Stop hearing double meanings in his words, Stewart!

“Food sounds great.”

I let him help me up and sat down at the table, watching him bring our plates. He seemed slightly changed. As though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Tucking into my lunch, I smiled up at him. Seeing him happy made me happy, and that was all that mattered.

Chapter 11

Time passed too quickly. After our strange but intimate moment and lunch, which turned out to be nothing short of amazing, we returned to the deck and to light conversation. Jett was easy to talk to, which was one of the many things I liked about him. It was hard to believe he was only a few years older than me. The vastness of his travel experience and knowledge of the world gave a different impression.

“More iced tea?” He refilled my glass without waiting for my answer.

“Thanks.” My glance traveled to the clear blue water, and the way it seemed to reflect the sunlight in a million facets.

“So you’re taking it serious?” Jett asked.

“What?”

“Your alcohol celibacy.”

I nodded and took a sip of my iced tea. “I do. I’m very serious about it.” Maybe not forever, but right now I intended to stick with my decision. Getting drunk with Jett around was the last thing I wanted, not least because I knew I couldn’t account for anything I did or said under the influence of alcohol. Besides, I needed a clear head to re-valuate our situation.

He took a sip of his own iced tea, his eyes never leaving mine. I could tell he was about to start flirting again by the way his eyes crinkled at the corners. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His leg touched mine, making me all too aware of just how close we were sitting.

“Have you considered working for me again?” His voice was playful, but there was a serious undertone to it.

“Why would you want that?” I asked surprised.

“Because I want to have you around. We make a good team.”

He was right about the latter part, and having him around for most of the day was tempting. But there were so many arguments against it I had no idea where to start. For one, we were too emotionally involved to have a professional relationship. And then there was the second best argument: past experience.

“Last time didn’t go so well,” I remarked.

“Fair enough. But we’ve both learned from our mistakes.”

Did we?

“I don’t have any plans at the moment. I just want to take it easy, see where things are heading.” And with things I meant us. The estate. Alessandro. I needed time to make a decision with regards to my inheritance, where to live, what to do with my life.

“I have a new position coming up. It pays twice as much as you were making with me, and you would be overseeing projects as project leader, while also taking on the same duties as my personal assistant. Consider it a promotion with a pay raise. We could travel together, get to know each other. Of course, if you don’t want to, I respect your decision.”

“I’ll think about it.” I avoided his intense gaze. “But thanks for the offer.” I meant every word of it.

He shrugged in that non-committal way of his that showed it affected him more than he let on. Truth was, Jett managed one of the most respected realty companies in the world, and passing on his offer would be stupid—in terms of my career. But working with him and seeing him every day would only make me fall even harder for him.

“I got you something.” He walked over to the navigation area and returned with a white box then handed it to me, his hands touching mine.

“What is it?”

“Just open it.”

I unwrapped the box and removed the thin paper to reveal a two-piece bikini made from tricot fabric. I scooped up the halter-top and low rise bottoms, and held them up into the light, marveling at the expensive cut and the way the material seemed to shimmer in silver facets. It was one of those luxury designer swimsuits I had always wanted but couldn’t afford.

“You said white’s your favorite color and I thought you might want to change into it, if it gets too hot.” He ran his hand through his dark hair.

“It’s—” I almost choked on my breath. “Beautiful. You shouldn’t have.” The only gift I had ever received from a guy was a key chain and a cup that read ‘Got to be lazy.’ But it wasn’t the gift that took my breath away. It was the fact that in the short time we spent together in the past, he had truly listened. The color was perfect and he even got the size right. He had either searched through my underwear drawer to find out, or he had lots of experience with women’s sizes. While option one seemed kind of creepy, I certainly preferred it to option two.

“Well, I hope you like it.”

“I do. Thank you.” I fought the urge to rise to my toes and place a soft peck on his cheek. As I arranged the top back in its box, I remembered Sylvie’s warning. This was the life of the rich, who never had to worry about money. I realized that our relationship was the least of my problems. Although I was an heir to an estate, my heritage was based on a lucky coincidence while he was born into it. He had grown up rich, used to this lifestyle and to spending millions on stuff he didn’t need. He could buy everything and anything he wanted. He had women throwing themselves at his feet, ready to unbutton his pants for a new dress or a pair of shoes. While I liked to think I was different, I knew he might not think that way if I accepted his gift. A man as powerful and sexy as Jett could easily replace things—and people. I didn’t want to end up as one of them, because he had no respect for me.

