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"Gardens & Home Television," Lili said, "I work for their London branch. Late-night shopping channel."
This wasn't coincidence. It couldn't be.
But looking at her flushed face and obvious embarrassment, I saw no calculation, no manipulation.
Just a woman who'd stumbled into the wrong room and found herself trapped in an impossible situation.
My mind reeled as reality reassembled itself.
Lili Anderton. L. Anderton from the company files. The woman whose bio photo had shown bright eyes and an infectious smile was standing in my bedroom, still rumpled from sleeping in my bed, still radiating the warmth that had nearly made me forget every principle I'd ever held.
"We should let you get some rest," Daphne said, slipping a protective arm through Lili's. "Edward, do try to get some sleep yourself. You look rather unsettled."
Unsettled was a masterpiece of British understatement. Every cell in my body was humming with awareness, with the memory of her scent, her warmth, the way she'd whispered my name like a prayer.
As they reached the door, Lili glanced back.
Our eyes met for one charged moment that felt like a promise and a threat combined. I saw confusion in her gaze, and something else—something that looked like regret for what we'd almost shared.
"Goodnight, Mr. Grosvenor," she said formally, but her voice carried undertones that made the polite words feel intimate.
"Goodnight, Miss Anderton."
The door closed behind them, leaving me alone with the scent of vanilla and the sound of my own ragged breathing.
I stared at my bed—my perfectly made bed that now bore the impression of her body, still warm from her presence.
The irony was exquisite in its cruelty. I'd spent the evening reviewing documents that would determine her professional fate, calculating the financial value of the company that employed her, preparing strategies that could destroy everything she'd worked for.
And now I stood in my bedroom, surrounded by evidence of the most profound disruption my ordered life had ever endured.
From the hallway, I could hear the soft murmur of voices as Daphne led her away—protective, sisterly tones mixed with self-deprecating American laughter.
The sound made something in my chest tighten.
I'd come here seeking sanctuary and found instead the most beautiful chaos of my carefully controlled existence.
A woman who worked for the company I was meant to acquire.
A woman who'd slept in my bed and awakened something in me I'd thought permanently buried.
A woman who'd looked at me with wonder instead of fear, who'd whispered my name like a secret.
As I stood in the ruins of my perfectly organized evening, one thought echoed in my mind with devastating clarity. This was only the beginning.
I wasn't certain whether that prospect thrilled or terrified me more.
CHAPTER 4
Lili
Ijolted awake, my heart hammering against my ribs like a caged bird.
For a split second, I was still in Edward's bed, his storm-gray eyes boring into mine, the space between our lips measured in heartbeats rather than inches.
Sweet Jesus.
I kicked off my covers and stumbled to the bathroom in my blue suite, splashing cold water on my face. The reflection staring back at me looked thoroughly debauched—hair a wild nest of curls, lips swollen from biting them in my sleep, cheeks flushed red as ripe tomatoes.