Sidonie crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. She saw Alexio’s jaw clench, as if he was priming himself for a fight, and something deep within her quivered and then went soft and molten. She fought it. They were both oblivious to the stewardess, who had come to check their seatbelts for landing.
‘That sounded remarkably like an order and not an invitation. I’m catching a connecting flight to Dublin—or didn’t you hear that part earlier?’
Sidonie wasn’t sure exactly why she felt so threatened by his advance, but she did. Even though she knew she was probably right in her suspicions about why a man like Alexio was flirting with her, a very large part of her wanted to leap into his arms and say yes.
She would bet that not many women turned him down—if any. But she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she gave in to him for what she had no doubt would amount to one night. She told herself it was because she valued herself too highly, but she knew, treacherously, that she was afraid of how strongly this man affected her. One night would never be enough. She felt it deep in the pit of her belly. And that freaked her out. She was a naturally responsible and cautious person, not given to spontaneous acts like this.
He cast his glance to the very sexy platinum watch on his wrist, and then back to her. ‘I’d say you’ve missed that connecting flight, and as I’m the owner of the airline company the least you can do is allow me to make it up to you. By taking you for dinner.’
Sidonie snorted inelegantly and quashed the swooping sensation in her belly. ‘I don’t see you offering everyone on this plane dinner to recompense them for missing their connecting flights.’
That formidable jaw clenched again. ‘That’s probably because I don’t want to take them for dinner. However, I would like to take you for dinner. Please.’
Sidonie’s chin lifted, but she quivered inwardly at his please. ‘I’m a terrible dinner companion. I’m a fussy eater and I’m a vegetarian. Vegan, actually.’
That wasn’t true, but some devil inside her was working now. Sparking.
Alexio smiled. ‘I’m sure you are a scintillating dinner companion, and I know a fabulous vegetarian restaurant—all the eggplant you can eat.’
That humour danced in his eyes again, transporting him from downright gorgeous to downright irresistible. Sidonie scowled. He didn’t believe her for a second. His eyes dropped down her body and then came back up again. A wickedly sexy slow smile tipped up his mouth, telling her better than any words that dinner and conversation were not the only things on his mind. As if she couldn’t feel it vibrating between them. This awareness she’d never felt before.
Sidonie glared at him and tried to will down the heat in her body that mocked her with the realisation that dinner wasn’t exactly foremost in her mind either. Very belatedly she remembered she had taken off her sweatshirt and scrabbled around to find it and pull it back on.
She heard a sound beside her and looked to see Alexio making a face.
‘That thing should be burnt.’
Sidonie gasped, affronted. ‘It’s my favourite.’
‘It’s a crime to hide your body underneath that shapeless thing.’
Suddenly there was a sharp thudding and crashing sensation and Sidonie’s heart stopped. She felt all her blood drain south.
Instantly Alexio had her hands in his and he was saying soothingly, ‘We’ve just landed, that’s all.’
Sidonie’s heart was still palpitating. Her ears popped. She could see the ground through the window across the aisle and felt the powerful throttle of the plane as it pulled back.
She looked at Alexio, shocked. ‘I’ve never not noticed landing before.’ She’d been distracted. By him.
Her hands were still in his and she looked down to see them, so much smaller and paler next to his. As she watched he entwined his fingers with hers and between her legs she throbbed. He exerted pressure on her hands and Sidonie looked up, her head feeling heavy, her blood hot.
For a long, taut moment they just looked at one another. Sidonie’s breath grew choppy. Alexio pulled one hand free and brought it up to cup her jaw, his thumb moving back and forth as if learning the shape of her cheek.
His eyes were on her mouth now. She wanted him to kiss her so badly. The air sizzled. And then his eyes met hers again and he emitted a guttural sound like a curse. His jaw clenched. He took his hand away. Sidonie had to bite the inside of her lip to stop herself from crying out.
As if she’d been drugged just by that look Sidonie slowly came back to her senses, and mortification gripped her innards when she realised how she must have looked: like some love-starved groupie.
She jerked back. Thank goodness he hadn’t kissed her, because she knew that she would have put up no fight whatsoever. And she hated the part of her that felt bereft of the experience. She looked away.
‘Sidonie.’
The fact that his voice was rough didn’t give her any comfort.
‘What?’ she snapped, reaching for her bag and putting it on her lap so that she could put her stuff back into it.
She found her glasses and stuck them on, even though she only needed them for reading. They felt like the armour she needed. She looked at him and then wished she hadn’t. His face was all stark, lean lines. Nostrils flaring. Eyes dangerous.
People around them were starting to stand up, unbuckling seatbelts, reaching for bags.
Sidonie forgot for a moment that he’d even asked her for dinner. She felt ridiculously vulnerable. Exposed.
‘I’m sure you have an assistant waiting nearby to fast-track you off the plane and out of the airport.’
Alexio’s mouth firmed. She was right. Even now he could see a uniformed official saying, ‘Excuse me...’ as he fought his way through the crush to get to Alexio.
He grabbed for her hand and Sidonie glanced around them, but no one was looking. All eager to get on with their journeys.
‘Sidonie, I meant what I said. Come for dinner with me tonight.’
She looked at him and still felt that awful sting of rejection because he hadn’t actually kissed her. She hated that it made her feel vulnerable. ‘I’m going to Dublin. I can’t stay in London just on your...whim.’
His eyes flashed. ‘It’s not a whim. If you stay I’ll take care of you—get you home.’
Sidonie pulled her hand free. She shook her head. ‘No...I’m sorry, but I can’t.’
The uniformed person was at their seats now and he bent down to say something to Alexio, who made a curt reply. He stood up and reached for his jacket and coat. He looked down at Sidonie, whose eyes had been glued to that magnificent torso as he’d stretched up.
‘Come with me. At least let me try to help you make your flight.’
Sidonie looked at him and gulped. Now he was distant, unreadable. A shiver went down her spine and she knew in that moment that she would hate to cross him. He would be a formidable enemy.
Stiffly she said, ‘You don’t have to do this. I can find my own way and wait for another flight if I have to.’
He sighed deeply. ‘Just...don’t argue, okay? Come with me—please.’
He held out his hand and Sidonie looked from him to it. This was probably the last time she’d ever see him. On some level she realised with a jolt that she felt as if she could trust this man who was all but a total stranger. Even though she was fighting it.
That revelation stunned her. She’d never trusted easily after the cataclysmic events of her childhood.