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“I asked the chef to bring steak and lobster on board, along with fresh fruit and vegetables. Is that okay with you, Lyssa?”
“Better than okay,” she said as her stomach grumbled even more loudly in anticipation of the delicious meal. Living on her own, she’d made cost-cutting measures because she wanted to manage her career without her brothers’ handouts. She never wasted a leftover, always brought a bag lunch, didn’t own a car, and walked to the foundation’s headquarters. Steak and lobster would be a rare treat. If she had leftovers, maybe she could take them home.
“Please bring us some of everything, Delilah.”
“With pleasure, sir.”
Lyssa tried not to roll her eyes at how over the top the woman was behaving. But honestly, she shouldn’t be too hard on Delilah. Cal was the kind of man who made women act a little breathless and crazy.
“Excuse me,” Lyssa said, getting up.
The luxurious bathroom had both a shower and a jetted tub. Mirrors all around reflected her face, and the walls and floor were tiled in gold-flecked marble. Even the taps were gold.
This rivaled any of the jets her brothers owned. She suddenly wondered just how much money Cal had. Was he also a billionaire?
As she washed her hands, she looked into the mirror and realized her cheeks were a little flushed. This was how she always felt around Cal, like all of her senses were heightened simply by being near him.
Lyssa reminded herself for the thousandth time to stop being ridiculous. Not only was he her boss, he was also one of her brothers’ closest friends and would never dare step over the line with her, even if he wanted to. Which he clearly didn’t. She dried her hands on the plush towel and walked back toward the lounge.
She couldn’t resist peeking through the door of the connecting bedroom, however. Yet again, her mind created fantasies she couldn’t banish—silk sheets against her naked body, strong fingers caressing her skin. What kind of lover would Cal be? Standing in his bedroom, she could easily imagine his kisses, his lips on her body, and how easily the tub in the bathroom could fit two people who were desperately hungry for each other.
He’d never been married, didn’t have kids. As far as she knew, he didn’t date long term either. She’d seen him in plenty of gossip magazines, always with a different actress or celebrity. But in the pictures, Cal always seemed a bit bored. Thinking about it more, she realized he’d never brought a woman to any Maverick function and had gone stag to Ari and Matt’s wedding.
Her brothers might know why Cal was still alone. Was there some big, dark secret in his past? Had his heart been broken, never to recover? Or was it simply that he’d never found anyone who made him want to give up his freedom?
She would never ask her brothers what they knew about Cal’s single status. If she did, they’d surely get wigged out about why she wanted to know. No doubt Daniel would start that he’s not for you business again.
Regardless, she wanted her job more than she wanted a glorious tumble with Cal on that big bed—a fantasy tumble that was as likely to happen as winning the lottery, which meant she had absolutely nothing to worry about. So once again, she forcefully shoved away all thoughts of attraction.
The steak and lobster were on the table by the time she returned, and her mouth watered at the delicious smell.
“Oh my God, this is so good,” she said around the first mouthful of butter-drenched lobster. Living off ramen and salads made her appreciate a hearty meal. Lyssa attacked every scrumptious bite with gusto. Looked like there would be no leftovers, after all.
“My chef will be pleased to hear you think so,” Cal said, laughter in his voice at her reaction to the food. “James is one of the best chefs in the business. I feel lucky every day that he agreed to walk away from his other clients to work with me.” Cal held up a bottle. “Would you like champagne?”
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do,” she replied. “I’m afraid champagne will make me sleepy.”
“Actually, it might be best if both of us rest after we eat. That way, we’ll be fresh when we get to London. There’s a bedroom in the back of the aircraft that you can use, if you’d like.”
She tried to will her cheeks not to blush at his mention of the bedroom after all the fantasizing she’d done. Especially when she thought she saw a brief flash of heat in Cal’s eyes. Talk about an active imagination. Why on earth would Cal ever look at her that way?
Whatever the look was, it disappeared in an instant. And it was enough to remind her that she was here to do a damned good job for the foundation, not to dream about kissing her boss.
