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And his fishing days were over.
CHAPTER TEN
ISOBELLAheaded for a restroom as soon as she stepped foot in the air-conditioned haven of Cairns Airport. She discarded her ripped shirt and sarong in the bin and climbed into much more suitable shapeless trousers and baggy shirt. The usual buzz of gratification that hummed through her system as she covered up failed to materialise.
But she was fully covered, and she patted her throat reassuringly as she inspected her reflection in the mirror through her bookish glasses. She admired her armour, and for the first time since Alex had ripped off her shirt felt confident of repelling any arguments he might throw her way.
All she had to do was sit through the next two hours and then she would never need to see Alex again. The things that had happened today and the other night could not be undone. But they could be forgotten. And the sooner her Greek-god boss was out of sight, the sooner he could be out of mind.
Alex was already waiting in his seat when she boarded the plane, and the look he gave her as he took in her Isobellaesque appearance was faintly amused. ‘Do you think I’m going to forget what lies beneath all those layers?’
Isobella shivered at the low growl directed towards her ear as she sat down and buckled up. She could have almost forgiven him had he been referring to her naked body alone. But she knew without even having to ask that it was her scars he was alluding to. How could he ever see the woman beneath now? And when had she started to care?
It was imperative she re-establish their professional relationship. ‘I don’t think anything. I expect you to realise this is none of your business and act like my boss.’
Alex heard the crispness in her voice. ‘I think we blurred that line on Piccolo, don’t you?’
Isobella felt the pull down low in her pelvis as the scrape of his voice momentarily sucked her back into the sensual vortex of that night. ‘I think we can both agree that what happened the other night was a mistake.’
Alex’s first instinct was to protest, but of course she was right. It shouldn’t have happened. He was her boss, they’d been there on business, and she’d been vulnerable. But they both knew there’d been a force greater than themselves at work that night. Greater even than the cyclone that had raged outside. ‘I wish all my mistakes felt that bad.’
‘Alex. You agreed we would act like it never happened. If this is going to be an issue between us then I’ll just have to resign.’
Isobella held her breath. She couldn’t believe the threat that had slipped from her mouth. She loved her job. She believed in what they were doing and had complete faith that they would ultimately discover a substance that would dramatically improve the scarring endured byFleckeri victims. And she wanted to be there when they did. Hell, she wanted to bethe one who did.
Alex frowned. She was looking at him with a cool, serious look in those deadly brown eyes. The thought of her working elsewhere, at another lab for someone else, was highly disturbing. She was one of his best researchers, after all. It would be bad business practice to let her walk away. And Dr Alexander Zaphirides hadn’t built up a medical research empire by making bad business decisions.
He sighed. ‘Of course.’
Isobella nodded, letting out the breath that was now stretching her lungs to breaking point. She calmly turned back to face the chair in front, pulled out the in-flight magazine and flipped it open to a random page. She could feel Alex’s gaze boring into her temple, and her hand trembled slightly with the effort it took to appear unaffected.
The plane taxied to the runway and the head stewardess made the usual announcements. The aircraft lifted into the endless blue sky and soon after lunch was served.
‘Dr Zaphirides—so nice to see you again, sir. Can I get you a drink?’
Isobella felt her jaw clench as Red stood beside her, oozing charm and sex appeal all over the aisle. She didn’t look up from her reading material.
Alex saw Isobella’s knuckles tighten on the pages of the magazine. He smiled at the stewardess. ‘Thank you, that would be marvellous. I might have a Scotch and ice.’Damn, the woman was driving him to drink.
‘And you, ma’am?’
Isobella didn’t think for a minute that Red gave two hoots whether she wanted a drink or not. ‘No, thank you,’ she said politely, not bothering to look up from what she was reading. She didn’t want to see the look of lust in the other woman’s eyes, the sexual confidence. How good would it feel to be able to look at a man and know you could have him?
