CHAPTER SEVEN
‘DID I HURT you?’ Michael frowned his concern as he moved up the bed to lie beside Eva, fingers gentle as he touched the tear-wet cheeks beneath the dark sweep of her lashes.
Her eyelids remained closed. ‘No.’
‘Then what—Eva...?’ he prompted sharply as she turned her head away from him. Damn it, he hadn’t meant things to go this far—had never intended— ‘Eva, speak to me, damn it!’ he pressed worriedly as he smoothed the tangle of dark hair back from the dampness of her brow.
‘And say what?’ she prompted bitterly. ‘I came to Paris because I believe your brother seduced my sister, and now—’
‘Now I’ve seduced you,’ Michael realised heavily.
‘Hardly!’ Eva scorned. ‘I was there too, Michael. Oh, God, I was there too...!’ More tears escaped her lids and fell down her pale cheeks.
‘Eva, look at me, damn it!’
She raised her lids slowly, those violet-coloured eyes appearing bruised and slightly haunted as she looked up at him. ‘What did we just do?’ She groaned. ‘What did I just do?’ She gave an agonised moan before turning away from him again and curling up into a huddled and defensive ball.
She looked so small and fragile, lying naked on her side with her back turned towards him. Michael could see the vulnerability of her hunched shoulders, the ridges along her slender spine, the gentle curve of her bottom.
‘I’ve only known you a matter of days!’ she continued to berate herself disgustedly. ‘I don’t really know you at all!’
‘You know me, Eva,’ Michael contradicted gruffly, knowing that it was true. Eva did know him, better than most people did or ever would.
It might have been only days since they first met, but they had been days when Michael knew he had revealed more of himself to Eva than he had to anyone for a very long time. If ever.
Just as he now knew Eva in that same deep and penetrating way...
And not just on a physical level.
He had come to like, not just to desire Eva these past few days, and discovering she was E J Foster, the photographer of ‘Harmony’, had ensured he had even further insight into exactly who and what Eva Foster was.
She was a woman who felt things deeply. A woman who was honest with herself to the point that she exposed the rawness of her emotions in a way Michael had never been able to do. Or, at least, not for many years.
And, it was that realisation, the honesty and rawness of Eva’s emotions, that confirmed the complete nonsense of Michael’s initial accusations to her. Much as he did not wish it to be true, he knew that Eva did truly believe that Rafe was the father of her sister’s babies.
Just as the honesty of her emotions just now had allowed her to give herself over to him so completely...
Michael could still taste her nectar on his lips as he slowly ran his tongue across them. Just as he could still feel the velvet softness of her skin beneath his hands, and the way she had come alive beneath his caresses, as she made no attempt to hide her responses to him.
Just looking at her now, her skin a pale unblemished ivory in the dim lighting, her hair ebony silk, Michael knew he wanted to touch and taste her like that again!
‘Eva—’
‘Don’t touch me again,’ she warned tautly as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. He had no need to remove that hand as she scooted across the bed away from him. ‘I can’t believe I’m lying here stark naked and you’re still fully dressed!’ she added with self-loathing.
‘What does that matter...?’ Michael’s hand dropped to his side as he fell onto his back against the pillows, watching regretfully between narrowed lids as Eva quickly pulled on her T-shirt, panties and jeans to cover that nakedness before standing up.
‘It matters because—’ Her hair was a silky tangle about her shoulders, her eyes dark and haunted as she looked across the bed at him. ‘You didn’t— It was selfish of me to take and not give—’
‘Have I said that concerns me?’ Michael rasped harshly. No doubt he would pay for that lack of physical release after Eva had left him, but for the moment he was content in having given her pleasure, in having enjoyed her pleasure.
‘No...’ She gave a dismissive shake of her head as she avoided meeting his gaze before straightening her shoulders determinedly.
‘But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel— It’s far too late to move the twins tonight but tomorrow I’ll find somewhere else for us all to stay.’
His jaw tightened. ‘No.’
Eva’s gaze flickered in his direction before quickly moving away again, her cheeks very pale and luminescent in the dimmed lighting. ‘What do you mean no...?’ she prompted warily.
‘Exactly what I said,’ Michael bit out grimly as he swung his own legs to the floor before standing up. ‘What happened between us tonight—’
‘Was a mistake,’ she finished tautly, her chin held defensively high as she still refused to look him in the eye. ‘You and I both know that,’ she added miserably.
Michael wasn’t yet sure what tonight was, needed time—and solitude—in which to decide that for himself.
