how wonderful it would be to turn up on the arm of the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Pure fantasy. Especially when she was the only one of the younger generation not to be in a happy couple and have a high-powered career.
And then, for once, she had a flash of her father’s conservatism—of realism. ‘I can’t ask you. I barely know you.’
He leaned forward another inch. ‘But you have all night to get to know me.’
CHAPTER TWO
ALL night? Now it was Bella’s lips twitching.
His smile was wicked. ‘Come on. Ask me anything.’
Holding his gaze was something she wasn’t capable of any more. She ducked it, sat back and concentrated on the conversation.
‘All right. Are you married?’ She’d better establish the basics.
‘Never have, never will.’
Uh-huh. ‘Live-in lover?’
‘Heaven forbid.’
She paused. He was letting her know exactly where he stood on the commitment front. Devilry danced in his eyes. She knew he meant every word, but she also knew he was challenging her to pull him up on it.
‘Gay?’ she asked blithely.
He looked smugly amused. ‘Will you take my word for it or do you want proof?’
Now there was a challenge. And not one she was up for just yet.
‘Diseases?’ Tart this time.
His amusement deepened. ‘I think there’s diabetes on my father’s side, but that doesn’t seem to manifest until old age.’
She refused to smile, was determined to find some flaw. To get the better of him somehow. ‘What do you do for a living?’
‘I work with computers.’
Gee, she nearly snorted, that could mean anything. ‘Computers? As in programming?’
His head angled and for the first time his gaze slid from hers. ‘Sort of.’
‘Ah-h-h.’ She nodded, as if it all made perfect sense. Then she wrinkled her nose.
‘Ah, what?’ He sat up straighter. ‘Why the disapproval?’
She hit him then, with everything she could think of. ‘Did you know the people most likely to download porn are single, male computer nerds aged between twenty-five and thirty-five? You’ve probably got some warped perception of the female body now, right? And I bet you’re into games—with those female characters with boobs bigger than bazookas and skinny hips and who can knockout five hit men in three seconds.’ She stopped for breath, dared him to meet her challenge.
‘Ah.’ His smile widened while his eyes promised retribution. ‘Well, actually, no, that’s not me.’
‘You think?’ she asked innocently.
‘I’m single, I’m male, I’m into computers and I’m aged between twenty-five and thirty-five. But I don’t need porn because…’ he leaned closer and whispered ‘…I’m not a nerd.’
She leaned a little closer, whispered right back. ‘That’s what you think.’ Admittedly he didn’t look much like one, but she could bluff.
But then he called her on it. Laughing aloud, he asked, ‘Should I be wearing glasses and have long, lank, greasy hair?’
His hair was short and wind-spiked and his eyes were bright, perceptive and unadorned—and suddenly they flashed with glee.
‘Do nerds have muscles like these?’ He slapped his bicep with his hand. ‘Go on, feel them.’
She could hardly refuse when she’d been the one to throw the insult. Tentatively she reached out a hand and poked gingerly at his upper arm with her finger. It was rock hard. Intrigued, she took a second shot. Spread her fingers wide, pressing down on the grey sleeve. Underneath was big, solid muscle. Really big. And she could feel the definition, was totally tempted to feel further…
But she pulled back, because there was a sudden fire streaming through her. She must be blushing something awful. She took a much-needed sip of her watered-down wine.
His told-you-so gaze teased her.
She sniffed. ‘You’re probably wearing a body suit under that shirt.’ Completely clutching at straws.
‘OK,’ he said calmly, ‘feel them now.’ He took her hand, lifted the hem of his shirt and before she knew it her palm was pressed to his bare abs.
OK? Hell, yes, OK!
She froze. Her mind froze. Her whole body froze. But her hand didn’t. The skin on his stomach was warm and beneath her fingers she could feel the light scratchiness of hair and then the rock-hard indents of muscles. This was no weedy-boy-who-spent-hours-in-front-of-a-computer physique. And this wasn’t just big, strong male. This was fit. Superfit.
Her fingers badly wanted to stretch out some more and explore. If she moved her thumb a fraction she’d be able to stroke below his navel. She whipped her hand out while she still had it under control.
His smile was wicked as the heat in her cheeks became unbearable. ‘And what about this tan, hmm?’ He pushed up a sleeve and displayed a bronzed forearm as if it were some treasured museum exhibit. She stared at the length of it, lightly hair-dusted, muscle flexing, she could see the clear outline of a thick vein running down to the back of a very broad palm. Very real, very much alive—and strong. She was taken with his hand for some time.
Finally she got back the ability to speak. ‘Is the tan all-over-body?’
‘If you’re lucky you might get to find out.’
The guy had some nerve. But he was laughing as he said it.
‘So why are you single, then?’ she said, trying to adopt an acidic tone. ‘I mean, if you’re such a catch, why haven’t you been caught already?’
‘You misunderstand the game, sweetheart,’ he answered softly. ‘I’m not the prey. I’m the predator.’
And if she could bring herself to admit it, she wanted him to pounce on her right now. But she was still working on defence and denial. ‘Well, you’re not that good, then, are you? Where’s your catch tonight?’
The only answer was a quick lift of his brows and a wink.
She pressed her lips together, but couldn’t quite stop them quirking upwards. ‘You hunt often?’
He laughed outright at that, shaking his head. She wasn’t sure if it was a negative to her question or simple disbelief at the conversation in general. ‘I’m like a big-game animal—one hunt will last me some time.’ His eyes caught hers again. ‘And I only hunt when I see something really, really juicy.’
Juicy, huh? Her juices were running now and that voice
