Web of Deception Read Free

completely.
    Suddenly, she felt something behind her.
    Someone.
    She turned to face him. Daniel didn’t budge. His shoulders broad, his chest strong, he was like an anchor. Even through his suit she could feel how hard his body was. This was a powerful man. In more ways than one.
    Her eyes were fixed on his face as she stood close to him and for the first time truly looked at him. At first glance, anyone could tell he was good looking with his short black hair, dark eyes and olive skin but that was only the beginning. There was a roguishness in the depths of his eyes, in the hint of a smile playing on his lips.
    Charming. He was that. Way too smooth. The sort of man you had to watch out for.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean to…”
    He brushed some droplets off his jacket. “It’s okay. It’s only brandy.”
    Looking down, she saw he must have got himself a drink while she wasn’t looking, and she’d spilt it when she bumped into him. Also when she wasn’t looking.
    They were standing in front of his desk so she reached across for some tissues and took the glass from his hand, wiping it dry before placing it on the desk. Then she grabbed some more tissues and dabbed at his hand. It was the least she could do.
    Kate felt his gaze upon her, felt him watching her every movement. His hands were large, his fingers long and elegant, and she wondered how she would feel if those masculine ha nds were on her waist, her hips, her body.
    She handed back the brandy glass, their fingers overlapping. The warmth of his touch made her feel suddenly anxious. She pulled her hands away.
    “There’s not much left,” she said.
    “That’s okay. I wasn’t very thirsty.”
    Daniel knocked back the remaining brandy and turned to slide the glass onto the desk, his jacket brushing against the bare skin of her arm as he did so. A sensual shiver shot up her spine.
    This shouldn’t be happening. A man she’d only just met shouldn’t make her feel this way.
    She felt like a nervous teenager. How had that happened? She was thirty years old, after all. She should get a grip on herself.
    “It’s an amazing piece,” she said, looking up at the Klee.
    “You didn’t come here for the painting.”
    Her gaze remained riveted to the artwork. “Believe me, I wouldn’t turn down the chance at a private viewing like this.”
    “There’s more to it than that.”
    She knew where this was headed and turned to face him. “And how do you know why I’m here? Can you read my mind?”
    “You’re here for the same reason I am.”
    “W hat’s that?”
    “There’s something between us. I can feel it.”
    Kate shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. We’ve only just met.”
    “It makes no difference at all.”
    “It makes all the difference in the world. I can’t have those sorts of feelings for someone I just met, someone I don’t know.”
    He nudged a little closer to her and lowered his voice so she had to give him her full attention to hear him.
    “I’m talking about your feelings,” he said. “They don’t always make sense. Feelings aren’t logical.”
    She crossed her arms. “I hope you’re not going to try to tell me about love at first sight.”
    Daniel’s lips curled to a sly smile. “It’s not ‘love’ I’m talking about.”
    “Good, then we agree on something, at least.”
    “Some people might call it lust but I think physical attraction is so much more complex than that. It’s not easy to describe these feelings, this chemistry.”
    Kate opened her mouth to speak but the words wouldn’t come out. She felt something yet this wasn’t the way it was meant to be.
    You couldn’t build a successful relationship based on values as shallow as chemistry. Pheromones and hormones and attraction, these were all things people used as an excuse to jump into bed with someone. That wasn’t the way Kate lived her life. She knew what she wanted and wasn’t interested in a quick romp around.
    “You can say it