[Invitation to Eden 24.0] How to Tempt a Tycoon by Daire StDenis Read Free Book Online Page B

then to laughter. It’s sexy as hell, dammit. Why does he have to keep surprising me? Taunting me? Tempting me?
    He refills his glass, hands me mine and then taps the rims together in a toast.
    “You are a remarkable woman, Tessa Savage. I do hope we can become friends. Close friends.”
    I lift the glass to my mouth and drink, slowly and purposefully. The taste is so much better this way—dammit—and I wonder whether sex with Christophe would be as glorious as I’m starting to suspect it’d be.
    “Maybe,” I say. “Maybe one day.”
    ***
    I t’s my last day in Monte Carlo and after sharing a rushed breakfast with Tal on the Terrace of Le Hotel de Paris—so he could spend the rest of the morning with Alejandro before rehearsal—I find a secluded spot to sit and read. I’m reading a book called Slayer , an erotic retelling of the Princess and the Pea story where the princess in question is a dragon slayer.
    Very fun.
    I’m a third of the way through the story when a shadow falls across me. Instead of looking up, I breathe in.
    I recognize that scent.
    “Hello Christophe.”
    “Tessa.”
    “Would you care to join me?”
    “I thought you’d never ask.” There is humor in his tone and I like it. God, he is turning out to be a lot different from the man I thought he was.
    “I understand you leave today.”
    “You need to stop stalking people. It’s creepy.”
    I love the way his eyes crinkle at the corner when he laughs. It’s infectious.
    “If certain women wouldn’t drive certain men to distraction, then certain men would not have to stalk certain women.”
    “Touché.”
    He draws his chair closer. “When do you leave?”
    I pull my phone out of my bag and check the time. “In an hour.” I place my phone on the table.
    He nods and looks away, gazing toward the sea. “A friend of mine owns a resort on an island. It’s exclusive. Special.” He turns back to me. “I have a long standing invitation. I should like to visit again.”
    “Oh?”
    His expression is suddenly serious.
    Even though he hasn’t asked me to join him, I know where this is going. “Christophe, we barely know one another.”
    “Yet, why do I feel as if we’ve met before, as if I know you?”
    I shrug.
    “Is it not the same for you?”
    It’s my turn to look away. I think about the moment our eyes met in the salon, him sitting at the bar, me about to play roulette. Though I had just read about him, there was something instant between us.
    A chemistry?
    A connection?
    God, I don’t know.
    “Maybe,” I whisper.
    “Then take a chance.” He takes my hand and caresses the backs of my knuckles. “Trust the feeling.”
    I’m about to ask him what he’s proposing when my phone rings. I’m so captivated by what he’s saying and by the incredible light in his eyes that I don’t even check the caller.
    “Tess?”
    Fuck!
    It’s Chase.
    I snatch my hand from Christophe’s and get up. Turning my back on him, I walk to the edge of the terrace and lean on the rail.
    “What are you doing calling me?”
    “You didn’t reply to my text.”
    “I know. I’m in Monte Carlo.”
    “I see.” Silence follows his statement as Chase undoubtedly realizes I’m implying that I’m here with someone.
    Eventually he speaks. “Here’s what I don’t understand. Why are you with other men when there’s still this thing between us?” Chase’s angry drawl puts me on edge, making my chest tight and breathing difficult.
    “Chase.”
    “It doesn’t make sense, Tessa.”
    Glancing back at the table, I see Christophe watching me. “I know,” I whisper. How do I explain to my ex-husband that I’ve never been able to make sense of the feelings he evokes in me. The horrible, wonderful, unsettled feelings.
    “So, do you want to see me or not?”
    “Chase...”
    “Answer the question, Tess.”
    Not fair! How many years did I love and obey his commands? Even after more years of divorce, why do I still have the urge to continue to