Page 13 of Filthy Rich Temptation

‘Is Sadie there?’ she rushes to ask. ‘Can you put her on?’

I glance at Sadie and she’s shaking her head.

‘I’ll get her to call you back.’

I’m already hanging up the phone.

Taylor’s concern can wait.

The look in Sadie’s eye can’t.

* * *

Sadie

I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.

But after the kitchen fiasco yesterday – and barely a glimpse of him since – having Theo suddenly stroll into the bedroom, the one place I’ve been obsessively trying to keep ‘us’ contained in after hisinvasionremark, felt like a bad joke at my expense.

It took several breaths to come to my senses, another to find my voice.

And now he’s standing there, looking just as stunned as I was.

‘I’ll get it cleaned up,’ I hurry to assure him as I race towards Lottie, head down, cheeks hot. If I had any doubts about Theo’s feelings on us staying, I don’t now. ‘I just needed to get her some fresh clothes.’

‘Hey, hold up!’ He catches my arm as I rush past – his touch barely there, but it crackles through me like a live wire, arresting me mid-stride, arresting my gaze too. ‘I didn’t mean that.’

Our gazes lock, and I wish to God I could look away, but my damned body won’t obey.

‘Which bit exactly?’

And now it seems I can’t control my tongue either… In the background, Lottie is humming along to Princess Pee Pee, thankfully oblivious to our little exchange. Though I keep my voice down just in case.

Her father resented her enough, I don’t want her thinking Theo does too.

‘The bit where you accused us of invading, or the bit where you asked my sister why Axel couldn’t be stuck with us instead?’

‘I didn’t say?—’

‘You didn’t have to.’

‘But I didn’t mean?—’

‘I’ve known you most of my life, Theo, you always say what you mean.’ Kiss-gate being a prime example. ‘It’s the one thing you’re exceptional at…’

And who am I kidding? Theonething? This man is exceptional at many, many things – looking good being right up there with the rest.

‘It’s not how you think it is.’

‘Then why don’t you tell me exactly how it is?’

His eyes dip over my face, my chest… I can feel the band of exposed skin between my cropped tank and my shorts prickling under the weight of his stare, my nipples following suit, and then his eyes launch back to mine.

‘Better still, let’s go out.’

A laugh bubbles up within me. Surely, I didn’t hear him right. ‘Out?’

We’ve been living with the guy for a week, and this is the first time he’s mentioned going anywhere together… Hell, he doesn’t even eat meals with us!