He should be resisting her. She worked for him, after all, and he had to keep reminding himself that if they entered into a fling and it ended badly, then what would happen? He couldn’t risk losing her as an assistant or a friend. She’d been there for him through so much and there weren’t many people he trusted. He had to keep everyone in those labeled boxes like she’d mentioned. Moving anything around would completely throw off his entire life.
“You can roll to your back now,” the masseuse whispered into his ear.
She lifted the towel slightly as he turned to his back. Next to him, he caught sight of Kelly rolling over as well. That glimpse of side breast was seriously not helping him keep his hormones in check.
And this massage was doing the opposite of relaxing him. If anything, he was more revved up than ever. He wanted her in the worst possible way but, for all the reasons he’d just listed to himself, having sex with Kelly Prentiss was a horrible idea.
Maybe he should think about Christmas instead. Less than a month away and he still needed to get Kelly something. He was so bad at this. For the past five years, he’d given her a hefty bonus. Even when the company was plummeting, he’d given her money from his personal account. She was too invaluable to not show his appreciation.
Yet now...now everything had changed and he was absolutely clueless.
Luke focused on breathing slowly, trying to get his mind to calm down from going a hundred different directions. However, trying not to think about Kelly next to him wearing nothing but these damn towels? Well, that proved nearly impossible.
But, regardless, he had to stay strong because too much was at stake. They still had four days here, and somehow, someway, he was going to have to muster some serious willpower to resist her seductive charms.
* * *
The massage was absolutely fabulous. Kelly finally felt relaxed and ready to tackle anything.
The masseuses left them alone on the beach to dress in private. She smiled, knowing the ladies had just assumed she and Luke were a couple. There was really no need to explain otherwise.
Kelly swung her legs over the side of the cabana and reached for her cover-up. She slid the simple black sheath over her head and came to her feet.
When she glanced back, Luke was laying on his side staring up at her. Between that little towel covering his most essential parts and his skin glistening from the oils used during the massage, Kelly had to pull in a deep breath to calm herself. Gah! Even having normal thoughts around him was starting to become difficult.
“What do you have planned now?” he asked.
That low, husky voice reminded her of her fantasies. She knew full well what that voice would sound like in the dark as his body slid over hers beneath the sheets.
“Is there something you want to do?” she asked.
That naughty grin had her smiling right back at him.
“I know, that was a loaded question,” she said before he could comment. “Dinner won’t be for several hours still. We can always rent a car and drive around the island, or we could hang here and continue relaxing without thinking of work.”
Luke’s eyes raked over her, something he kept doing lately, and she didn’t miss that hunger staring back at her. Was he about to suggest they go back to the room? Or maybe he’d tell her to lay back down with him, as they had their own private beach and she’d paid for total privacy.
She wanted him now more than ever. And the best part was that she knew the feeling was mutual. He’d been eyeing her for days and there was no longer a doubt in her mind that he craved her with just as much fervor as she craved him.
Even so, she assumed Luke was still battling between his professional and personal life—not wanting to mix the two considering their positions. She hoped like hell this was the one time he’d put his work mode on hold to go after what he wanted... She was banking on that.
“Exploring the island might be the best,” he told her gruffly. “Staying here alone isn’t the smartest idea.”
Oh, she thought it was a fabulous idea, but she was also up for a little exploration.
“I’ll go get ready and meet you in about thirty minutes,” she said. “I know just where we should go.”
He continued to hold her gaze. “You’re not taking me to a nude beach, are you?”
“Now why would I do that when we could get nude on our own private beach?” she volleyed back with a smile. “It’s a surprise, so go get ready.”
“I’m starting to become afraid of your surprises.”
Kelly laughed. “I just like to keep you on your toes.”
Turning away before he could comment, she headed up the beach toward their bungalow. She’d done enough research online and made some calls in advance to learn the areas to explore that would be private and dodge all the tourist hot spots. After all, she still wanted this time for Luke to be relaxing, and she really didn’t want to be around a bunch of people.
Kelly quickly showered and pulled her hair into a top knot. She threw on her black bikini, a pair of cut-off jean shorts, and a white tank. Then she slid on her canvas shoes, tossed some necessities into her beach bag, and checked her cell to make sure the car was ready and out front.