relationships. Iâm aiming for that. Iâve dripped all over your floor. Be careful not to slip.â
He was leaning against the wall, watching her with amusement. âThis is what you look like when youâre being cold and ruthlessly detached?â
âI havenât actually started yet, but the moment my radar warns me I might be in danger of falling for the wrong type,
bam
ââ she punched the air with her fist ââIâm going to turn on my freezing side. From now on I have armour around my heart. Kevlar.â She gave him a friendly smile. âYou think Iâm crazy, right? All this is natural to you. But it isnât to me. This is the first stage of my personality transplant. Iâd love to do the whole thing under anaesthetic and wake up all new and perfect, but that isnât possible so Iâm trying to embrace the process.â
A vibrating noise caught her attention and she glanced across the room towards his jacket. When he didnât move, she looked at him expectantly. âThatâs your phone.â
He was still watching her, his gaze disturbingly intent. âYes.â
âYouâre not going to answer it?â She scrambled to her feet, still clutching the towel. âIt might be her, asking for your forgiveness.â
âIâm sure it is, which is why I donât intend to answer it.â
Lily absorbed that with admiration. âThis is a perfect example of why I need to be like you and not like me. If that had been my phone, I would have answered it and when whoever was on the end apologised for treating me badly, I would have told him it was fine. I would have forgiven them.â
âYouâre right,â he said. âYou do need help. Whatâs your name?â
She shifted, her wet feet sticking to the floor. âLily. Like the flower.â
âYou look familiar. Have we met before?â
Lily felt the colour pour into her cheeks. âIâve been working as an intern at your company two days a week for the past couple of months. Iâm second assistant to your personal assistant.â
Iâm the one who broke the photocopier and the coffee machine.
Dark eyebrows rose. âWeâve met?â
âNo. Iâve only seen you once in person. I donât count the time I was hiding in the bathroom.â
âYou hid in the bathroom?â
âYou were on a firing spree. I didnât want to be noticed.â
âSo you work for me two days a week, and on the other three days youâre working as a cleaner?â
âNo, I only do that job in the evenings. The other three days Iâm doing fieldwork up at Aptera for the summer. But thatâs almost finished. Iâve reached a crossroads in my life and Iâve no idea which direction to take.â
âFieldwork?â That sparked his interest. âYouâre an archaeologist?â
âYes, Iâm part of a project funded by the university but that part doesnât pay off my massive college loans so I have other jobs.â
âHow much do you know about Minoan antiquities?â
Lily blinked. âProbably more than is healthy for a woman of twenty-four.â
âGood. Get back into the bathroom and dry yourself off while I find you a dress. Tonight I have to open the new wing of the museum. Youâre coming with me.â
âMe? Donât you have a date?â
âI had a date,â he said smoothly. âAs youâre partially responsible for the fact sheâs no longer here, youâre coming in her place.â
âButââ She licked her lips. âIâm supposed to be cleaning your villa.â
His gaze slid from her face to the wash of water covering the bathroom floor. âIâd say youâve done a pretty thorough job. By the time we get home, the flood will have spread down the stairs and across the living areas, so it will clean itself.â
Lily gave