Read Online Exposed: Misbehaving with the Magnate by Kelly Hunter - Free Book Online

dynasty that was the envy of his peers, brokered multimillion-euro deals with monotonous regularity, and had a reputation for being relaxed and in control no matter what the situation.
    He’d never worked harder at being relaxed and in control than he’d worked tonight. He’d succeeded though. Gabrielle had eventually settled down and he’d almost managed to forget the kiss they’d shared earlier, aided somewhat by Simone’s expertise as a hostess and the delivery of his favourite food. All he had to do now was see Gabrielle to her car without forfeiting thetentative trust he’d built with her over the past few hours and the evening would be, by anyone’s standards, a resounding success. Civilised even, though he was loath to bandy the word about too soon.
    Simone had disappeared, to put the garbage out, even though Luc had offered to do it.
    ‘This is the part where you show Gabrielle that you can be trusted alone with her at the end of an evening,’ Simone had told him in a deceptively gentle voice. ‘I have faith in you,’ she’d added, only this time her voice had held an underlying hint of steel that he’d recognised of old. He wasn’t the only Duvalier around here who liked things neat and tidy and right.
    And then Gabrielle walked back into the kitchen white-faced, and eyes bright with what looked a lot like unshed tears. She tried on a smile but it was a dismal effort and one she soon abandoned. ‘Time to go,’ she murmured and collected her belongings from the table with trembling hands. ‘Where’s Simone?’
    ‘Outside. She’ll be back soon.’
    Gabrielle moved jerkily towards the kitchen door. ‘I’ll catch her on my way out. Thank you, Lucien, for the pleasant evening.’ She hesitated, before reluctantly holding out her hand as if expecting him to shake it. He didn’t touch her, he didn’t dare.
    ‘What’s wrong?’ he said curtly.
    ‘Nothing.’ She withdrew her hand, clutching at her handbag as if it held crown jewels.
    ‘I won’t touch you, if that’s what’s bothering you,’ he said. ‘I can be civil around you, Gabrielle. I have been.’
    ‘I know.’ She looked stricken. Correction, even morestricken, if that was possible. ‘I’ve enjoyed your company, Lucien. I really have. As for our kiss, well…I enjoyed that too,’ she said baldly. ‘Possibly a little too much. I’m all for ignoring it and hoping the impulse to kiss you some more will go away.’
    ‘It’s been seven years, Gabrielle,’ he said grimly. ‘And it hasn’t gone away.’
    ‘Or we could stay away from one another. Cut and run,’ she said with another smile that didn’t reach her eyes. ‘I’m all in favour of that particular approach. It’s tried and true. Proven.’
    ‘We could explore it,’ he said. Another option, and one he wanted on the table. ‘You and me. And this. You’re not sixteen any more, Gabrielle. And I’m not honour-bound to stay away from you. There’s nothing stopping us from exploring the attraction between us.’
    ‘No.’ Her eyes darkened. Pain flashed through them again. What the hell was wrong with her? ‘No, I suppose not.’
    ‘So I’ll call you,’ he said. ‘About setting up that wine tasting.’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Or you call me. Tomorrow some time. About meeting for dinner again soon.’
    ‘Yes.’
    Unease settled over him. She was telling him what he wanted to hear. Telling him whatever he wanted to hear in order to get away from him, unless he missed his guess. While her eyes telegraphed panic and no small measure of pain. ‘Gabrielle, what’s wrong? What happened between here and the powder room?’
    ‘Nothing. Really, Luc. It’s nothing. You’ve been agentleman all evening.’ She found a brilliant smile from somewhere and pasted it on her lips. ‘A rakish and charming gentleman and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed you. I’m just not ready to risk a goodnight kiss with you without a garden hose handy, that’s all.’
    He let her walk to the door on