Page 71 of Virgin's Stolen Nights with the Boss

‘About whether I would I have slept with you if I’d known you were a virgin?’

‘I think we both know the answer to that.’

‘Yes,’ he said firmly. ‘I would have.’

‘You would have run a mile.’

‘No,’ he shook his head. ‘But if I’d known I’d have made love to you properly.’

He made her breath hitch in her chest, and she felt herself light up and shine. He kissed her, and she felt ripples of lust course through her as he stroked his hands over her waist.

‘Someone might come...’

‘Then let’s do this tonight.’ He looked right at her. ‘A proper first date. You can make paella.’

‘I’m not cooking on our date!’

‘Okay.’ He smiled. ‘I’ll make paella. Even if we’re going nowhere, you deserve better than a quick shag on the office sofa...’

‘I loved our “shag” on the office sofa.’ Carmen smiled at the new word, but her heart was thumping.

These weeks in Malibu had been so healing to her heart...amongst the happiest she had ever known...

She was starting to find out who she was.

The Carmen without the family fortune behind her and the glittering career.

The Carmen who wasn’t abrupt and upfront because she had Romero name behind her but because she was simply abrupt and upfront.

The Carmen who had never felt comfortable with any man until Elias...

He didn’t even know her real name!

She didn’t want anything to change. And change it would, Carmen was certain, when she told him about the bodega, the properties, the jet-set lifestyle, the family feuds...

‘I don’t want to spoil things,’ Carmen admitted.

‘We’re not going to spoil things.’

She looked doubtful.

‘One date. We can do things right for one night. Surely?’

‘What about tomorrow?’

‘A couple of dances with everyone else around—not exactly a date.’

She stared back at him. For the first time in her life, she felt a wobble of excitement at the thought of dressing up for a ball.

She was listening to her heart when she nodded, even while she was lying to herself when she argued that she wasn’t playing with fire, nor at risk of falling in love with this man...

‘Do I bring wine tonight?’

‘Whatever you want. Do you want some time off?’

She frowned.

‘To get a dress for the ball...?’

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