Page 70 of Virgin's Stolen Nights with the Boss

‘I’ll just watch for now.’

He could watch her all day, Elias realised.

Could he do this? Could he enjoy the little time they hadandkeep the promise he’d made?

‘Are you all ready for the final?’ Carmen called up to him in the stands.

‘Pretty much.’ He looked down at her. ‘You know there’s a ball afterwards...’

‘I told you. I hate things like that.’

‘Why?’

‘I just do.’ She tapped Dom on the rear and he crossed the arena on the fly. ‘I like staying here with the animals.’ She looked up. ‘Well, I did last time.’

He laughed, trying and failing not to recall what had happened that night.

‘Come to the ball,’ he said.

‘I don’t have ballgown.’

‘I can take care of that.’

‘I don’t need you to dress me up, Elias.’ She stared up at him. ‘If I were to go to the ball, I would choose my own clothes.’

‘Just offering.’

‘Well, don’t.’

She was the moodiest, most difficult, intriguing woman he’d ever met.

And stunningly direct at times. For now she looked up.

‘Don’t you think rumours would start flying if you bought me a dress and we danced together?’

‘I’ll dance with all the stable hands. Well, apart from John...’

She laughed. ‘I don’t know...’ she said, and clicked Dom on.

But a week avoiding her had been too long and seeing her again, Elias could not wait for the possibility of a couple of dances tomorrow night, so he took out his phone and texted her.

Come over tonight...

Carmen read it and laughed and then shook her head. She stood, lips pursed, as he came down the stairs into the arena.

He was in his suit and looked incredible. Always lean, he looked as if he’d lost weight in the last few days, and she guessed he must have been training for the final. But when he moved closer she saw dark shadows under his eyes, and a longing in them that had her swallowing down the lump in her throat.

‘Carmen...’ He took the rope from her hand and secured Dom, and then moved her to the side, his hands warm on her waist.

‘Not here...’ she whispered.

‘Then come over tonight.’

‘Elias,’ she prevaricated, ‘I don’t know if it’s such a good idea.’

‘I do,’ he said. ‘You know I said I’d get back to you?’

She frowned.

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