Free Lessons in Rule-Breaking by Christy McKellen Page B

herself to look at Xander. ‘Ever since then I’ve hated being looked at and judged. I prefer to blend into the background.’ She shrugged, hoping she hadn’t completely blown things with him. After his kindness that morning she felt as if she owed him an explanation about her reticence to be drawn. She didn’t want him to think she was just being a prima donna about it.
    When she finally plucked up the courage to meet his gaze her insides swooped at the expression of compassion on his face.
    ‘So why did you agree to come here and go through with this if it meant putting yourself through so much torment?’ he asked gently.
    * * *
    Xander held his breath, waiting to hear what would spill from those luscious lips of hers.
    Say it’s because you like me and want to spend more time getting to know me . The intensity of the need to hear those words shocked him.
    Where had that thought come from?
    She paused, staring back at him, a whole gamut of expressions running over her face.
    ‘Because I need this interview with you so I can impress my editor.’ She looked as though she was going to say more, but then clamped her mouth shut.
    He snorted in frustration, the tension of the moment broken by her utter refusal to tell him what he wanted to hear.
    His determination to win her over tripled.
    Getting up, he braced himself against the arms of her chair, gathering his strength to leave without pulling her towards him and planting a reassuring kiss on those soft-looking lips first.
    She was a total contradiction. On the one hand self-assured and feisty, but on the flip side withdrawn and uncertain.
    ‘I’m going to go and work in the studio for a while and you should try and catch up on your sleep, but we should go out for dinner tonight. There’s a great restaurant in Salò I want to try.’ His rebellious gaze dropped back to her full, inviting mouth and he had to force himself to look away before he lost his cool and succumbed to the urge to drop his mouth onto hers, just to see how she’d react.
    She gazed back at him, her eyes wide and utterly mesmerising.
    ‘Okay, I’d like that.’
    He tipped her a nod. ‘Great. Let’s go about eight o’clock.’
    ‘Eight’s great,’ she said, nodding once.
    ‘See you later.’ He pushed himself up straight and strode away from her, forcing himself to keep his eyes front and centre and his unsettling hunger well and truly in check.
    For now.
    He could tell he was going to have to play the long game to get in with Jess, but the thought of it buoyed him.
    He enjoyed a challenge.
    * * *
    After taking a long reviving nap, Jess spent the remainder of the day taking photos of the amazing villa and jotting down ideas for her article on Xander.
    The reprieve he’d given her earlier had been a welcome relief, but she knew if she was going to get him to open up she was going to have to give more of herself than she’d originally anticipated. He’d responded really kindly to her confession about her hatred of being the centre of attention and she’d felt as if laying herself bare like that had actually endeared her to him.
    She guessed that as an artist he needed to be able to see more than surface level, too.
    But it was a dangerous game she was playing. She couldn’t allow herself to get swept up in feeling as if there were more of a connection between them than there was. He was famous for his short, sharp affairs with his muses and she couldn’t allow herself to get carried away and imagine there was any kind of romance to the situation.
    Xander was a fantastic flirt but surely he didn’t mean anything by it? He was just trying to get her to relax so she’d give him what he wanted.
    He was clearly a very smart guy who played to his strengths.
    After staring at her meagre collection of clothes for a few minutes, she shunned the grey linen suit—too formal—and her jeans—too informal—for the only other semisuitable thing for dinner out that she’d brought with her: a