And the repercussions it might have, if any, on what was already a delicate situation...
He did know he didn’t like hearing Eva describe it as having been a mistake! ‘Let’s just both sleep on it, hmm, and then talk again in the morning?’ he prompted gruffly.
Eva didn’t want to sleep on anything; she wanted to leave this apartment—and Michael—right now. Except she couldn’t. Because, for once, the twins were both sleeping peacefully in their cots, and there was no way she was going to disturb them by moving them out of the apartment tonight. After all, where would she go?
How could she have allowed this to happen? Why had it happened?
Oh, she had known from the beginning that she found Michael broodingly attractive, that physically he affected her more deeply than any other man she had ever known, but she hadn’t realised it was to the extent—to a degree that—
Eva would have laughed scornfully if someone had told her that she and Michael D’Angelo would ever have ended up making love together!
Or, to be more accurate, that Michael would make love to her...
How awkward was that? How embarrassing was that?
Eva wanted to curl up in a mortified ball—again!—just thinking of Michael’s lips and hands on her, of the intimacy of having his lips and hands on her, in her...!
And, much as she tried to avoid admitting it, Eva knew exactly why it had happened.
Eating dinner together these past few evenings, talking together about everything and nothing, had been more relaxing than she could ever have imagined, but it had been looking at the painting and her photograph, both hanging on Michael’s bedroom wall, that had pushed their third evening together over into intimacy.
Because in that moment Eva had seen Michael for exactly who and what he was. And that who and what he was really wasn’t, as she had already suspected it might not be, the coolly remote man he chose to present to the public.
Oh, she might not know the reasons for the veneer Michael had erected on top of his emotions, or when he had done so, but his obvious attachment, to both the painting of the dying rose and her African photograph, had confirmed that it really was the veneer she had suspected it might be.
And behind that veneer were deep and complicated emotions. Emotions that this evening had touched some echoing depth inside Eva, and it was a connection she ultimately hadn’t been able to deny. So much so that she’d had no thought of denial when the two of them began to make love.
And the bitter aftermath of that connection was these feelings of disgust at herself and humiliation...
She knew what Rachel, with her complete joy of life, would have said—and that would have been, Go for it, sis. And Eva had certainly gone for it. Had she ever! Her body still quivered and quaked in the aftermath of the first orgasm she’d ever experienced. An orgasm that had left her with a lingering hunger for more.
An impossible hunger, when Eva considered her reason for being in Paris in the first place.
Her chin rose. ‘I really think it would be for the best if the twins and I were to move out—’
‘No,’ Michael repeated grimly.
She shot him an irritated frown. ‘I don’t think that’s for you to decide—’
‘On the contrary.’ Michael straightened determinedly. ‘If those two babies are, as you claim, my niece and nephew, then they, and you, will remain here under my protection until I am able to speak to Rafe.’
She arched challenging brows. ‘And who’s going to protect me from you?’
Michael’s jaw tightened. He didn’t appreciate the comment, but knew it was deserved, nonetheless. Who was going to protect Eva from him?
Or him from Eva...?
Because Michael had no doubt that if they continued to stay in this apartment together what had happened tonight would almost certainly happen again...
The answering throb in his still engorged shaft, when he was just thinking about making love with Eva again, was confirmation of that!
‘Aren’t you overestimating your own attraction?’ Michael’s tone was deliberately scathing as he looked her coldly up and down. But he wished he could take that coldness back as soon as he saw her flinch, and caught the way the shadows darkened beneath those beautiful violet-coloured eyes. However, putting some distance between the two of them, verbally at least, was what he needed to do for now. For both their sakes.
Her mouth tightened. ‘Am I?’
‘I believe so, yes,’ he drawled dismissively. ‘Tonight was an...interesting diversion, no doubt brought about by close proximity, but I doubt it will ever be repeated. Now, if you wouldn’t mind leaving my bedroom...?’ He turned away abruptly. ‘Some of us have to go to work in the morning.’
Eva hadn’t thought she could feel any more humiliated than she already did, but Michael’s cold dismissal of her now proved that she could. And did.
Michael was behaving as if the past half an hour had never happened, was nothing at all like the passionate lover who had so generously gifted her with that incredible, earth-shattering orgasm. And it had been a gift, a totally unselfish one.
Just as Michael was now using his fall-back indifference as a defence in his cold dismissal of her...
‘Fine,’ Eva snapped just as coldly. ‘As you say, we’ll talk again in the morning. And tomorrow the twins and I will be moving elsewhere until our flight back to England—’
‘I’ve already cancelled your original flight,’ Michael informed her arrogantly.
