‘Of course, that’s only if you want to, but I have to say I do. Want to, that is.’ Reciprocated attraction simmered between them on the humid air of almost-summer.
Xander’s voice was pitched low in deference to the lateness of the hour and the fact they were out on the balcony. Combined with the velvety night and the perfumes drifting up from the tropical flowers, it seduced and tempted Flick. Until this moment, she hadn’t known she wanted to kiss Xander. Now, the idea of not kissing him, of not knowing what a proper kiss from him would be like, was impossible to ignore. Of its own volition, her body leaned towards him. But the instinctive need to protect herself made her jump in first and keep things light.
‘Well, if you think you can do better than this morning, I guess I could give you another chance.’ She set her bottle of water on the table and took a deep breath. She was really going to do this.
The idea of kissing him sent little tingles of anticipation fluttering in her stomach. No man had even vaguely tempted her since Jason. But there was something about Xander. His dark gaze focused on her was an aphrodisiac. And there was no chance he wouldn’t remember this time. He wanted to kiss her.
His gaze dropped to her mouth before he cradled her neck with his left hand. ‘That’s very generous of you. I promise to be fully present this time.’
She edged forward on her seat. His thumb brushed her cheek. She caught a reflection of outdoor lighting in his eyes, but the balcony wall lights affected her ability to see his expression clearly. Why hadn’t she thought to sit where the light would fall on his face? ‘Me too.’
‘Ready?’
She nodded and met him halfway.
His kiss was gentle, a slow exploration of her lips that teased her with possibilities and hinted at leashed restraint. He was as into it as she was and when she finally came up for air, she was surprised to find they were standing and wrapped in each other’s arms. Or rather she had both arms around Xander’s waist. His bandaged hand rested on her shoulder, but his left arm held her as though he wasn’t ready to let her go.
Relaxing a little, she leaned back, her breathing ragged as she looked at him with a dawning sense of wonder. How could a simple kiss make her feel so special?
Simple? She squelched a nervous giggle.
‘Wow.’ Her insides were jittery with sensation and she couldn’t recall feeling this way before, ever. ‘You lived up to your promise.’
He smiled, a smile that softened his stern lips, and his arm tightened as he whispered, ‘I aim to give full satisfaction. And if you liked it, I’m looking forward to your repeat business.’
Her insides curled, and she lifted her face in silent invitation.
His kiss was another slow, soft exploration of her lips, the corner of her mouth. ‘Can I tempt you to come back for more?’
‘I could become addicted to your kisses—’ Then the sane, cold voice of reason kicked in. ‘But, regretfully, no.’
Not when Xander owned the resort, which included the restaurant. Technically, that must make him her boss, and dating the boss was fraught. Pity I didn’t think this through before I discovered what I was missing.
‘No? Why not?’ Genuine disappointment coloured his voice and his good hand tightened on her waist.
Did she really mean that? As the rational part of her brain came fully awake and processed what she’d done—where it could lead—she shook her head. ‘It’s not sensible to get involved with my boss.’
His eyes narrowed, and the silence grew tense, but Flick knew she’d made the right decision, despite her regret.
‘Is that your only reason for refusing a repeat performance? I thought you were enjoying yourself.’
‘Hmm, you were there this time, weren’t you? Did those kisses strike you as disinterested?’
‘Definitely interested. And yes, I was fully invested in kissing you this time. I want to kiss you again—lots of times. So, my question remains—is that the only reason you don’t want to kiss me now?’ His disappointment seemed to have morphed into a note of teasing optimism that made her want to mesh mouths again. If only there was some way around it, but not dating her boss was a hard rule.
She’d seen how bad things could get when her best friend had got entangled in a similar situation. Were a few kisses, no matter how head-spinningly good, worth the long-term pain? Better not to set off on that path. She shook her head again. ‘I won’t date my boss. I can’t.’
‘That’s excellent news for me. I’m not your boss—Chris is. He owns the restaurant, not me.’
Joy bubbled up within her, and anticipation of more kisses with Xander fizzed in her veins. ‘Christophe is my boss? You’re sure about that?’ Her heartbeat sped up as desire for a repeat performance arrowed through her body.
‘Positive.’
‘In that case—’ She pulled his head down, raised her lips and kissed him again.
When they finally drew apart, he rested his forehead against hers. ‘So—dare I ask again? Does this mean you’ll be back for more?’
‘I’m a very loyal customer.’
‘And I take pride in delivering only top-quality products.’ He kissed her forehead before, with obvious reluctance, stepping away from her. ‘I’ll do better when I have both hands free to hold you.’
Better?
‘Seriously? Much more than that and you’ll blow my mind. When you focus on something, you really do focus.’ Her hands slid down his arms as she stepped back towards the doorway. ‘I can’t wait until next time, but I should go. It’s getting late and I have an early start in the morning.’
His gaze held hers as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘See you tomorrow? How about I pick you up when you finish work and we can—’
Work! The four-letter word slammed through her happy daze and smashed the bubble his kisses had wrapped her in. Work meant people watching, listening … judging her.
She stepped in front of him and slapped one hand over his mouth and the other on his chest. Even if he wasn’t her boss, he owned the resort. Management and an employee? No way under the sun.
Her gut clenched at the potential fallout. ‘Stop right there—please.’
If Xander arrived in the kitchen with kisses and claims on her time, she might as well pack up and leave now. Picking her up from the kitchen would isolate her from her co-workers, mark her as a woman who thought too little of her ability to get ahead on her own merits.
Xander’s not my boss. I’m not his employee. But still her stomach roiled. People saw what they expected to see.
‘Flick, now what’s wrong?’
When she opened her eyes, Xander was frowning.
‘I need to make one thing clear. I know you said you’re not my boss, but you own the resort. Can we just keep things private, kind of low-key for now?’
He took hold of her hand and raised it to his lips. ‘If that’s what you want, of course we can. I won’t complain about keeping you all to myself.’
‘I’m serious, Xander. No kissing or holding hands or anything that remotely suggests a connection. Especially not when Jenny is around. Oh—’
He nodded, as though her thought had seamlessly transferred into his mind. ‘About that. I’ll think of something to tell her. God knows what, but I’ll work it out.’
‘Thank you. I never quite figured out how kisses equal getting married in her mind.’
‘I suspect that was Mum’s way of teaching her about personal safety around boys.’
‘Ah, that makes a kind of sense.’ And it meant, even in the apartment, they would have to be careful not to repeat this morning’s mistake in front of her. ‘How much longer is she staying with you?’
‘We have a couple more days. I promised to take her horseriding tomorrow afternoon.’ His gaze held hers and brightened. ‘Would you like to come with us if you’re not working then?’
‘You don’t think she might want you all to herself, do you? I mean, if she’s only got her big brother for a couple more days, she might not want me tagging along too.’
‘Jenny likes you, Flick—a lot. I’m pretty sure she’ll love it if you come too. When do you finish work?’
‘At two.’
‘Great. See you at the stables at three, if that’s enough time for you to change?’
‘Three is fine. I’ll see you there.’
He slipped one hand into her hair and tipped her head up to meet his lips. If she didn’t dream about him for the rest of the night, she’d be surprised. As goodnight kisses went, his were very satisfying.