When he saw her dining companion get up to leave the table he felt a rush of satisfaction. Now she would have to turn back to him. Cesar wasn’t unaware of the looks she’d been drawing all evening in that provocative dress. She outshone every other woman. Literally. Cesar couldn’t even recall seeing another woman. It was as if she’d blinded him. With lust.
He didn’t like the hot spokes of anger that lanced him every time he caught some man’s gaze sliding to her abundant curves.
* * *
Lexie could sense Cesar beside her. Waiting... Mrs Carmichael had gone to the bathroom and she was ready for his gaze to be censorious for having avoided him so obviously.
Taking a breath, she turned back—and just like that a jolt of pure electricity shot through her belly. Cesar had his hand on the back of her chair again, far too close for comfort. He’d taken off his jacket and his shirt was pulled taut across his chest, doing little to hide that stunning musculature.
He spoke. ‘What I said earlier...before you turned your back on me so comprehensively...’
Lexie flushed and was about to remonstrate, but she knew she couldn’t. She felt like a child.
‘Mrs Carmichael was interesting,’ she supplied a touch defensively.
‘I know Mrs Carmichael very well and she is interesting.’ His lip curled slightly. ‘About the most interesting person here.’
Lexie glanced around at the very important-looking men and women. ‘But aren’t these your friends?’
Cesar all but snorted, surprising Lexie.
‘They pretend to be my friends because I come and bid an obscene amount of money at their auction and then go. The only reason I do it is because I believe in this particular charity and because the money goes directly to the source, rather than via a dozen government agencies.’
‘Oh,’ Lexie answered, a little taken aback at Cesar’s words.
She’d have put him in the same category as many r
ich people who contributed to charity for far too cynical reasons. But this was a worthy charity; it was aimed at combatting sex trafficking—a cause close to Lexie’s own heart. She knew it was not one that was especially ‘trendy’ in the media, so the fact that Cesar was endorsing it had to help.
‘Mrs Carmichael told me about it.’
Cesar picked up a card with his free hand and held it out to her. ‘Here’s a list of items to be auctioned—see if anything takes your fancy.’
His insouciance and his air of almost bored expectation that she would expect to be indulged made Lexie feel bizarrely disappointed. Then the fact that she couldn’t read the card sent a spurt of anger up her spine. Something bitter gripped her.
She whispered angrily, ‘I might not be as intellectual as your usual lovers, Cesar, but you really don’t have to treat me like some kind of bimbo just because I’m blonde and—’
‘That’s enough.’ Cesar straightened up, his hand tensing across the back of her chair, his fingers touching her neck in a very light but subtle admonishment.
She tensed against her inevitable reaction and could have laughed. To all the world they must look besotted. Close together, staring at each other, intent...
She could see in his face that he was surprised at her response. She moved, dislodging his hand slightly. ‘I’m sorry. I overreacted.’
Cesar grimaced faintly. ‘I didn’t mean for it to sound so dismissive or flippant.’
Lexie was once again taken aback by his ability to apologise. Slightly mollified, she said, ‘Maybe I’ll want to bid on something myself?’
To give Cesar his due, he didn’t laugh before he said, ‘Do you know how much the cheapest item is marked at?’
Lexie shook her head. He glanced down and then looked back up, naming a price. She paled and said faintly, ‘I guess I won’t be bidding, then.’
Cesar handed her the card and Lexie took it. She should really tell him—especially if he was going to have her so on edge—that even reading a menu would be a challenge for her.
‘About the menu earlier...I should explain—’
‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘I didn’t mean to imply for a second that you’re stupid.’
Now Lexie shook her head, regretting her defensive response. ‘The reason I wasn’t reading the menu very well was because I’m severely dyslexic.’