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But Jack had planned this job without a word to Chad before this morning. And that seemed damn suspicious to Chad. He had a feeling his cousin was up to something, but he tried to put that thought aside. Jack certainly wouldn’t be stupid enough to send Chad and Jennie here for anything other than innocent, work-related reasons. Not after what Chad had told Jack and Andrew over the weekend.
Would he?
Chapter 9
Thankfully, once they began moving, Chad released his hold on her waist. Jennie needed space to salvage the remaining bits of her wits.
She tried to lose herself in thoughts of work as they walked to the private villa on the beach. She couldn’t believe she would share this retreat with Chad for the next two weeks.
The resort was hot and tropical, filled with the sounds of birds and the ocean with a light breeze that teased over her skin. Even the air smelled different here.
They followed the woman who’d introduced herself as Maria when she’d greeted them in the lobby. They went past the common areas and crossed into an area of dense shrubs and trees, following a small sandy path through the growth. When they emerged moments later, their private villa stood in front of them. It was surrounded by the finest white sand Jennie had ever walked on. She took off her sandals and held onto Chad’s arm as they crossed the warm sand to the porch at the front of the villa.
If touching the smooth, hard muscles of Chad’s arm hadn’t stolen Jennie’s breath already, the view certainly would have. They faced the ocean with its crystal-blue water. There was a teak double chaise lounge on the front porch filled with soft pillows, and a hammock off to one side. Sail boats provided a bright splash of color on the pale blue sky.
Jennie gasped when she stepped inside the villa. The house looked like a tiny grass hut from the outside but it was anything but that. It was smothered in luxury and comfort.
“It’s beautiful!” She didn’t know what to look at first. The doors and furniture were made of a beautiful dark wood with ornate carvings and patterns. The chairs and couch looked comfortable and inviting. A small fireplace in the corner promised a real honeymooning couple romantic evenings if the temperature dropped at night. Overhead fans made to look like big leaves turned lazily throughout the room to stir the hot air.
Jennie walked through the living room to large double doors that opened to an enormous master bedroom. In fact, thinking back to the doors she’d seen as she walked through, and the size of the villa from the outside, Jennie had a sneaking suspicion this was the only bedroom. Their bags had already been placed in the room by the hotel staff and the bed was covered in pastel rose petals and towels intricately folded to look like a bouquet of flowers.
That’s right. This is the honeymoon villa.
Try as she might, Jennie couldn’t keep from imagining Chad laying her on the bed, his strong body coming down over her. His heated hands and mouth...
She heard Chad approach and felt his presence behind her a minute later. She turned to see him leaning on the door jamb, hands shoved in his pockets, his bad boy grin firmly in place on his face.
“Big bed,” he said, peering around her.
Jennie laughed at Chad, but on the inside, she felt her body grow hot in response to his presence in the room, to his suggestive tone. It was a battle to steady her breathing instead of letting her body run wild with its response to him.
“It’s all yours, Boss Man. I’ll be sleeping on the couch.”
That got Chad’s attention and he stood and stepped toward her. His no nonsense boss tone was back. “You’re not sleeping on the couch, Jen. I was joking about the bed. I’ll be on the couch. You’re in here.”
“Don’t be silly, Chad. I’m a foot shorter than you. I’ll be fine out on the couch or even on one of the chaise lounge chairs. Hell, any of them look more comfy than my bed at home. Comfy for a person my size, not yours.” She gave him a pointed look as she finished. There was no way he’d be comfortable on a couch at his size. It was ridiculous to even think of doing things his way.
Chad let out something between a growl and a laugh. “Not happening, Jennie.” He crossed the room to grab his bag and headed to the living room.
“You can’t do that, Chad. We’re married, remember? You need to keep your clothes in here or the housekeepers will wonder what you did to land yourself in the doghouse when we’ve only been married a couple of days.”
He looked at her for a long minute. She could see the tension in his jaw as he fought against what he wanted and what they had to pretend to be for the next two weeks.
Without a word, he crossed to the dresser and closet and began to unpack his clothes. Jennie sat on the bed and watched him, amused.
As one might expect from someone who’d spent so many years in the military, everything had its place in Chad’s world. He lined his extra shoes along the bottom of the closet. He folded clothes and organized them in different drawers. Hung dress shirts and pants on hangers and arranged them with precisely one inch between each hanger.
Jennie followed him into the bathroom and watched him set out his toiletries, lining up toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, and razor just so. He left the same distance between each item on the counter.
Chad eyed her as he walked back out of the bathroom. He scooped up the flip flops she had kicked off at the foot of the bed and walked out to the front of the villa. Jennie padded after him and stifled a giggle when he lined up her flip flops by the door. He slipped off the sneakers he had on and lined them up next to her shoes.
Apparently satisfied, he began taking extra pillows off the couch.
Oh, this is too good to resist.
Jennie went to the small bar in the living room and opened a can of soda for herself.
“Want one?” she asked Chad, holding up the can.
