Alec couldn’t believe what a soft heart she had. He was shocked to watch the mischievous look turn to true concern over the possibility of him being upset at her words. “No, I’m not an actor.”
She instantly relaxed. “Whew!” she said and leaned back against the soft leather seat. “I was worried for a moment.”
“We’re here,” he said and couldn’t believe he was actually disappointed. The truth was, he wanted to stay and talk to her in private. She was fascinating and he was concerned that she would change once they were in a more public setting. Having no alternative, he stepped out of the car, then turned to offer his hand to help her out.
Out on the street in front of the restaurant, Helen looked at the other elegantly dressed people entering the building and stopped.
He’d stepped away from the curb, intent on walking into the restaurant when he realized she was frozen to her spot on the sidewalk. “What’s wrong?” he asked, coming to stand in front of her so he could see her face, his height blocking out the street lights so they were mostly in shadow.
Helen looked up at him, the worry coming through in her eyes. “I can’t go in there dressed like this,” she said, holding out her dark green skirt which had seemed fine for running around London taking pictures but was completely inappropriate for an elegant dinner at one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city.
He looked down at her clothes and shrugged his shoulders. “I like it,” he replied.
Helen shook her head in exasperation. “Alec, just because you like it doesn’t mean it’s appropriate. You can’t just make everyone else accept a different dress code. I’ll be kicked out of the restaurant and even you can’t make them accept casual dining attire.”
He moved closer, towering over her with his height and broad shoulders. “You said that about obtaining a table earlier. And here we are.” His eyes moved to watch her lips as her teeth nibbled at the lower one. “When are you going to accept that I can, and will, do what I want and obstacles are really not an issue?”
Helen grimaced, conceding his point, wanting to step back to gain a little more space, but she’d fall off the curb if she did so. “Okay, so you have a lot of clout,” she said, pressing her hands against his broad chest. Unfortunately, he didn’t move and she had to look up at him, her stomach muscles clenching with unfamiliar feelings that she wasn’t sure she liked. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll be comfortable dressed in this outfit while dining in a restaurant like The Westin.” She waved her hand to indicate people walking along the sidewalk. “Look around you Alec. These people are wearing clothes that cost more than I earn in several months. I don’t belong here.”
He moved imperceptivity closer, his eyes holding hers intensely. “As I see it, you have three options.”
“Only three?” she teased, trying to make him smile which might make him a little less intimidating and overwhelming.
He didn’t smile, nor did he move back to give her space. His eyes glittered with his intent which only made Helen more nervous when she saw it. “Only three. You can go in there dressed exactly as you are, ignore the other patrons and enjoy the evening with me.”
She didn’t like that one very much. “And option number two?”
“We can walk across the street and I will buy you that very lovely red dress hanging in the window of the boutique,” he said.
Helen looked across the street and her mouth dropped open. The store was Dior and the dress was incredibly lovely but possibly cost over ten thousand dollars. The store was also closed for the night and she didn’t relish the idea of Alec bringing the salespeople back to work at this time of the night, regardless of the commission they’ll most likely bring in for the sale.
Looking back at him she shivered. “And option number three?”
Instantly Helen knew this would be the least palatable. The look in his eyes was too pleased and sensuous for her to accept this one. “We go back to my place and my chef cooks us dinner. That would be my preference of the three possibilities since I’ll have you all to myself and we can dispense with the formalities of a first date and I can simply take you to bed where we both would like you to be.”
Helen glared at him and hid her shaking hands behind her back. “You’re kind of a caveman, aren’t you? Just hit the woman over the head and drag her off somewhere.”
He smiled slowly and she gasped as his hand snaked around her waist, pulling her the last inch so she was flush against him. Her hands automatically came to his shoulders to steady herself and she had a hard time not moving them up around his neck. Instead, she fisted them against his arms, swearing to herself that she wasn’t tempted to reach up and touch him, find out what his skin felt like and if the heat radiating inside her was due to his temperature, or something else altogether.
“You like my caveman tactics,” he countered, his head dipping lower.
“Says who?” she argued, her chin going up a notch to contradict his statement.
“Says your body.” His hand reached up and touched the pulse at her throat which only increased it to a dangerous level. Helen’s breathing increased and she had a hard time catching her breath. “You can lie to me with those beautiful lips all you want but your body tells me the truth.”
“No. Not….” She started to say, terrified and confused by what he was making her feel.
He stopped her with his finger against her mouth, his head shaking back and forth. “No lies between us.”
She hesitated for a long, tense moment. Then finally, she closed her mouth and tried to relax, not saying a word. Her conscience wouldn’t let her lie once again but a promise to her Papa a long time ago wouldn’t let her tell the truth either. And the truth was frightening. She wanted this man to do things to her that were forbidden until she was married. She’d promised her Papa that so many years ago, given her word that she wouldn’t have sex before marriage. He’d been so adamant that she not be “one of those women” as he’d constantly referred to them and he’d made her swear that she’d never blacken the family name by doing something so disastrous. And here she was, in front of a famous restaurant being held in the arms of a man that made her wish she’d never promised her father anything.
Growing up, her father had constantly explained that there were two kinds of women, those that a man married, cherished and respected, and there were those that he had fun with but never showed respect, and never married but instead ridiculed behind her back to his friends. He’d begged her to become the kind of woman a man married and not shame the family name. She’d agreed easily, wanting her father to be proud of her and not ashamed. Family was everything to her and she didn’t have the heart to do anything that would bring shame to him or her family.