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Pale eyes swept over her ‘You ly

‘I doubt it,’ she spat back

But as the elevator gathered speed Erin knew she had to forget the past and concentrate on the present She had to think about the situation as it was, not what it used to be If only she hadn’t allowed her feelings for hi romantic fantasies about hiht with it nothing but disillusionment

She bunched up the material of her white dress as he unlocked his apartment and stood aside to let her pass, and she couldn’t work out whether to be happy or sad when she noticed that very little had changed The vast, wooden-floored entrance hall still provided the perfect backdrop for all the Russian artefacts which were everywhere The Fabergé eggs he collected were displayed in a casual grouping, which only seemed to emphasise their priceless beauty There was one in particular which she used to love—a perfect golden sphere studded with emeralds and rubies, which seeht

‘Come with ht for a second

He walked into the main reception—a roolittering skyscrapers which housed much of the city’s wealth Yet it was the room itself which drew the eye as much as the view He had always kept bonsai trees—exquisiteon a polished table was a Japanese Acer—its tiny leaves the bright red colour of a sunset Erin stared at it with the delight of so an old friend How she had always loved that little tree

But as she glanced up from the vibrant leaves she saw in Dimitri’s eyes the unmistakable flicker of fury

‘So Start explaining,’ he bit out

Her knees had suddenly gone wobbly and she sat down on one of the leather sofas, even though he hadn’t asked her to—terrified of appearing hen she kneas vital to stay strong She looked up into his face and tried to keep her voice steady ‘I don’t think it needs very much of an explanation, do you? You are as aware of the facts as I aether’

Her words trailed off because it still felt faintly unbelievable that she’d ended up in his bed, when he could have had any woman on the planet And yes, she’d found him attractive—in the way that you sometimes looked at the ocean and were rendered speechless by its power and beauty Erin certainly hadn’t been immune to the carved symleaold There probably wasn’t a woman alive ouldn’t have looked twice at his powerful body or admired his clever hten his cold face But she had never let her admiration show, because that was unprofessional—and she was pragh to know that she was the kind of woman he would never find attractive, even if she hadn’t been his secretary

She had worked for hianisation—o into instant meltdohenever he came into the room She had trained herself not to be affected by his sex appeal and a charisance She’d tried to treat hinity and respect She had been calm and capable in the face of any stor her un to take over her life, so that she’d had little left of her own Maybe it was always that hen you worked for a powerful oligarch, with fingers in so many pies that he could have done with an extra pair of hands She’d lost count of the ti a dinner date, orin from Russia and needed her

And she’d liked that feeling of being needed, hadn’t she? She’d liked the fact that such a powerful man used to listen to her—plain, ordinary Erin Turner Maybe her ego was bigger than she’d given it credit for Maybe it was that sas to slip fro a wo awareness of the s about hi and drinking and worow