attentive.”
“Really? Are you sure you were talking about me?” He chuckled, looking pleased.
“Actually no, I was just playing a part, remember?” As soon as she’d spoken the words, Nicole regretted it. She bit her lip. Shit. Now he’d think she had a problem with it and she didn’t. Not really. She wanted him to get the contract with Vincent; she didn’t like being treated like a means to an end, that’s all.
Ryan cast a suspicious glance in her direction. “Is something wrong?”
Nicole shook her head. “No. Of course not. Sorry, I don’t know where that came from. I guess I’m not all that comfortable being reminded this is all an act. It goes against my natural inclination. I genuinely like Vincent and Sylvia. Deceiving them seems wrong.”
There, she’d explained herself, kind of. He didn’t need to know it was his manner she found coldly disturbing.
Ryan sighed. “I can’t say I’m very happy about it either,” he admitted, to her surprise. “But I can’t see any other way around the problem. Vincent is not going to write me a cheque without being convinced I’d changed my ways.”
“Resorting to subterfuge isn’t going to convince him you’ve changed, though. Is it?”
“Only if he finds out,” acknowledged Ryan, frowning. “And he isn’t going to find out.”
“Not from me,” confirmed Nicole, much to Ryan’s obvious relief. “I’m not happy with the pretence, but I’m not going to blow your good-boy image.” She forced a smile. “I’ll think of it as doing my bit for the environment.”
Ryan laughed, easing the tension. “Thanks, Nicole. This deal really is important to me. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Found someone else to pretend to be your girlfriend, no doubt.
“I’m sure you would have made a plan.” She got to her feet. “You know, I think I’ll turn in now. The fresh air has made me sleepy.”
“Have I sufficiently wound you down?” asked Ryan, his voice steady.
“Something like that.” Nicole leant over and kissed him gently on the cheek. “I do hope this works out for you,” she said. “I’d hate for it all to be for nothing.”
“It’s already working,” said Ryan, quietly confident. “Just keep up the good work.”
Nicole gave him a mock salute. “Yes, sir. See you in the morning.”
With that she padded inside and closed the glass doors behind her, effectively shutting out the sounds of the night – and the presence of the man sitting outside.
Despite what she’d said at dinner the night before, Nicole had spent the morning exploring the tiny island and swimming in the impossibly clear ocean. After a light lunch with Sylvia, Nicole retired to the deck with a jug of lemonade and her book and it was there she spent the rest of the afternoon, only getting up to immerse herself in the plunge pool.
“I hope you’ve got sunscreen on,” called a voice from the beach. Nicole raised her head, shading her eyes with her hand. Ryan was striding towards her, shirt off, naked torso gleaming in the late afternoon sun. His body was so perfectly toned; he looked like he’d been PhotoShopped.
“Same goes for you,” she pointed out.
Ryan laughed and climbed the two wooden steps onto the deck. “I had a rather wet altercation with a giant barracuda,” he said by way of explanation.
“Who won?” teased Nicole, admiring the way the groove either side of his abdominals disappeared into his shorts.
“Who do you think?” asked Ryan, his eyes twinkling.
“Well, you lost a shirt in the battle,” smiled Nicole, tilting her head up to look at him. “Dare I ask how the barracuda fared?”
“Let’s just say he met his match.” Ryan sat down on the deck chair next to her and leaned back with a groan. “But it was hard work. I could definitely use a massage right about now.”
“I’m sure the girls in the spa will be happy to oblige,” remarked Nicole, dryly.
“Does that mean my loving girlfriend
“Really? Are you sure you were talking about me?” He chuckled, looking pleased.
“Actually no, I was just playing a part, remember?” As soon as she’d spoken the words, Nicole regretted it. She bit her lip. Shit. Now he’d think she had a problem with it and she didn’t. Not really. She wanted him to get the contract with Vincent; she didn’t like being treated like a means to an end, that’s all.
Ryan cast a suspicious glance in her direction. “Is something wrong?”
Nicole shook her head. “No. Of course not. Sorry, I don’t know where that came from. I guess I’m not all that comfortable being reminded this is all an act. It goes against my natural inclination. I genuinely like Vincent and Sylvia. Deceiving them seems wrong.”
There, she’d explained herself, kind of. He didn’t need to know it was his manner she found coldly disturbing.
Ryan sighed. “I can’t say I’m very happy about it either,” he admitted, to her surprise. “But I can’t see any other way around the problem. Vincent is not going to write me a cheque without being convinced I’d changed my ways.”
“Resorting to subterfuge isn’t going to convince him you’ve changed, though. Is it?”
“Only if he finds out,” acknowledged Ryan, frowning. “And he isn’t going to find out.”
“Not from me,” confirmed Nicole, much to Ryan’s obvious relief. “I’m not happy with the pretence, but I’m not going to blow your good-boy image.” She forced a smile. “I’ll think of it as doing my bit for the environment.”
Ryan laughed, easing the tension. “Thanks, Nicole. This deal really is important to me. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Found someone else to pretend to be your girlfriend, no doubt.
“I’m sure you would have made a plan.” She got to her feet. “You know, I think I’ll turn in now. The fresh air has made me sleepy.”
“Have I sufficiently wound you down?” asked Ryan, his voice steady.
“Something like that.” Nicole leant over and kissed him gently on the cheek. “I do hope this works out for you,” she said. “I’d hate for it all to be for nothing.”
“It’s already working,” said Ryan, quietly confident. “Just keep up the good work.”
Nicole gave him a mock salute. “Yes, sir. See you in the morning.”
With that she padded inside and closed the glass doors behind her, effectively shutting out the sounds of the night – and the presence of the man sitting outside.
Despite what she’d said at dinner the night before, Nicole had spent the morning exploring the tiny island and swimming in the impossibly clear ocean. After a light lunch with Sylvia, Nicole retired to the deck with a jug of lemonade and her book and it was there she spent the rest of the afternoon, only getting up to immerse herself in the plunge pool.
“I hope you’ve got sunscreen on,” called a voice from the beach. Nicole raised her head, shading her eyes with her hand. Ryan was striding towards her, shirt off, naked torso gleaming in the late afternoon sun. His body was so perfectly toned; he looked like he’d been PhotoShopped.
“Same goes for you,” she pointed out.
Ryan laughed and climbed the two wooden steps onto the deck. “I had a rather wet altercation with a giant barracuda,” he said by way of explanation.
“Who won?” teased Nicole, admiring the way the groove either side of his abdominals disappeared into his shorts.
“Who do you think?” asked Ryan, his eyes twinkling.
“Well, you lost a shirt in the battle,” smiled Nicole, tilting her head up to look at him. “Dare I ask how the barracuda fared?”
“Let’s just say he met his match.” Ryan sat down on the deck chair next to her and leaned back with a groan. “But it was hard work. I could definitely use a massage right about now.”
“I’m sure the girls in the spa will be happy to oblige,” remarked Nicole, dryly.
“Does that mean my loving girlfriend
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