Millie turned her gaze to the front of the car and sat up straighter in her seat, annoyed with
the way her mind kept wandering into such dangerous territory. Why was she so darn attracted
to him? She hadn’t thought herself the shallow looks-are-everything type. She hadn’t thought
herself all that impressed by a man’s wealth or status. She hadn’t thought she could ever be
tempted to sleep with a man again.
That part of her life was over...wasn’t it?
A few minutes later, Hunter led her into a fine-dining restaurant in Mayfair. They were taken
to their table by a courteous waiter who addressed Hunter by name. Within a short time, they
were seated with drinks in front of them. Hunter had declined alcohol, and she was secretly
impressed he had made that choice, given he was driving. She had opted for mineral water
again, keen to keep her head in his disturbingly attractive company.
Hunter raised his glass of Indian tonic water, his mouth tilted in a crooked smile. ‘So, here’s
to second chances.’
With just a moment’s hesitation, Millie lifted her glass to his. ‘To second chances.’
The chink of their glasses sounded loud in the silence, their eyes locking over the table. A
second chance at what—seduction? A one-night stand? A fling? The possibilities seemed to
hover in the space between them. Sensual possibilities she hadn’t allowed herself to think about
until now. What would it be like sleeping with a man like Hunter? A man who had sexual
experience on a scale she hadn’t encountered before. She and Julian had been each other’s one
and only lover. Childhood sweethearts who had drifted into an intimate relationship that hadn’t
had a chance to grow and mature as it should, due to the impact of his illness. Over time, Julian
hadn’t had stamina or patience for her needs, and she had settled for a peaceful rather than
passionate life.
But now her frozen passions were thawing, creating molten heat in her body she could no
longer ignore, especially in the presence of Hunter. He triggered a fiery response in her with
every glance, every touch. Who knew what would happen if he kissed her?
Could she risk such a conflagration of the senses?
Millie finally managed to drag her eyes away from his mesmerising gaze and took a tentative
sip of her mineral water, wishing now she had asked for something stronger.
‘Tell me about your fiancé.’ The request was bluntly delivered, a command rather than a
question, and it jolted her as if he had slammed his hand down on the table.
She drew in a quick breath and put her glass down, not quite meeting Hunter’s gaze. ‘I’d
rather not, if you don’t mind.’ She wasn’t going to spill all to him of all people. She hadn’t
even told her best friends the truth about her relationship with her late fiancé. Even her own
mother knew nothing of Millie’s tortured emotions over Julian.
‘You find it painful?’ His tone was disarmingly gentle.
Yes, but not for the reasons you think.
How could she tell him the truth about her relationship with Julian? How could she tell
anyone? Millie chanced a glance at him to find his expression etched in lines of concern. ‘Have
you ever lost someone you loved?’ she asked.
A shadow passed through his whisky-brown gaze. ‘Yes. My mother. She died ten years ago.
Cancer. We were close.’ His tone was matter-of-fact, delivering a set of details dispassionately,
and yet his eyes told another story. A story of loss and sadness that hadn’t yet been resolved.