CHAPTER ONE
Six days later
‘But, Chen, I’m fine to work, and I’m only going back to Bangkok
tomorrow. It’s hardly the other side of the world.’ Ann couldn’t quite
keep the tremor from her voice, or stop the way she still felt a little shaky.
Her good friend noticed it too, with a sardonic lift of one eyebrow.
‘Right, and I just saw a pig fly past outside. Sit down on that stool now,
before you fall down. You are not working on your last night here. I’ve
promised you your two weeks’ wages, and you’re still owed tips from the
door.’
She was about to point out that she wasn’t going to be working two
weeks’ notice, but Ann saw the granite-like expression on his prettily
handsome face and watched as he poured a shot of brandy into a glass
before pushing it towards her across the solid oak bar.
‘Here, I think this is long overdue. You looked as if you were going to
keel over at the funeral yesterday.’
Ann gave up the fight and sat on the high stool. The surroundings were
dark and warm and familiar. This place had been her home for the past
few years, and a well of emotion rose within her at the kindness of her old
friend.
‘Thanks, Chen. And thanks for coming with me yesterday, I don’t think I
could have done it on my own. It meant a lot that you and
Simon were there.’
He reached over and placed a warm hand over hers, looking at her
intently, ‘Sweetie, there was no way we’d have let you go through that by
yourself. Andrew’s gone now. It’s over. And that accident was not your
fault, so I don’t want to hear another word about it. It’s a miracle he
didn’t bring you down with him. You know damn well it was only a
matter of time before something happened.’
Yes, but I could have tried harder to stop them…to protect Alin… The
words resounded sickeningly in Ann’s head. She smiled weakly. Chen’s
words were meant to soothe, but they stirred up the seething emotions
that were ever present. The awful burning guilt that she hadn’t been able
to stop Andrew driving that night. She’d gone in the car with them in an
effort to try and be the sober one, the one who would make sure they
weren’t careless…
But Chen didn’t need to know that. She smiled again, a little stronger this
time, hoping to make him believe she was okay. ‘I know.’
‘See? That’s my girl. Now, drink that up and you’ll feel a lot better.’
Ann did as she was told, wrinkling her nose as the liquid burnt down her
throat like a line of fire. Immediately she felt the effect, a warming and
calming in her belly. Impulsively she leant across the bar and pulled Chen
towards her, hugging him. He meant so
much to her. He’d watched out for her for so long. She couldn’t
contemplate how empty and hopeless her life might have been without
him as her friend.
He grabbed her too in a tight hug, before pulling back and kissing her on
the forehead. Something caught his eye behind her and he said, ‘Looks
like the first customers are arriving.’
Ann swiveled to look back briefly, and saw a tall, dark shape through the
gap in the heavy curtains that cordoned off the VIP bar from the rest of
the club. For some reason a frisson of sensation she didn’t understand
raced through her, but she dismissed it and turned back to Chen. Up till
now it had been blessedly quiet. She decided that she’d leave shortly. She
had precious little to pack for going home to Bangkok, but at least she’d be
ready in the morning for when the solicitor came to take the possession of
the apartment keys. Suddenly the thought of going back to that huge,
empty, soulless apartment made trepidation fill her belly as she recalled
the visit she’d been paid last night, alone in that apartment after the
funeral. It was something she knew she was shying away from thinking
about, the past week having simply been almost too much to bear.
Andrew, her brother, had left her with nothing but the clothes she stood
up in. Since their parents had died and he’d been saddled with his sixteenyear-
old sister he’d made his irritation at his fraternal obligation apparent.
But he had quickly turned her presence to his advantage, seeing her as a
live-in housekeeper of sorts. She hadn’t expected anything more, but still
it had been a shock to find out that not only had he had astronomical
debts, but in the same instant that they’d been paid off…
Chen drew her attention back to him and she welcomed it, the knot of
tension in her belly easing a tiny bit. With his chin resting on his hand he
looked past her, saying sotto voce, ‘Honey, don’t look, but that big dark
shape that was looking in here just now is the most divine specimen of a
man. I wouldn’t be kicking him out of bed for talking too much, that’s for
sure.’
