“If that’s what you want to call it.” He shrugs. “Since we’re stuck here, why don’t we make the most of the situation?”

“Well, Jonathan’s house is quite impressive and it’ll be a pleasure to work on his new wing, but I assume he’ll be a difficult client.”

“Why do you think that?”

“He has that ‘I don’t care, just do whatever you want’ kind of an approach and then he has some specific demands like Make the parlor walls red, I want low Chinese tables in black.” I make a face. “Well, China is not all about red and black and I definitely do not want that parlor to look like a cheap Chinese restaurant rip off.” My mouth turns down in distaste thinking about that horrible image.

His eyes narrow a fraction. “Aaliya, when it comes to that, I can handle Jonathan.”

I raise my chin. “When it comes to that, I can handle Jonathan too.”

Damien

OH, THAT DEFIANT CHIN! It intrigues me and in equal parts, fascinates me. Aaliya plays with a strand of her hair as her mouth settles into a sexy pout. The urge to trace those pink lips with my tongue is so strong I have to literally pinch myself to prevent from acting on it.

Aaliya is something else. No woman I know has demanded an apology from me like she had earlier in the car. My jaw had dropped to the floor hearing her ask for it. It was the second time I had apologized to her. Even when I was just a Lord, women fawned all over me. And now that I’m a Duke, the fawning has changed to awe and adulation. Aaliya’s frank and no-nonsense attitude is a refreshing change.

I finally put my head back into the conversation I’d started with her and ask, “Did you end up meeting the artists that you wanted to? Dale Adcock and who else was it?”

“Phil Vickery!” Her entire face lights up as she speaks. “Yes, I met them and I’m delighted that the meetings were quite successful. They’ve agreed to work with me. Bringing the work of these talented artists to India is going to be spectacular.”

She leans forward to remove her long boots. She unzips each one slowly and I can’t stop staring as every inch of her leg is slowly revealed. A sudden image of those legs wrapped around me as I pound into her fires through my mind. It’s so vivid and real that I have to blink several times to clear it out of my head. Fuck! What is wrong with me? I have to stop thinking like this. She’s a guest in my house and I can’t think of taking advantage of her, no matter how badly my body rebels at that thought.