Sinfully Summer (7 page)

He glanced at his watch again. Definitely more than a little. While he stalked across the marble floor toward reception he inwardly cursed his party planner for leaving him and the builders for their lack of co-operation. If Lydia had stayed, he wouldn’t be strung tight with the undeniable sexual tension that close proximity to Alexa caused. If the builders did what Maria and Antonio paid them to do, they would have arranged for the water and waste company to inspect the development to check the newly laid pipes before switching the water on—the latter he didn’t think was an unreasonable request.

Two days later and he was called over in the middle of the night because part of the development had flooded. The idiots had cracked a pipe when they’d worked on the lower level and now it was flooded under a foot of water. His hands balled into fists as anger clawed its way through his veins, red hot and scorching. It felt like the icing on the cake of a torturous day. There was no way in hell Maria and Antonio would let him buy into the resort now.

He nodded to the night porter who promptly disappeared to the back room to make him coffee. Frederick knew how foul his mood was since he’d been the one to wake Ric earlier. He pulled out his phone to call his site manager to see how the clean-up was going. As he scrolled down to the number, the front doors opened, followed by a gaggle of giggling and whispers which were loud enough to wake the dead.

His gaze flew to the trio and zeroed in on the shortest, yet most eye catching of them all. In ridiculously high heels and what Ric could only describe as a red mini-dress, Alexa hobbled through the entrance, her hand pressed against the wall for support. Ric’s anger boiled over and he rose, left the reception and stalked back across the lobby. His feet didn’t feel so heavy now with adrenaline pumping through him.

‘My feet are dying,’ Alexa complained.

The woman in question bent over so her head was almost in-line with her knees, unknowingly exhibiting a red silk clad rear. Alexa swayed and he picked up pace. He had visions of her tumbling onto the hard floor and knocking herself unconscious—or worse—breaking her neck.

He grabbed her narrow waist and hauled her up. Alexa squeaked then turned her head. Her eyes, too clear for someone intoxicated, grew wide. ‘Ric.’

The other two quit giggling and gaped at him, but he didn’t release Alexa. ‘Glad to see you’re not too far gone that you forgot my name,
querida
.’

Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she pulled her scarlet lips into a pout. The lust flared as he remembered how close he’d been to her in his office, how her rosy nipples had shown through the thin linen blouse, how moist and delicious her lips looked…

Releasing her, he took a step back and scowled. ‘I think now is the perfect time to have that chat.’ He turned to her friends who looked like naughty schoolgirls who’d just been caught doing something taboo. One of them was even trying to hide an open bottle of champagne behind her back. Ric almost smiled. ‘I’ll make sure Alexa gets to her suite safely.’

With a worried look at Alexa, they both backed away and disappeared around the corner where the main elevator was situated. He turned back to her. She frowned at him, one hand on her hip, the other placed flat out on the wall to support her. Her black nail polish contrasted with the white walls.

‘How dare you embarrass me like that!’ Those grey eyes muddied, but he was sure he could see irritation bubbling beneath.

Well, she hadn’t seen irritated yet. ‘We have a meeting early tomorrow. Do you think the owners will want to lease out a yacht to someone who smells like stale alcohol?’

Her eyes burned. ‘I’m on
holiday
, Ric, what did you expect?’

Ric’s anger boiled his blood. He wanted to tell her to act like an adult, but this was Alexa and he was beginning to learn she did what she pleased. He had to find another way if it killed him.

Alexa met his gaze, a cheeky smirk quirking her lips. ‘Are we done?’

His blood hit scorching. ‘No, we are far from done.’ If he could just figure out how to tame the wild heiress…Ric gritted his teeth.

‘If you’re getting ready to haul me over the coals, we better sit down. My feet died two minutes ago and I swear I’m going to collapse any second.’

He glowered down at the skyscraper heels. What the hell had she been thinking wearing those for any length of time? The silver spike was at least six inches.

‘Fine, my office.’ He turned and took a step away.

‘Castillo, what part of
my feet are dead
didn’t you understand? I can’t walk!’

