The Tycoon's Secret(35)

"You turn me on so much that this is killing me not to take you. You're something to behold, surrounded in bubbles, your br**sts skimming the water's surface … It's going to cause me to have a stroke," he growled before giving her back her hand.

Sierra felt elation fill her as she took in his pinched features. She felt a surge of power unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Testing her newfound boldness she pushed her br**sts up, exposing them to his view.

His gaze snapped to her curves bobbing on top of the water before finally moving back to her face. She smiled at him in what she hoped was a seductive manner.

He glared for a moment before turning around and practically running from the room. Sierra felt so good, laughter spilled out as she lay back in the comfortable tub and let the heat start working her sore muscles.

When she started washing her body, she realized he was right. As she came in contact with the sensitive area between her thighs, she grimaced. It was incredibly tender down there. She gritted her teeth and finished washing, then climbed out and found the fluffy white robe hanging behind the door.

She wrapped it around her before brushing her teeth and putting her hair up in a bun. She placed a minimal amount of makeup on, and went to find Damien. Her day was starting out great.

She found him in the dining area, a table with covered dishes already waiting.

"Sit down. We have a lot of ground to cover today, so you'll want to fill yourself," Damien said as soon as she entered the room.

"Where are we going?"

She sat and he lifted the lid, exposing the French toast and extra crispy bacon she loved. She picked up a piece and started nibbling as she waited for him to speak.

"It's a surprise."

She'd never been surprised before and found herself even more excited. She hurriedly ate her meal so she could get dressed and leave the room. It was large and beautiful, but after a week, the enormous space felt claustrophobic.

Sierra was surprised when the bellhop came to start packing their luggage. Where were they going?

"We have a short flight so we can do this right. Make sure you have your swim suit," Damien told her, but he wouldn't say anything further.

As they made their way downstairs Sierra was giddy with excitement. She couldn't imagine what they'd possibly be doing, but she'd wanted to go swimming since she'd arrived, and not just in the hotel pool.

They got into the car and drove straight to the airport where they boarded the jet. She sat back, her eyes glued to the windows as the jet took off and climbed into the air. Before long they began making their decent.

"First stop is Cairns," Damien said as the removed their seatbelts.

"Isn't this where the Great Barrier Reef is?" Sierra asked, wishing she had her dozens of pamphlets she'd collected back at the hotel.

"Yes, and that's our first stop. I've hired a boat. We're going to tour the reef, then do some snorkeling."

Sierra wanted to reach over and kiss him she was so happy, but she held back, not sure if he'd welcome that or not. She wasn't letting doubts ruin her day, though.




 

 

They arrived at a large boat, and one of the crew members handed them each a glass of wine as the boat set out. Another of the staff started speaking and Sierra was mesmerized. She loved the rich deep timber of his accent, and to make it even better, he was a humorous and knowledgeable guide.

"The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, and the biggest single structure made up entirely by living organisms. It's composed of over twenty-nine-hundred individual reefs, and nine-hundred islands. The total area is over a hundred-and-thirty thousand square miles. Several years back the cable news network named it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World."

"I'm actually seeing one of the Seven Wonders of the World?" Sierra asked, elated at the thought.

"I can take you to see them all," Damien said, his eyes intense as he looked at her. Sierra smiled, knowing it wasn't a promise, but that he was caught up in the heat of the moment. Still, the thought of traveling the world excited her.

"I've never gotten to travel. My father didn't see it as necessary, so I plan on making up for lost time. This is amazing."

"You haven't traveled anywhere?" he asked, his voice radiating disbelief.

"No. I've never left the country," she said, understanding his shock. Bree had been around the world and back a few times, and Sierra had been stuck at home. Come to think of it, she had no clue how Damien had managed to secure her visa so quickly for her trip to Australia. Before she had time to ask him about it, the guide continued speaking.

"The reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. There are a limited amount of people allowed on it, so it's protected from human consumption. Only a small amount of tourism and fishing is allowed. Recent studies have shown that the reef has already lost more than half its coral cover and we're trying to prevent more disaster to this natural wonder."