The small top curved over her perfectly small, rounded breasts, the sarong dipping just enough to expose her slim, flat stomach and a glimpse of slender leg every damn time that sarong flared open a little.
Since when had she become the sexiest woman on the planet? Had he registered that before and somehow managed to sublimate it? He had been the victim of a raging libido for the entire time they had spent on the yacht. It had been a mammoth effort not to look at her, and even a long swim in the ocean hadn’t been able to douse the sudden fire that had ignited inside him. For once, his formidable will power had not been able to rescue him from feeling like a horny teenager.
‘I’m not saying you can’t wear whatever you want to wear,’ he said in a roughened undertone. ‘I’m just saying you caught me by surprise...’
Ellie’s mouth fell open. ‘You’ve driven this boat out here so you can tell methat?’ She glared at him. ‘And should I be grateful that you haven’t objected to my dress code?’
‘Of course...’ James tried to rescue the farcical situation with some semblance of rationality. ‘It would be an opportune time to consolidate what...has been said...’
‘You told me to wear appropriate clothes. I’m wearing appropriate clothes! And, when it comes to work, we could easily discuss that tomorrow! You justdon’t approveof what I’ve chosen to wear! Which,incidentally, is a whole lot less dramatic than what most girls my age would be wearing on a boat in the tropics!’
‘Did I say that I didn’t approve of what you’re wearing?’ James retorted with a hint of defensiveness. Where was this coming from? He had no idea, and that lack of control was messing with his head. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d actually cared about what clothes any woman chose to wear. Unconvincingly, he tried to tell himself that he was being perfectly reasonable in this instance because she wasn’tjust any woman, she washis PA. She waspaidto look the part! Her role wasn’t to turn him on until he found it impossible to think straight...
‘You don’t have to,’ Ellie said coldly. ‘You’re accustomed to seeing me one way and one way only.’
‘You’ve hit the nail on the head,’ he muttered. He spun round to stare at the dark sky and the even darker sea. He felt hot and uncomfortable in his skin. He felt...arousedat the sight of her. He wanted to touch her, and he didn’t know what to do with the feeling, so he ground his teeth together and glared at her.
‘As of tomorrow, I will return to my normal dress code,’ Ellie managed to bite out with such stiff politeness that he knew she was fighting hard not to shout at him. ‘And I’ll make sure to bring out theappropriatestuff when you’re not aroundto disapprove.’
‘Don’t,’ he said brusquely. ‘You think I disapprove. Maybe I approve too much.’
His words hung in the air between them, as dangerous as a match being tossed onto dried leaves.
‘I don’t understand,’ Ellie said confusedly.
‘Don’t you? I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Okay, so maybe you’re right. Maybe Ihavebeen accustomed to seeing you in one way and one way only. Maybe I like this break with tradition a little too much for both our good.’
James had never envisaged himself in this position. Had he ever thought about her that way? Maybe. He didn’t know. She’d always got under his skin in a strange kind of way. Had it been a simmering attraction he had always refused to acknowledge? At any rate, the words were out and he was unrepentant. In fact, he felt oddly calm.
‘I don’t know what you’re saying,’ Ellie whispered.
‘Don’t you? Then allow me to spell it out. You sat there on this boat, sexy as hell, and I wanted you. It wasn’t just the clothes. I saw a different woman and I wanted her. I want her right now. I can’t get any clearer than that, can I, Ellie? I want to kiss you. I want to make love to you. Right here, right now, on this boat in the middle of the sea...’
CHAPTER FIVE
ELLIEGASPEDHERshock, but through the shock dark excitement coursed with mercurial speed through her veins. She took a couple of steps back, her breathing shallow and rapid, her eyes pinned to the dark shadows of his face.
This wasn’t what she’d been expecting. When he’d dispatched everyone and announced that he wanted to take the Catamaran back out to talk to her, she’d put two and two together and come to the vague conclusion that he was keen to discuss what had been agreed during the course of the afternoon on the yacht. That he’d opted to take the boat back out because that was the type of guy he was—he just wanted tohave a gosailing it. She suspected that the only reason he’d hired a skipper in the first place was because he hadn’t wanted the distraction of being behind the wheel when there was business to get through.
But this...! No! She couldn’t possibly! She wasn’t built for something like this...she neededstabilityandboundaries. Lose those and what next? It would be as perilous as diving head-first into a whirlpool! She neededcontrol, yet...
Every bone in her body was melting and she was grateful for the cover of darkness so that he couldn’t see the tell-tale trembling of her body. Shameful arousal was a heat pouring through her, and she felt the tingling pool of dampness between her thighs, which made her want to rub them together.
She hugged herself and stared at him.
He was her boss! This shouldn’t be happening! Why was it happening? Was he even being serious? She was hardly in the league of all his ex-girlfriends, with their ridiculously long legs and supermodel figures.
A thousand fevered questions raced through her head, but her tongue seemed to be glued to the roof of her mouth and all she could do was stare at him, dumbfounded.
‘Tell me about it,’ he grated.
‘Is this some kind of joke, James?’
‘Do I sound as though I’m kidding?’
‘But... I work for you! And it’s not even as thoughI’m yourtype!’
‘Think I’m not grappling with the same mystery?’ He shifted, for once lacking his usual poise. He looked at her, looked away, looked again and then kept looking. ‘I’m not a believer in mixing business with pleasure...’
