“Are we flying in an airplane on this date?” I asked, trying to sound casual but failing.
“You didn’t enjoy the flight.” His lips curled into a half-smile that did all kinds of strange and exciting things to my insides.
“No, I didn’t. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. To answer your question, no, there will be no flight tonight.”
“Thank goodness.”
His laugh was low and rumbly and sexy. “I’m sorry if it was such an unpleasant experience. I’ll keep your aversion to flying in mind for the future.”
For the future? What future was that? We weren’t going to have a future—beyond my working to help him find the future Mrs. Tevin Page. “It wasn’t my favorite part of the night.”
He slanted one brow. “What was?”
I could answer that question easily. Could, but wouldn’t. My favorite part was the walk on the beach. Specifically, my favorite part was that incredible kiss. What a kiss that had been.
I said, “The food was delicious.”
“The food?” he echoed, his voice flat.
“Yes. What did you think I would say?”#p#分页标题#e#
“Oh, I don’t know. I kind of got the impression you enjoyed some other things more than the food. In fact, as I recall, you didn’t eat much at all.”
“Well, that was because of the flight. The food was really good, and different from anything I’d ever tasted before.”
“Interesting.” After a beat, he added, “I hope you’ll find something a whole lot more enjoyable tonight than a few bites of beans.” He slanted a wicked grin my way that made my insides simmer. “My pride is at stake here.”
There was a whole lot more at stake than he thought.
Chapter 6
This time it wasn’t a plane. It was a boat. A huge boat. I would suppose it would be called a yacht. It was all white and shiny. And the main living space was very lavish, furnished like a luxury apartment--gleaming woods and smooth, buttery leather as far as the eye could see.
“Wow,” I said as I wandered through the space, fingertips dragging over surfaces. “This is some boat. Let me guess, it belongs to…?”
“My uncle,” he finished. “Do you feel the same about boats as you do about planes?” my host asked me as he shadowed my movements, lingering close but not too close.
“No, not at all. I actually like boats. I love water.”
“Ah, then that is something we share in common.”
“One thing,” I echoed. “That’s probably the only thing.”
He caught me in a corner, next to a window, his bulky body blocking my escape. “I’m willing to guess there’s more than one.” His eyes glittered. I’d seen that sparkle before. My body warmed. A tingle swept through me.
Oh yes, I’d seen that sparkle before.
He’d sparkled like that at me.
And Alexis.
And Katarina.
And at least a dozen other women.
Pushing on his chest, I tried to duck past him so I could put some distance between us. My move backfired.
He grabbed my wrists, his grip like a vice. “Why do you keep running from me?”
“Because…” I couldn’t speak, dammit. Why wouldn’t my tongue work?
“Because?” His head tilted a little, so did his brows.
“Because,” I repeated. My throat was suddenly very dry. I coughed.
He angled slightly, putting his face closer to mine. “Are you scared of me, Daryl?”
“Why would I be scared of you?” I rasped.
“I don’t know.”
I flexed my wrist. “Please let me go.”
He didn’t let me go.
“Please,” I repeated. My gaze locked to his, and the air left my lungs in one slow, painful wheeze.
Completely ignoring my plea, he leaned lower, audibly inhaled. “You smell so good.”
“Stop it,” I snapped, anger displacing irritation. This guy had a lot of nerve, getting so pushy like this, crowding me, seducing me, messing with my head.
“I’m paying you a complement.”
“No you’re not. You’re playing games. I saw how you acted with those women at the mixer. All sexy and strong and sparkly. Just like this.”
“Sparkly?” he echoed sounding confused.
“Yes. Sparkly. Your eyes.”
Those freaking sparkles flashed brighter. “Ah, so you were jealous.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Yes, you were.” He bent lower still. Now his mouth was next to my ear, and his warm breath was caressing the side of my neck. Goose bumps prickled my shoulders and back. “If you want to know the truth, I didn’t like any of those girls,” he whispered.