Page 207 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 5-8

‘Why obviously? We’ve only just started seeing one another. Maybe I have strict parents so I’ve insisted on separate rooms?’

Separate rooms? For a moment he was stunned by her suggestion. It had literally never happened before, and in this instance, it couldn’t.

The reason she was here, theonlyreason in fact, was so that he would have a partner. Having a beautiful woman on his arm was part of his brand. Like the watch he wore and the handmade suits and even his nickname. It was his armour. All of it was designed to intimidate, to discourage people from getting too close, because everyone had their own agenda, particularly women.

He switched his gaze to Sydney’s face. ‘And what exactly do you imagine everyone is going to think about that?’

‘Exactly what you tell them to think, I expect,’ she said, and he felt the huskiness in her voice pulse in all the wrong places. ‘After all, the only opinion that matters on that subject, on any subject, is yours. And it’s not just an opinion, is it, Mr McIntyre?’ She lifted his chin. ‘It’s more of a directive.’

He laughed then. Partly to cover up his astonishment at being bested by her because, damn, she was smart, and she was right too, even though it pained him to admit it. And partly, and this was even more astonishing, because he was enjoying himself.

In the space of forty-eight hours she had ignored and interrupted him, defied and challenged him and now she was making him laugh.

He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had done that.

Not because he didn’t find things amusing. Despite what most people thought, he had a sense of humour, but laughing meant you were relaxed, and being relaxed would require him on some level to let down his guard and he had never done that with any woman because there was a risk that he might turn into his father if he did so.

But Sydney was different. This ‘relationship’ was different. He didn’t have to worry about things getting out of hand or being misinterpreted. They had a deal, and so he could relax.

Which must be why this felt more real than any of the so-called relationships he’d had in the past.

And maybe him laughing like that caught her off guard or perhaps it was just the sudden break in the tension between them, but her mouth was pulling at the corner and he was suddenly desperate to see the smile that was trying to break free.

‘That’s how it works,’ he agreed, and he had that same sudden intense need to touch her just as he’d had back in his office. He reached out to touch her face—

Her eyes snapped wide open, and she took an unsteady step back, and for a moment she just stared at him in the taut silence that filled the room.

‘Unless,’ she said at last, her voice a light taunt, ‘you were simply bragging. Or projecting. Is that why you suggested this charade? Because you’re not the man you pretend to be?’

He wasn’t enjoying himself now. Her words had hit home.

Which was ironic, as he hadn’t had a home since he was four years old when his grandmother had died and he’d moved back to live with his father. From then he had felt like a guest, and often not a welcome one. His heart thumped against his ribs. But Gerry had been oblivious because Gerry had recently fallen in love again. So Tiger had decided that he wanted no part of love. That love was blind, and it was dangerous.

But now this woman, this thief, this imposter, had got past his carefully constructed walls. And he had let her, invited her in no less. He felt a rush of fury with himself, but mostly with Sydney for turning him into a stranger. For making him feel like the kind of stupid, susceptible man he’d sworn never to become.

‘You’re getting confused,Sierra,’ he said coolly. ‘You see, I’m perfectly clear about who I am. But maybe I didn’t make it clear enough to you, so let me rectify that right now.’

Reaching into his trouser pocket, he pulled out the flash drive and held it up between his fingers.

‘I am the man standing between you and a long prison sentence. So if I say jump, you jump. Real high. And you keep on jumping until I say stop.’

Silence.

‘Do you like threatening people?’ she said finally.

No, he thought, his chest pinching as he stared down at her. She looked as though she was bracing herself just as she had in his office and he didn’t like how that made him feel. Didn’t like that he was making her feel that way.

It didn’t help that those clothes made her look younger than she had yesterday. He might even have said vulnerable, if her chin hadn’t tilted up pugnaciously.

It was enough to make him come to his senses.

‘Do you like stealing?’ he countered, severe suddenly, although he was far more distracted by the flags of colour on her cheeks than was sensible.

Another silence.

Damn it.He glanced round the bedroom, his spine taut with frustration. This was not what he had imagined. Then again, he hadn’t actually given much thought to how it would work in reality, just signed off on the concept.

‘I’m not sure what you were expecting to happen.’

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