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‘Goodher appearance in the for black dress that brushed her knees and what appeared to be combat boots with keen appreciation The jacket looked as if it belonged to a circus ringrandfather’s disquiet Clearly, Poppy always dressed strangely and he could certainly ith that eccentricity In fact the ly well in that weird outfit with her freckle-free skin like whipped crealets round her slight shoulders, highlighting her alluring face

He was not attracted to her, he told himself resolutely He could appreciate a wo to bed her He wasn’t that basic in his tastes, was he? The incipient throb of a hard-on, however, hinted that he reat deal more basic than he wanted to believe Of course that was acceptable too, Gaetano conceded shrewdly Rodolfo was no fool and would soon notice any apparent lack of sexual chemistry

Poppy thought about faking a posh accent like his and abandoned the idea because Gaetano would be slow to see the joke, if he saw one at all ‘Morning,’ she said lazily in her usual abbreviated style

‘We’re going out for breakfast since there’s no food in the house,’ Gaetano murmured huskily

Poppy blinked, catching the flick of censure but too caught up in the positive purr of his deep, slightly accented drahich was sending a peculiar little shiver down her taut spine ‘We?’ she queried belatedly, green eyes opening very wide

Gaetano noted that her pupils were surrounded by a ring of tawny brown that reen of her eyes and said quietly, ‘I have a proposition I want to discuss with you’

‘A proposition?’ she questioned with a frown

‘Breakfast,’ Gaetano reminded her and he bent to plant his hands to her hips and swing her up into the helicopter before she could even guess his intention

‘For breakfast we get into a helicopter?’ Poppy framed in bewilderment

‘We’re going to a hotel’

A proposition? Her ht be able to put to her in her fah she was far fro, she knew she was in no position to tell hiet lost Even so, Poppy would very et lost His innate doe, not to mention the manner in which he simply assu without arguht resentfully He had s

The craft was so noisy that there was no possibility of conversation during the short flight Poppy peered doithout surprise as the biggest, flashiest country-house hotel in the area appeared below theht in exasperation, wishing she’d had so of his plan She had no make-up on and not even a comb with her and wasn’t best pleased to find herself about to enter a very snooty five-star establishroo combat boots ready to cycle to the shop for a newspaper

Deliberately avoiding Gaetano’s extended arrass ‘You could’ve warnedI’m not dressed—’

Gaetano dealt her a slow-burning solden eyes brilliant in the sunshine ‘You look fabulous’

Her mouth ran dry and suddenly she needed a deep breath but sos That shockingly appealing smilewhen he had never sy as aat her? What did he want? What had changed? And as he telling her that she looked fabulous? Especially when his raised-brow appraisal as she’d approached him at the helipad had told her that he knew about as h finance

At the door of the hotel they were greeted by the ery’ where Gaetano was assured that they would not be disturbed Had there been a chaise longue, Poppy would have flopped down on it like a Victoriana seduction just to annoy hiht ease her fa to listen withoutcheeky coue often ran ahead of her brain, especially around Gaetano, who didn’t have to do much to infuriate her