Her eyes searched his. His imagination or were those green-brown eyes softening?
The moment was broken by an irritated clearing of the throat.
“Chef.” His heart sank as he turned to find Felix scowling at him from the doorway. “Your break finished ten minutes ago.”
Embarrassment, hot and angry, crept up his neck. A bollocking he could handle—he’d had plenty of them in his life—but in front of a woman he was trying to impress? It sucked great hairy balls.
He forced a smile on his face. “Be there in a minute.”
Felix gave him a curt nod and disappeared. When Connor turned his attention back to Olivia, she was grinning. “Uh-oh, looks like you’re in trouble.”
He scratched at the back of his neck, trying to hide his discomfort. “Yeah, isn’t the first time. Won’t be the last.”
Her teeth bit down on her bottom lip, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Kind of ruins the whole cocky look you had going on.”
“Kind of does. Hard to be angry at a bit of humiliation when it finally got you smiling at me, though.” He took her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. “Until tomorrow.”
She rolled her eyes, but the humor was still there. “Until tomorrow.”
He marched back out, giving her a final look over his shoulder before heading to the kitchen.
Felix folded his arms across his chest when he saw him. “Sex with customers isn’t allowed.”
Jesus. “I wastalking.” But it was a reminder that according to hotel rules, what he had planned with Olivia was strictly forbidden. Not that it would stop him—he’d always been a rule-breaker. It just meant he had to be careful. He was working here only because of Felix’s friendship with Aaron, and he absolutely could not afford to lose his job back home.
“I know you young men,” Felix muttered. “I was one. Talk one day, in bed the next.”
He almost laughed. If only it were that easy. “Just trying to get to know the bachelorette party I’m catering for tomorrow.”
With a final searching look, Felix dismissed him and Connor made his way to his service station. As he started prepping for the lunch menu he’d planned for the boat trip, Luca sidled over.
“The Chicken Box tonight. You up for it?”
“Sure.” His response was automatic. He’d come out here to earn money and learn, yes, but also to relax, to party.
Yet when the shift finished, the thought of a night out didn’t give him the usual buzz of excitement. It was possible he just felt tired.
It was equally possible he knew he’d not meet another woman who’d capture his imagination as much as the one he’d been dancing with earlier.
Chapter 5
As Olivia walked with her sisters toward the boat waiting at the hotel jetty, she couldn’t ignore the somersaults in her belly, much as she wanted to.
She’d spent far too long last night dreaming about sex. Specifically, sex with a blue-eyed, hard-muscled man who moved his body in a way that had made those dreams X-rated. For a woman who enjoyed sex like she enjoyed a bubble bath—it was a pleasant way to relax—experiencing her first erotic dream was unnerving.
“You’re quiet.” Ashley prodded her in the side. “You’d better not be thinking about work.”
“I’m not.” With a start she realized she’d not checked the markets this morning. God, what was wrong with her?
“Bloody hell, that’s a first.” Ashley gave her a sly smile. “Wonder what else could possibly have grabbed your attention.”
“Just thinking how lovely it is to be spending time with my family.” She returned Ashley’s smile with a bright one of her own. “And how grateful I am that you persuaded me to come.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something?” Her gaze followed Olivia’s, and a huge grin split her face. “And now I know exactly what you were thinking about on the walk here. And probably all of last night. Especially when you slipped into your bed and stared forlornly at the empty space beside you.”
Olivia groaned. “For the love of God, stop!”
“What are you guys talking about?” Jessica came to an abrupt halt on the steps and started to laugh. “Well, well, well. Looks like we have ourselves a hot chef for the day.”