For some strange reason Ann felt that weird frisson again, and also a
little self-conscious in her clinging jersey dress. She’d worn it as she’d
assumed she’d be working, but now she felt herself tugging it down to
cover more of her thighs. She wondered faintly at her reaction, but after
the last few days perhaps it was just sleep deprivation and shock catching
up with her.
She smiled at Chen’s drooling reaction, glad of the distraction. ‘Oh, go
on—you say that about all the guys.’
Chen shook his head, a mournfully reverent look on his face. ‘Oh, no. This
one is…like no one I’ve ever seen before—and unfortunately my finely
honed intuition is telling me he’s as straight as a die.’
He straightened up. ‘Okay he’s coming in here. He must be someone
important. Ann, sweetie, sit up and smile, I’m telling you—a little flirting
and a hot one-night stand with a man like him and memories of that tyrant
of a brother of yours would be all but forgotten. Because one thing’s for
sure—you probably wouldn’t even remember your name. It’s exactly
what you could do with right now. A fresh start and a bit of fun before
you go home.’
And then quite seamlessly, without drawing breath, Chen switched his
attention to the mysterious stranger, whose presence Ann felt beside her,
and said brightly, ‘Evening, sir. What can I get you?’
Little hairs rose all over Ann’s skin, but she tried to ignore the way she
immediately felt the man’s presence so acutely, putting it down to Chen’s
vivid description. She also completely dismissed Chen’s well-meant
advice. She had no earthly intention of losing herself in a night of
passionate abandon with anyone—much less a complete stranger.
Especially the night after her brother’s funeral, and even more especially
as she hadn’t experienced for a minute any kind of passion in her twentytwo
years. Chen, for all his intuition, seemed to have the impression that
Ann was as worldly as she let on. But it was a self-protective front,
something she’d found herself projecting to avoid the worst of Andrew’s
snide comments, and also in the club, to avoid unwanted attention.
With every intention of leaving, she turned to slide off the stool—but
before she realised it she’d turned towards where the man had come to
stand at the bar. She became aware of a pregnant taut silence. Feeling
absurdly compelled, she looked up and came face to face, eyeball to
eyeball, with a fallen angel who was looking right at her. A dark fallen
angel. With eyes that seemed to glow under long black
lashes. And black brows. High cheekbones. A slashing line of a mouth
which should have looked cold, forbidding, drew Ann’s eyes and made
her stop and linger. She had the most bizarre and urgent desire to press
her lips against that mouth, to feel and taste its texture. Something she’d
never wanted to do with any man before—ever.
This was all within a nanosecond. Along with the realization that he had
shoulders so broad they blocked out what little light was in the bar and he
must be well over five foot. From his effortlessly arrogant stance, Ann
knew he possessed the kind of body that made Chen drool. He wore a
heavy overcoat, but underneath the open top button of a shirt gave more
than a hint of skin .
Ann couldn’t understand the hot feeling in her belly, the sizzling in her
blood as their eyes remained locked for what seemed like aeons. Her
breath hitched and she felt dizzy. And she was still sitting down!
From somewhere very far away came a voice. ‘Sir?’
The man waited for a long moment before looking away to Chen. Ann felt
as if she’d been caught high in the air, suspended, and now she was
hurtling back to earth. It was the strangest sensation. His voice was low
and deep. Accented. And before she knew it Chen was sliding another shot
of brandy towards her and gesturing to the man with an unmistakable
look of mischief in his eye.
‘From the gentleman.’
Chen moved away, whistling softly, and Ann cursed him silently as she
started to protest. ‘Oh, no—really. I was just leaving, actually…’
‘Please. Don’t leave on my account.’
His voice, directed straight at her, hit her like a wrecking ball. Deep, with
that delicious foreign accent. Loath as Ann was to look at him again and
have that burning hot reaction, she had to. This time the reaction seemed
to spread to her every extremity, lighting a fire through every vein and
every bit of pulsing blood in her body. And when he smiled faintly the
room seemed to tilt. She was vaguely aware that she was still stuck in a
parody of trying to get off the stool. All of a sudden it seemed easier to
stay where she was.
