her.
“I need to have your support, Rick,” she said.
His eyes softened and he smiled slightly. He glanced at her leg. “How is it feeling?” he asked, running his finger around the bruise.
“Great,” she said, her response indicating not the pain from her bruise but the exquisite feel of his touch. Their eyes locked and she could feel her heart turn over. Her entire body ached for him. He leaned forward and she closed her eyes, readying for his kiss.
In the nick of time, Rick stopped. What the hell was he doing?
He needed to get back to business. The night, the wine, the romantic setting…it was all making him lose his head. She was not a lover he had brought on vacation, nor would she ever be. She was the chairman of the board and he couldn’t allow himself to forget it.
He grabbed his laptop and sat in the chair, trying not to notice as she settled herself on the bed. She fluffed up the pillows before situating her computer on her lap. If anyone had looked in the window, he would think they were a happily settled domestic couple, albeit one not romantically inclined.
He sorted through the day’s mail and messages before scouring the recent stock activity. “Sabrina has been buying more stock,” he said.
He picked up his laptop and took it over to the bed to show her. He sat beside her and said, “Look at this.”
She scanned the information. “So she has no intention of selling her shares to us?”
“Not necessarily. She might be doing this just because she knows we want it. She figures whatever she has is worth twice as much.”
“Maybe we should draft a letter to the stockholders and tell them what’s going on. They need to know that now is not the time to sell.”
“I agree,” Rick said.
Together they began to work. At close to two in the morning, Lessa fell asleep, her head on Rick’s shoulder. A copper ringlet had fallen over her forehead. He gazed across her face, slowly lingering on her temptingly curved mouth. He slid his hand under her head and gently set her down on the pillow. She sighed and the corners of her lips turned upwards in a sweet smile as she nestled into the soft down.
Damn, but he wanted her.
He swallowed hard and, utilizing every ounce of willpower he could summon, rolled out of bed. Her rubbing up against him in the middle of the night could trigger a chain of events that he didn’t want to think about.
He settled himself into the chair and leaned backward, absentmindedly running his fingers through his hair. Who would’ve thought he’d want to make love to Alessandra Lawrence? She had been nothing but trouble. He’d found her uptight and rigid, a prim and proper woman with a narrow vision. And, so he thought, they had nothing in common besides their desire to run Lawrence Enterprises.
But beneath that cool exterior was a warm and passionate woman, one with her own struggles and demons. And one who just happened to look damn good in a towel.
He barely slept that night. He tossed and turned until a sliver of light was shining through the rose-colored curtains. As he massaged his stiff neck, Lessa sighed slightly and turned on her back. Her long eyelashes curled over her sleeping eyes, and her hair was splayed out behind her. Her body, long and elegant, rested on top of the covers. Daylight had not helped his willpower. With the light radiating around her, she looked like an angel. At the very least, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
He needed to get out of there. Fast. He showered and dressed as quickly as he could. When he walked back in the room, Lessa was sitting on the side of the bed.
“Good morning,” she said, stretching like a lazy kitten. Her hair was tousled and her shirt half-unbuttoned. And the fact that she was unaware of her sexiness only added to her allure.
“I’m going to find some coffee,” he said, looking away. “How do you take it?”
“Black, please,” she said as he shut the door.
He picked up the coffee in the restaurant and took his time getting back to the bungalow. He paused outside the door and saw Sabrina stepping off a boat, dressed all in white. She was a beautiful woman, but she paled in comparison to Lessa. He found it amazing that he had ever been attracted to her. She seemed so superficial and insincere. But he had not been looking for love when they’d gotten together. He had been looking for sex and adventure and had found her significantly lacking in both.
He could not imagine coming home to a woman like that. He wanted a woman more like Lessa, one who was spunky and tough. A woman who could be sensitive and strong at the same time. Sabrina saw him and waved. He nodded in her direction and pushed open the door.
Lessa was standing with her back to him, wearing only a pair of lace panties. She pulled her dress over her head and spun around.
“Don’t you knock?” she said, picking up her bra and heading back into the bathroom.
“Look, Lessa, I’m sorry. Sabrina is right outside the door. It never occurred to me that you would be naked in the middle of the room. After all, the blinds aren’t even closed.”
The bathroom door opened and she reappeared. “It’s all right,” she said. “No harm done.”
He would beg to differ. He had seen her full, ripe breasts, her tiny flat belly and the panties that hung over her slender hips. It was a sight he was not going to forget anytime soon.
He suddenly realized that he hadn’t moved. He was still standing in the doorway, holding the coffee in front of him.
“Is this mine?” she asked, taking a cup. He watched her sip the warm liquid. She sighed and closed her eyes. “Mmm. This tastes great,” she said, running her tongue around her lips. “Thank you.”
What was she trying to do, drive him crazy?
Oblivious to her charm, she smiled and said, “Now I’m ready for another round.” She opened the door and waved to Sabrina. Then she turned back toward him and whispered, “We should kiss.”
Without hesitation, she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. As her lips touched his, he could feel his body respond.
Unaware of the seductive spell she had cast, she pulled away. “Did she see?” she asked cheerfully.
“I’d say so.” Sabrina was walking straight toward them. “Good morning, Sabrina,” he said as Lessa turned around.
“How did you sleep?” Sabrina asked.
“Did we sleep?” Lessa teased with an obvious wink.
“No,” he answered truthfully. “I didn’t sleep at all.”
Ignoring the fact that Lessa was practically glued to him, Sabrina touched his cheek. “Tsk, tsk. And the mattresses are guaranteed to provide a good night’s sleep.”
“Oh, we did enjoy the mattress,” Lessa said, rubbing her hand against Rick’s chest.
“Are you ready to sign?” he asked Sabrina. Any more talk like this and he was going to have to toss Lessa back onto the bed and test out the mattress himself.
Sabrina sighed dramatically. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to postpone once again. It seems my research has not been thorough.”
“How unfortunate,” Lessa said.
“I’m going to need a few more days,” Sabrina said with a shrug. “It was nice meeting you, Lessa. I certainly do hope you enjoyed your stay. Rick,” she said, pausing to flash him a stiff smile, “I’ll be in touch.” She spun on her heels and turned away, walking quickly back toward the office.
“You were right. She had no intention of signing that contract,” Lessa said when Sabrina was out of earshot. She let go of Rick’s arm and stepped away from him. “This whole strategy was a bust. It won’t be difficult for her to find out that we’re not together. After all, everyone at the office knows how we feel about each other.”
“Perhaps we can change that.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Pretending we’re together for a stranger is one thing, but doing this on a day-today basis?”
“We’ll give them just enough to assume.”
“What do you mean?”
“The office Christmas party is in a couple days,” he said. “We’ll go together. It should be enough to get the