Agitation twisted in his stomach, but he turned back to her and there it was again. The expression that questioned his sanity. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes then counted to ten. When he opened them, he felt calmer, but Alexa had bent over again. Her backcombed bob upturned and her bottom up in the air like a perfectly rounded peach. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, he asked, ‘What are you doing?’

‘Extracting the Jimmy Choos in the hope of resuscitating my poor feet.’

‘For the love of—’

‘Gimme a minute.’

He watched as she reached for the strap at the side, fumbling from her upside-down angle. Irritation and impatience warred with the swelling heat in his groin. She still struggled with the strap when his patience expired.

Reaching down, he hauled her up by her shoulders.

‘What are you doing?’ Ric ignored her glare and pulled her off her feet. ‘Put. Me. Down.’

Her breathless reply made him far too aware that every curve of hers was pressed against him. Ric prayed the blood pulsing in his groin would slow before he embarrassed himself. Taking off in the direction of his office, he tried to remember the state of his development drenched by a foot of muddy water and held on to his sour mood as best he could with Alexa wriggling against him.

When he reached the elevator, she looked up at him, her eyes shone with fury. ‘You know in Britain this could be construed as sexual harassment in the workplace.’

‘It’s lucky we’re not in Britain, and that I’m not interested in you sexually,’ he lied.

His body pulsed to life when she was around. Whether it was anger, exasperation or a draining-the-head-of-blood feeling, he always felt something. And earlier in his office—when he’d lost his mind under the pressure of the negotiations for the new design and build contract—he’d been lost in the temptation of her. Ric thanked god for another interruption, because getting involved with Alexa would lose him the respect he’d worked hard for years to achieve.

‘Really?’ she asked as she leaned back against the elevator. ‘So today when you almost pawed me in your office – that was all in my imagination, was it?’ Her arms folded across her chest like she dared him to deny it.

Ric dared. ‘I was under pressure and you didn’t help by adding to it. What happened in my office will never happen again.’ He made sure his face was as serious as he was. ‘I don’t have time to date any more, and I certainly don’t have liaisons with people like you. Forget this afternoon. I have.’

‘
People like me?
’ Perfectly curved brows rose over wide eyes.

Ric ran a hand through his hair. The elevator doors opened and he ushered Alexa in, giving him a second to think about how to reply. She winced and stumbled on her heels. Grabbing her by the waist, he carried her to the far corner so she could support her weight on the bar.

‘Turn around,’ he ordered.

She did and held onto the metal bar with both hands. He sunk to his knees and lifted her left foot. ‘What are you thinking trying to walk in these ankle breakers?’ Shaking his head, he unbuckled the strap and slid it off. He almost rubbed the soles, but remembered his earlier comment. Rubbing her feet would surely give her more ammunition.

‘They’re gorgeous. Do I need any more reason than that?’

‘I’m sure if you asked your chiropodist, he’d have a few.’

Alexa’s lips quirked as he removed the other heel. ‘Like I said. I’m twenty-three, not forty.’

Ric straightened and handed her both shoes. She accepted them with a smile that swiftly morphed into a scowl. ‘People like me?’

‘Alexa, you’re irresponsible, childish and in the papers every other week. To say you have a less-than-stellar reputation would be an understatement.’

Alexa’s grin disappeared. With both hands planted on her hips and the shoes dangling from her fingers, she glared at him. ‘I’m not childish.’ Unable to help it, his brow rose. ‘I’m not. Just because I don’t want to settle down, or turn into a boring old fart doesn’t mean I’m immature. I know how to act at your stupid functions, I do it for my own business, but in my free time I do what makes me happy.’

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. He exited then turned back when he didn’t hear her follow. ‘Do you need me to carry you again?’ Ric put his arm against the door to stop them closing.

‘I’m going back to my room to soak my feet.’

She didn’t meet his gaze this time; instead she looked down at the shoes in her hands. Had he hurt her by calling her childish? Honestly, if he were accused of any of the things he’d said to her, the less-than-stellar reputation would have pissed him off the most. Her public antics didn’t seem to faze her at all.

‘Later. We need to find a way to work together without tearing each other to shreds. Come on.’