‘I…’ she said, with pathetic ineffectiveness.
He took off his coat and jacket, revealing the thin silk of his shirt, and the
body Ann had suspected existed was now heart-stoppingly evident. The
broad power of his chest was just inches away.
The hint of defined pectoral muscles. He sat
down easily on the stool beside her, effectively trapping her, making her
attempt to escape awkward. She was fighting a losing battle and she knew
it. Right here, right now, in just seconds, this complete stranger had
awoken her body from its twenty-two-year slumber, and she was no more
capable of moving than she seemed to be of stringing a sentence together.
‘Well…all right. I’ll just have the drink you bought me,’ she managed to
croak out, and sat back on her stool more fully, hoping to put some
distance between them.
He turned and angled his body towards her, and Ann grabbed the small
glass with every intention of downing the lot in one gulp and legging it
before she dissolved altogether. But then he spoke again, making her
brain atrophy.
‘What is your name?’
She held the glass clutched in one hand and took a deep breath before
looking at him, steeling herself not to react. Mortifyingly—especially
considering Chen’s recent words—she had to think for a second. ‘Ann.
Ann Thongprasom.’
He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes enigmatic and unreadable.
‘Ann…’
She flushed at the way he said it, almost like an endearment, and hastened
to say, ‘Well, actually it’s more like Ann.’ She put the emphasis on a flat
pronunciation, not the rolling way he’d said it, making her feel as if he’d
drawn it like silk over her skin which now broke into goose bumps.
In a small, still functioning part of her bewildered brain she questioned
her sanity and this unprecedented reaction. Was it the shock of the last
few days? Chen’s suggestive words? Her grief? For, while she couldn’t
say that she’d loved or even liked her brother—not after years of abuse
had destroyed those emotions—she wouldn’t have been human if she
hadn’t mourned the best part of him and the fact that now she’d lost her
entire family. But she felt more grief for Alin, her brother’s girlfriend,
who’d also died in the crash.
The man quirked one black eyebrow, giving him a devilish look that he
really didn’t need. ‘You’re from…?’
She welcomed him taking her thoughts away from the pain. ‘Bangkok. I’m
going back there tomorrow. I’ve been living here since I was sixteen, but
I’m going home now.’
Ann was babbling and she knew it. He was looking at her intently, as if
he wanted to see all the way into her head. She knew instinctively that a
man like this could consume her so utterly he’d eclipse anything else. The
minute she thought that, heat bloomed low in her belly. She was drowning in his eyes as he looked at her.
He raised his glass. ‘Well, here’s to new beginnings. Not everyone is
fortunate enough to start again.’
Ann heard an edge to his voice, but he was smiling, scrambling her
thoughts. She raised her glass to his, and the melodic chinking sound
seemed to restore some semblance of sanity. She took a small sip of the
drink, aware of the fact that her previous desire to down it in one had
gone. She felt herself giving in to the inevitability of this conversation,
this man. Some kind of inchoate recklessness was beating through her.
‘And you? What’s your name and where do you come from?’ She winced
inwardly at sounding like a bad impression of a presenter on a TV quiz
show, but he didn’t seem to notice.
He took another long moment to reply, as if he were considering
something, making her nerve-ends stretch unbearably. Finally he spoke.
‘I’m from Myanmer…Jessadaporn. Pleased to meet you.’
His mention of Myanmer had her insides seizing momentarily. Alin had
been from Myanmer. She forced herself to breathe. It was just a
coincidence, but a painful one. He held out a big hand with long fingers,
strong-looking and capable. Ann looked at it and gulped. Reluctantly she
held out her own much smaller, paler one .
Their hands met, his own dwarfing hers, warm and strong, his fingers
wrapping around her hand until she couldn’t see even a sliver of her skin
any more. His fingers rested on the frantic beating of her pulse point on
the delicate underside of her wrist.
Helpless against the rush of sensation through her body at his touch, her
mouth drying, she could have sworn that she felt her pupils dilate in that
moment. He seemed to be similarly caught. Something in his eyes flared
and a fleeting look of harshness crossed his face before it disappeared as
he smiled again, making her believe she’d imagined it. His smile was
slow and sexy and devastating.
