Sultry Nights. Annie West
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mother?’ Kate knew that Mrs Quinn had moved back to her native Madrid as soon as Sorcha had left home.
‘She’s down in the south, staying with her sister until the spring.’
‘Oh …’
‘The other problem is that I’m due to fly straight to New York from Dublin tomorrow. I’m taking part in talks with a senator, the mayor and one of the major banks. It’s something I couldn’t get out of even if I wanted to …’
Kate’s conscience pricked her. She had to say something, because she knew when she got back to New York she didn’t have any work lined up. She’d told her formidable agent, Maud Harriday, that she wanted to start scaling back her work commitments, and Maud with typical brusqueness had declared that all she needed was a holiday. So now, for the first time in a long time, Kate had a few clear weeks of … nothing.
‘Look, I don’t have any work lined up for the next …’ she stopped herself revealing too much ‘… the next while. I could stay here and watch Rosie if you want. I mean, if that’s OK with you?’
Kate couldn’t decipher the expression on Tiarnan’s face. She knew he was fiercely protective of his daughter. Perhaps he didn’t trust her? That thought lanced her.
‘I’d enjoy having an excuse to stay in Madrid—and a chance to see Rosie properly again …’
Tiarnan looked down at Kate, taking in her clear blue gaze. She was surprising him again. Offering to take on responsibility for Rosie like this. A few lovers after his divorce had hinted at wanting to get to know Rosie, to try and become more intimate. He instinctively wanted to say no to Kate’s suggestion, but found himself stopping. The immediate feeling that he could trust her with Rosie surprised him.
Kate saw him deliberate, and felt compelled to insist on helping him. She refused to investigate that impulse.
‘Tiarnan, you’re stuck. If you want to go to Dublin in two hours and New York tomorrow, who can you get to mind Rosie at such short notice? And you know if you say you can’t go then Romain will have to leave Sorcha on her own with the baby.’
She was right. Tiarnan knew if Kate wasn’t here, offering this solution, he would have to take Rosie with him on his trip—and that was never ideal. Especially when her routine was of paramount importance right now. And Kate wasn’t some random stranger. Tiarnan knew that she’d spent time with Rosie whenever Sorcha had looked after her for him before, and his discreet security team would make sure that Rosie and she were well protected. Rosie was an independent, mature girl for her age, so she really just needed to have company. Esmerelda would be on hand too. But …
He seemed to be considering something—and then he took Kate by surprise, moving closer. She froze.
He cocked his head slightly. ‘You wouldn’t be doing this just to avoid me, would you, Kate? Now that you know I’m going to New York? Or even because you’re hoping that this will foster some kind of longer-lasting position in my life?’
Kate clenched her fists, surprised by the strength of the hurt that rushed through her at this evidence of his cynicism, and felt anger at his arrogant assumption that her capitulation was a foregone conclusion. His mention of New York hadn’t even registered—or had it? The evidence that she might have been faced with his relentless determination again within days sent a flare of awareness through her. She damped it down, hating that he might see something.
‘No, Tiarnan. Believe it or not, I’m just trying to help.’
She saw a suspicious light flash in his eyes, as if he didn’t trust her assertion. He came even closer and lifted a hand, trailing a finger over the curve of her cheekbone and down to the place where her jaw met her neck. Since when had that small area become so sensitive that she wanted to turn her face into his hand and purr like a cat?
‘Good,’ he said softly. ‘Because I had been planning on asking you out for dinner in New York. We can discuss it when I get back.’
Suspicion slammed into Kate, clearing her lust-hazed mind as she remembered the frenetic call from Maud about this assignment, the apparent urgency. She reached up and took down Tiarnan’s hand. It felt warm and strong and vital, but she forced herself to let it go and glared up at him. ‘Did you have anything to do with my being sent here for this impromptu shoot?’
Tiarnan crossed his arms and looked down at Kate, completely at ease. Smug. He shrugged minutely. ‘Not … exactly …’
Kate crossed her arms too, as suspicion turned into cold certainty and not a little fear at how Tiarnan was determined to manipulate her. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
His eyes turned steely. ‘It means that I might have encouraged the CEO of the luxury brand Baudé, who is a personal friend of mine, to hire you. I was aware he was looking for a suitable model …’
Shock spread through Kate—his influence had meant that within a week of seeing him in San Francisco he had managed to get her all the way across the world to Madrid, practically gift-wrapped on his doorstep. The realisation stunned her. Evidence of his determination made her feel funny inside—confused.
‘How dare you use me like that? I’m not some pawn you can just move around—’
Tiarnan took her hand, and her words halted and died.
‘Kate. You know I want you. I will do whatever it takes to convince you of that and get you to admit that you want me too.’
‘But … but …’ Kate spluttered. The effect of him just holding her hand was sending her pulse into overdrive. ‘That’s positively Machiavellian.’
He came closer and lifted her hand to his mouth, pressed a kiss to the underside of her wrist. ‘No. It’s called desire—and it’s a desire I’ve denied for a long, long time …’
Ten years. It hung there between them like an accusation.
‘Tiarnan,’ Kate said weakly. ‘It was so long ago … it was just a kiss … we’re not the same …’
‘So why does it feel like it was only yesterday, and that it was more than just a kiss?’
And right then, with Tiarnan holding her hand and standing so close, it slammed back into Kate with all the intensity as if it had been yesterday. It was exactly the same for her. The only problem was it had never diminished for her, while he’d been busy getting married, having a baby. Forgetting her. Until now. Because he was bored, or intrigued to know what he’d refused? Kate tried to pull her hand away, but he was remorseless, wouldn’t let go. She glared up at him, feeling panic rise, feeling inarticulate.
Tiarnan’s voice was eminently reasonable. ‘I may have suggested you to someone for a campaign. That’s all I did. I wanted to meet you here, show you that I meant what I said in San Francisco … and then in New York I was hoping that you’d agree to go out with me. Give us a chance.’ He grimaced. ‘What happened with Paloma today was out of even my control.’
Kate flushed and looked down for a moment. The panic was still there, but she fought it down. ‘Of course it is. You couldn’t have known that would happen.’
She looked up then, and finally managed to pull her hand from his. She stepped back to give herself space. But she knew it was useless. Tiarnan Quinn was fast filling every space within her and around her—as only he could.
‘Look, I’m offering to stay and watch Rosie till you get back. Apart from that …’ She shook her head. ‘I—’
Tiarnan put a finger to Kate’s mouth. ‘Just … think about it, OK?’
Kate looked into his eyes for a long moment, and what she saw there alternately scared the life out of her and made her want to wrap her arms around his neck and have him kiss her—exactly as she’d been wanting him to since the christening in France. Eventually, feeling weak, she nodded. It was only a small movement, but it seemed that