to give away how flustered she was. ‘Very comfortable. How was the sofa?’
He grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Short and lumpy.’
Stifling her smile, Josie grabbed another mug, poured in the remainder of the coffee and handed it to him.
‘Thanks.’ He took a long sip, wincing as he swallowed. ‘You like your coffee strong.’
She only just stopped herself saying Like my men. Where the heck had this one-track mind sprung from?
They ate breakfast together in silence, the tense atmosphere from the night before still hanging between them.
‘So, what are your plans for the day?’ he said finally.
She shrugged. ‘I don’t have any. A bit of reading, maybe. A short walk. Some relaxing...’ She noticed a smile playing around his lips. ‘What?’
‘I can’t imagine you sitting around relaxing, that’s all. You’re the least relaxed person I’ve ever met. You always look as if you’re itching to move on to the next thing.’
‘Yeah, well, I’m not used to sitting still.’
‘You’re a nervous breakdown waiting to happen. You know that?’
She gave him a tight smile, fighting down her irritation that he seemed to be picking up right where they’d left off last night. ‘I haven’t got time for a breakdown. My schedule wouldn’t allow it.’
He gave her a mirthful stare. ‘You plan everything?’
She straightened the skirt of her halter-neck dress. ‘I like to know what I’m doing.’
‘I’m surprised you haven’t got more of a plan for the day, then—or are you freestyling for the challenge?’
Josie tipped her head thoughtfully. She hadn’t got beyond thinking about what she was going to have for breakfast, taking the day one step at a time. But if she couldn’t work she was going to have to think of something pretty soon, before she died of boredom.
‘Something like that.’ She swept her hand around the stillness of the kitchen and the unbroken landscape that stretched away from them outside. ‘There’s not a whole lot going on around here, so I’m going to have to make my own fun.’
He looked at her then and their gazes locked. His pupils darkened, turning his eyes black. He held her gaze, drawing her into a world of fiery longing. What the hell was going on? A need to touch him almost overwhelmed her. Her stomach did a double flip and her fingers itched to run over his golden skin, tracing the swell of muscles over his arms, across his shoulders, down his chest...
Bad idea.
It had been such a long time since she’d been so attracted to someone it had thrown her into chaos. She’d forgotten how exciting it was, how much fun. Not that this could be any more than a passing whim. She should enjoy the novelty of it but give herself boundaries. Stay in control.
‘Uh...do you fancy another game of chess?’ she asked, pulling her thoughts back onto safe ground before she started drooling. It had been entertaining playing last night, especially when he’d been so disgusted when she’d beaten him.
He shook his head. ‘I can’t. I’m meeting a friend for lunch in Aix.’
‘Oh, okay.’ She kept her tone light, but was annoyed by how disappointed she felt.
‘You could always walk up to Guy’s farm and get some eggs. They’re great when they’re really fresh. Just head north-east. It’s a couple of miles away across the fields.’ He waved in the direction he meant. ‘It shouldn’t take you more than half an hour to get there.’
‘Yeah, okay. I might do that.’ Her wayward voice had taken on a childishly reluctant tone without her consent.
Connor didn’t appear to notice. ‘Want me to draw you a map?’
She shoved her shoulders back in defiance at his coddling behaviour—before remembering his comment about her ‘magnificent rack’ and adjusting her posture to make her stance less overtly aggressive. ‘No, thanks. I’m sure I can find it,’ she said coolly.
‘Don’t leave it too late to walk over there. The heat gets pretty fierce after
He grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Short and lumpy.’
Stifling her smile, Josie grabbed another mug, poured in the remainder of the coffee and handed it to him.
‘Thanks.’ He took a long sip, wincing as he swallowed. ‘You like your coffee strong.’
She only just stopped herself saying Like my men. Where the heck had this one-track mind sprung from?
They ate breakfast together in silence, the tense atmosphere from the night before still hanging between them.
‘So, what are your plans for the day?’ he said finally.
She shrugged. ‘I don’t have any. A bit of reading, maybe. A short walk. Some relaxing...’ She noticed a smile playing around his lips. ‘What?’
‘I can’t imagine you sitting around relaxing, that’s all. You’re the least relaxed person I’ve ever met. You always look as if you’re itching to move on to the next thing.’
‘Yeah, well, I’m not used to sitting still.’
‘You’re a nervous breakdown waiting to happen. You know that?’
She gave him a tight smile, fighting down her irritation that he seemed to be picking up right where they’d left off last night. ‘I haven’t got time for a breakdown. My schedule wouldn’t allow it.’
He gave her a mirthful stare. ‘You plan everything?’
She straightened the skirt of her halter-neck dress. ‘I like to know what I’m doing.’
‘I’m surprised you haven’t got more of a plan for the day, then—or are you freestyling for the challenge?’
Josie tipped her head thoughtfully. She hadn’t got beyond thinking about what she was going to have for breakfast, taking the day one step at a time. But if she couldn’t work she was going to have to think of something pretty soon, before she died of boredom.
‘Something like that.’ She swept her hand around the stillness of the kitchen and the unbroken landscape that stretched away from them outside. ‘There’s not a whole lot going on around here, so I’m going to have to make my own fun.’
He looked at her then and their gazes locked. His pupils darkened, turning his eyes black. He held her gaze, drawing her into a world of fiery longing. What the hell was going on? A need to touch him almost overwhelmed her. Her stomach did a double flip and her fingers itched to run over his golden skin, tracing the swell of muscles over his arms, across his shoulders, down his chest...
Bad idea.
It had been such a long time since she’d been so attracted to someone it had thrown her into chaos. She’d forgotten how exciting it was, how much fun. Not that this could be any more than a passing whim. She should enjoy the novelty of it but give herself boundaries. Stay in control.
‘Uh...do you fancy another game of chess?’ she asked, pulling her thoughts back onto safe ground before she started drooling. It had been entertaining playing last night, especially when he’d been so disgusted when she’d beaten him.
He shook his head. ‘I can’t. I’m meeting a friend for lunch in Aix.’
‘Oh, okay.’ She kept her tone light, but was annoyed by how disappointed she felt.
‘You could always walk up to Guy’s farm and get some eggs. They’re great when they’re really fresh. Just head north-east. It’s a couple of miles away across the fields.’ He waved in the direction he meant. ‘It shouldn’t take you more than half an hour to get there.’
‘Yeah, okay. I might do that.’ Her wayward voice had taken on a childishly reluctant tone without her consent.
Connor didn’t appear to notice. ‘Want me to draw you a map?’
She shoved her shoulders back in defiance at his coddling behaviour—before remembering his comment about her ‘magnificent rack’ and adjusting her posture to make her stance less overtly aggressive. ‘No, thanks. I’m sure I can find it,’ she said coolly.
‘Don’t leave it too late to walk over there. The heat gets pretty fierce after
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