He hid his amusement. ‘They were auctioning a date, Libby,’ he reminded her calmly, and she glared at him.

‘And doubtless you took that to mean sex because that’s what all men expect, and then afterwards I discover the wife and the child.’

Andreas blinked, trying to keep up with her thought processes. ‘I don’t generally find I have to pay for sex,’ he drawled, and she tipped her head on one side and studied him closely, her small pink tongue snaking out and moistening her lips.

‘No, I’m sure you don’t. But, then, I bet you don’t usually have to pay for dates either.’

Andreas inclined his head. ‘True.’

Normally he had to play all sorts of games to keep women at a distance.

Which made his current behaviour all the more unbelievable.

She obviously agreed with him if the expression on her face was anything to go by. ‘So why did you pay such an outrageous amount of money for a date with me?’

He was asking himself the same question.

‘Because I can afford it and because you’re very beautiful,’ he replied.

She took a few more steps backwards, clutching her shoes tightly. ‘Well, I suggest you take the cheque I’m offering you,’ she said coldly. ‘I only agreed to do the auction because Alex promised he would buy me. I never, ever would have done it if I’d thought I’d actually have to go on a date. I don’t date men. Men are rats and creeps.’

Andreas ran an experienced eye down a length of perfect thigh. A less likely candidate for celibacy he had yet to see. But there was no missing the utter misery in her blue eyes.

It didn’t take a genius to work out that someone had obviously hurt her badly.

‘You’ve obviously been mixing with the wrong men,’ he said softly, and she gave a humourless laugh.

‘Funnily enough, I’ve worked that out for myself. From now on, no more relationships.’

Unable to resist teasing her, Andreas smiled. ‘What about sex?’

He watched with fascination as colour bloomed in her cheeks.

‘I’m old-fashioned,’ she muttered. ‘I don’t have sex without a relationship and seeing that men are hopeless at relationships, I’ve given up.’

‘So tell me.’ He stepped closer to her, his attention caught by the fullness of her lower lip. ‘Who was responsible for putting you off relationships?’

‘You want the short version or the long version?’ She shrugged carelessly but he guessed that she was battling with tears and he frowned, wondering what it was about her that made him feel so protective. Not that she would have thanked him for those feelings, he reflected wryly. These days women wanted to hunt their own dragons and kill them.

‘Whichever you want to tell me.’

‘Well, I suppose I’d have to start with my parents, who were definitely not a shining example of marital harmony. They never touched.’ She flashed him a suggestive smile. ‘Well, of course, they must have touched once, or they wouldn’t have had me, but fortunately for them they had triplets so they managed to get all the physical contact out of the way in one go.’