Alexa met his gaze, defiance etched in the firm press of her lips. ‘Not a chance.’

Scratch hard work, the woman was impossible.

‘Don’t make me drag you out, Alexa.’

Her eyes widened and her shoulders squared, but she pushed passed him into the corridor. Following, he watched her try to hold back a wince as her toes curled against the carpet with each step. The progress to his office was slower than it should have been. Regardless of his earlier denial of attraction, Ric couldn’t deny his curiosity about how smooth and firm those endless legs were. Like a man on the edge of a cliff, he feared it would only take a slight breeze to push him over.

His blood was at boiling point by the time they reached his office, but his anger had evaporated. Memories of Alexa sprawled over his desk, eyes swirling with confused lust and completely at his mercy made the pulse in his groin more prominent. She paused at the door, but didn’t enter. Instead she wobbled down the hall to her room.

Ric let out a relieved sigh and followed her. At least he wouldn’t have the distraction of the memory of Alexa on his desk for this conversation. He had to be firm, find a middle ground so they could focus on what was important. Then he could relax knowing the ball was going smoother than everything else. There was no way he’d let his ludicrous attraction to the young beauty overwhelm him.

Every small step Alexa took across the cold floor of the office felt like she was walking on spikes and fire. Not that she’d ever admit that to Ric. The shoes were fab and made her legs look sexy, but they weren’t made for dancing. She placed the gorgeous creations on the desk and sunk into the chair he had assigned her earlier, exhaling a breath when her weight shifted onto her bottom.

Ric frowned at the shoes on the mahogany desk. ‘That’s bad luck.’

Alexa sniggered. ‘Didn’t peg you for someone who listened to old wives’ tales.’

The frown didn’t leave his forehead, but his lips twitched like he fought a smile. God forbid he allowed himself to. He may crack that flawless tanned skin.

He sunk into a chair at the opposite side of the desk. Alexa didn’t know how he managed it, but the air seemed to suck out of the room and his presence was the only focal point. She tried to breathe evenly. Showing weakness when she had to hold her own against him was hard enough. She couldn’t let him see how much he affected her loony hormones.

‘We have to win over some respectable members of society, not to mention find an appropriate venue. I expect you to be more reasonable when I ask you to do something and have the maturity to know that you shouldn’t be out drinking until this hour when we have a meeting arranged for early the following day.’

The words were so similar to those her father had thrown at her for years. She had to bite her tongue against the petulant retort she’d thrown at Robert every time he’d told her to grow up. Ric didn’t have a trust fund to threaten to withdraw if she didn’t obey. But he hadn’t asked anything completely unreasonable so far. That included his request for coffee, but she wasn’t his PA and wouldn’t cave to those demands. Better to start as she meant to go on. Getting up ridiculously early was bad enough.

‘When you ask me to do something involving the ball, I’ll do it, but I’m not your slave.’ He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. ‘Once my friends go home, there won’t be any more late nights. But you have to be reasonable, too. I’m supposed to be on holiday. I promise to be discreet and keep out of the news.’

Before she’d started her company, Together, she had never worried about what the papers printed. If she continued to do as she pleased she’d never get the clientele she needed to give Robert the trust fund back. At the moment it was her last resort back-up. Then maybe it wouldn’t feel like she was his possession, like he owned her.

Ric’s frown hadn’t smoothed out. ‘Fine, but if something comes up I expect you to do what needs to be done. Trust me, if Lydia hadn’t left me when I have so much going on, I would have found someone else.’

Ouch. First his accusation of her childish behaviour and now this. She squared her shoulders and pulled her expression into Robert’s dead-pan glare. ‘Working with you wouldn’t be my first choice either.’

One side of his mouth pulled up. Alexa’s heart stuttered. She had to remind herself every time he smiled that he was really a blackmailing git. An arrogant man who lived his life for work. A man who she shouldn’t even have on her hot-totty radar.

‘Yet it seems we’re stuck with each other.’ The half-smile disappeared and she had the urge to kick herself at the disappointment. ‘How about you just…behave how Lydia would for the next month and we call a truce? It will make both our lives easier.’

‘Make your life easier, you mean.’