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adding under her breath, “except Bronte.”
    Nico blinked
and gave her a perfunctory smile, his attention fully focused on
Bronte.
    “If it is no
trouble. I realise I have interrupted your work.”
    Bronte couldn’t
tear her eyes from his.
    The intensity
of his gaze was rather unnerving.
    Her mouth went
bone dry. Why couldn’t she breathe?
    “Take Nico into
the sitting room and I’ll bring it in.” Rosie instructed, and then
gave Bronte a poke in the back along with a firm little push.
    “You are full of
surprises.”
    Bronte debated
how to respond to the remark as Nico shrugged off his jacket,
turning in a circle as he took in the room with a calculating gleam
in his eye that she took great exception to. The black sweater in
fine cashmere accentuated his wide shoulders and narrow waist. He
tossed his jacket, chose a corner of the sofa and settled himself
comfortably, too comfortably.
    His
cock-of-the-walk attitude brought Bronte’s hackles up.
    Those amazing
eyes pinned hers. She shivered at how dark and intent his gaze was
as he studied her.
    Seriously
annoyed that he could affect her like this, Bronte narrowed her
eyes.
    “What,
surprised that I work hard to make a living?”
    Nico opened his
mouth to reply and the door opened.
    Rosie’s eyes
went wide as she picked up the charged atmosphere. Her gaze flicked
from one to the other as she placed the tray on a table. Then she
did a spectacular eye roll behind Nico’s back as she left.
    What on earth
was Rosie thinking, Bronte fumed, bringing him into the house today
of all days? And why had she used the priceless Limoges coffee
set?
    Bronte decided
that soon, very soon, she would strangle her friend.
    She poured and
handed Nico a cup of black coffee in a fragile porcelain cup,
watching him carefully as he added cream and stirred. A part of her
brain noticed he had lovely hands, with long fingers and short
nails.
    “You are never
going to let me forget that, are you?” he asked, those eyes,
sparkling now, never left her face.
    Bronte merely
shrugged and fought not to smile back. He was too smooth she
decided, too charming and she’d been burned once before by a slick
operator.
    She took a deep
breath and his dark eyes sharpened.
    “The house is
not for sale.”
    Her eyes issued a
direct challenge.
    Nico smiled to
himself.
    She sat
opposite and crossed long legs dressed in blue and white checked
cotton trousers. Slender fingers clasped her knee. Back straight,
her eyes met his unflinchingly. She was sexy and beautiful. Not in
his usual style her cool beauty was a definite departure for him.
The hard ache in his groin was an interesting development too.
    His mind racing
Nico took a sip of excellent coffee.
    The issue with
the business being run from the house was not an overwhelming
obstacle. Although he seemed to remember a clause in a covenant
which he would have his lawyers’ research. However, it appeared
dealing with Bronte on a personal level and The Dower House would
require creative thinking. So for the moment he would back off as
far as the house was concerned and see where this attraction
led.
    Nico wanted
her, he wanted the house and he would not alienate Alexander.
Taking another sip of coffee, he decided there was nothing like a
challenge.
    He kept his
voice low, the tone friendly as he studied her pale face
carefully.
    “I find myself
in a unique situation.”
    She frowned,
those emerald eyes appeared confused now.
    Her full mouth
looked terribly vulnerable.
    “I don’t
understand. I thought you were here about the house.” She looked so
cute, his mouth watered.
    Nico sent her a
friendly grin and watched the heat flooding her face with
interest.
    “I am here
about the house, amongst other things.”
    The pulse in
her neck beat furiously and Nico found himself admiring her again.
Most people found him intimidating, but not Bronte. When her chin
rose it didn’t annoy him as it had done the night before. Instead
it aroused.
    He removed