Tally blinked rapidly as she looked at Cash’s earnest expression. She wasn’t his type, and yet he wanted her regardless. Her skin tingled with pins and needles, and blood rushed to her head as her body released a good kick of adrenaline in response to the ferocity of his kisses. She’d jumped to conclusions, but she was so out of her depth when it came to him it was easy to think the worst.

“I don’t understand. Why me?”

He took a step back and held out his hand. “How about we have this conversation over a glass of wine and some good food rather than outside the bathroom? I don’t think the French ladies would take kindly to me being here.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she muttered, drawing an impish grin from Cash.

As they walked back to their table, the stares of several diners burned into the back of her head. Low murmurings of recognition reached her ears as she sat down.

“Looks like you’ve been spotted,” she said.

Ignoring her comment, Cash captured her hand in his. His thumb skated back and forth across her knuckles, and he focused on her, and only her. “You asked why you. Because, Natalia, unlike all those others––”

“Excuse me, Monsieur, Mademoiselle. Are you ready to order?”

Cash dropped her hand as a faint tinge of red darkened his neck. “Does it look like we’re ready?” he bit out through gritted teeth, his tone laced with sarcasm that couldn’t fail to be understood, regardless of any language barrier.

Tally cringed on behalf of the waiter, who shrivelled right before her eyes. “I’m very sorry, Monsieur.” He bowed before scurrying off.

Cash scowled at the waiter’s retreating back before picking her hand up again. “Because, Natalia,” he said, beginning where he’d left off as though the interruption hadn’t even happened. “Unlike all those others, you are unique. A one-off rather than yet another production-line blonde. The weird thing is, before I met you I wouldn’t have thought anything of ‘my type,’ as you put it. But now…” He shrugged. “Everything’s different.”

Her hands trembled. For all her faults, Cash was interested in her. Her. Not the gorgeous blond skinnies standing next to him in all the Internet images.

“Say something,” Cash said, jerking her from her daydreaming.

“My walls were covered with pictures of you when I was fifteen,” she blurted out.

Cash threw back his head and laughed. “When I said ‘say something,’ I didn’t expect that. See, Natalia, this is why I’m so crazy about you. I never know what’s going to come out of that gorgeous, kissable mouth from one minute to the next.”

“I think I still have them somewhere.”

Cash pulled a face. “Well, keep them to yourself. Last thing I need to be reminded of is my skinny, pimply youth.”

“You were never skinny or pimply. I remember watching you walk out on Centre Court at Wimbledon the year you beat Müller in the first round. You dazzled me.”

Cash lifted her hand to his and grazed her knuckles with a kiss. “And now?” His voice was low and husky, and her stomach tightened.

“You still dazzle me.” Cash pressed the tip of her index finger into his mouth and swirled his tongue around. She squirmed, desire powering through her body. He released her quickly.

“I hope you like the food here. They only do a tasting menu, but it’s spectacularly good, and you’d be hard pressed to beat the view.”

“You certainly would,” she murmured, staring across the table at him.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he waved his hand to catch the attention of a passing waiter, a different one from before. Tally imagined the other one was probably hiding in a corner with a stiff drink in his hand.

Cash hadn’t lied about the food. It was amazing. She didn’t know what half of it was, but even so, she ate every bite.

“Ready to go?” he said when she dropped her fork after the fifth course. “Or do you want a coffee?”

Tally stifled a yawn. “No, let’s go. I have no idea how I’m going to get up for work in the morning.”

They climbed back into the limousine, which was waiting in the same place as when they’d left it a few hours earlier. She mused how he’d been allowed to park so close to the Eiffel Tower that whole time, but she guessed with Cash’s fame and wealth, normal rules didn’t apply.

“Thank you for tonight.” Tally leaned towards Cash and kissed his cheek. “I’ve had a wonderful time.”

“It’s not over yet.”

She picked up his arm and looked at his watch. “It’s midnight. That means I won’t get home until at least three. And I have to be up for work at six.”

Cash met her gaze. “Don’t get mad,” he said with a sheepish grin. “You’re not in work tomorrow.”

She blinked once, twice, a third time. “What?”

“I took the day off for you.”

“You took… sorry, what?”

“I spoke to your editor. He’s a grumpy bastard, isn’t he? Told me that if I messed you about, he’d make it his life’s work to ruin me.”

Dumbfounded, Tally didn’t know whether to kiss him or hit him. “You called Pete? You’re… unbelievable.”

“I’ve been called worse things. Are you mad?”

“I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when you spoke to him. You should know he’s been on the receiving end of your reporter-hate fest.”

“He was fucking rude. Lucky for him, I needed him to say yes, so I bit my tongue.”

She grinned. “He’s my uncle as well as my editor.”

“Shit. You’re kidding? Maybe I should have been nicer.”

“He thinks you’re going to corrupt me.”

Cash leered at her. “He’s right about that. So can we go?”

“Where?”

“Jesus, woman. I need to teach you patience.” He took the mask out of his pocket and waved it in the air. “Now, I imagined a slightly different scenario next time I had you wearing this, but if I have to…”

“All right, all right,” she said with a laugh. “Let’s go.”

The limo stopped ten minutes later in front of a large hotel, and a thrill of excitement raced through her. Normally, she’d have baulked at her date booking a hotel room the first time they went out together, but she’d given up trying to resist Cash. If he wanted her, she was going to let him have her. Time to live a little, to take a few risks, to grab opportunities when they came up even if the experiences were likely to be fleeting. At least she’d always have the memories to look back on.

He took her hand, a simple act that gave her the tingles every time, and led her inside the hotel. They ended up in a bar full of comfortable-looking worn leather chairs and sofas. The décor was cosy, and even though several people turned to stare at them––well, at Cash––it was clearly a classy place, and the customers were all far too polite to approach him.

Cash raised a hand at the bartender and settled her into a sofa next to a roaring fire. The bartender came straight over, carrying a bottle of champagne and two flutes. Tally had no idea how the he would have known to bring champagne unless Cash was a regular and plying women with bubbles was his signature move.

He poured them each a glass and clinked his against hers. “To… possibilities.”

Goosebumps sprang up on her arms as she sipped the champagne. She probably should have passed. A tequila shot before she left home, champagne on the flight over, all the wine at the restaurant coupled with the excitement of tonight and the anticipation of what might happen were all making her head spin.

She rested her head against Cash’s shoulder. “I’m drunk.”

“How drunk?”

“Drunk enough to feel reckless. Not so drunk I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Cash nuzzled her neck. “Now, that kind of drunk definitely has possibilities,” he murmured.