‘You’ve done what?’ Eva’s hands curled into fists at her sides.
He gave an unconcerned shrug. ‘I told you that I would.’
‘Yes, but— I can’t believe— You overbearing, arrogant ass—’
‘Language, Eva,’ he drawled mockingly.
‘—hat,’ she finished scathingly. ‘How dare you just—? Well, you can just rebook it,’ she instructed furiously.
‘I don’t think so,’ he came back mildly.
‘Then I will,’ she assured forcefully.
‘You can try, I suppose,’ he nodded unconcernedly. ‘But when I spoke to the woman on the booking desk she thanked me for letting her know so promptly, as they have a long waiting list on that flight. So I’m pretty sure you won’t be able to get back on that flight, at least.’ He looked across at Eva challengingly.
The shortness of Eva’s fingernails now dug into the palms of her hands as she clenched them even more tightly. ‘You really are an arrogant bast—’
‘For the twins’ sake I really would suggest you try to curb the tenure of your language,’ Michael bit out distantly. ‘Also, I believe that children, babies in particular, are very sensitive to the moods of the adults around them, and behave accordingly...?’
Eva had learnt that to her cost over the past three months; if she was in a cranky mood, through lack of sleep or whatever, then the twins tended to pick up on that mood and started to misbehave themselves. And trust the arrogant Michael, who admitted to having no more experience with babies than she had until three months ago, to know that!
Eva wasn’t sure that she didn’t actually hate him at that moment. She certainly disliked him. Intensely. ‘Then I advise you to stay away from me for the rest of our stay here,’ she warned fiercely before turning sharply on her heel and leaving the bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind her as she headed for her bedroom that adjoined that of the twins.
Any clearing up still left to do in the kitchen Michael could deal with himself, because Eva had had more than enough of him for one evening!
* * *
‘Have a croissant, Eva.’ Michael held the basket of pastries out to her enticingly as they sat in the dining room eating breakfast. The twins were strapped in the two high chairs he’d had delivered to the apartment the first morning of Eva’s stay here, when it had become obvious they were needed, along with a playpen. ‘I went out, as usual, this morning to buy them,’ he encouraged dryly, having accepted a couple of days ago that his morning routine of strolling out to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at his favourite cafe would have to be put on hold for the duration of Eva and the twins’ stay with him. Which didn’t mean he couldn’t still enjoy the café’s delicious croissants, even if he had to go out each morning and buy them!
Breakfast with two six-month-old babies was certainly an experience, as usual half their fruit purée and oats having landed down them rather than in their mouths, as had the milk they were drinking from lidded and spouted cups. They were now gumming their toast more than chewing it with the four teeth they displayed so proudly every time they smiled. Which was often. Enchantingly so.
Michael had quickly learnt not to dress in his suit for work until after breakfast, but instead wore the faded denims from last night and a white T-shirt—currently decorated with some of the twins’ breakfast!
But they certainly were a cute pair of babies, Michael allowed ruefully as he politely refused the piece of soggy toast Sophie now offered him.
Their enthusiastically noisy presence also had the added benefit of masking some of the tension that so obviously existed between Eva and Michael this morning.
As expected Michael hadn’t slept well, as he first attempted to drive away his still raging erection, an exercise in will power that certainly wasn’t helped by the fact that he knew Eva was in another bedroom just that short distance down the hallway.
Another cold shower had helped a little, even if it hadn’t succeeded in dispelling that desire for her completely. That had only been achieved when Michael mulled over how best to continue this living arrangement with Eva.
His surprise in realising she was E J Foster, to the extent he had taken her to see her photograph hanging on his bedroom wall, along with Bryn’s painting, had meant he had now revealed far too much of his inner self to Eva.
A realisation that now made Michael feel almost as emotionally exposed as Eva no doubt had after the intimacies they had shared the previous night.
The proof of that was in the bristling hostility Eva had shown him this morning when he first entered the kitchen with the bag of pastries, her chilling politeness causing Michael to become equally guarded.
‘Thank you.’ Eva’s gaze avoided meeting his as she now took one of the croissants from the basket.
At least they were still showing a semblance of politeness to each other in front of the twins!
A stilted politeness, maybe, but it was better than the two of them not talking at all, which was what Michael had feared might be the case. Because he had enjoyed Eva’s company last night, as he had the previous two nights.
And he had more than enjoyed making love with her!
Despite Eva’s chilling demeanour clearly communicating that she would endeavour to ensure it was never repeated.