Oh, God.
Ann finally pulled her hand from his and tucked it under her leg, telling
herself valiantly that it wasn’t tingling. All of a sudden she needed space
from this intensity. She was not used to it. She was more than a little
freaked out. She scrambled off the stool, her body brushing against his for
a moment, igniting tiny fires all over her skin.
‘Excuse me, I must go to the bathroom.’
On very shaky legs she hurried out towards the rapidly filling club, the
music coming muffled at first through the thick velvet curtains, and then
jarringly loud as she stepped through. She fled to the toilet, closing the
door behind her with relief, and stood at the sink, resting her hands on the
cool tiles. She looked at her reflection, shaking her head. Distance from
that man was doing little to calm her pulse or the hectic flush in her
cheeks. His very charisma seemed to cling to her, his image annoyingly
vivid in her mind’s eye.
Why was this happening to her? Tonight of all nights? She was nothing
special. Long straight dark hair,brown eyes that veered towards hazel,
pale skin. A too-gangly body. No make-up. That
was what she saw. A rush of something went through her then, taking her
by surprise—a kind of weird euphoria. She was finally going home
tomorrow, away from Hong Kong where she’d never felt at home. The fact
that this club and its employees had felt most like home since she’d left
Bangkok after her parents had died said it all.
But then in an instant the awful memory of the crash came back,
slamming into her brain. The color drained from her face as a vivid
picture of the rain-slicked night and that car coming straight for them reran
like a horror movie in her head, along with her inability to stop it, to
call out in time to warn Andrew. And even if she had… Ann’s hands
gripped the counter so tight her knuckles were white. Pain surged anew
and twisted inside her, so acute that she had to put a hand to her belly.
She looked down. How could she have forgotten for a second the
catastrophic events of just days ago? When she’d walked away from the
wreckage of an accident so awful that the paramedics at the scene had
declared it a miracle that she’d survived.
Jessadaporn. Her heart stopped and started again. He’d made her forget for a
brief moment. He was making her forget right now. Ann looked at
herself again sternly, ignoring the glitter of her too-bright eyes. She
wouldn’t be surprised if he was gone when she went back. She knew his
type all too well. He wouldn’t wait around for someone like her. The men
who frequented this club were mostly ambitious city men, out to see who
could order the most expensive champagne, who could pull the most
beautiful women.
Yet, Ann had to be honest with herself, this man hadn’t given that
impression. He seemed far too sophisticated for that. Undoubtedly he was
rich—she could tell that from a mile away—and that thought alone put
him in a place that made her shudder. She’d had enough of millionaires to
last her a lifetime, having grown to despise the power they desired and
wielded, the lifestyles they craved. She contemplated asking one of the
staff to get her things for her, so as to avoid seeing him again, but then
shook off the silly fear. She could handle it if he was still there, or if he
was gone…
When Ann walked back into the VIP section, though, all her recent
words and self-avowals flew out of the window.
He was gone.
Even though she’d half expected it, the disappointment that ripped
through her left her swaying unsteadily. She was still trying to come to
terms with the crushing feeling and what it meant when one of the
barmen, Joe, handed her a note. She opened the piece of paper, it was
from Chen, hastily written.
Sweetie, I’ve had to go—a domestic crisis with Simon has come up. Call
you tomorrow before you go! Chen!
Ann shook her head wryly, even as she had to admit that the pounding of
her heart told her she’d hoped that the note might be from Jessadaporn. Which
was ridiculous. They’d spoken for mere minutes.
Just as she was turning to go she spotted her phone on the bar and went to
retrieve it, grabbing her coat too.
A sound came from behind Ann, then a cool familiar voice. ‘Am I too
late to ask if you’d share another drink with me?’
Intense relief rushed through her. He hadn’t gone! Ann turned around
and looked up into that face. He was even taller than she had imagined,
holding his coat casually over one arm. A zing of sensation rippled
through her, stronger than before, making her forget her vow to leave. All
she knew in that moment, as irrational as it was, was that she didn’t want
him to walk away again. That feeling of relief was too strong to ignore.
