Aria couldn’t understand his persistence. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She tilted her head toward the exit. “I’d better get to work. I have a living to earn.” She turned her computer on, ignoring the painful thumping in her chest, which told her he hadn’t moved.

“You won’t forget about Therese?”

“Teri,” she reminded him. “I’ll call her later. Have a good day, Eli.”

He handed her a card with a number on it and made for the exit. She breathed a sigh of relief before picking up the phone.

“Hi, Teri,” she said when the teenager answered the phone. “It’s Aria here.”

“Hey.” Teri sounded pleased to hear from her, but also wary, like her brother.

“Would you like to get out of the house on Saturday?” Aria asked. “It’s meant to be nice weather, and there’s a beach at Timaru, about forty minutes from here. What do you say?”

There was a pause. “It beats watching TV.”

“Great. I’ll pick you up at eleven. See you then.”

And now, finally, she could get to work.

Aria and Sophie met for lunch at the bakehouse, where they ran through the events of the morning and the previous night.

“He’s interested in you,” Sophie said bluntly.

“He is not,” Aria protested. She was sure of it. Perhaps he was physically attracted to her—she’d allow that—but a guy like him couldn’t really see anything in a girl like her. She was provincial. He was wealthy, handsome and powerful. Still, she couldn’t help wondering: What would it be like if he was into her? The man was a magician with his lips—two days later, their kiss was still fresh in her mind. She’d bet his hands had the same level of expertise.

Sophie was devouring a chocolate croissant. “Let’s look at the facts,” she said between bites. “The man bought you a drink, groped you in public, kissed you, and then invited you to cook for his parents. Yeah, you’re right. It doesn’t seem like he’s interested.”

Aria shook her head slightly, amused by her friend’s liberal use of sarcasm. “You’re making it sound different than it is.”

“You have to admit, he is a sexy beast.”

Amen to that. Whatever his faults, Eli was an extremely handsome man. Even though it annoyed her that Sophie thought so too.

They parted ways, Aria’s thoughts occupied by images of Eli’s handsome face leaning closer to her, his lips alighting on her cheek in the lightest of kisses. Drat Sophie and her talk of sexy beasts. She headed back to her office only to be accosted by Eliza Brown at the door.

“I hear you’re involved with the developer,” Eliza croaked.