satisfaction with her answer, standing up to get a second glass.
Now it was Lilli’s turn to watch him. She had been right about his height; he must be at least six feet four, the cut of his suit doing nothing to hide the powerfully muscled body beneath. It also did nothing to mask his obvious contempt for these elegant trappings of civilised company!
She had no doubt that Sally would also have described him as gorgeous!
Her smile faded somewhat as she vividly brought to mind that image of the other man Sally had called gorgeous tonight; her last vision had been of Geraldine Simms draped decoratively across him as the two of them talked softly together.
‘Thank you,’ she told the man as he sat down beside her to pour her wine, picking up the glass when it was filled to swallow a grateful gulp. She could instantly feel the warmth of the wine inside her, merging with the glasses of champagne she had already consumed.
‘Patrick Devlin.’ The man held out his hand.
‘Lilli.’ She shook his hand, liking its cool strength, his name meaning absolutely nothing to her.
He raised dark brows, still retaining his light hold on her hand. ‘Just Lilli?’
Her gaze met his, seeing a wealth of experience in those grey depths. Some of that experience had been with Geraldine Simms, she felt sure. ‘Just Lilli,’ she nodded, sensing his interest in her. And she intended to keep that interest...
‘Well, Just Lilli...’ He slowly released her hand, although his gaze still easily held hers. ‘As we’re both bored with this party, what do you suggest we do with ourselves for the rest of the evening?’ He quirked mocking lips.
She laughed softly, well versed in the art of seduction herself. ‘What do you suggest we do?’ she encouraged softly.
He turned back to sit with his elbows resting on the table, sipping his wine. ‘Well...we could count how many patterned tiles there are on the wall over there.’ He nodded to the wall opposite.
Lilli didn’t so much as glance at them. ‘I have no interest in counting tiles, patterned or otherwise,’ she returned dryly, drinking some of her own wine. He was right—this wine was much nicer than champagne. It was taking away the numbness she had felt earlier, too.
‘No? Oh, well.’ He shrugged at the playful shake of her head, refilling her glass. ‘We could swap life stories?’
‘Definitely not!’ There was an edge of bitterness to her laugh this time.
He pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘You’re probably right,’ he said. ‘We could bake a cake? We’re certainly in the right place for it!’ He looked about them.
‘Can you cook?’ Lilli prompted; he didn’t look as if he knew one end of a cooker—or Aga!—from the other!
He grinned at her, showing very white and even teeth—and unlike most of the men here tonight, she would swear that he’d had none of them capped. ‘No one has yet complained about my toast,’ he drawled. ‘And I’ve been told I pour a mean glass of orange juice!’
She nodded as he gave her the answer she had expected. ‘And a mean glass of wine.’ She raised her glass as if in a salute to him.
He poured the last of the wine into her glass. ‘I’ll open another bottle.’ He stood up, moving confidently about the kitchen, walking to the cupboard at the back of the room, emerging triumphantly seconds later with a second bottle of the same wine.
Which he then proceeded to open deftly, refilling his own glass before sitting down next to Lilli once again. ‘Your turn. To make some suggestions,’ he elaborated huskily at her questioning look.
His words themselves were suggestive, but at this particular moment Lilli didn’t care. She was actually enjoying herself, and after the shock she had received earlier this evening that was something in itself.
‘Let me see...’ She made a show of giving it some thought, happily playing along with the game. ‘Do you play chess?’
‘Tolerably,’ he replied.
‘Hmm. Draughts?’
‘A champion,’ he assured her confidently. ‘That’s the one with the black and white discs—’
‘Not draughts, either,’ Lilli laughed, green eyes glowing, her cheeks warm, whether from the effect of the wine and champagne, or their verbal flirtation, she wasn’t really sure.
And she didn’t care, either. This man was a special friend of Geraldine Simms’, she was sure of it, and at this moment she had one hundred per cent of his attention. Wonderful!
‘Snakes and ladders?’ she suggested lightly.
‘Yes...’ he answered slowly. ‘Although my sister always said I cheated when we played as children; I used to go up the snakes and down the ladders!’
Lilli laughed again. Either the man really was funny, or else the wine was taking effect; either way, this was the most fun she had had in a long time. ‘I used to do that too,’ she confided, lightly touching his arm, instantly feeling the steely strength beneath his jacket. ‘And there’s no way we can play if we both cheat!’
‘True,’ he agreed, suddenly very close, his face mere inches away from hers now. ‘You know, Just Lilli, there’s one game I have an idea we’re both good at—and at which neither of us cheats!’ His voice was mesmerisingly low now, his aftershave faintly elusive, but at the same time completely masculine. ‘What do you say to the two of us—?’
‘Patrick!’ A feminine voice, slightly raised with impatience, interrupted him. ‘Why aren’t you at the party?’
He held Lilli’s eyes for several seconds longer, a promise in his own, lightly squeezing her hand as it still rested on his arm, before turning to face the source of that feminine impatience. ‘Because I prefer to be here,’ he answered firmly. ‘And, luckily for me, so does Lilli.’
‘Lilli...?’ The woman sounded startled now.
So much so that Lilli finally turned to look at her too. Geraldine Simms! She looked far from pleased to see the two of them sitting so close together, Patrick’s hand still resting slightly possessively on Lilli’s.
Lilli looked coldly at the other woman. ‘Geraldine,’ she greeted her hardly.
‘I didn’t realise you were here,’ Geraldine said faintly.
She could easily have guessed that! ‘Sally Walker telephoned me earlier and persuaded me to come with her.’ Lilli finished abruptly, ‘Wonderful party,’ her sarcasm barely veiled.
‘So wonderful Lilli and I were just about to leave.’ Patrick stood up, lightly pulling Lilli to her feet beside him, his arm moving about the slenderness of her waist now. ‘Weren’t we,’ he prompted.
As far as Lilli was aware—no, but it did seem like an excellent idea.
She turned her head slightly to give Geraldine a triumphant look. ‘Yes, we were just about to leave,’ she agreed brightly.
‘But—’
