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“Thank you.”
Her breathy voice washed over him and made his chest tighten. He plucked a champagne flute from a passing tray and handed it to her. They walked over to the stone wall that separated the private dining terrace from the plunge of the cliff down to the midnight waves of the ocean. Silver pinpoints of light dotted the sky.
“It’s incredible,” Evolet breathed.
“It is.”
She glanced over at him, a shy smile tilting her lips up before she took a sip of champagne.
“No matter what happens, Damon, thank you. For all of this.”
Another surprise, he reflected as they gazed out over the sea. Not receiving the Royal Air contract would be a harsh blow. But somewhere during the rush of the past three weeks, it had no longer become the focus of his life, no longer seemed a matter of life and death. And he had the woman at his side to thank for that.
Evolet rested her chin on her hands as she gazed out over the jungle below her. The warm water of the infinity pool lapped gently against her back. Somewhere in the foliage a bird let out a high-pitched squawk, followed by a series of chirps that made her smile.
During the day, the soaring trees draped in vines and steam rising from the greenery had appeared mystical, like something from a fairy tale. By night, with the trees draped in darkness and stars glistening overheard like a blanket of diamonds, the fairy tale had turned darker, more seductive.
She sighed, her eyes roaming over the landscape. Down below, lanterns flickered along the path that led to one of the resort’s bars. A couple drifted down the stone walkway with their hands clasped tightly together. The man stopped, tugging his laughing companion back to him before he cupped the back of her head and kissed her.
Embarrassment heated Evolet’s cheeks at observing the intimate moment. She pushed off the wall and floated on her back. Embarrassment and, she admitted with a wrinkle of her nose, longing.
Back in New York, there had been so many distractions to keep her from ruminating on the state of her relationship with Damon. But each night they spent together pulled at her, that thread she had used to tie her heart up unraveling at a rapid rate that both excited and frightened her. She had finally admitted to herself on the plane as she’d lain in his arms after they’d made love that she was falling—and falling hard. Perhaps it had been sparked that first night when he’d insisted on walking her through Central Park. Or maybe it had been seeing how well he treated his employees, how much he genuinely cared about their success as much as his company’s.
Whatever had shifted her feelings, she needed to get them under control. A part of her hoped that something might change. But that hope needed to stay under lock and key. She would not force herself on Damon, wouldn’t guilt him into something he didn’t want.
Her chest rose and fell as she inhaled deeply. How many times had she indulged in hope as a child, thinking that perhaps she was arriving in what would be her last foster home? She had a sobering suspicion that she was repeating the same mistake now, ignoring the numerous warning signs that this affair was destined for only one place—heartbreak.
Perhaps when they got back to New York, she would spend a couple days in her own apartment. Since she and Damon had first made love, they’d been inseparable. She wouldn’t be able to untangle herself from her emotions and prepare for the end of their affair if she didn’t have a break.
It wasn’t running away, she told herself. Not after what he’d told her on the plane. This was making a smart, informed decision of respecting his choices while protecting herself.
“You’re thinking too hard.”
She gasped and swallowed a mouthful of water. Sputtering, she stood up, whirled around and glared at him.
“Is your meeting with Bengtsson over?”
“Yes.”
She frowned. “And?”
“And what?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Did Bengtsson say anything about the contract?”
“We’ll know by Monday.”
He walked toward the edge of the pool, each slow, methodical step kicking her heartbeat up a notch. It wasn’t fair that he looked so damned handsome in tan slacks and a white linen shirt rolled up to his elbows. His eyes drifted down. Heat flared in his eyes as his body tensed. She looked down and saw the triangles of her bikini barely clinging to the globes of her breasts. Mortified, she sank down until the water came up to her neck.
He crouched down. “I’ve seen far more of you than that exquisite bikini covers.”
She swallowed hard. “I’m aware.”
His chuckle was a slow, sensual roll across her senses. He leaned down farther, and she found herself drifting toward him, her face upturned, her breathing unsteady. He stopped his mouth a breath away from hers, his lips curving up into a smile.
“Consider this payback for teasing me with that incredible dress tonight.”
And then he pulled back. It took a moment for her brain to catch up to the fact that the bastard was taunting her. And damn it, he knew how much she wanted him to kiss her.
