The Rich Man's Reluctant Mistress
Шрифт:
The only fly in the ointment, as far as she could see, was that they would be living here together. It troubled her deeply and she knew that she would need to be on her guard at all times.
Outside she discovered a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi and they ended their tour on the sun deck, where they were able to watch the antics of a brilliantly coloured parrot in one of the many trees growing in the steeply sloping garden. ‘So,’ said Zane, turning to her, ‘what do you think now that you’ve seen it all?’
Lucinda smiled broadly; she couldn’t help it. ‘I think it’s wonderful. How did you find such a place?’ Far below was a bay dotted with boats and, even though the day was hot, at this height there was a most welcome mountain breeze.
‘It used to belong to a colleague of mine,’ answered Zane. ‘He nursed his wife through a long illness and I’m afraid everything got neglected. When she died he had no interest in it.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Lucinda. ‘Have you stayed here yet?’
Zane shook his head and a wicked twinkle sparked in his eyes. ‘You have the honour of sharing my pleasure.’
Sharing! Lucinda wasn’t sure that she liked his choice of word. And, even though he’d had the foresight to have two bedrooms made habitable, she had noticed that there were no locks on the doors.
‘What are you thinking?’ he asked, noticing her frown.
Lucinda shook her head, not wishing to reveal her fears.
‘If it will make you feel any better, you have my word that I won’t enter your space.’
Which was one way of putting it, she thought. But what happened if she entered his? They would be living in such close proximity that she could hardly avoid him. She knew that she had to trust Zane, but somehow those wicked blue eyes didn’t invite trust.
‘Perhaps you’re afraid of being tempted to stray into my room?’ he suggested casually.
Lucinda’s eyes flashed and she ignored the hot streak through her veins. ‘You are unbelievable, Zane Alexander. I’ve made it clear how I feel about you.’
‘But are you sure you know how you feel?’ he asked.
Lucinda moved away, not wishing to take part in such a conversation. And then she felt a hand on her arm and a ripple of pleasurable heat where his fingers touched. Intense heat! Burning heat!
She found herself looking into smouldering blue depths, close enough to see the attractive dark line around his irises, the clear whites, the amazing length of his lashes. They were quite magnificent eyes for a man and she was mesmerised by them. She felt them drawing her in, feeding a need inside her that she had not known was there.
After Simon she had felt nothing for any man and had been determined to keep it that way. Why then was this particular man affecting her to such an extent that she wanted to turn tail and run? She gritted her teeth and said the first thing that came into her head. ‘Which bedroom is mine?’
A mere flicker suggested that he knew the fight she’d had, but there was nothing in his voice to confirm it. ‘Let’s go and look, shall we?’
Both of the bedrooms had fabulous views over the bay, each with its own en suite bathroom. ‘The choice is yours,’ said Zane.
The house was kept cool by an ancient air-conditioning system that creaked and groaned and definitely needed replacing. But the warmth on the back of her neck had nothing to do with it not running properly. It was Zane standing far too close for comfort.
She stepped further into the room. ‘I’ll take this one,’ she announced. It was the second one along the hallway. Zane would have no need to walk past it. Small comfort, but better than nothing.
There were four bedrooms altogether, each with beautiful high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows, which allowed them to fill with light. Zane could host a whole harem of girls here, thought Lucinda, and then despised herself for such unworthy thoughts.
‘In that case I’ll get your suitcase brought in,’ said Zane.
He did more than that. A maid appeared as if from nowhere and unpacked their cases and in no time a buffet meal and chilled drinks had been placed on a table outside in the shade.
Lucinda helped herself to aubergine and peppers in a sweet and sour sauce and smoked mahi mahi served with crispy potato and onion. She slowly sipped pineapple juice before finally admitting she could eat no more.
Zane’s appetite was healthy too and there wasn’t much food left by the time they had finished. He leaned back in his chair. ‘I suggest we rest now before taking a dip in the pool.’
Lucinda shook her head, the thought of swimming with Zane, seeing him half naked, filling her with dread. She could imagine a hard body, smooth golden skin, firm stomach, long legs and everything else that went with it. ‘I’m here to work,’ she reminded him firmly. ‘You rest if you want to but I need to wander around again and familiarise myself with each of the rooms in turn before I can even begin to think about design.’
Zane put a hand over hers where it rested on the table. ‘There’s plenty of time for that. Today you can relax. Today I would appreciate your company.’ And he meant it. The touch of his hand was firm, his smoky eyes narrowed and warning.
A heat that had nothing to do with the climate swept through her and Lucinda wanted to pull her hand free. But of course she couldn’t do that; she couldn’t give away the fact that his touch sent shivers of apprehension rushing through her limbs. So she looked him squarely in the eye and said, ‘It’s not what I’m getting paid for.’
‘What are you, a workaholic?’ he asked harshly, letting his hand drop back to his side. ‘Don’t you believe in a little pleasure?’
‘I thought you wanted the job done as quickly as possible,’ asserted Lucinda. Pleasure was the last thing she wanted. Pleasure in her surroundings, yes, in the warmth of the sun, in the glorious blue skies, but not in Zane Alexander’s company. He was too discomfiting by far. ‘And I can’t believe that you’re willing to waste time like this. If anyone’s a workaholic it’s you.’