No matter what he did, he couldn’t keep from choking that champagne right back up.

She simply didn’t understand. For nearly seven years now, the man had sought her out. At every charity event. Every university function. Anything she had to go to in order to fulfill her responsibilities to the university, Niles Van Holtz was there. He wouldn’t pounce right away. He’d wait until she’d finally entertained the thought that he’d decided not to attend and then boom. He’d be there. Usually easing up behind her and asking her something rather inappropriate in her ear. You could almost say she’d come to expect it.

Irene looked up into Van Holtz’s handsome face. And he was handsome. Gorgeous, in fact, if you followed the normal societal standards. Dark brown hair that had streaks of white, black, and gray nearly covered those oddly colored eyes of his. Kind of a gold amber or something. She wasn’t really a color person; she left those sorts of decisions to Jackie. Even now the gown Irene wore—a pale silver . . . thing—her friend had picked out for her.

Van Holtz also had a rather square jaw and a nose she bet once had a deviated septum, based on the way it went crooked right below his brows, and a rather abnormally large neck.

Yes, a very handsome man. And, perhaps, one of the most arrogant beings she’d ever come across. Truly, if she had any emotional investment in this man, she’d be forced to have him wiped from the planet. But Irene had very little emotional investment in anyone. Jackie and Jackie’s boyfriend, Paul, pretty much covered her emotional investment. And she was quite okay with that.

More than okay.

Van Holtz cleared his throat. “Um . . . and why do you think it would matter to me if you’re a virgin?”

Irene shrugged. “You have that demeanor. I imagine you probably like it when the virgin tells you, ‘Ow! You’re too big. Please, we have to stop!’ And you say”—she lowered her voice several octaves to match Van Holtz’s—“‘Don’t worry. I’ll make it good for you, sweet little virgin girl.’”

Van Holtz stared at her for at least a full minute and Irene began to wonder where Jackie had wandered off to. She brought the woman with her to stop Irene from doing things like this. Saying something that would cause huge repercussions financially. The Van Holtz family gave the university a lot of money and with a stupid attempt at honesty, Irene may have caused that money supply to dry up.

But then Van Holtz threw his head back and laughed, shocking Irene and causing everyone in the room to turn around and stare at them. Not surprisingly, Jackie suddenly appeared at her side.

“What’s going on?” she immediately asked, a lovely fake smile on her face.

“I’m unclear as to whether I’m being laughed at or laughed with,” Irene told her friend.

“Laughed with, doc,” he finally managed. “I promise. You just never fail to amuse me.”

“Knowing that, my life is now complete.”

Jackie tugged a lock of her hair. A signal that she needed to shut up now.

As it happened any time Irene found herself in a conversation with Niles Van Holtz, two people always showed up if they were around. His older sister, the less than pleasant Carrie Van Holtz. And Farica Bader. A woman clearly interested in Van Holtz for herself. The two women surrounded them while eyeing each other cautiously.

“Did I miss something?” Carrie asked her brother.

“Yeah. But I’ll tell you later.” Those amber-colored eyes glanced at Irene. “I was just spending some time with my favorite biophysicist.”

“Why?” his sister asked, and Irene had to appreciate her honesty. Of course, Jackie didn’t. And she gave a little warning snarl that almost made Irene smile. Except Irene didn’t smile. When she did it felt weird and uncomfortable. So she never bothered unless caught off-guard.

“Van,” Farica breathed huskily, going up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek, “I missed you at last week’s get-together.”

“Sorry, Farica.” Van Holtz swiped a quick kiss across the back of her knuckles, but his eyes stayed focused on Irene. “I had to go to San Francisco to check on the new restaurant.”

“I thought your father handled that sort of thing.”

“Normally he does,” he murmured, his eyes traveling down Irene’s dress and back up again. “But lately he’s become quite the demanding prick.”

“Perhaps he’s considering retirement.” And even Irene could hear the hopefulness in that cold, cultured voice. The Baders were a small family but clearly had hopes of becoming more powerful among the Seattle elite. Connections with the Van Holtzes would ensure that. Especially marriage. Although from what Irene had heard these past seven years, getting Niles Van Holtz down the aisle would take a team of oxen and many chains. The man never stayed with one woman for any length of time, although he might go back and forth between his favorites.

Sex. It all had to do with sexual intercourse. Something Irene actively avoided if at all possible. As she’d told Van Holtz, she wasn’t a virgin. Two years at MIT ensured that. But she’d never enjoyed it and she’d tried it with several different partners. She found the whole process rather revolting. She had the distinct feeling she’d one day have to explain that to Niles Van Holtz so he could stop looking at her like his next conquest. As handsome as he was, the idea of getting naked with him and writhing around did nothing but make her feel slightly ill. It wasn’t him per se. It was the physical act itself.