Before he could stop himself, he gently brushed her cheek with his index finger. ‘We should get going. I’ve only booked this helicopter for a couple of hours.’
‘Oh…right, of course.’ She settled back in her seat, wriggling her shoulders and testing the strength of the seat belt, a little frown pulling at her smooth brow.
Luiz brought her chin around so her gaze met his. ‘You’re safe with me, querida.’
Her blue eyes were as clear and pure as a mountain stream. ‘But what if I don’t want to be?’
CHAPTER SEVEN
IT WAS A breathtaking experience, winging over the engineering marvel of Hoover Dam, but it was nothing to the vista of the magnificent Grand Canyon a short while later. The majestic height of the layers of richly coloured sandstone, the seemingly endless sinuous curve of the Colorado River so far below and the wheeling of a lonely bird of prey and the whistling silence was such a stunning contrast to the madcap noise and frenetic activity of Las Vegas.
Luiz pointed out various landmarks to Daisy, such as Eagle Point, the Grand Canyon Skywalk and Guano Point, telling her some of the history of the first people, the Hualapai tribe. But, rather than land amongst all the tourist buses and cars, he flew her to a quiet gorge where he’d organised special permission to land.
Daisy held her breath in wonder as he brought the helicopter down the face of the canyon into a deep shaded gully where the river flowed as it had done for millions of years. Once the helicopter engine had turned off and the whirling blades ceased, the sense of timelessness struck her as she stood with Luiz in the cool green valley between the huge rock walls of the canyon. The lonely cry of a red-tailed hawk added to the sense of peace and serenity. She didn’t want to speak for fear of breaking the spell of mystical silence.
Luiz stood shoulder to shoulder with her. He didn’t speak either. He just stood there with a hand shading his eyes as he surveyed their surroundings.
She stole covert glances at him from time to time, watching as he bent down to pick up a little piece of sandstone, turning it over in his fingers before tossing it in the direction of the river, where the plop of the pebble as it went down sounded as loud as a rifle shot.
Daisy sensed a deep loneliness in him. He was so popular, so capable, so much the man about town, but out here in the quiet of the timeless canyon he reminded her of one of the birds of prey circling overhead. Solitary. Alone.
Without a word he led her back to the helicopter, guiding her back into her seat and helping her with the headset. She studied his concentrated expression, wondering what he was thinking as he got back behind the controls for take-off. His hands dealt with the controls with the expertise of a pro. He was as at home in the cockpit as he was working the floor at a nightclub or working his way around a woman’s body. She hadn’t seen him live on horseback but she had looked at some footage online on her phone. He was a natural sportsman, athletic, strong, capable and fiercely competitive.
She glanced at his strongly muscled thighs, so close to hers in the cockpit. She only had to reach out her hand to touch him. Her fingers opened and closed, warming up for the first caress of that denim-clad thigh.
‘Not while I’m flying.’
Daisy looked at him in surprise. ‘You knew what I was thinking?’
He glanced at her wryly. ‘I thought you were a good girl?’
‘Not when I’m with you.’
He made a grunting sound in his throat as he turned back to face the front. ‘Fancy a swim when we get back to the hotel?’
Daisy pictured a private pool off his suite with a bubbling Jacuzzi and champagne in an ice bucket close at hand. Fragrant lotions and potions on tap for hours of sensual massage. She smiled a secret smile. Just as well Belinda had slipped her that racy little Brazilian-style bikini earlier. Body issues aside, her conservative one-piece would look totally out of place. It was time for her inner naughty girl to come out to play.
Luiz was keeping her at arm’s length but she knew he wanted her. Every time he looked at her she felt the burn of his hungry gaze. She imagined how it would feel to make love on the deck by the pool in the bright sunshine, his hard body driving hers to paradise. She wanted to make love with him. Desperately. But not like all his other partners. She wanted to be different. To be someone he remembered with a special fondness. She wasn’t asking for love. She didn’t want to fall in love with someone like him. He was not part of her long-term plan. But she did want him to care enough about her to spend more than one night with her.
She smiled at him. ‘Sounds wonderful.’
* * *
Luiz waited for Daisy to get changed once they got back to his hotel. He checked his emails on his phone. Scrolled through Twitter. Read a couple of blogs he had zero interest in—anything to distract himself from the thought of spending the next hour or two with her dressed in a swimsuit. But at least going downstairs to the public pool area would be his insurance policy. He could hardly make out with her with all the other hotel guests milling about. He looked up when she came out of the bathroom. She was wearing one of the hotel bathrobes tied neatly at the waist and it was far too big for her. It covered her from neck to ankle.