All she could manage was to shake her head. She was sinking into those
fascinating eyes again, mesmerized by the harsh beauty of his face. A
couple of people came in, jostling past them, chattering. Leaving them in
their own little bubble. She flushed at how needy she felt, how unsure and
at sea with all these sensations and achings he was causing within her.
How had she ever thought for a second that she’d be able to walk away?
Jessadaporn’s eyes glittered with some intent that made her feel weak. ‘Good.
I’ve organized a private booth and a bottle of champagne.’
Liquid heat seemed to pool in Ann’s groin. She was unable to respond
with any coherence, and Jessadaporn took her by the arm and led her over to
where one of the waitresses was showing them into a plush velvet booth,
half hidden by a thick ornate drape. Ann could only breathe in a jerky
sigh of relief when Jessadaporn took one side of the booth, leaving her to occupy
the other side. He sat back and stretched out an arm across the back of the
seat, causing his shirt to tighten across his chest. Hard flat nipples stood
out against the material and Ann squirmed on her seat.
‘So…’ he drawled. ‘Here we are.’
A sudden tension spiked the air. She couldn’t understand why, even as
she nodded warily. He leant forward then, his face coming into the soft
light thrown by a hanging lamp over their heads. He truly was the most
beautiful man she’d ever seen. Her insides clenched.
‘Tell me, do you come here often?’
The words, usually such a cliché uttered by hapless men, sounded
completely different when he said them.
Ann smiled a small, wry smile. ‘It’s like my second home.’ She heard her
words and saw immediately how they might be misconstrued. She hurried
to clarify. ‘That is, of course, because I—’
At that moment the waitress returned with the champagne, stopping
Ann’s explanation that she worked there. And by the time Jessadaporn had
dismissed the girl and filled their glasses Ann had forgotten what he’d
asked her.
‘Let’s drink to this evening.’
Ann frowned lightly, but clinked her glass to his. It felt cool in her hand,
the vintage wine sparkling in the light with a thousand bubbles. ‘Why this
evening?’
He took a sip of wine, and Ann was aware of the strong column of his
throat as it worked. ‘Because I think it will prove…cathartic.’
What an odd thing to drink to, Ann thought, and took a sip of her own
wine, savoring the bubbles as they burst down her throat. She couldn’t
quite believe that she was sitting here, in her work clothes, sipping
champagne with this enigmatic man. In all her time working here she’d
never met anyone with even an nth of his dynamism—and some of the
wealthiest men in the world came into this exclusive club. It had been her
brother’s favorite haunt—that was how she’d got her job.
At least her dress was adequate enough, simple and black. Her only gripe
was that it was far too short, but Simon, the manager, Chen’s boyfriend,
insisted on her looking the part as the main hostess of the club. And with
Barney there to protect her from unwanted attention she generally
avoided lecherous situations. Something Simon had been aware of when
he’d hired her, as he’d felt she was too young at the time to work in the
club proper. In the end, he’d kept her on the door.
‘Tell me about yourself, Ann.’
He was doing it again, that subtle inflection, changing the pronunciation
of her name. Something about his expression caught her for a moment,
some sense of familiarity or déjà vu, but she couldn’t catch it. She was so
tempted to do exactly what Chen had advocated—lose herself a little,
allow this stranger to help her forget her pain and sorrow.
There would be time for that in spades when she went home and tried to
start over. At the thought of that, the threat from last night crashed back
into her head. For a second she almost felt overwhelmed with it all, and
had to struggle valiantly to bury the fear again. But just for now, surely
she could pretend with this man that everything was okay—couldn’t she?
Jessadaporn’s eyebrows rose. ‘You did a degree in business and accountancy?’
Ann nodded, still inordinately proud of the degree she’d finally obtained
in recent weeks after a long, hard slog, not sure why he sounded so
incredulous. Perhaps he was one of these men who didn’t believe that
women should get qualifications and work? Yet he didn’t seem like that
kind of man. The champagne bottle stood half empty. She had a
delightfully light feeling in her head. She felt as if she’d been living in
some sort of haze all her life and now everything was crystal-clear.
