Australia: Wicked Mistresses(22)

And, yes, in the meantime she could put her recovery time to good use—put her all into making sure that the next stop on her journey was the right one, however hard that was going to be. She took a deep breath, praying Gabe would accept what she knew she had to say next.

“Okay,” she agreed. “You have a deal.” He beamed as he craned up to cement the deal with a kiss, but Nina’s hand appeared between their mouths. “On one condition.”

He curled away. “I don’t like conditions.”

“Our relationship will be platonic from here on in.”

“Are you mad? I can’t agree to that.”

“I’ll give you one very good reason why you should.”

He arched a brow. “I’ll give you a better one why I shouldn’t.”

When he came nearer she slipped further away.

“You’re on this island to implement the changes needed to turn this place around. You have a finite amount of time, till next Monday, to put to maximum use.” She cocked her head. “Tell me truthfully. Wouldn’t you rather lie in bed all day with me than go out and strategise with Mr Dorset and co?”

His eyes narrowed. “Clearly that’s a trick question. We’re living in paradise. We’re great together.” His eyes sparkled over his grin. “Why not enjoy it while it lasts?”

“I’ll tell you why. It’s after eight now. Your working day should have already begun. You should be out there knuckling down, making sure you do what you’ve come here to do. Turn this place around. Make changes for the better.”

As she planned to do.

“The problems will still be there at nine.” He moved in to kiss her, but she pushed him away as best she could.

“While we’re in an intimate relationship you’ll be distracted. Then you’re going to be upset for letting yourself be sidetracked from your work.” Committed to the idea, she shrugged. “For your own good, I’m taking that temptation away.”

He shifted her robe and feather-kissed her shoulder. “Did I mention I can multi-task?”

She tugged her robe back. This was a gorgeous place, and he was an amazing lover, but…“If you want me to stay here—if you really want to help me—then you’re going to have to let me help you too. I won’t loll around with you in bed half the day and then watch you explode like you did at the cabin yesterday because you’re angry with yourself for slacking off.”

“Being here is different—”

“Yes, it’s worse. By tomorrow everyone will know I’m shacked up with a guest.”

And she’d thought she’d been a target before. It would be worse for her when it was discovered that Gabriel Steele—the guest she’d temporarily moved in with—was everyone’s new boss.

She might as well ask.

“When are you going to tell the staff who you are?”

“Not this visit,” he stated. “There’s enough to look at with the managers and facilities.”

“Don’t you want to give them a chance to speak out on what they think could make a difference? They’re the ones who keep this place ticking over.”

The bungalow telephone extension pealed and, closing his eyes, Gabriel rested one stacked fist on his brow. “You’re going to tell me to get that, aren’t you?”

You bet. “No rest for the wicked.”

He sprang over, about to decimate her with a takeno-prisoners kiss, but then a shadow chased over his face and he backed away.

“I hate to admit it, but you’re right. As much as I want to stay here with you, I have to do what I have to do.”

As he left her alone in his bedroom, Nina let out a long breath. There was another reason she’d put forward her ultimatum, and it was as significant as Gabriel’s need to focus on his work, rather than on sex. Self-preservation.

They’d been together perhaps thirty-six hours and, remarkable as it might sound, she’d never felt more deeply about any man. Convincing herself she could have more with Gabriel than a holiday fling would be easier than demolishing a piece of Chef Reynolds’ chocolate marshmallow tart. She felt so right when they were together—so perfectly, wonderfully right—as though, even if she never belonged anywhere else, it was okay because she did belong in his arms.

But she’d known before that his interest in her was casual, and after his admission about getting married being scary she’d be a fool to think he was after anything remotely long-term. At the moment her self-worth was shaky enough. The last thing she needed was to fall in love with someone who couldn’t love her back.





CHAPTER ELEVEN


LATE Friday morning, Gabriel returned after his third meeting with the Diamond Shores managers.

He stepped into the bungalow’s foyer, wringing his tie loose and expecting Nina to come bounding out, like she usually did, to hear any news. He’d taken her advice and introduced himself to the staff. Since Wednesday he’d met with the resort conference people, recreation personnel, wait staff and, at nine this morning, house-keeping.

The exercise had gone well.

He jogged down the two timber steps that linked the foyer to main room and threw a look around the gleaming furniture and potted palms. Dropping his tie over the back of a bar stool, he moved onto the balcony.

The sky was a flawless early-summer blue, the air was fresh with the scent of brine, and in his private pool, stretched out before the beach, Nina was doing laps. Gabriel’s testosterone levels swirled to the roof. He was a heartbeat away from kicking off his shoes, shucking off his clothes and diving straight in.

Nina in a bikini was impossible to pass up.

The other morning she’d told him that she wanted to downgrade their relationship to platonic. She didn’t want to be a distraction when he had so much to accomplish here. She’d been right. He would rather fool around with her than knuckle down to the massive task of returning profitability to this establishment. And so he’d kept his distance—no easy feat.

But at no time had he actually agreed to her terms.

During business hours things were moving in the right direction, but when night fell the tension back at the bungalow was tripwire-tight. Lounging in the living room, or out on the deck, sometimes Gabriel had to bite his inside cheek to stop from swooping over and stashing Nina away in his room. Watching her concentrate on doing a crossword, or chewing her nails over some reality TV show, was akin to passing out in the world’s hottest sauna when the most delectable, quenching nectar was waiting an arm’s length away.

He wasn’t alone in feeling that fire. He’d caught Nina’s hidden looks when he passed, noticed the way her breathing deepened whenever they were close.

Now, with her wet, pumped and half-naked in that pool, was the time to revisit that ultimatum of hers. They were leaving the island on Monday. If she felt half as sexually frustrated as he did, she couldn’t refuse the idea of one last hold-onto-your-seatbelts romp.

Moving to the edge of the pool, he hunkered down onto the terracotta tiles. He watched her graceful form glide through the water before she came up for air a foot away. She pushed hair from her face, drove down a big breath, then coughed it back up when she saw him.

He chuckled at her surprise and eventual smile before holding out his hand. “I’ve given myself the rest of the day off.”

“Welcome home.”

She took his hand, he helped her out, and she grabbed a towel off a nearby lounger. He hid his disappointment when that delicious red bikini was part-way concealed as she wiped down her hair and tanned arms.

“I heard you were speaking with Tori today,” she said.

His gaze skated up from what he could see of her legs.

“News travels fast.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Remind me who Tori is again.”

“Tall, blonde. She might’ve been wearing watermelon wedge earrings.”

“Ah, yes. She had quite a bit to say.”

“Anything useful?”

“The gist was the same as my previous staff meetings. She’d like to see protocol and activities relaxed. Less formal. More fun. Or at least room for that somewhere on the island.”

“Maybe you should wear Bermuda shorts to the next meeting.”

He mock frowned. “I’ll take that under advisement. I’ve been looking through stacks of guest comments,” he went on, moving to the sun loungers. “A lot mentioned updating too.”

“Facilities?”

“Policies, entertainment, staff uniforms.”

“Tori and her earrings will be pleased to hear it.”

“I have plenty to go on.”

Lashing the towel under her arms, sarong-style, she crossed over.

“What about a staff buddy system? If the longer-serving staff members had younger ones under their care and tutelage we’d get a better vibe through the ranks. There’s nothing worse than being told to fold the napkins a certain way and having no idea but being too frightened to ask.” Her expression wavered. “I suppose I should have known…”

“No, no. Point taken. Everyone needs to get more involved with the next guy—or gal.”

“If guests saw a real camaraderie among the staff, I bet they’d relax more too. You could start a new ad campaign, promoting a more laid-back slant.”