Damien chuckled and refilled his hands with lotion. “Lift your hair and I’ll get your neck.” He leaned forward until his mouth was near her ear, his fingers tracing her clavicle bones. “I owe you an apology. I asked you on this trip impulsively and never considered the inconvenience to you.”
That was probably the first time ever that he had admitted a wrong to one of his assistants. But he knew it was true. He was harsh and inflexible sometimes, and thought only of himself.
Mandy’s elbows were out as she piled hair in a bundle on her head, and he spoke right over her shoulder. A little push forward and he could skim his lips along her jaw, kiss that dimple in her cheek that appeared when she smiled.
“While I accept your apology, I have to say it’s very relaxing, actually, which is something I really needed. I’ve been under a bit of stress lately.”
He paused. “I heard your boss is an ogre.”
She laughed. “That’s not what I meant. I like working for you, believe it or not. There’s just been some personal... issues I’m dealing with.”
Lord knew he could understand that. But she’d said she didn’t have a boyfriend or a husband, so before rational thought could intrude, he tugged on the tie that held her bikini top in place.
She grabbed the front of the top to hold it against her and made a sound of distress. “What are you doing?”
Taking a dip in that volcano. “I can’t get under the strings with the sunscreen.” Which was true. But he also wanted to see her bare back, touch all of her, imagine what it would be like to take Mandy as a lover, to undress her like this in heightened anticipation, both of them breathing hard and wound tight with sexual interest.
Sort of like he was right now. He moved his hands over the whole of her back, kneading her muscles with his thumbs.
“Oh, okay,” she said, sounding a little unnerved. “But be careful. I don’t have the sangfroid of some of these women strolling around topless. I’d prefer to keep my breasts an alluring secret.”
That they were.
With no excuse to linger, he retied her strings with sticky fingers. “There, all set to fry.”
Mandy turned to him and held her hand out. “Your turn.”
He settled back in his chair. “Turn for what?”
“Back and shoulders. Face front, Damien, so I can put the sunscreen on you.”
What? No way in hell he was letting her touch him. He’d need a bucket of ice from the beach bar poured down his shorts first. “I’m fine. I don’t need sunscreen.”
She shot him a look of disbelief. “You’re a very difficult man, you know.”
And this was news? “I know.”
“You’re not supposed to admit that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s rude or something. I don’t know.” Mandy set her feet on the sand and reached for the sunscreen he’d dropped on her beach towel.
“I thought it was mature to admit my flaws.”
“Not when that flaw is being difficult.” She squirted a great white glob of sunscreen on her hand. “Turn around.”
“You don’t have to. I can get it.” Just the thought of her touching him made him a little desperate. His feelings for her were unexplainable and unwanted, but they were there. Since he was not in as firm of control as he would like, it was possible she would guess he was attracted to her.
Which would be the end of the world as he knew it.
“Turn around. Even demons need sunscreen in the Caribbean.” And she grabbed both of his shoulders and tried to twist him.
Their knees bumped, her breasts hovered close to his chest, and he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was torturous to want her and know he couldn’t have her. Until Mandy, his body had been sexually dormant, and while it had woken up raring to go, nothing else had changed. His heart was still frozen.
“All right, all right.” He hooked his leg over the chaise lounge and spun away from her. “Now who’s being difficult?”
Damien expected Mandy’s touch to be soft and gentle. He’d misread her again. Her strokes were bold, sensual, the lotionmaking a squishing sound between her fingers as she moved across his back methodically.
