them together like this, but only for the briefest moment. And before very long fate would take them even further apart than ever.
She was going to America. Amir was stunned to find how much that fact affected him. It seemed to have the kick of a mule right in his stomach.
And why? Because this woman was heading in the opposite direction to him? Because she was going to California while he had to be in Kuimar?
‘What’s in California? A man?’
He tried to keep the question light, to reveal nothing of the knot that formed in his stomach and pulled tight at just the thought of her with someone else.
‘No, not a man—a job! The job. The sort of position I’ve been looking for for years. A dream job. Have you heard of the Halgrave Group of hotels.’
‘I know of them.’
Of course he knew of them, Lydia reflected. Anyone with the sort of money he obviously had would know of the worldwide chain of exclusive, sinfully expensive hotels that had its base in California and a branch in almost every capital of the world.
‘Well, they actually head-hunted me. I was working as Hospitality Manager in a Leicester hotel and they—they heard of me! They rang me up and asked me to come to a specially arranged interview. They offered me a position right there and then.’
‘In California?’
‘In California to start with. I have to do a six-week course to learn more about the company—the way they do things. After that I could be sent anywhere—anywhere at all. The world’s my oyster.’
And the offer of a job couldn’t have come at a better time. With her relationship with Jonathon floundering on the rocks, her dreams of becoming Mrs Lydia Carey totally shattered, she had been in desperate need of something to put in their place. When Halgrave had asked if she was prepared to travel, she had practically bitten their hand off in her eagerness.
And she wouldn’t be human if she hadn’t found herself wishing that Jon had known about her new venture. He had always accused her of being too conservative, too cautious.
‘You’re so careful about everything it’s downright boring, Lydia,’ he had scorned. ‘No one would believe you’re not even twenty-five yet, you’re such an old stick-in-the-mud!’
And clearly Jon hadn’t wanted to be married to a stick-in-the-mud, she reflected bitterly.
The return of the waitress with their drinks provided a much-needed diversion, a chance for her to recollect her thoughts and bring them back into the present, pushing away the discomfort of her memories of the past.
‘How do you like your coffee?’ Amir asked, taking control of even this small matter.
‘Lots of milk, no sugar.’
He took his exactly the opposite way, she noticed, totally black and sweet. But it was the swift, efficient movements of his hands that fascinated her, the stunning effect of dark, luxuriant eyelashes lying in sooty arcs above the slashing cheekbones as he looked down to focus on the simple task.
He couldn’t be more opposite to Jonathon either, she couldn’t help reflecting. The other man had such a very English complexion, combined with smooth blond hair and blue eyes. The sort of colouring that she would have said was much more her type. Which was why it was so surprising that Amir had had this shockingly powerful effect on her.
‘So there’s no one you’re leaving behind?’ Amir continued the conversation where they had left off at the waitress’ arrival. ‘No one you’ll miss?’
‘No. Not even my parents. My parents decided to take a redundancy package that Dad was offered and went out to live in Portugal—opening a bar there. So, as I’m an only child, there was nothing to keep me here. No one to stay for.’
‘And what if I were to ask you to stay?’
‘What?’
Hastily swallowing down the sip of coffee that now threatened to choke her, Lydia set her cup and saucer on the table with a distinct crash. Looking into his darkly handsome face, she searched for the look of irony, the hint of amusement that would tell her he had only been joking.
She found none. Instead, her disbelieving look was met with one of total composure. And every evidence of total sincerity.
‘W-what did you say?’
That black-eyed gaze didn’t falter but held her wide-eyed look with an intent force that dried her mouth and set her heart fluttering high up in her throat.
‘You know only too well what I said. And, what’s more, you know exactly why I said it.’
‘No—I…’
She looked like a startled fawn when she stared at him like that, Amir found himself thinking. Or like one of the newborn foals that were such a delight to him as they stared around, huge, stunned eyes trying to make sense of this new world into which they had arrived.
‘It’s quite simple,’ he told her softly, leaning forward so that the husky whisper would reach her ears—and her ears alone. ‘I have this fantasy that you do not get on that plane to California this afternoon. That you do not fly off to America and this wonderful new job…’
Her head went back sharply, blue eyes widening even more, her lips parting on a faint gasp of shock. He let his smile soothe her as he reached out slowly and gently. He caught her chin, resting one long finger and a thumb on either side, holding her still with only the lightest of pressure.
‘But instead, in my dream, you stay here with me, and we explore what we’ve discovered. See where this takes us.’
‘We…’
Lydia couldn’t force her tongue around another word. Her thoughts were a whirling mass of chaos, incapable of forming a single coherent thread. The only thing she knew or recognised was this man before her. This hard-boned, devastating face, the obsidian glitter of those deep eyes holding hers with hypnotic ease.
And because her gaze was fixed on him so intently she saw the tiny flicker of a change when it came. Saw it, and knew what it meant, but her mind was too numb to react or pull away. Besides, she knew that she didn’t want to react. That she wouldn’t have freed herself even if she could, for all that his hold on her chin was so gentle it could have been broken in a second.
So she stayed where she was. Stayed absolutely still and watched that dark head come closer. Watched the devastating mouth soften, and come down on her own lips with obvious intent.
And that was when she realised that the softness had been deceptive. That his kiss was not the light, enticing caress she had been anticipating. Instead it was firm and strong and forceful, a revelation of feeling and a statement of intent all in one. In the same moment that it seemed to cajole her soul out of her body, it also awoke every stinging sense with the burn of a promise that made her thoughts swim in a heady delirium of longing.
And all the time he hadn’t touched her except with his mouth. That long, strong body was still held well away from her, even the hand under her chin releasing her and falling back to his side, the other still resting on the strong, muscular thigh under the denim jeans.
He
