever,’ Jaxon assured firmly. ‘I’m going to live by the adage and grow old gracefully.’

      Stazy knew he was teasing her—was very aware that these last few minutes they’d both been talking only for the sake of it. Delaying as they waited to see what her answer was going to be to Jaxon’s offer to spend the night with her.

      ‘Well?’ Jaxon prompted huskily.

      He claimed he was making the offer so that she didn’t have to spend the hours before dawn alone; and God knew Stazy didn’t want to be alone, knowing that once she was in her bedroom her imagination was going to run riot again in regard to her grandfather’s safety. Did that mean she was actually thinking of accepting Jaxon’s offer to spend the night with her …?