Free The Kiss by Emma Shortt Page B

knows I’m a man accustomed to waiting.”
    “Immediate?” God I sound like a freaking parrot. “Waiting?”
    “Yes immediate, and yes I’ll wait.”
    “I—” Eva was speechless, which was ridiculous, she was no
blushing virgin. But this felt like too much, too soon. Totally surreal. He was
amazingly good looking and though Eva had never dated anyone rough she had an
uneasy feeling that she was punching above her weight. Out of your league
much?
    “Why don’t you go and relax for a while, maybe join me for
dinner?” He eyed her appreciatively; his gaze saying it was not dinner on his
mind.
    Eva shook her head. “But I’m supposed to be working. Don’t you
need me to unpack for you or anything?”
    “No, like I said all I require is your company, that is, if you
want to give it to me. Otherwise you’re free to say no.”
    “But I’m here to work, the other guests—”
    “Are all taken care of.”
    “I don’t understand.” Because she didn’t. Wasn’t she meant to
waitress and serve drinks and clean things? Hadn’t that been the whole point in
coming here? And now he was telling her that she had nothing to do but spend
time with him. What the hell was going on?
    “You’re my personal maid, though I hate that title. Grace,
however insists upon it, and she is always a stickler for doing the right
thing, I’m sure you’ve realized that by now.” He flashed a conspiratorial sort
of smile. “I neither need nor want a maid. I don’t mind a bit of mess, I like things
to look like they’re active if that makes any sort of sense. I don’t like
stillness,” he shrugged. “So all I expect from you is your company, Eva. I’d
like to get to know you better. I like meeting new people, hearing about their
lives, spending time with them.”
    Oh and the penny fucking drops. Eva shivered; hoping her
train of thought was way off. “Just my company? Because I’m here to work,
honest work and if you’re expecting anything else—”
    “Didn’t I just say all I expect is some company,” he interrupted.
“Some conversation maybe? I’d like to know more about you. Yes, I’m attracted
to you. It was instant, the way it should be, but that doesn’t mean I expect
you to do anything you don’t want to.”
    “I don’t understand why you want my company so much. I mean,
didn’t you come with a bunch of friends?”
    He smiled. “This is a sort of… holiday for me I guess you could
call it. A break and I’d like to spend it doing things I enjoy. Spending time
with the other… guests isn’t my idea of a good time.”
    “But you all came together.”
    “Yes but we’re the sort of friends who have known one another for
so long it’s almost like family. And no one gets on with all their family now
do they? Or wants to spend all their free time with them for that matter?”
    “So you want to dally with the maid?” she asked, her heart racing
like a wild thing.
    He laughed out loud, clearly delighted with her words. “I
wouldn’t put it quite like that. Let’s talk, have some fun. What do you say?”
    “But why?” Eva asked again, still not getting it. “And what will
Grace say?”
    “Because I want to, of course,” he chided gently, “and Grace will
do as she is told.”
    Eva’s head was spinning, desire, confusion and shock all warring
for prominence. He’s so hot, bloody hell. “I don’t even know your name!”
    He smiled slowly and Eva shivered. “My name isn’t important,” he
replied, “these things rarely are. Let us just say that you Eva, you can call
me Adonis.”
     
     

Chapter
Fourteen
     
     
    “How hot are they, Eva, what did I tell you, huh? I knew
something special was going on and look at them all, obviously I was not wrong.
I mean, they don’t work for the government that’s clear and I don’t recognize
any of them from my magazines or the TV or anything, but they must be
important.”
    Eva peered though the door alongside Lily and looked into the
dining room.