He grinned, mock-saluted and sauntered off before she had time to answer.
CHAPTER FOUR
ELLIEAPPROACHEDTHEhotel boutique and glanced around her. Why on earth did she feel furtive? She wasn’t about to rob the store! She was a hotel guest in search of a couple of items of clothing. Couldn’t be more straightforward!
But shedidfeelfurtive. Shefeltas though she wassneaking aroundbecause she knew what James would do if he spotted her slipping into one of the hotel shops in search of some more appropriate summer stuff. He would laugh, and then he would tilt that handsome head to one side, and he wouldn’t have to say anything, becauseI told you sowould be emblazoned on his face.
Truth was, he’d been right. In her haste and determination to erase the unfortunate lapses of the past few days, by approaching this trip as nothing but a working arrangement with just a change of scenery to contend with, she had foolishly packed all the wrong stuff. She had thoughtofficeand had gone for summer suits. She had thoughtmeetingsand had opted for her neat canvas pumps. She had banked onminimum leisure time with her bossand had stuffed in a couple of pairs of shorts and tee shirts.
In the cool darkness of her palatial bedroom last night, with a view of dark ocean through her window and the sound of night-time tropical insects when she opened the window to breathe in the warm, salty air, she had mentally faced up to her paltry choices. So here she was, at ten in the morning, hovering outside an overpriced boutique where she would now be forced to part with hard-earned cash to buy at least a couple of things that would work for a sailing trip on board a luxury Catamaran and probably a fancy dinner out somewhere.
She cringed when she thought about the cut-off denim shorts buried in one of the hotel drawers and the culottes of two summers back, both of which were absolutely fine if they weren’t going to be paraded in front of a guy who was accustomed to the women in his company looking as though they had just hopped off a catwalk. In fairness, many probably had.
Ellie knew that she shouldn’t care less what he thought of the clothes she had brought with her. Did it matter? Really? She hadn’t been employed because she knew the difference between a Chanel jacket and a Moschino coat. She was here because she was great at her job and he wanted her around to help organise the deal, which was something she was adept at doing without any input from him.
She was here because she was efficient, professional and understood the way he worked, and if she had to accompany him to one or two dinners then she would be required to fade into the background for the remainder of the time.
So what if she showed up in her usual navy summer skirt and another white blouse? So what if he found her bland skirts, and even blander shirts, a source of amusement?
Still, it mattered, and she was cross with herself forhow muchit mattered. Enough for her to have slunk into the boutique the very second it opened and emerge forty minutes later clutching two smart black and gold bags containing a selection of clothes she could ill afford.
She diligently stuck to her usual dress code when she met him twenty minutes later, but he was too focused on what needed to be done to pay her much attention, short of asking her, half an hour after they’d begun poring over the detail of profit and loss columns, whether she wanted anything to eat. Say the word and they would bring whatever she wanted to the conference room.
‘I had a huge breakfast.’ She politely declined.
‘And you slept okay?’
‘Brilliantly,’ she responded honestly. ‘I thought I’d be up, with the time difference, but once my head hit the pillow I was out like a light. The suite is amazing and the bed is fantastic.’
Uninvited, she imaginedhimlying in a king-sized bed very much like the one she had fallen asleep in, and from that diving point she plunged into her newly awakened imagination which was threatening to get completely out of control. She reined it in with effort, inwardly cursing the way three years’ worth of self-control around him had been demolished in the space of a few days and a handful of unedited conversations.
She felt the pinch of her nipples against her sensible cotton bra, an unwelcome dampness between her legs, and suddenly the room, which had been perfectly fine moments before, was uncomfortably hot. Too hot. She wanted to fan herself.
Instead, she hastily poured herself a glass of cold water from the jug that had been brought in for them and drank thirstily.
Her eyes slid down to his khaki shorts, just the right length to draw her eye to his muscular thighs and strong calves. His expensive tan designer boat shoes looked well-worn, as did his faded blue and cream polo shirt, and yet as a package deal he looked a million dollars. Money, she thought, bought freedom. And that included freedom from caring what impression you made on other people. It was that very indifference that made him stand out. He wasn’t obliged to do anything he didn’t want to do and that was all too apparent in his body language. People bent over backwards to please him all the more because he didn’t encourage it.
After the stormy break-up,Naomihad bent over backwards to reinstate herself. Ellie knew that because she had taken three calls in the space of a single day before they had left for Barbados, and had, thankfully, been legitimately able to tell the other woman that James wasn’t around.
‘Believe me,’ she had said truthfully, ‘If he was in the office, I would transfer you. Perhaps,’ she’d added with a twinge of satisfaction, ‘You could try his mobile. I’m sure he’d be very happy to take your call.’
She had no idea whether he had taken any calls from his ex, and if he had whether he’d been happy to take them, but that wasn’t her concern.
‘I have a few calls to put through before I meet our clients,’ he said when they’d finally finished fine-combing through the details. ‘Unexpected and essential, I’m afraid. Will you be okay making your way to the Catamaran on your own and entertaining the guys for a few minutes if I’m late?’
Ellie watched as he absently looked at something on his phone before helping himself to water, looking at her over the rim of his glass as he drank.
‘Of course.’ It would be a chance to take in a bit of her glorious surroundings without his stifling presence next to her, consuming all her attention. She smiled. ‘Is there anything I should know about our contacts? Aside from the fact that they’re young?’
‘Nothing.’ He grinned back at her and began heading for the door. ‘Young computer whizz-kids... probably more brains and energy than common sense. I’m guessing your experience at my company will serve you in excellent stead when it comes to dealing with these three—and don’t worry. I won’t leave you in the lurch for too long.’
‘I’m not worried.’ She preceded him through the door and caught a whiff of his woody cologne.
‘That’s my girl,’ he murmured, glancing down at her. ‘I can always depend on you.’
Ellie wondered why that sounded ever so slightly patronising rather than complimentary. Dependability was what she was about, so why would she feelcriticised? Since when had she become so sensitive to every passing remark? How tenable would her job be if she ended up brooding over everything he said and mulling over every expression that crossed his face? Not to mention her imagination suddenly deciding to take flights of fancy at the drop of a hat.
‘Thank you,’ she returned, drawing back to look at him. ‘Will you text and let me know if you’re going to be late, and if so how late?’