When Michael was certain that it would...
Mainly because he was having difficulty keeping his hands off her right now!
Eva looked more fragile than ever to him this morning, her eyes darkly shadowed, her face pale, and the tight-fitting denims and purple T-shirt she was wearing today clearly outlining her too-slender figure.
What Eva needed—
Michael was pretty sure that Eva had absolutely no interest in knowing what he thought she needed—even if it was something as innocent as several long and uninterrupted nights’ sleep, and having someone looking after her for a change.
Michael had certainly been aware of the twins both waking up twice in the night, had even thought of going to their room and taking over while Eva went back to bed, but thought better of it. He knew he had exacerbated the distance between them when his own defences had fallen into place and he had allowed his coldness to hide both his thoughts and feelings.
And so he had remained in his own bedroom last night, aware of Eva talking softly to the twins as she tried to get them both to settle, frustrated at not being able to do anything to help her. Knowing she would reject that offer of help even if he were to make it.
He had something important he needed to discuss with her today, though. But not here, and not when her attention would be divided. ‘I would like you to come to the gallery later this morning.’
Eva glanced up from putting honey on her croissant, her gaze wary as she looked across the table at Michael. ‘Why?’
‘I need to talk to you.’
She frowned. ‘We’re talking now.’
‘And we have a demanding audience,’ he pointed out ruefully as Sam gleefully threw his toast across the table.
Eva absently picked up the toast and placed it on the side of her own plate before answering Michael. ‘Why at the gallery?’
‘Why not?’ He shrugged. ‘I might even be able to persuade Marie or Pierre to watch the twins while we talk. Pierre has a couple of children of his own.’
She looked at him searchingly, but as usual wasn’t able to read anything from Michael’s closed expression; he really could be as inscrutable as a sphinx when he chose to be. And he was choosing to be so now.
Eva gave a shake of her head. ‘I don’t leave the twins with complete strangers.’
‘And if I vouch for both Marie and Pierre’s trustworthiness?’
Eva gave a humourless smile. ‘Believe it or not, I still consider you a stranger as far as the twins are concerned!’
His brows rose almost to his hairline. ‘Isn’t that a little...short-sighted of you, in the circumstances?’
Eva knew exactly what circumstances Michael was referring to, and she refused, absolutely, to talk about what had happened between the two of them last night. Bad enough it had happened at all, without having a damned post-mortem about it! ‘I’m big enough to look after myself. And take the consequences,’ she added coolly. ‘But I’m much more circumspect when it comes to the welfare of the twins.’
‘I wouldn’t harm a hair on either of their heads!’ He frowned darkly.
‘Perhaps.’ Eva calmly took a bite of her honey-coated croissant.
‘Damn it—’
‘Language, Michael,’ she reminded him dryly.
He stood up abruptly and began pacing the room, shooting Eva thunderously frowning glances every now and then as he did so, as she calmly finished eating her croissant before attempting to clean away the worst of the debris of the twins’ meal.
All the time totally aware of Michael as he prowled restlessly up and down the kitchen.
As far as Eva was concerned last night had been completely out of character for her, and the sooner they both forgot about it, the better she would like it.
And she was still angry with Michael for cancelling her airline tickets without even consulting her. The least he deserved was a little payback for that!
The fact that he looked almost edible this morning wasn’t helping her to maintain this distance between them. His hair was slightly tousled from his walk to the bakery, stubble darkening the square thrust of his chin where he hadn’t shaved yet this morning, and the white T-shirt and faded denims clearly showed the whipcord strength of that lean and muscled body.
At this rate Eva was going to need another shower—cold this time!—once Michael had left for the gallery!
Just looking at him, her gaze drawn to those sculptured lips that had pleasured her so thoroughly the night before, was enough to make her feel hot and trembling inside. And the throbbing reaction of her breasts and between her thighs, just from looking at him, should be made illegal. As it was, Eva’s only defence against that physical attraction was to attempt to keep Michael at a verbal distance. By whatever means.
Besides, it was rather fun winding up the coldly aloof Michael D’Angelo. And goodness knew Eva felt in need of a diversion from the embarrassment she was feeling this morning!
She stood up. ‘I have to bath and dress the twins now, and isn’t it time you were leaving for the gallery?’
His mouth thinned. ‘Don’t try to dismiss me, Eva, because it won’t work.’
She quirked one dark brow. ‘I have no idea what you mean.’ She gathered up both Sophie and Sam before turning to face him, a baby held defensively in each arm.