Despite the fact that she’d only just met Jessadaporn, she’d found him easy to
talk to—and that was a revelation when she’d never done this with
anyone before.
‘But you didn’t go to college?’
Ann frowned, she’d been intent on Jessadaporn’s mouth and now she blushed
which she seemed to be doing every two minutes in his company. ‘Did I
say that?’ That was funny. She couldn’t remember telling him about
studying from home.
‘You’re right, I didn’t.’ She was wondering how they’d got onto this
subject when a beep came from nearby. He excused himself and reached
into the pocket of the jacket beside him to pull out his phone, answering
the incoming call with an apologetic smile, saying something about an ill
father. Ann shooed away his apology and signaled that she would leave,
to give him privacy, but his hand snaked out and caught her wrist, pulling
her back.
As he spoke in Thai he kept his eyes on hers, and his thumb
started moving in little circles on the underside of her wrist. Ann had to
stop herself from groaning out loud. Did the man have any idea what he
was doing to her? But she couldn’t take her eyes away from his either. As
she watched, a hard expression came into them. His hand tightened on
hers fractionally, but he didn’t stop that seductive motion with his thumb.
Ann knew she could have pulled away if she’d wanted to, but for the life
of her she couldn’t. Was that giving him some tacit signal? To her shame,
she knew that she hoped it was. What was this madness?
He ended his conversation and slipped the phone back into his jacket. He
let go of her hand, dropping it abruptly, almost as if he regretted holding
it. Ann’s heart went out to him as she guessed it must have to do with his
father, and she asked hesitantly, ‘Is everything okay?’
She saw his jaw clench slightly. He seemed to be wrestling with
something. He looked at her then, and the intensity in his eyes pinned her
to the spot. And then he said, ‘It’s time to get out of here.’
There was an unmistakable edge to his voice this time, and for a second
Ann fooled herself into thinking that he’d said it in such a way as to
mean for them both to get out of there. And then mortification raced
through her. Why on earth would a man like him have meant that? He
only meant that he had to leave. And so did she.
But, disturbingly, a shaft of pain went through her. She forced herself to
say lightly, as she avoided his eye and gathered her things, ‘I have a busy
day tomorrow. I’d better go too. Thanks for the drinks.’
Jessadaporn had paid already, brushing aside her attempt to give him something.
It was somewhat of a relief, even though she hated being paid for, as in
reality she barely had enough in her purse to get her home. Chen had left
before he’d had a chance to give her her tips, and it would be a couple of
weeks before she got her final cheque.
She let Jessadaporn guide her out through the now busy VIP area and back
through the club. Ann shivered slightly. She wasn’t sorry to be saying
goodbye to the place. It was Barney the main doorman’s night off, and
his replacement was new, so she just said a perfunctory goodnight as they
left.
In seconds the club was behind them and they were out in the darkness
and the cool early spring air. It was almost midnight. Ann shivered
lightly as Jessadaporn helped her into her coat. He caught her long hair and
pulled it free, his hands brushing against her bare neck. Ann’s insides
melted. It felt like the most intimate gesture. Just then her name was
called by someone in the queue, and Jessadaporn dropped his hands, leaving her
feeling ridiculously bereft. She looked to see an actress waving
energetically. She was a regular. Ann waved back half-heartedly and
watched as she disappeared into the club with her entourage, sending up
silent thanks that she’d never have to help carry her out again.
‘A friend of yours?’
Ann turned to face Jessadaporn looking up. Her heart was beating so hard she
felt constricted. She smiled awkwardly. ‘Not exactly.’ She stepped back
and away, finding it harder than she cared to admit to walk away from
him. ‘Look, thanks for everything—and the drinks… It was nice talking
to you.’
With hands stuck deep in his pockets he just looked down at her. ‘Do you
really want to go?’
Ann’s brain froze. Her heart tripped. ‘What did you say?’
‘Come back to my hotel with me.’
It was shocking, and it wasn’t a question. It was an imperative. A calling
that set her blood racing and heart beating fast again. Lord knew she
wasn’t ready for this, on this week of all weeks. Who was she kidding?
