Hawaii.’
‘No. You
assumed
I was going to Hawaii.’
She tried to recall the conversation but right now her mind wasn’t operating at full capacity because it was too busy looking at the way his gorgeous lips curved ever so slightly. Teasing her. Or was he mocking her? ‘And you let me,’ she clipped out. ‘We talked about it, you let me believe—’
‘You asked if I’d been there before. I said I try to get there every couple of years. Just not this year, as it happens.’
‘You knew exactly what I meant.’ She frowned. ‘You didn’t tell me you were travelling to Fiji when we talked about Hawaii.’
‘Why would I? No exchanging personal information. Your rules, Charlotte, remember?’ he said softly. Seductively. The way he’d whispered how good she felt and what else he’d like to do to her.
‘I didn’t see you in the airline lounge in Melbourne or in Customs …’
‘That was my intention. You were adamant you only wanted one night, no further services required.’
She felt herself colour at his crude assessment of the evening. Obviously it would seem that way to him and why should he believe her if she tried to explain? But rather thanspecial, he made their night together sound cheap and sordid and ruined the memory and she resented him for that.
‘I’d have been better off facing up to that reporter,’ she said tightly.
He gave her a grin that twisted her insides into a tight little ball again. ‘Charlotte, come on. Loosen up a bit.’
She could read it in his eyes—
the way you were twelve hours ago
. Her chin lifted. ‘What about now? You’re not trying to avoid me
now
. In fact you’re making it your business to catch up with me.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Maybe you’re a reporter too and you were in on this together.’
‘You don’t really think that.’ He blew out a breath, looked about them. ‘Why don’t we find somewhere more private to talk—?’
‘No more private.’ She would not give in to the temptation and tightened her fingers on the handle of her suitcase. ‘Right here’s fine.’
‘Okay.’ He raised a hand as if to touch her face, then changed his mind, lowered it again. ‘I’ve been thinking about you for the entire flight. And I wondered if maybe you’ve changed your mind. Because I’d really like to see you again while we’re both here.’
‘I didn’t come to Fiji to meet someone. I came here to be alone.’
‘A shameful waste of romantic sunsets, don’t you think?’
‘No.’ She could enjoy sunsets; she didn’t need a man for that. And she refused to think what she did need a man for … So she didn’t think about how hard and hairy his forearm would feel if she reached out and touched it. She ignored his familiar masculine scent, arousing now in the humid air wafting through the exit doors. And she totally didn’t think about the dark, drugging taste of hiskisses, the way his eyes had glittered down at her in the dark, jaw clenched as he came inside her.
‘Admit it, Charlotte, you enjoyed our time together as much as I did.’ His voice was deep velvet and pure seduction. ‘It could be even better on a balmy tropical night with the windows open, the breeze wafting over hot damp skin …’
‘Yes,’ she snapped, not allowing herself to be tempted by the images he conjured. ‘Not the bit about
better
—’ she waved a jerky hand in front of her ‘—I meant last night. I admit it, okay? But that was last night.’
‘And you’re thinking how much you’d like to do it again.’
‘You … you’re way too sure of yourself.’
‘You prefer a less confident man?’
‘I prefer to be
alone
as I already told you. Men are not on my agenda right now.’
‘Yet you made an exception for me.’ He grinned. ‘I’m flattered.’
‘Don’t be.’ She pushed the words out. ‘You were available, you were convenient and I used you. I used you
shamelessly
. A one-off. Nothing more.’ She forced herself to look into his eyes and
‘No. You
assumed
I was going to Hawaii.’
She tried to recall the conversation but right now her mind wasn’t operating at full capacity because it was too busy looking at the way his gorgeous lips curved ever so slightly. Teasing her. Or was he mocking her? ‘And you let me,’ she clipped out. ‘We talked about it, you let me believe—’
‘You asked if I’d been there before. I said I try to get there every couple of years. Just not this year, as it happens.’
‘You knew exactly what I meant.’ She frowned. ‘You didn’t tell me you were travelling to Fiji when we talked about Hawaii.’
‘Why would I? No exchanging personal information. Your rules, Charlotte, remember?’ he said softly. Seductively. The way he’d whispered how good she felt and what else he’d like to do to her.
‘I didn’t see you in the airline lounge in Melbourne or in Customs …’
‘That was my intention. You were adamant you only wanted one night, no further services required.’
She felt herself colour at his crude assessment of the evening. Obviously it would seem that way to him and why should he believe her if she tried to explain? But rather thanspecial, he made their night together sound cheap and sordid and ruined the memory and she resented him for that.
‘I’d have been better off facing up to that reporter,’ she said tightly.
He gave her a grin that twisted her insides into a tight little ball again. ‘Charlotte, come on. Loosen up a bit.’
She could read it in his eyes—
the way you were twelve hours ago
. Her chin lifted. ‘What about now? You’re not trying to avoid me
now
. In fact you’re making it your business to catch up with me.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Maybe you’re a reporter too and you were in on this together.’
‘You don’t really think that.’ He blew out a breath, looked about them. ‘Why don’t we find somewhere more private to talk—?’
‘No more private.’ She would not give in to the temptation and tightened her fingers on the handle of her suitcase. ‘Right here’s fine.’
‘Okay.’ He raised a hand as if to touch her face, then changed his mind, lowered it again. ‘I’ve been thinking about you for the entire flight. And I wondered if maybe you’ve changed your mind. Because I’d really like to see you again while we’re both here.’
‘I didn’t come to Fiji to meet someone. I came here to be alone.’
‘A shameful waste of romantic sunsets, don’t you think?’
‘No.’ She could enjoy sunsets; she didn’t need a man for that. And she refused to think what she did need a man for … So she didn’t think about how hard and hairy his forearm would feel if she reached out and touched it. She ignored his familiar masculine scent, arousing now in the humid air wafting through the exit doors. And she totally didn’t think about the dark, drugging taste of hiskisses, the way his eyes had glittered down at her in the dark, jaw clenched as he came inside her.
‘Admit it, Charlotte, you enjoyed our time together as much as I did.’ His voice was deep velvet and pure seduction. ‘It could be even better on a balmy tropical night with the windows open, the breeze wafting over hot damp skin …’
‘Yes,’ she snapped, not allowing herself to be tempted by the images he conjured. ‘Not the bit about
better
—’ she waved a jerky hand in front of her ‘—I meant last night. I admit it, okay? But that was last night.’
‘And you’re thinking how much you’d like to do it again.’
‘You … you’re way too sure of yourself.’
‘You prefer a less confident man?’
‘I prefer to be
alone
as I already told you. Men are not on my agenda right now.’
‘Yet you made an exception for me.’ He grinned. ‘I’m flattered.’
‘Don’t be.’ She pushed the words out. ‘You were available, you were convenient and I used you. I used you
shamelessly
. A one-off. Nothing more.’ She forced herself to look into his eyes and
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