dropped. “What?”
“Tariq was responsible for starting the fire that killed Ivan. Dylan’s sure he’s a murderer. The courts think he’s an arsonist. Apparently he’s out on bail now until his trial.”
“And he got disfigured like that in the fire?”
“Yeah. Both our families are devastated. Mine and the Shards.”
“Your families know each other?”
“My dad and Tariq’s dad grew up together, so we knew Tariq like a brother. He’s a computer genius, and my eldest brother – Ivan – he was into data analytics. They were always cooking up schemes together as kids, so I guess they just ended up working together.”
“Like you and Dylan?”
“Yeah, exactly.”
“And what did they cook up together this time?”
“They invented… something that could transform business as we know it. But Tariq got greedy. Wanted to use it to for evil gains.”
“So he started the fire?”
“Yeah, I guess he decided to destroy all the work he’d done with my brother – to try to make it look like an accident – then start again on his own. But he hadn’t realised my brother was in there that night, working. He went back to try and get him out, but it was too late…”
“And now he’s disfigured for life and has blood on his hands.”
“Exactly.”
Amy wasn’t sure how far to probe, but surely she had the right to know. “Earlier Tariq said that buying Grafton Techs was his idea.”
“So he says. Before he died, Ivan said that Grafton Techs was the missing piece of the puzzle, so me and Dylan set the wheels in motion to buy it. Ivan moved the blueprints and prototype to our office, realising that Tariq was up to something. So now all we need is for your Grafton Techs engineers to work their magic, and we can make my brother’s dreams come true.”
Amy’s chest fluttered with intrigue. “But Tariq thinks the legacy should be his?”
“Yeah. But we won’t let him anywhere near it. Stay away from him if he approaches you. I honestly think he’s gone crazy.”
Amy suddenly realised that her cigarette was burning her fingers, so she quickly ground it into an ashtray behind her. “It’s my intention to stay away from all men during my stay in New York, I can assure you.”
She turned back to face him, planning to tell him goodnight, but Adam suddenly frowned and squinted at her cheek.
“What?” she whispered.
He moved his face close to hers. Amy’s heart pounded hard from being so close to him.
“You’ve got an eyelash,” he said.
Amy swallowed her lust. She could feel his breath on her skin; her desire crushed down uncomfortably. She wanted him. She wanted to kiss him, then she wanted to fuck him. He was so perfect, His masculine face, this close, was incredible.
She opened her mouth to tell him that she’d get the eyelash herself, but he reached out and gently ran his thumb over her cheekbone, sending tingles over her yearning body.
Amy willed her trembling legs not to give way. Adam leaned in further, as if he planned to kiss her. And suddenly she couldn’t resist. She needed to find out what he tasted like. Surely one kiss wouldn’t do any harm.
Their lips met, and Adam moaned quietly, making Amy’s lips vibrate and her thighs wash with desire. His lips were soft yet dominating. He was in control of this situation, and somehow Amy loved it. His arms fell around her shoulders and his tongue eased into her mouth, but Amy’s fear overwhelmed her, so she pulled away.
“I can’t do this with you, Mr Quinlan.”
He looked even more delicious now. “Why?”
Amy gazed at him. “I’m not like the women you usually sleep with.”
He chuckled. “This is the twenty-first century, Amy. Sex is fun . It’s natural – something to be enjoyed by both men and women. I promise you satisfaction – I’ve never left a woman disappointed, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Amy swallowed down her frustration. “Perhaps the truth will make you leave me alone: I can’t