When she stepped into the bungalow, Luke stood at the breakfast cart picking at a piece of bacon. He glanced up and caught her eyes.
“Sleep well?” she asked, not really knowing how to break the ice. She also figured he hadn’t slept too well if he’d needed the aid of some hard alcohol to assist him.
What was the protocol after your boss saw you rubbing your bare ass with aloe? Should she make a joke? Offer to rub his ass?
No, Kelly. Calm down. He was still her boss, he still deserved respect. She was just going to have to take this one minute at a time to see how he was going to handle everything.
The man had enough chaos in his life and here she was adding to his angst. She didn’t want his worries to grow, she wanted to seduce him. She hadn’t seduced a man before and she was starting to wonder if she was even able.
“After the bourbon and fresh air I slept fine,” he muttered.
Okay. Well, clearly someone wasn’t a morning person. He was always ready to go in the office in the mornings. How could he not be at such a dreamlike location? This place made her forget her worries...except for the fact she was sexually frustrated.
“I’m sorry about last night.” Might as well bring out the proverbial elephant. “I found the aloe in the fridge so I just stood in here and applied it. Had I known you were awake, I never would’ve...”
He stared. Those dark eyes seemed to bore into her as if trying to uncover her deepest thoughts. He’d put on a pair of green shorts with a floral, very tacky button-up, but he’d left it completely open. How could the man make a tasteless tourist wardrobe look so darn sexy?
Maybe it was that bedroom glare, maybe it was the dark, black beard, maybe it was that exposed chest
that made her want to run her hands over the taut muscles and chest hair... Or maybe it was the entire package that was still driving her out of her ever loving mind.
She’d asked for this. After all, she was the one who had brought him here under the guise of work. What did she expect? Of course his body would be on display. They were on a tropical island and the weather called for skin to be out...not covered up.
If only she had the green light to touch said skin she wouldn’t be so cranky and frustrated.
Kelly cleared her throat. “Anyway, I’ll be sure to stay in my room at night,” she promised as she moved closer to grab a slice of pineapple. “The beach is beautiful. I found some really nice shells. I always collect some anytime I get to a beach. I keep a bowl of them on my desk at home to calm me when I’m feeling stressed.”
He stared at her and she wondered why she’d started babbling and telling him random nonsense.
“Are there plans for the day?” he asked, clearly not impressed by her small talk.
She smiled. “Actually, yes. Later today we are getting a massage.”
He stared at her once again. “A massage?”
“It’s pretty much key to relaxing, Luke. I promise, you’ll love it.”
“Don’t count on that,” he told her. “I’d love to get my phone and check my work emails. That’s what I’d love.”
Kelly rolled her eyes and grabbed a strawberry. “Not going to happen. So, you want to swim or go to the beach or walk around the resort?”
“I don’t even know what to do.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s why I’m here,” she informed him. “I’m going to teach you to relax.”
“I’ll relax when I think of a solution for Wingate.”
Kelly actually felt sorry for him. He was wound so tight he couldn’t think of anything else. She seriously had her work cut out for her.
“You know when you’ll think of it?” she asked. “When you’re not trying to think of it. I know that sounds strange, but it’s the truth.”
He reached for another piece of bacon and bit into it, then turned a mug over and poured coffee from the carafe. She waited while he sipped his java and continued to pick around at the breakfast.
“Why don’t you get some trunks on and we can take a walk on the beach,” she suggested.
“Didn’t you just do that?”
“It’s more fun with someone else.”