It was all she could do to not roll her eyes. The poor guy didn’t realize that the movie star was nothing but an equal opportunity flirt. Unless…it didn’t matter. She wasn’t interested in Christian’s past, present or future preferences.
Catching sight of the line of blood dried on his hand, she blanched. It didn’t matter what he was, because she would be going to jail for assault. “Oh God, I didn’t mean to, but you grabbed me and I…” She knew her face was flame red. Tears pricked at her eyes and her throat threatened to close. She turned away, searching for a comforting face, or at least one that wasn’t ready to do her bodily harm.
One of the representatives from Peak Pictures peered at her over his glasses, a thin smile on his face.
“Ms. Ambrose, I think we’ve gotten all the input we needed tonight. My assistant will send Martha the details of our decision in the next couple of days.”
Zoe nodded, then looked down in her lap, pleating the cloth napkin. “Sounds great.” She needed to get a grip on herself. She was twenty-eight years old not some teenager, with her first crush who’d just made a complete fool of herself. Intellectually, she knew this.
But the minute Christian had touched the inside of her thigh, she’d gone soft and melted into a big puddle of Zoe goo. Her entire body had shivered and he’d firmed his grip. Then she’d happened to sneak a peek at him. His face was perfectly calm, betraying nothing as he’d amused everyone at the dinner table with an anecdote that she’d never remember. He had been perfectly unaffected by her response, like he did this type of thing all the time. So, she’d grabbed her spoon to smack him with it.
As luck would have it, the spoon turned out to be her steak knife.
“A ‘no’ would have sufficed,” Christian said, then turned to the medic. “Thanks for responding so quickly.”
The medic nodded, cleaned up and left.
“I thought it was my spoon. I meant to smack you, not draw blood,” she said, ducking her head again. Would it be weird if she banged it against the table? She’d bet ten to one no one would come running to her aid.
Christian flexed his hand, turning to his dinner date after getting his temper under control. Zoe looked miserable and embarrassed. His anger abated slightly, but he’d been sitting beside this woman for over two damn hours, keeping his hands to himself while his body jumped at every little move she made.
If she turned, so did he. If she smiled, so did he. If she licked her lips, so did he. He was like a damned teenager around her. Like an eager puppy hoping that by being all gentlemanly she would notice and pet him behind his ears. Instead Zoe had stabbed him after his legendary self-control had decided to delete itself from his amorous menu.
Under his palm, he’d felt her shiver. He’d heard the soft intake of air and the soft blush that appeared on her cheeks, spreading down her neck and along her chest. In that instant desire had ridden him hard. Thank God he’d been on autopilot, telling a story he’d previously related in interview after interview, or else he would have looked an utter fool.
He shouldn’t have touched her, not without her permission. But it wouldn’t deter him from trying to gain it, no matter the uphill battle he knew he would have to endure.
“I’m sorry for yelling at you. And I promise to never criticize your novels again, or at least when I know there’ll be cutlery nearby,” he offered, hoping she would turn those pretty green eyes back on him. A scant second later, she gazed into his and a flash of something hit him. As quickly as it was there, it was gone. Dammit. He grabbed his napkin and tossed it on the table.
Her lips twitched. “My two-year-old niece doesn’t even scream like that.”
“I yelled— grunted, actually,” Christian insisted as her body shook with barely contained laughter.
“Whatever makes you feel all manly inside.” She gave him a toothy smile and his blood turned to lava.
“I’d like to have my manly parts inside of you.” That did not just come out of his mouth.
Green eyes narrowed. “I bet you say that to every woman you meet.”
“Just the ones I want to sleep with.” He couldn’t stop himself and wouldn’t. He was balls to the wall when it came to her.
She swirled her glass of water around once, then set it down on the table. “According to gossip sites you do a whole lot more than sleep, with a whole lot of women.”
“Do you believe everything you read?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m insulted you think I’m like all the others. That you think adolescent pick-up lines are what women want to hear from a man.”
Maybe she’d be more receptive if they went someplace private. “Come up to my penthouse and I’ll flatter you instead.” Martha’s warning rose in his mind, but he ignored it. He was a consenting adult, trying to hook up with another consenting adult. Hardly the stuff an agent should concern themself with in the grand scheme of things.
“Your form of flattery is highly suspect, Ian.” Unwrapping a mint she’d dug out from her purse, she popped it in her mouth, put the wrapper on the table and glanced around the room.
“I highly suspect you’ll like being flattered by me. And I asked you to call me Christian.”
“While I never asked you to call me at all,” she said, her peppermint breath tickling his nose as he leaned closer and tried to catch her eye.
“Let me show you around Vegas.”
“I’m sure you’ve got other plans.”
Actually he did, but he’d rather be with her. Hell, he’d been ordered to be with her and the photographs they’d gotten before the stabbing had been great. “They include you.” He let go of her hand and held up his. “Come on. I’m harmless.”
Zoe laughed, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “If I go out with you, then everyone will think we’re sleeping together.”
“Is that such a horrible thought?” He reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing the palm. “Such delicate hands. Most men would never suspect a knife expert lurks beneath the surface.”
“I, um, I’m too old for you.” She snatched it away and reached down, bringing her purse to her lap and looking extremely uncomfortable.
What was he going to have to say or do to get her to agree? It was true that he heard yes more often than no from women. He was also entirely cognizant of the fact that it had a lot to do with his fame, his money and his reputation, his good looks merely a bonus. Women (and some men) were attracted to him. They made no secret of it.