“What’s wrong?” Jett’s expression reflected his concern and I realized I had been staring at the box for a little too long. “Did I buy the wrong size?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just—” My voice faltered. “Why are you doing all of this, Jett?” Trying to control the shaking in my voice, I stood and walked over to the railing.

“Why am I doing what?”

I could feel him standing behind me but I didn’t turn to face him.

“If you’re no longer interested in the estate, why are you taking me out and do things for me?” I whispered.

“Because I like nice things and I can afford to buy them.” His statement sounded more like a question and only confirmed what I already knew about him and his lifestyle.

I shook my head and laughed briefly. “So it’s what you do for every woman, because you can afford to?”

The thought of him with others almost made me throw up in my mouth. I wasn’t the self-conscious type, but I wasn’t a fool not to realize that I had nothing to show off, nothing that would make his rich friends go ‘wow, she’s trophy wife material’—or whatever musicians, actors, and other famous people said about their girlfriends and wives. Men like Jett had women at their side that had either status or money; looks or fame. I had none of those combinations and that bothered me. I had thought his interest in me was based on his wish to obtain the estate. Now that had been clarified, what did Jett see in me that I didn’t?

His hand settled on the small of my back, massaging gently as though to soothe the turmoil inside me.

“No, I don’t do that for every woman. I just like you,” he said. “You say things the way you see them. You’re easy to talk to on an intimate level, and that’s hard to find.”

I turned around and he cupped my face, forcing me to look up. His eyes were as deep as the sea around us.

“You’re honest and clever. You’re interesting because you have something many don’t have: charm, spirit, and a kind heart. And you’re sexy.” His lips hovered over mine, sending my insides into a raging storm of anticipation. “But what’s most important to me is the fact that you’re loyal. I know you wouldn’t betray me.”

Was I loyal? Would I never betray him? Probably yes. But were those good enough qualities to keep a man like him?

A soft breeze pushed an unruly curl into my eyes. I lifted my hand to brush it away but Jett beat me to it. His fingers sent a delicious tingle through my skin that reminded me just how much my heart was consumed by him.

It’s not natural to fall, and fall so hard.

“When you reach the top the only way is down,” I mumbled. “You’re my peak and I don’t want to plummet into the depths awaiting me when we’re done.”

A few seconds passed between us before he spoke.

“Maybe you think I want what others want, but that’s not the case. I’m looking for things that matter. Things I can hold and treasure forever. I think you’re worth holding onto, Brooke. And that’s worth more in time to come than anything you think might be of importance.”

My pulse quickened as his hand ran down my spine, sending an electric shiver into my abdomen.

I wanted to believe him so bad it hurt. But my parents had loved each other and yet my father still killed himself, leaving my mother behind with a hole in her heart so deep not even I, as her daughter, could ever fill.

“I told you once and I’ll tell you again,” Jett said softly. “I don’t want someone who’s perfect because I’m not perfect. I want someone who’s real; someone who complements me rather than completes me.”

My resolve was fading. I could feel it in the way my sappy heart began to cry with joy and the way my legs threatened to buckle beneath me, sending me straight into his open arms. Or heaven—whatever came first.

I think Jett could see it too because he pulled me closer, until I couldn’t break away even if I wanted.

“For what it’s worth, I still want to be with you and I know you want it, too,” Jett whispered. “Just let it happen.”

It was true—and for this I hated him, loved him, wanted him, and yet I wished him away. So many conflicting emotions of wants and needs. So much fear. Not because of him, but because of myself—of how deep my feelings and desires were running, and how much I would fall if I happened to lose my grip.

“What do you say?” His lips found mine, taking from them the answer he desired.

My mind was spinning, my heart was screaming, but my body knew what it wanted. It was wet and ready for him. And he knew it. I knew it. His hand moved up until he held the back of my head and our lips began to brush against each other. As he kissed me deeply, he took not only every ounce of my breath away, but also the remaining wall of my castle. For once, everything clicked into place. In his arms I felt like I was home.

Chapter 12

Pressed against me, Jett smelled amazing—rich, and earthy, and edible, like a man should smell. His stubble rasped against my skin as he buried his face in my neck, licking and biting, teasing me. In the fog of lust descending upon my brain, I realized he was mouthwateringly sexy and I intended to taste every bit of him, whether he wanted it or not. Judging from his panting and the way his shimmering green eyes seemed to have darkened in spite of the bright rays of sun catching in them, he was very much up for it.

“Let’s go inside. I want to do a lot of naughty things to you,” I whispered against his mouth.