Bedroom Seductions: Two Weeks in the Magnate's Bed

Out of her mind, all right. Out of her mind with wanting him to do it again and again and again.

‘It wasn’t?’

Shaking his head, he cradled her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. ‘You have no idea what you do to me.’

Flicking her tongue out to dampen her swollen lips, she said, ‘I think I have some idea.’

Her wry response garnered a smile. ‘I thought you were immune to my charm?’

‘There’s no vaccination strong enough against you, it seems.’

They grinned at each other like a couple of starstruck adolescents, the brisk ocean breeze buffeting them, pushing her towards him in an act from the heavens.

She’d usually flee—find a quiet place and dwell on why he kept chasing her when she wasn’t remotely chaseworthy.

Though she didn’t run at work; there she solved problems, enjoyed the challenge. Just ask her colleagues where she could be found: at the museum at all hours, tracking down the newest discovery, ensuring the latest display was eye-catching, cataloguing the backlog no one else wanted to do.

Thinking of the museum did it: she wasn’t some femme fatale who went around inviting kisses from charming sailors on a moonlit night. She was career-focussed, with an aim to reach the top of her field with a little more confidence. She should know better than to read anything into a few casual kisses and his wanting to date her—whatever that meant.

She might be inexperienced with men, but she was old enough to understand the purely chemical reaction when two people remotely attracted to each other flirted a little and that flirtation got out of hand.

‘You’re driving me to distraction.’ He ran a hand through his hair for the second time in as many minutes, more rattled than she’d ever seen him. ‘And, considering the job I have to do this trip, I can’t afford any distraction.’

‘And you’re telling me this because… ?’

He leaned forward, wound a strand of her hair around his forefinger and tugged gently. ‘Because, despite every logical reason why I shouldn’t do this, I’m struggling to keep my hands off you.’

‘Oh.’

The wine she’d consumed at dinner sloshed around her stomach, rocking and rolling in time with her pounding heart as he tugged harder, bringing her lips centimetres from his before brushing a soft, barely-there kiss across her mouth. It was a tender kiss, at complete odds with the passionate exploding kisses they’d previously shared, a heartrending kiss that reached down to her soul despite her intentions to ward it off.

When they broke apart she couldn’t fathom the expres-sion on his face, the shifting shadows in his eyes.

‘I have to go check on that fax.’

‘Right.’

‘Stay out of trouble.’

With a brief touch on her cheek he was gone, leaving her thoroughly confused.

Within the space of an hour he’d comforted her, kissed her, and apparently dated her.

And what was that ‘trouble’ crack about? She’d never been in trouble in her life: the model student who studied hard and didn’t party, the diligent worker first in of a morning, last to lock up at night. Good old dependable Lana. Reliable, steadfast, earnest Lana. Which was exactly why she was here, trying to build her self-esteem and convince herself a sexy sailor could just be the way to go about it.

He’d been nothing but honest about wanting her, so why the sudden scram? One minute his kiss had been warm and gentle and caring, the next he’d made a run for it.

Ironic, considering she hadn’t run for once. She’d embraced her newfound bravery and stayed, even after that scintillating kiss that normally would have sent her scurrying for cover.

But she was done with running.

If she couldn’t handle a healthy dose of honesty—something he’d just given her, even if the truth of how much he wanted her scared the hell out of her—how could she hope to become the poised, confident woman she needed to be at work?

She mightn’t be able to give him what he wanted—would probably disappoint him if she did—but that didn’t mean she couldn’t lighten up a bit and actually enjoy his attention.

If she was really brave, she might even have a little fun along the way.

CHAPTER SEVEN (#ulink_72e869a3-c623-51d5-ae65-6afcfb7c32a2)

LANA spied Zac at the end of the gangway and sighed in relief. After he’d run out on her last night she’d had her doubts about him showing up today. Crazy, considering she was the one who’d usually contemplate a no-show rather than worrying about him doing it.

Beyond impressive in uniform, today he was casually cool in black board shorts, a funky printed T-shirt and a peaked cap, with aviator sunglasses shading his eyes. She wished she could see those eyes, read them, get a feel for his mood after last night.

She hadn’t heard from him, hadn’t seen him this morning, and while she was relieved, a small part of her couldn’t help but wonder what he had planned for today.

If last night’s ‘date’ hadn’t exactly happened, maybe he had other ideas today?

Taking a deep breath, she headed down the gangway, half of her looking forward to the tour of Suva, the other half looking forward to seeing how far her confidence extended.

‘I thought you’d stood me up.’

Tipping her head forward, she looked at him over the top of her sunglasses. ‘Why would I do that? I’ve been looking forward to your tour.’

‘I’m very good, you know.’

‘Ever heard the phrase “self-praise is no praise”?’

He grinned and gestured to a small four-wheel drive parked nearby. ‘Come on, I have a car waiting for us.’ He bowed low. ‘Your chariot awaits, madam.’ He pulled off his cap with a flourish.

‘You’re going to drive?’

She glanced at the chaotic scene on the dock, where cars darted between pedestrians and street vendors, and horns honked constantly as people jumped out of the way of moving vehicles in haphazard fashion.

He laughed at her horrified, sceptical expression. ‘Don’t worry, I’ve done this before. The car belongs to Raj, a friend of mine. He often lends it to me if I want to tour around. Once we leave the docks and head out of town the roads quieten considerably.’

Her doubt must have shown, for his grin widened. ‘Don’t you trust me?’

She quirked an eyebrow. ‘Your driving skills? Maybe. As for the rest? Not on your life.’

He clutched his heart. ‘You’re a hard woman. Now, come on—get in the car before I change my mind.’

She laughed, surprisingly relaxed as they headed out of town and he pointed out interesting landmarks.

She’d expected some awkwardness, but he kept up a steady flow of casual chatter as they wound around the island. Content to sit back and watch the stunning scenery, she admired the sapphire ocean lapping at pearly sands, the beaches fringed by swaying palm trees. After half an hour, they stopped at a roadside café.

‘Do you like Indian food?’

‘Love it. The hotter the better.’