The thought of Sabrina propositioning the man Lessa was supposed to be with was infuriating, to say the least. The thought of him accepting was even more infuriating. “What did you say?” she asked, her voice cold.
“I don’t mix business and pleasure, Lessa,” he said, stopping in front of their bungalow.
“Not even with an old girlfriend?”
He unlocked their door and pushed it open. When she walked inside, he stepped in front of her. “Not even with an old girlfriend,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “Now make up your mind. Are you staying or not?”
She looked at the solitary bed. She could’ve sworn the room was even smaller than when they’d left it. “I’m staying,” she said.
He paused for a moment and then stepped away. He loosened his tie and closed the blinds. It was obvious he was angry with her for suggesting that perhaps he would have a liaison with Sabrina. But how could she not suspect the worst? After all, the image of him dancing with Sabrina was burned in her mind. The way he had held her in his arms. The way he had looked at her.
Lessa walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. “Did you love her?”
“Love her?” he asked, surprised. “No. I told you, we had a brief affair. I don’t think it lasted more than a week. That was all.” He sat down next to her and said, “You’re going to have to trust me on this one, Lessa.”
“I’m sorry, Rick. Regardless of what you say, I don’t think I can ever trust you. Actions are stronger than words.”
“I assume the action in my case is what happened to your father. And that doesn’t define me as anything but a businessman. I was given an offer and I took it. I did what I could to help him. I’m the one who put together his severance package. I’m the reason you inherited your stock.”
“Do you think I should thank you? Losing this company destroyed him.” It had literally broken his heart. He had suffered a fatal heart attack and died less than a month later.
“Lessa,” he said softly. “He was a good man who did a great job building this company-but he is the one who took it public and hired the board. And you know as well as I do that whenever you take a company public you lose some control.”
“He fought so hard to keep his job. I hardly saw him during that last year.”
“I’m sorry, Lessa,” Rick said quietly. “It’s not all about hard work. Sometimes people are simply outmatched.”
Was he talking about her father or her? “I realize that. But if you’re referring to me, I conceded, remember? And now we’re partners on the same team.”
He glanced away. Whatever may have transpired between them, it was obvious he still harbored doubt about 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.