‘There’s something about you, too, and I can feel it’ – Kate wiggled her bottom – ‘in all its impressive glory.’

‘Are you saying we impress you, Miss Hart?’ Back on safe ground, his voice was teasing.

‘Do fish swim?’

He laughed. ‘Clearly, a romantic.’

‘I doubt you want a romantic.’

‘True. Still,’ he said with a grin, ‘I’d hate to think you want me only for my impressive size.’

‘Sorry,’ she murmured, with a playful flutter of her lashes. ‘But I’m only in the market for stud services tonight.’

When in the past he would have been grateful for such a reply, he suddenly felt otherwise. ‘Maybe I can change your mind.’ His smile was impudent. ‘I can be very persuasive.’

‘I’m sure you can. But Nana didn’t raise any dumb kids, so your persuasion might not work.’

‘We’ll have to see, won’t we?’ he asked, arching his hips upwards and pleasing them both.

Her eyes shut and she softly moaned, the hard length of his erection pressed into her bottom firing up every sexual receptor in her body.

‘Did you like that?’ he whispered. ‘Would you like to feel me inside you? Deep, deep inside? Open your eyes, Miss Hart.’ His voice suddenly took on a hard edge. ‘Look at me.’

Her lashes slowly lifted, her gaze moody. ‘I don’t respond well to that tone of voice.’

‘Maybe this time you should.’ A slow smile formed on his lips. ‘Because I have what you need.’

Her nostrils flared, a hot-tempered green flame lit her eyes. ‘I don’t need you. I have a vibrator.’

‘I know.’

‘Jesus,’ she hissed, trying to shove him away. ‘Have you ever heard of privacy?’

His grip tightened. ‘Don’t make a scene,’ he quietly said. ‘We’re here now – at the docks.’

She glanced out the window, saw a man suddenly materialize at the car door. Dragging in a breath, she reminded herself that she was in Asia with a man she barely knew who could make grown men quail. Dominic’s people were everywhere and until she reached the hotel, she was subject to his authority. The hotel staff would be less beholden to him. ‘I’m fine,’ she calmly said. ‘I won’t make a scene. But I’d like to walk, if you don’t mind.’

He looked at her askance for a moment, surprised at her sudden docility. Then he dipped his head. ‘Suit yourself.’ When the door opened a second later, he lifted her from his lap, set her on her feet outside, joined her a moment later and led her to the launch. Neither spoke as the boat accelerated away from the dock at high speed. Pouring himself another single malt, Dominic left the cabin without a word and soon after, Kate heard his voice up on deck.

He came down for her as they approached Kowloon, and after docking, escorted her to a waiting car. The trip to the hotel passed in a cool silence.

She didn’t exactly flounce into the Ritz-Carlton, although it was clear to anyone looking that Mr Knight’s female companion was unhappy. His expression, in contrast, was placid. To the hotel staff, however, the state of Mr Knight’s disposition had sizeable financial consequences.

The night manager came running up as they crossed the lobby. Bowing like any practised courtier, he breathlessly inquired whether he could be of service to Dominic.

‘Thank you, no.’ Dominic smiled politely. ‘Although, if you’d see that we’re not disturbed until morning, I’d appreciate it. Miss Hart is tired.’

The man shot a glance at Kate’s stubbornly set jaw, understood that it was safer to defer to Mr Knight’s request than not, and crisply said, ‘As you wish, sir.’

If you only knew what I wished. ‘I will need coffee at eight tomorrow morning though,’ Dominic said mildly.

‘Yes, sir.’

The manager held open the elevator door for Kate and Dominic, and the moment the doors shut, he called up to the club level. ‘Both of you get down here,’ he snapped to the concierge. ‘Mr Knight doesn’t want to be disturbed tonight.’

CHAPTER 9

So much for help from the staff, Kate thought, as the elevator carried them upward. The manager had practically kissed Dominic’s ring. Which meant she was on her own and her only true security lay in a locked and chained door.

When the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, thanks to an evening’s worth of champagne, a fuming temper and a sense of self-preservation, Kate shot out like a sprinter from the blocks. ‘Don’t you fucking dare follow me,’ she muttered under her breath as she stalked away without a backward glance.

Had she looked back, she would have seen Dominic Knight contemplating her hasty retreat with a faint smile.

The moment she entered her suite, she slammed the door, turned the lock and jammed in the chain.

Oh Christ. Was the butler still here? She spun around. No. Thank God. She exhaled in relief. Dominic could say all he wanted about people not listening, but they did. And as far as she was concerned, it was only a question of when they’d spill the beans, not if. But then she probably read more National Enquirer articles than he did.

Tossing aside the shawl, she kicked off her shoes and moved across the softly lit living room, past the artfully arranged fruit and cheese tray on the coffee table set next to the bottle of champagne on ice, and grinned. Fuck you, Dominic Knight. Everything doesn’t always go your way, does it? Untying the bow at her waist, she entered the spacious bedroom with the million-dollar view, unzipped the back of her dress and let it slide from her shoulders. Pausing long enough to step out of the puddled silk on the carpet, she slid her thumbs under the elastic of her panties, paused again so they could slither down her legs and with a slightly inebriated skip and a jump, left them discarded on the floor. Two steps more and she dropped onto the bed already turned down by unseen hands.