‘Archangel,’ Michael bit out through clenched teeth. ‘Twelve o’clock.’
‘I told you—’
‘It wasn’t a request, Eva,’ he assured grimly.
‘And I don’t react well to orders, so it looks as if we’re once again at an impasse...’
Michael held back his temper with effort. A temper that no one else in his acquaintance had ever been able to rouse as easily as Eva now did; even his brother Rafe had to work a little harder at it nowadays! But it seemed that Eva, with just a lift of her eyebrow and a challenge in her voice, was instantly able to annoy the hell out of him.
He drew in a long controlling breath. ‘Fine. I’ll leave twelve o’clock today free in my diary for you, if you find you can spare the time. How’s that?’
Her lips twitched, as if she was holding back a smile. ‘I’ll see how the morning goes, but I’m not promising anything.’
Michael’s tension eased and he held back an answering smile as he saw the satisfied glint in those violet-coloured eyes, and realised the little minx was enjoying this battle of wills between them. ‘Good enough.’ He nodded. ‘Bye, Sophie. Bye, Sam.’ He bent down to let the babies kiss him on the cheek in parting as they reached their arms up to him, but made no move to leave as he instead looked down at a suddenly watchful Eva. ‘This is all very domesticated. Do I get a goodbye kiss from you too...?’
Her cheeks instantly blazed with colour. ‘In your dreams!’
Michael bared his teeth in a smile. ‘Believe me, Eva, in my dreams last night you did so much more than just kiss me on the cheek.’
That colour deepened in her cheeks. ‘I— You—’
‘Yes?’ It was Michael’s turn to quirk a mocking brow.
‘No!’ Eva snapped, very aware of the two babies she held in her arms even if Michael wasn’t. Although their age obviously ensured there was absolutely no possibility that the twins could understand a word they were saying to each other. That wasn’t the point—
Then what was the point?
Eva was too flustered to remember what they had been talking about before, let alone know what the point of this conversation was!
She did know that Michael had very neatly turned her little rebellion around on her, and was obviously now enjoying himself at her expense. As she had enjoyed herself at his just minutes earlier!
Ah, yes, now she remembered... ‘Have a good day at the office, dear,’ she taunted with saccharin sweetness.
Obsidian-black eyes glittered down at her appreciatively. ‘Don’t work too hard yourself...sweetness,’ Michael came back dryly. ‘Or forget our date at twelve,’ he added challengingly.
‘I haven’t said I’ll be there yet.’ Eva frowned. ‘And it certainly isn’t a date!’
He arched one dark brow. ‘We could make it one...’
No, they really couldn’t!
Eva might have briefly lost sight last night of her reason for being in Paris, but she would not allow herself to become distracted by this attraction for Michael by doing so again. She certainly didn’t want to start thinking of Michael D’Angelo in a romantic way, let alone go out on a date with him...
‘I don’t think so, thank you,’ she refused with cool dismissal.
‘Pity,’ Michael murmured.
Eva gave him a sharp glance, but was totally unable to read anything from the coolness of Michael’s expression as he steadily returned that gaze with cool black eyes.
She gave a shake of her head. ‘I don’t happen to think so.’
Michael gave Eva another searching glance, once again noting the dark shadows beneath her eyes in her too-thin face; Eva really did have the look of a woman this morning whose emotions were delicately balanced on a knife-edge.
Was that so surprising when in the last eighteen months she had lost both her parents and her younger sister, put her career on hold when she had taken over custody and care of her sister’s twin babies, and now had the added distress of seeking out the newly married father and asking for his help?
Michael making love to her last night certainly couldn’t have helped Eva’s already tautly strung emotions!
‘I know you were up with the twins a couple of times during the night, so try to get some rest today too, when the twins take their nap, hmm, Eva?’ Michael reached up with the intention of gently brushing those shadows beneath her eyes, only for his hand to drop slowly back to his side as Eva flinched back and away from his touch.
Her chin rose challengingly. ‘Is that an order or a request?’
‘It’s a suggestion,’ he corrected harshly.
She smiled slightly. ‘In that case, I’ll take your suggestion under advisement.’
Michael bit back his frustration with her reply, knowing Eva well enough now to realise that if he continued to push the point she would do exactly the opposite. ‘You do that,’ he bit out tersely, glancing at his watch before looking up at her again. ‘I have to go and take a shower now.’ He turned sharply on his heel and left the kitchen.
Eva gave a groan as she knew she would carry that image—of Michael’s lean and muscled nakedness as he stood beneath the cascade of the hot shower water—around in her head with her all morning!