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Zoe followed him,her eyes taking in everything from his broad shoulders to his very sexy behind. By the time they stopped in front of what looked like the office he’d mentioned, she was just about salivating.
Dale showed her to a chair near a big desk and she opened her tablet. He walked around and sat on the other side of the desk. Thank goodness, at least she could breathe again.
“From what I’ve seen so far, the interior of your hotels convey a kind of elegance, a sense of classiness without being austere—is that also the kind of feel you’d like in the new hotel?”
Dale frowned. “Yes and no. The hotel is situated in the bush. I’d like people to be aware of where they are, but of course in luxury.”
Zoe nodded and opened the icon on her tablet to show Dale her ideas. She pushed it towards him.
“I’d like to create a romantic mood—”
“In the bush, really?” Dale chipped in sarcastically.
Zoe counted silently to ten and continued as if he hadn’t interrupted her. “That will contrast with the ruggedness of the environment. I was thinking white and khaki with a dash of something playful thrown in like a bold red.”
*
Dale lifted hishead quickly. That was exactly what he’d had in mind. Exactly. But she didn’t have to know that so soon. That they were thinking along such similar lines was freaking him out a bit. He tried to relax and leaned back in his chair.
“How did you come up with that idea?” he asked mildly.
“I keep ideas in a file and when I looked through some of the clippings, that was the one that caught my eye,” she said and pointed to the picture on the tablet.
“What about an African theme—a completely rugged and African look?” he asked innocently.
Clearly stunned, Zoe stared at him for a few seconds. “You can’t be serious!” she called out. “It’s been done to death and, frankly, if that’s what you want, I’m not the person for the job.” She reached out to take her tablet.
Dale put a hand out at the same time to pick up the tablet and their fingers touched. Both froze. Zoe’s eyes flew up to his. He was momentarily taken aback at what he thought he saw in them—confusion laced with something else. Was it desire? Before he could decide, she’d lowered her eyes and taken the tablet.
Dale stood up. She stopped talking. And looked up at him.
“Do a complete proposal and let me have it when you’re ready,” he said. Stick to business. Stick to business. He should keep repeating this mantra until he actually complied with it.
Zoe stood up as well. “Could I have a copy of the plans, please?” she asked. “It would be very difficult to do a complete proposal without the actual plans in my hand.”
Dale shook his head vehemently. “I told you. If you need to see the plans, you ask me.”
“Dale, surely you can see that—” She faltered. He’d been moving closer while she’d been talking. She folded her arms in front of her.
“That I need those plans and—”
He only stopped when he was standing right in front of her. With only his finger, he touched her mouth.
“We all need something, don’t we?” he asked. “But we rarely get what we want.”
For long minutes they stood like that, their breaths mingling, his finger on her face.
Zoe stepped back.
“Dale, seriously? You know as well as I do that it’s impossible to work without the actual plans.”
“You can come and work in our offices, but you won’t get a copy.”
“But that’s ridiculous!”
He shrugged.
Zoe spun on her heel and stalked towards the door. Just before she walked out, she turned back. “If you’re happy with the proposal, do I still have to go to Mahé?”
