Page 23 of Modern Romance November 2024 5-8

‘Oh, please...’

‘Seriously.’ He nodded. ‘If you promise you won’t turn to look, I shall tell you who your admirers are.’

‘Okay.’ She needed no excuse to keep staring at him, but was delighted to have one. ‘Who?’

‘Have you noticed the tall gentleman with blond hair?’

‘Really?’ Violet gave a delighted smile. ‘He’s gorgeous!’

‘Actually,’ Sahir said, ‘my description was incorrect—he isn’t a gentleman! His wife is at home with their new baby—not that that will stop him.’

‘How do you know?’

‘He was at my school.’

‘Oh...’ She glanced down at that delectable mouth and guessed it had been working magic for a very long time. ‘And you were an angel, I suppose?’

‘Not at all,’ he said, almost reluctantly leaning back as her plate was removed. Then they faced each other again. ‘But I always made it clear that short term was all I wanted.’

Violet blinked quite slowly, absorbing his words, hearing the subtle warning.

‘Your blond admirer makes promises he has no intention of keeping,’ said Sahir.

She stared back, wondered what his reaction would be if she told him she was a virgin, and that really she’d barely kissed a guy.

But then she stopped wondering. Because that didn’t matter right now. All that mattered was his look, and how she felt that if she were to lean forward now and meet his lips, her mouth would know exactly what to do.

The main courses arrived.

To her relief, rather than fish stew, a rich beef bourguignon was placed in front of her. She glanced down at his plate and saw that he’d been served the same dish—no need to offer to swap!

‘I requested the beef for us both,’ Sahir said.

‘I wouldn’t have minded...’

‘Violet?’ His eyes both smiled and called her a liar. ‘You are the fussiest eater I’ve ever met.’

‘I’m honestly not.’

Violetshouldhave felt irritated, and yet she was delighted instead.

She’d asked for an extra napkin. And then another. Then given him a glimpse of her lack of cleavage and turned him on as she did so.

‘I don’t want to spill anything,’ she’d explained, tucking herself in.

Sahir found himself ridiculously attracted to Grace’s unconventional friend.

‘When are the speeches?’ she asked now.

‘There aren’t any.’

‘Oh!’

She ate very methodically, he saw, avoiding all the vegetables.

‘What about the dancing?’

She loaded her fork and pushed off a pea.

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