Hugh had been right when he’d said she wouldn’t find anything quite as exciting as being his PA up here on the coast, but a high-profile, well-paying position was no longer Kathryn’s priority. She didn’t need a big salary to survive—not with two million dollars in the bank. Any job, however, would bring her into contact with other people, namely members of the opposite sex.
She’d had a couple of interviews last week but been told she was over-qualified. Over-qualified and over-every-damned-thing!
Oh, dear, she thought unhappily as she got up, shook her towel then began trudging across the sand towards Val’s house.
No, my house, she amended in her mind. As of today.
Her head stayed down as she walked up the back path, her eyes looking at her bare feet, with their unvarnished toenails. She’d been meaning to paint them for ages, but hadn’t been overly motivated.
‘Penny for your thoughts.’
Her heart leapt as her eyes shot up to find Hugh standing on the verandah, leaning against the railing.
‘Hugh! What on earth are you doing here?’ Oh, God, he looked so gorgeous, despite only being dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt.
‘I wanted to see how you were getting on. You’re certainly looking well.’
Kathryn wasn’t sure what to make of the way his eyes travelled over her bikini-clad body. Was that hunger in his gaze? Surely he hadn’t come up here for some more sex. Surely not!
But what if he had?
Would she be able to resist him? Could she?
Her nipples immediately tightened, as did her belly.
Truly, she was hopeless where this man was concerned.
A quite savage burst of pride had her wrapping her rather large beach towel around her body, sarong-style, whilst she did her best to calm her racing heartbeat.
‘I repeat,’ she said coolly as she walked up the steps onto the verandah, ‘what are you doing up here?’
‘I’ve brought you a birthday present,’ he said. ‘It’s over there, on that table.’
Any pleasure at his remembering her birthday was waylaid once she spotted the familiar paper parcel. ‘I can’t believe you came up all this way to give me a hamburger.’
‘That’s not the only reason for my visit.’
‘If you’ve come for some more sex,’ she threw at him defiantly, ‘then you’ve made the trip for nothing.’
His smile was small and wry. ‘That’s not why I’ve come, either. Though you do look quite delicious in that itsy-bitsy bikini.’
A perverse wave of disappointment went crashing through Kathryn.
‘I just wanted to talk to you,’ he added.
The penny dropped. So did her galloping heartbeat. ‘Oh I see. Now that I have legal possession of the house, you want me to file for divorce straight away.’
‘Actually, no. That isn’t why I’ve come, either. Look, why don’t you eat your hamburger first? It’s getting cold. Then we’ll talk.’
Kathryn eyed him quite angrily. Who did he think he was, just showing up like this and upsetting her all over again? If he just wanted to talk about something, then why hadn’t he phoned? He had her mobile number.
‘The hamburger will have to wait, I’m afraid,’ she said stroppily. ‘I need to go have a shower and get this salt water out of my hair.’
‘Fine. Would you mind if I used the bathroom first? It’s been a long trip.’
Kathryn took the key from under the doormat and slipped it into the front-door lock.
‘Wow,’ Hugh said. ‘That’s some security system you have.’
‘I only put it there during the short time I’m on the beach,’ she told him sharply. ‘It’s better than losing the damned thing in the sand.’
‘True. And it’s not as though you have anywhere to put it on your person—not in that bikini you’re almost wearing.’
‘It’s not that brief.’
‘Maybe it just looks it on you.’
She rounded on him. ‘Are you saying that I’m fat?’
‘Lord, but you’re touchy today,’ he said with an amused smile. ‘Of course you’re not fat. You must know that. But you are well-endowed, shall we say?’
‘You told me that my breasts were beautiful.’
‘And they are.’
‘Then shut up about my bikini being too small.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’