Zarah suspected that they all knew why he was like that, but no one would mention the man’s background to her. Anytime she tried to bring it up, they quickly dismissed the subject as just vicious gossip, which was ironic since so many of the villagers relished recounting all of the Duke’s lady loves that had prowled the village streets over time. Apparently, the ladies he brought home for a weekend fling were fair game for gossip and speculation while the Duke himself was protected, with no one saying a mean or disrespectful comment about him. In fact, just the opposite. Anytime she asked about his mistresses, they changed the subject to ‘what a fine man The Duke was’ or relating all the philanthropic activities Derrick participated in or sponsored. It was almost as if they were trying their hand at matchmaking, which was ridiculous since they’d just been discussing his playboy reputation.
Right now, she simply wanted to avoid him. He was dangerous and no one ever accused her of being stupid. Reckless and rebellious sometimes, but never stupid. One didn’t put a hand into the mouth of a hungry lion and expect to come out unscathed, she told herself and forced her feet to finish the walk up the drive to the house.
Her hand was actually shaking when she lifted it to knock on the massive wooden door. The booming noise from the black, cast iron knocker reminded Zarah of the man himself. He was huge and dark, sinister almost because of his secret past that no one would discuss. There were sides to him that the darkness hid but when he spoke, it attracted everyone’s attention.
The door was quickly answered but not by the housekeeper who had answered the door last week. Instead, Derrick stood there, looking down at her with those mysterious, green eyes, causing her knees to start shaking as well as her hand. In fact, her whole body was trembling with awareness and something that made her stomach clench with tension.
“So you decided to brave the lion’s den, eh?” he asked with that irritating amusement that always seemed to be lurking in his green eyes.
“Excuse me?” she asked, her breath just a bit too breathless for her peace of mind. And the analogy had come so close to what she’d been thinking a moment ago. Could he read minds as well?
Derrick noticed her dilated eyes and her rapid breathing. All the signs were there and he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she admitted that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. She was driving him crazy with this hands-off attitude but he had a plan to break through that façade and find the real woman underneath.
“I saw you standing at the end of the drive. I knew you were debating whether to come the rest of the way to the house or run for the hills.”
She shook her head, trying to appear confident and professional when she felt neither. If she’d known he was watching her, she might actually have run for the hills. Or at least a bush! “I….well…”
“I don’t blame you. Come on in,” he said and put a hand to her back and led her through the house to the back where his office was located. “How about a brandy?” he suggested. “Or a glass of wine?”
She shivered with the need to turn around so that his hand was on her stomach instead of her back. It felt so warm and strong…what would it feel like against her bare skin?
She shuddered as she stepped away, wishing she could suppress this unwanted desire for a man who was definitely not for her. “No, thank you,” she replied and sat down on the chair he’d indicated. Alcohol definitely wasn’t something she wanted to add into this mix. She was already confused enough as it was.
“So why didn’t you want to come inside?” he asked as he handed her a glass of white wine despite her rejection of the offered beverage.
Her eyes glanced at the wine while her hand accepted it, wondering why she couldn’t be strong and just tell him no. “I did…” She took a sip of the cool, refreshing wine, enjoying the burst of taste on her tongue.
“You didn’t. So tell me what was going through your mind? Not enough progress on the festival?”
She blinked and shook her head. Business! This man wanted to discuss business and she had to get her mind in gear before she embarrassed both of them. “No, everything is fine. We’re actually ahead of schedule.”
“Then it must be because you’re afraid of me.”
Zarah looked up at the tall man and wanted desperately to cut him down a peg. She looked up at his arrogant face and everything in her wanted to prove to him that she wasn’t affected by his nearness. “Excuse me?”
Derrick laughed. “I’m a tough task master, I know. But bear with me and we’ll make a great team.”
That was so far and yet, so close, to what she’d been thinking it was scary. She took a sip of wine, wondering how he’d known. She couldn’t look him in the eyes so she glanced down at her notes. “I have a PowerPoint presentation to show you if you’d like to review it. I’ve documented our progress to date. We have all the shop owners involved in the festival. It’s now just a matter of narrowing down their merchandise. They want to offer too much instead of just a sample of what they normally sell.”
“You’re right,” he said and took the seat next to her instead of moving back behind the desk which would have made her much more comfortable. “Stick to two or three items that represent their stores. Let the visitors come back another time to get a broader experience.”
She glanced over at him, then at the large desk. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable behind your desk?” she spat out before she could stop herself.
Derrick’s eyebrow went up and he watched her carefully. “Would you be more comfortable if I were over there?” he asked her softly.
Zarah knew that the question was wrong even as she spoke the words but she couldn’t take them back, and she wished she could be more casual. But sitting next to him, the heat of his body so close she could actually feel it emanating from him and into her cold, nervous fingers and arm. “I’m fine,” she whispered and handed him the papers she’d printed out for him.
“It will be easier if we share,” he said and leaned closer to her. “That way I can see what you’re pointing to.”
Zarah tried to take a deep breath, to calm her racing nerves and focus, but it was very hard when he was this close. She wanted to scoot her chair away slightly, but knew that would be too revealing. So she plunged into her notes, going through the presentation as thoroughly as possible.