She wouldn’t be ready for a man as virile as Jessadaporn in a million years. And
yet even as she thought that, newly awakened awareness flooded her
body, making her believe that he was the only man she could make love
to in the world.
Confused by how strong this feeling was, she backed away, shaking her
head. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t—’ Do that sort of thing.
Her voice failed and the words resounded in her head. She
shook her head again. No matter what her body might be saying, her head
was warning her to run fast in the opposite direction.
Jessadaporn stood under the streetlight, his shoulders huge, his frame lean and
awe-inspiring, his face dark and sinful. Everything about him was sinful.
Chen’s words came back to Ann. Could this man make her forget? For
one night? Even as she was thinking this, her thoughts and belly in
turmoil at what she was walking away from, he shrugged nonchalantly
and stepped back too. The moment was gone. Of course he wouldn’t
insist. It had been a complete mystery to her what he had seen in her at all
in the first place. However, disappointment was crushing, mocking her.
Her tongue seemed to cleave to the roof of her mouth as she realised that
she’d never in her life see this man again. And she suddenly wondered
desperately how it would feel to kiss him. But she reiterated to herself
sternly that this was the realm of fantasy. He was not in her league and
she wouldn’t even want him to be. Didn’t she despise the kind of men
who went into that club? And yet, prompted a voice, didn’t you think he
was different?
As if in accord with the rebellious voice, her newly awakened body was
screaming to walk up to him and say, Wait—yes. I’ll take what you’re
offering. Even though he’d displayed his own indifference to her answer.
Patently he didn’t care. All he had to do was snap his fingers and women
would be tripping over themselves to be with him. She had to focus on
that. There was nothing special going on here.
‘Goodnight, Jessadaporn.’ He hadn’t even told her his second name,
She turned abruptly and walked away, her breath coming fast, her heart
thumping so hard that she feared it might burst from her chest. And,
ridiculously, at that moment she felt more alone than she had at any point
in her life to date. And that was saying a lot. Silly tears pricked the back
of her eyes and she told herself it had to be the result of her fraught and
emotional week. Not the amazing evening that had come out of nowhere.
As she passed the queue of people waiting to get into the club she
overheard one girl say loudly, ‘Look at him…she must be crazy to walk
away from him…’
Ann stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around. Jessadaporn was not
looking at her any more, and if anything that should have made it easier
for her to put this whole night down to some crazy experience brought on
and heightened by grief and shock. But she couldn’t move. She watched
as he said something to one of the other doormen, who whistled,
obviously calling his car round. All Ann could see was his broad
shoulders, that inky black hair, the sheer masculine beauty of his build.
The latent power in his tall proud stance. Something within her was
calling out to be obeyed. Some deep, primal need to forge a connection.
The thought of never seeing him again was causing a panicky fluttering in
her chest.
Ann was unaware of her feet carrying her in one inevitable direction:
back to him. And then she was standing behind him and feeling as though
the world had come back to rest on its axis again. With her heart in her
mouth she tentatively touched his back. Immediately he tensed and turned
around, dark brows coming together over tawny eyes that sliced down
into hers, seeing right through her in an instant.
‘Changed your mind?’
The sardonic arrogance, the something cynical in his expression, couldn’t
impinge on the pathetic weakness that had led her back to him. She
couldn’t answer straight away. She’d never done anything so rash and
impulsive in her life, but the thought suddenly struck her that she’d never
wanted anything or anyone with such a deep visceral need before. There
was protection in knowing that this was it. One night. With this beautiful
man. And then she would allow all the pain and hurt and grief back in.
But just for this night, these few hours that stretched ahead, she could be
someone else. Not the girl orphaned at sixteen; not the little sister bullied
by her older brother, hoping pathetically that he might change; not the
girl working day and night to obtain a degree. And not the girl who had
been involved in a horrific car crash in which she’d been the only one to
walk away without a scratch.
His jaw was clenching again, a muscle working under the skin, and Ann
had the strongest desire to reach up and press her lips there. She wanted
to grasp at this moment in which she could lose herself in him with a
passion that made her shake. Finally she did seize the moment, and
nodded and said huskily, ‘Yes. I’d like to come to your hotel with you.’
