door and looked at him. ‘I’ll pay you back for the clothes.’
Confirmation of the fact that she wasn’t spoilt. Another blow to Ben’s misconceptions.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said gruffly.
Lia slid into the passenger seat, her dress gaping slightly as she did so, affording him a glimpse of the curve of one perfectly rounded breast encased in delicate lace.
Gritting his jaw, Ben closed the door and strode around the other side of the car, praying for the strength to restrain himself. He’d never needed it more than right now.
* * *
Ben’s friends were an exuberant couple who swept Lia into their embraces and their stunning baroque mansion, high on a hill overlooking the entire city, within seconds. Much to her amusement, Ben had predicted their reaction accurately: he was all but ignored as they grilled her.
‘But where have you been all our lives?’
‘This is a scandal! You can’t live in cold, grey England—move here! We need more beautiful women!’
In truth, they were a little overwhelming, both at once, and soon Ben took advantage of more guests arriving, skilfully manoeuvring them to where long tables covered in pristine white linen groaned under the weight of more food than Lia had ever seen in her life.
Every delicacy was available. and she found herself gravitating towards the local fare, much to the chef’s obvious pleasure, as he explained exactly what everything was.
Ben took their plates and Lia picked up their drinks. He guided her over to one of the many small round tables laid out for guests to eat at with ease. It was idyllic, with hundreds of candles flickering and the sparkling lights of the city below them. A jazz band played on a dais in the corner.
After they’d eaten a little, Ben sat back. ‘You can admit it—you won’t self-combust, I promise.’
She looked at him and knew instantly what he meant. A small, slightly smug smile was playing around that far too gorgeous mouth and something inside her just...melted. Also, far more disturbingly, that giddy reckless feeling was back. In the white shirt, open at the neck, he was astonishingly handsome. And the fact that he hadn’t pushed her was working in his favour. Damn him.
She picked up a small morsel of cheese from her plate and threw it at him, saying grudgingly, ‘Fine. Yes, I’ll admit it. I’m glad I came to the party and I’m enjoying myself.’
He flicked the cheese off his shoulder and leaned towards her. ‘It’s polite to say thank you, you know.’
She could read very well in his expression how he might suggest being thanked, and for a second Lia desperately wished she had the confidence to pull him closer, so she could explore that mouth... She snapped her gaze back up to his, feeling hot. The thought made a spike of pleasure arrow between her legs, and she said, far too breathily, ‘Don’t push it, Ben.’
He just looked at her for a long moment. ‘I won’t...for now.’
And right then Lia’s belly swooped, because in all honesty she wasn’t sure if she could hold him back for much longer. Or if she wanted to.
* * *
‘He’s quite a specimen, isn’t he?’
Lia jumped, and blushed when she realised that she’d been spotted ogling Ben—who was standing head and shoulders above everyone else in the crowd—by one of their hosts, Ricardo. The impressive sight of Ben had stalled her momentarily.
The handsome grey-haired Italian who she’d discovered owned several of Brazil’s most luxurious hotels was looking at her now, assessingly.
‘I...yes, I guess he’s handsome,’ Lia said weakly.
The other man snorted inelegantly. ‘Cara, he’s certifiably one of the sexiest men on the planet, and right now I am jealous of you.’
Lia hid her discomfiture and smiled. ‘Better not let Luis hear you say that.’
Ricardo waved a dismissive hand. ‘Lusting after someone isn’t a crime.’
Lia was curious now. ‘How do you two know Ben?’
‘Oh, we’ve known Ben since he started out, more or less. When he first set up his company we were among his first clients. We’ve always been interested in fresh new talent, and we’d seen some of his work in Manhattan. It’s really amazing what he’s achieved, considering the fact that he was once heir to one of America’s biggest fortunes.’
Lia frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
He looked at her, incredulous. ‘You don’t know?’
‘Know what?’
Ricardo looked at her as if she’d grown two heads. ‘Ben was born into American royalty—more or less. His father was Jonathan Carter, the man who practically owned Wall Street until it was revealed that he’d been defrauding clients and the market for years. Ben went from living in a mansion on the Upper East Side to a one-bedroomed shack in Queens overnight.’
Shock and disbelief reverberated through Lia as she looked across the crowd again at that broad back. Of course she knew who Jonathan Carter was—his name was synonymous with the global financial crisis, and much of the blame had been apportioned to him.
Just then Ben turned around, and his blue gaze lasered straight onto her. She felt the pull all the way across the room.
From beside her, Ricardo said mournfully, ‘What I wouldn’t give for him to look at me like that.’
Lia forced a smile and made her way back across the room, feeling seriously confused after Ricardo’s revelation. She thought back to when it had happened and figured that Ben must have been only in his early teens—if that.
When she got closer, she saw that a very glamorous woman beside Ben had a hand on his arm. She embodied dark-eyed sultry Brazilian sexiness, with generous curves that defied gravity. Immediately Lia felt a surge of something almost violent, and when Ben pulled her close to him with his free arm she found herself revelling in the proprietorial gesture.
The other woman’s eyes flashed with displeasure, but she blasted Lia with a fake smile and walked away. Suddenly aware that she was acting very much out of character, Lia tried to pull away—but Ben wouldn’t let her, turning so that she was pressed to his front.
‘What are you doing?’ She looked up at him. What Ricardo had told her was making her feel off-centre. He really had built himself up from nothing. After having had everything.
‘I’m thinking that it’s time to go home.’
Lia looked around, momentarily disorientated, and realised that the crowd had thinned out substantially. It was a lot later than she’d realised. She looked back to Ben, feeling hot when she noticed the growth of stubble on his jaw. He was so masculine. And there was so much more to him than she’d ever given him credit for. He wasn’t the only one who was guilty of prejudice.
‘Okay.’ Her voice was husky. ‘Let’s go.’
He
