His Most Exquisite Conquest

A very good one, she thought as she glanced at the label—Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Almost giddy with excitement, she certainly didn’t need alcohol to feel intoxicated, but she asked, ‘Do you want to open it now?’

‘When we eat,’ he said dismissively, taking in her living space. ‘This is a wonderfully welcoming room, Lucy. Did you do the decorating?’

It was a fairly standard two-bedroom apartment, one bathroom and an open kitchen combined with the living area, but she was proud of how they had turned it into their home, and Michael’s approval of it was especially pleasing. She set the bottle of wine on the kitchen counter so she could use her hands to gesture at various items as she answered him.

‘Ellie bought the basic furniture. I added the cushions and the wall posters and the rug in front of the lounge. We wanted it to be a cheerful place to come home to, and with the walls and floor tiles being white, the whole place virtually begged for bright splashes of colour.’

‘You’ve done a brilliant job.’ He gave her another dazzling smile, setting off a fountain of joy inside her. ‘My mother was great at using colour to please the eye, too.’

Being compared to his mother felt like a huge compliment. Lucy beamed at him. ‘I’m glad you like it.’

He shook his head slightly as he moved towards where she stood in front of the kitchen counter, ‘There’s nothing not to like about you, Lucy.’

The lovely low throb in his voice set her stomach aflutter and her heart leapt into a wild gallop when his hands started sliding around her waist. Her own hands automatically lifted to his shoulders as he drew her closer, gently pressing her lower body to his. The silvery-grey eyes darkened with a storm of feeling, searching hers for a reflection of the same storm.