It had been worth staying at Faraday’s house last night to now have the opportunity that had opened up to him. The only possible impediment to him getting to know Maya more intimately, he mused, was if there was a man in her life already. The idea caused a totally disproportionate stab of jealousy to slice through his middle.
Glancing sidelong at her now, he let his gaze skim the arresting, fulsome curve of her breast nestling beneath crisp white cotton, and the long, slender length of her denim-clad thigh. The hot, sweet need that immediately surged through Blaise’s bloodstream made him clench his jaw to contain it, and it was only out of pure necessity and commonsense that he returned his full attention back to the road…
She felt warm and safe, and the sound of the rain pattering on the roof somehow gave her a wonderful sense of inviolability and protection. The experience was so delicious that Maya just wanted to stay there, eyes shut tight against the world, for a little while longer, reluctant to surface from sleep and even face the day at all…
But suddenly a strongly disturbing instinct made her peer out from beneath her drowsy lids—only to find that she wasn’t in her bed at home, but in a car, being driven on the motorway at quite a lick in the outside lane. Beside her was a man with the chiselled profile of a model. Her heart pounded in shock.
‘How long have I been asleep?’ Her voice was husky and she sounded like someone else. Sitting up straight, she adjusted her previously cramped position with a relieved groan.
‘Practically since we started out.’ A fleeting grin appeared on her companion’s carved, compelling features.
Maya stared. ‘Was the station closed or something?’
‘No. It wasn’t closed. I just decided to take you to London myself. It’s no big deal. I came to the conclusion that I should head home to Primrose Hill anyway, so it’s not too far out of my way.’
‘You have a place in London too? I thought Jonathan told me you lived in Northumberland?’
‘I do. But when I’m working at the theatre it makes sense to stay in town. A play of mine has just completed a six-month run and will soon be on its way to Broadway, so I’ll be going back to Northumberland in the meantime to rest and continue working on my latest project. Whereabouts in Camden are you situated?’
Maya told him, with not a little sense of unreality in her voice. Her softly shaped dark brows drew together in genuine puzzlement.
‘I can’t believe I fell asleep like that. It must have been all that upset last night. I don’t think I slept a wink afterwards, to tell you the truth. But to fall asleep with someone I hardly even know driving me…that’s a first!’
Briefly Blaise turned his head to survey her. ‘I hope we can very soon rectify the fact that you hardly know me, Maya. It should be fairly obvious to you by now that I’d very much like to see you again?’
She fell silent for a moment. ‘You mean like on a date?’
Digesting this bombshell, twin feelings of surprise and apprehension flooded her.
‘Is that so shocking?’ Directing the MG into a long line of traffic heading towards Greenwich, Blaise smiled.
‘Not shocking, exactly…but I am surprised, yes.’
‘And are you pleased or not pleased about it? Maybe you’re seeing someone already?’ he fished.
It had been two years since Maya had been in a relationship. A relationship in which her trust in someone had been utterly violated. The memory was still liable to churn her guts from time to time whenever she thought about it.
‘I’m not seeing anyone else. But then I’m not really interested in dating at the moment. Particularly as I’ve probably just talked myself out of a job! There’s no guarantee that my agency will have another position for me straight away, and I might have to look round other places as well.’
‘Do you enjoy working for Faraday?’ Blaise’s voice was definitely disgruntled.
‘Not for him personally…but I have enjoyed working with my fellow colleagues and the job itself.’
‘Well, then, let’s not jump the gun here, shall we?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘There hasn’t been any mention of you being let go yet, has there?’
‘No, but—’
‘Then why don’t you cross that bridge when you come to it? Right now it’s all hypothetical. If you really want to keep your job then I’ll have a word with Faraday myself and tell him it was me that made you leave early. There shouldn’t be a problem. Although why you would want to work anywhere near the man is beyond me!’
‘It’s kind of you, but you don’t need to talk to him on my behalf. Besides…’ Maya shrugged awkwardly. ‘I left him a note telling him that I couldn’t work for him any longer after what happened, and if I take back what I said to try and ameliorate the situation then no doubt he’ll endeavour to make my life as miserable as possible as a punishment. No…it’s probably for the best that I leave. I wasn’t exactly ecstatic at being asked to work for a PR agency anyway.’
‘Why was that?’
‘I’m just not mad about celebrity culture, I suppose.’
‘Can’t say I blame you.’ Blaise grimaced a little. ‘But if you’re going to be free for a while then you’ll have time to make a date with me to go out to dinner…right?’
CHAPTER THREE
MAYA had directed Blaise to pull up in front of a slim four-storeyed house in a narrow side-street not far from Camden Lock. The area was a Mecca for locals and tourists, flocking to the outdoor and indoor markets selling an eclectic mix of crafts, jewellery, music, clothing and artefacts from all round the world. The soft late summer rain had long since ceased, and the sun had made a welcome reappearance. With the sports car’s top rolled down again it was easy to detect the exotic aromas of food, incense and the other myriad scents that permeated the air.
The surrounding pavements and roads were heaving with cars and people, and it had taken quite some time to negotiate the busy, packed streets to reach Maya’s address. But now they were there, and Blaise realised his stomach was clenched tight as a drum as he lifted her bags from the boot of the car, waiting expectantly—not to mention a little impatiently—for her to finally address the question of a dinner date. He could already tell by the vibes he was getting that she had no intention of inviting him in for a coffee or anything like that and, resigning himself to the fact, he had to irritably bite back his frustration.
‘Well…thanks so much for driving me all the way home. It was above and beyond the call of duty and very sweet of you.’
Sweet? Blaise almost choked on the ironic laughter that bubbled up inside him. Should he regard such a comment as a compliment, or as a sign that he’d definitely lost his touch? Smiling ruefully at the lovely brunette in front of him, he couldn’t help noticing the anxiety reflected in her mesmerising green gaze, and he was intensely curious as to the cause of it. Had some other jerk like Faraday messed around with her? Hurt her, perhaps? The knot in his stomach
