Page 6 of The CEO
With a shake of her head—like that would dislodge the memory of making a fool of herself with a rash challenge—she headed for the Lido deck for continental breakfast. The food on offer was amazing and she helped herself to a plate of mango, strawberries, and pineapple before finding a table next to the floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the Pacific Ocean stretching as far as she could see, the undulating swell soothing.
Her apartment in Coogee had an ocean view, though nothing as gorgeous as this. She’d deliberately chosen a sea view for its calming qualities and boy, had she needed it when she first moved to Sydney from Melbourne, hell-bent on leaving her past behind.
“Enjoying the view this morning?”
She glanced up, her pulse rate accelerating in an instant. Zac in a navy polo shirt and matching shorts, his hair recently washed and slicked back, resident charming smile in place, rivaled the ocean in the stunning stakes.
She took a sip of water, trying to ease the dryness in her throat. “Yes, it’s spectacular.”
He wasn’t looking at the view. Instead, that steady, captivating blue-eyed gaze remained riveted to her. “Spectacular would describe it perfectly.”
She blushed and glanced down, toying with the fruit on her plate rather than face his intense scrutiny. What made her think she could practice gaining confidence with this guy? He was a major player and she’d barely graduated from the little league.
“You really should try some of that mango rather than playing with it. It’s succulent this time of year.”
The way he said ‘succulent’ fascinated her; tripping from his lips, it almost sounded obscene.
“Shouldn’t you be circulating with the passengers?” She speared a piece of juicy mango and bit into it, trying to appear casual yet anxious to fob him off.
As if in slow motion, he reached his index finger toward the corner of her mouth where a rivulet of juice had started to run and wiped it up.
Shaken to her core, she watched him lick the droplets of juice from his fingertip in a shockingly intimate gesture.
“Mmm, tasty.” His smoldering gaze focused on her lips before sweeping back to her eyes, triumphant blue clashing with shell-shocked hazel. “You’re right, I should get back to work. I can’t be waylaid by one woman only, delectable as she may be.”
With a cocky smile, he gave her a half-salute and sauntered away, the corner of her mouth still quivering from his sensual touch.
If that was his first foray intoproving it,she was in trouble. Big trouble.
She devoured the remainder of her breakfast, eager to escape. Whenever she looked up from her plate, she caught a glimpse of Zac moving among the tables, talking to passengers. Their eyes met once across the crowded room and she looked away first, hating the heat surging to her cheeks, hating her inadequate coping with a light flirtation from a pro more.
The heat from her cheeks traveled through her body. She had to get out of here. After almost tripping in her haste to stand, she dashed for the door, head down, unwilling to tempt fate further. After virtually falling into Zac’s arms at the top of the escalator when boarding, landing next to him at dinner, and running into him first thing this morning, it looked like fate was having a mighty big chuckle at her expense.
* * *
Zac watched Lana bolt,hiding a triumphant grin as he flipped pages on his clipboard. He had her thoroughly rattled if that stunned, wide-eyed gaze was any indication when he’d touched her lips.
Maybe he’d pushed the boundaries a tad but he couldn’t help it; he wanted to see if anything disturbed that cool bordering on haughty mantle she wore like a fine fur.
He’d disconcerted her last night to the point she’d thrown out that challenge, for he was in little doubt she would’ve never been that sassy if she’d been thinking straight. After all, a woman who turned up to a first dinner on a luxurious cruise liner wearing a drab black dress with oversized buttons, a god-awful belt, barely a slick of makeup, and rarely spoke wasn’t exactly brimming with confidence.
Yet he’d wanted to tease her regardless?
Must be the pressure. He had a job to do, a spy to uncover, and some corporate espionage to bring to a screaming halt. His uncle was relying on him and he owed Jimmy, big time. He’d let him down once, never again.
Zac needed to concentrate on business, to convince everyone he was on the up and up. The success of his plan depended on it. Hell, the success of the whole damn company depended on it.
A company he now ran.
And concentrating on business meant not giving Lana a hard time, challenge or not. Though there was something about the spark in her eyes when she’d fired back at him last night, something about her wary-yet-indignant expression that had him wanting to delve beneath her prissy surface and discover the hidden depths.
Maybe if he unnerved her enough, he’d get to see the real her?
An interesting proposition but for now, work came first. Work was reliable, dependable, and never let him down. It wasn’t clouded by emotions or changed when he least expected it. Work was the one constant in his life, the only constant.
Exactly the way he liked it.
* * *