“What do you do for fun back in Royal?” he asked curiously.
She’d worked for him for five years, and he knew most things about her, but she realized he never really asked about her personal likes or hobbies.
“Lately I’ve been too tired to do much else other than work, grocery shop, and do my laundry,” she admitted. “I love to read and travel when I can. I’ve always been a beach girl at heart. Growing up we always vacationed at the shore. My parents chose a different beach locale each summer, so I guess that’s where my love of travel also comes into play.”
His brows drew in. “You haven’t taken a vacation in the five years you’ve worked for me.”
“No, I haven’t,” she agreed, pouring herself another mimosa. “When I first started working I wanted to be there to make a good impression and I couldn’t afford to travel. Then everything went to hell. I couldn’t leave when you needed me most. And now that we’re trying to regain our footing and rebuild, I couldn’t just take off.”
“Yet you did,” he reminded her.
She leveled his stare. “Because you’re working yourself to death, which wasn’t helping anyone. You’d gotten cranky with the staff.”
“You mean with you,” he corrected.
Kelly took a drink and shrugged. “I can handle your growling, but when I see that it’s not just a bad day here and there and you’re starting to form a long-term pattern, I need to intervene. I care for you, Luke.”
There. She’d put that nugget of information out in the open and he could take the statement the way he wanted.
A corner of his mouth kicked up in amusement. “Are you my self-appointed keeper?”
She crossed her arms, still holding onto her mimosa. “I’m your assistant. I wear many hats under that title.”
“Did you and my brother have a long talk about me?” he asked.
“We did. He’s just as concerned as I am.”
Luke sighed and raked a hand over his beard, the bristling against his palm had all of her nerve endings standing on edge. She could practically feel that coarse hair along her bare skin as he pleasured her.
“Then why didn’t he say anything?”
Luke’s demanding question brought her back from her fantasy. “Did you want Zeke to take you on a getaway?”
His eyes slowly ran over her body, giving her even more ammunition for her arousal. How could the man be so potent when he wasn’t even touching her?
“We both can’t be away from the company,” he stated, his eyes darting back to hers. “Ava is just getting back into the swing of things and we need to support her all we can.”
Kelly was proud of the fierce woman Ava Wingate had proven to be. After Keith had been pilfering money over time and destroying everything they had, she had decided to jump back into Wingate and make the company stronger than ever.
She was still fragile from all the heartache, but she’d always been a strong role model for Luke and Zeke.
“Then don’t you think you should just listen to me?” Kelly asked. “Ava needs you at the top of your game, and one week will not make or break the company. With her and Zeke there, everything will run just fine. After all your family has gone through, I think you can take this time to regroup.”
Luke came around to the other side of the breakfast cart to stand next to her. He continued to stare at her like he could read her thoughts...which was terrifying if he knew what she’d been thinking about him.
“Fine,” he stated. “For the next five days, I’m yours. Do what you want.”
Kelly nearly stripped his clothes off, but regained her common sense before embarrassing herself. The next five days would surely prove to be extremely memorable...and maybe just a little thrilling.
Six
“Are we having fun yet?”
Kelly laughed and he hadn’t realized how sexy that soft chuckle of hers could be. Maybe it was because he was lying within inches of her on their private patio or perhaps it was due to the fact that his eyes were closed and his other senses were heightened. Or maybe it was because she kept wearing the skimpiest damn bikinis he’d ever seen.
“I’m having a blast,” she answered.
“I’m not doing anything but sitting still,” he grumbled.