Page 25 of His Innocent Unwrapped In Iceland

Her heart ached at that thought, but it was an old pain and so she put aside. The most important thing was how she was going to handle Orion for the next twelve days, because she was going to have to keep him at a distance, not let him get too close.

She was also going to have to figure out what to get him as a ‘gift’. Not something sexual since she’d already decided she wasn’t going to sleep with him again, and anyway, she didn’t want to give him something he’d expect. She also didn’t want to give him something that would add to the power he already had, which meant it not only had to be unexpected, but also shake that supreme confidence of his in some way.

‘It has to be something you think I would like.’

Except she didn’t know what he would like. She didn’t know anything about him, beyond him being a ruthless corporate raider. There were bios of him floating around on the internet, but she hadn’t read any of them. She’d told herself she wasn’t interested. She’d heard that he’d been an orphan like she was, but again, she hadn’t wanted to find out any more because she hadn’t wanted to feel sympathy or kinship towards him.

Besides, what did you get a man who had everything he could ever want?

He doesn’t have you.

The thought refused to go away. And even though she spent the day in the little library she’d spotted, accumulating a nice stack of books to read and distracting herself now and then with stares out the window at the beauty of the snowy landscape beyond the glass, it was still there by the time night fell.

She was curled up in one of the chairs in the library when she heard the door to Orion’s office open and then sometime later, shutting again. Half of her was relieved he hadn’t bothered to come and find her, while the other half was annoyed. Not that she wanted him to. Of course, she didn’t want him to.

Yet that left her alone with her thoughts and the fact that if she wanted to give him something she knew he would like, it would have to be something to do with her.

It could be a secret...

She didn’t have any secrets, though. There was nothing of interest about her, and why he was so fascinated with her she didn’t understand. Still, she had to give him something.

That night she ate her dinner alone, then indulged in a bath in her ensuite before going to bed.

She slept like a log and when she woke up the next morning, she lay there going over what she was going to give Orion today.

Perhaps it would have to be a kiss. She didn’t want to give him one, not when she knew she was too susceptible to it backfiring on her, and besides, she had to hold something back; it wouldn’t do to give him everything he wanted straight away. Yet what else did she have?

When she went downstairs, breakfast was waiting for her and this time so was he, sitting at the table, casually sipping his coffee. His amber gaze was intent as it met hers and she found her heartbeat accelerating the way it always did when he was around.

He was just as gorgeous as he’d been yesterday, still dressed in jeans and a casual shirt of some soft-looking black textured fabric. The neck of the shirt was open, revealing the smooth olive skin of his throat, and she couldn’t drag her gaze away from it.

She’d kissed him there that night they’d spent together and tasted the salt of his skin. The memory made her mouth go dry and her face feel hot.

As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, he gave her one of those slow-burning smiles that made her insides melt and something insistent throb between her legs. ‘Good morning, Snow White.’ His voice was on the edge of a purr. ‘I trust you slept well.’

She pulled out the chair opposite and sat down, while he pushed a cup of coffee in her direction. ‘Thank you,’ she muttered, trying to calm her racing heart. ‘Yes, I did.’

‘I’m excited about my gift.’ He took a sip of his own coffee, watching her, his dark golden eyes glinting in the cool winter sunlight coming through the windows. ‘I’m assuming you’ve thought of something.’

Her heart was beating far too fast and she knew abruptly that she couldn’t give him the kiss she’d been planning on. If he could make her this flustered simply by looking at her, she couldn’t risk a kiss. It was a loss of control she couldn’t allow herself.

‘Yes.’ She tried to make the word calm and cool. ‘I’m going to give you a secret.’

It wasn’t much of a secret, but she couldn’t think of anything else.

He smiled, though, and the gleam that lit in his eyes was genuine interest. It was as if she’d offered him the rarest of jewels.

He put his coffee down and leaned his elbows on the table, expression expectant. ‘A secret? I’m assuming it’s a secret about you?’

She blushed helplessly. ‘Yes, but it’s silly. It’s not even a secret.’

‘I’ll be the judge of that.’

She sighed and glanced away, cupping her coffee mug in her hands and pressing her fingertips against the hot ceramic. He was going to be disappointed. ‘My favourite artist is Vincent Van Gogh,’ she said hesitantly. ‘And... I know everything about him.’

‘Do you now?’ He didn’t sound...uninterested.

‘Yes. I used to love going to art galleries and museums as a kid and looking at...beautiful things. And when I found a piece I particularly loved, I liked reading all about it and the person who made it.’

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