Staring at herself in the mirror, she wondered how the evening would end. The possibilities were endless—or they might have been, had she been a different person.
Which was the cue for her cheeks to heat up at the thought of Luca touching her...kissing her...
Enough of that! She had a job to do. He must find her one. He had to.
Picking up her notebook, she hugged it close to her chest, but then her grip softened and moved a little, as she began to imagine Luca mapping her breasts, and Luca teasing her promiscuously erect nipples.
Why was her body so eager to lead her into trouble?
Moving on down her ribcage and over her belly, she stopped when she reached the place where his knowing caresses could create a whole world of trouble. Leaving there reluctantly, she trailed her fingertips over thighs tingling just from thinking about him, and went on to rest her hands in the sway of her back, before allowing them to slip even lower to cup her buttocks.
Closing her eyes, she eased back her neck, as certain as she could be that nothing could compare to Luca’s touch. Unfortunately, she was equally certain that she’d never find out.
So why not call a halt to all this unnecessary torment? Stop fantasising. Get real!
Not if she had a single functioning brain cell left. Who wanted tepid, when they could have excitement and fire?
Well, that was all well and good, but first she had to exit her make-believe life, and enter the real world where fingers got burned, and excitement could so easily lead to heartache.
A member of the crew dressed all in crisp black directed Samia to the galley. Air-conditioned to a comfortable temperature, the gleaming steel and white space was pristine. A man was lounging against the wall by the cooking station, chatting easily to a chef in whites. A big man. A big hunk of Pirate Prince, looking every bit as dangerous as his sobriquet suggested. He seemed unaware that she’d entered the room.
Wrong.
Luca knew the moment she walked in. ‘Welcome,’ he said, turning to look at her with a questioning smile. ‘Hungry too?’
‘One hamburger didn’t fill the gap,’ she admitted. ‘Do you mind if I join you?’
‘Not at all.’ He scanned her from head to toe, his sharp gaze missing nothing. From his expression, she guessed she looked okay.
‘Another hamburger?’ he suggested with the hint of a smile that set her heart racing.
‘If you just direct me to what I’m allowed to have, I’ll sort it out myself,’ she said, including the chef. ‘I don’t want to put you to any trouble. I hope you don’t mind me invading your galley?’
Mygalley, Luca’s black stare stated clearly. Pulling away from the wall, he positioned himself between Samia and the handsome young chef.
‘I suggest something light,’ Luca said, adding, ‘and then we’ll meet later for a formal dinner on deck.’
‘Which will give me a chance to discuss what my job’s going to be,’ she agreed brightly.
Luca’s expression suggested this was not part of his plan.
‘Shall I dress for dinner?’ she enquired, remaining determinedly upbeat, on the basis that no one wanted to hire a misery.
Luca’s hard mouth pressed down and he shrugged. ‘I imagine you’d like that.’
She would, but all the gowns she’d found in her dressing room were too sexy, and would put far more of her on show than she was used to. She’d face that problem later, she decided. ‘Why don’t I prepare something for us to eat?’ she suggested. ‘Give your chef some time off?’
A flash of something in Luca’s eyes said,This is my galley. This is my crew. Hands off.Undaunted, she went to wash her hands, and by the time she turned around he’d dismissed the chef. ‘I really do need to start paying for my passage,’ she explained. ‘I’ll feel happier if I’m doing something.’
His shrug was one of acquiescence.
‘How about pancakes?’
‘You’re hired,’ he laughed.
Her eyes sparkled. ‘Then move out of my way.’
Luca watched as she cooked, and then they ate their way through a stack of pancakes with lashings of sugar and lemon, eating at the counter, each with a bottle of beer. Conversation flowed easily, far more easily than she’d imagined, until finally Luca pushed his plate away. ‘I’ll see you later,’ he said as she cleared up, determined to prove herself worthy of being hired.
