She’d always planned on leading her own team, one day in the future.But was she ready to do thistoday?
In need of a break, she scooted off the bed.It was barely six, but it was daylight already, as the divine aroma of warm roasted coffee greeted her in the hall.
After last night’s debacle of getting covered in hives, she’d scoffed down her steak and practically ran to her room to hide.Even though she’d claimed tiredness—which was true—it was Stone’s guilty look she’d needed to avoid.It wasn’t his fault she’d gotten hives.She should have checked what was in the salad, but she hadn’t thought they’d have seafood this far from the ocean.
The house was quiet, with the aquarium’s soft blue light barely illuminating the room.Through the tall wall of glass dawn created a soft glow that spread into the main living area, highlighting its high ceilings.During golden hour, this room would be spectacular.
And so was that coffee aroma.
At the state-of-the-art coffee machine, the pot of drip-filtered coffee stood ready.Along with a note:Help yourself.
Over the rim of her coffee cup, she deeply inhaled the rich aroma, but didn’t see Stone anywhere.
Stepping out to the back deck, the tropical oasis greeted her.So cool and calming, it was like a holiday resort right at Stone’s back doorstep.Even the air was sweet like a freshly watered garden, that mingled with the faint spice of blooming gingers and the clean, crisp aroma of the softly glistening pool that rippled as the shark fin broke the surface.
‘Morning, Finley.’She crouched down to greet the funny little animal that was so happy to see her.‘Don’t suppose you drink coffee?’
‘He doesn’t.’
‘Stone?’She turned to find him wiping his face with a towel, while shirtless, with a rippling torso gleaming with sweat.Holy cow!
Stone put the heavy set of weights back on the rack, giving her a magnificent view of his muscular back.‘How are the hives?’
‘Fine.’Not that she could hide the marks she’d scratched on her wrists, or her blotchy face, but Romy wasn’t here to win hearts, because no one looked at the girl behind the camera.
Yet, Stone looked her over carefully.‘Did you get any sleep?’
‘I did, thanks.’She winced over her cup, spilling the truth.‘And I didn’t.’
‘Eh?’He stepped under an outdoor showerhead, pulled on a tap and water poured over him.It made her gulp her hot coffee so hard to not drool at this guy, all muscular and lean with muscles that corded along his thick thighs, and strong calves.Not to mention those arms.
Wait!Stop!She couldn’t do this with Stone—not when she was technically the help.Not when she sucked at flirting with the quick-thinking, smug guy who’d effortlessly talked her into babysitting his house pets.Yeah, that’d go down well, especially since playing the awkward fool wasn’t on her to-do list for today.
And anyway, what kind of man goes for someone red and blotchy, who was two seconds away from asking for a paper bag before going public?
This was nothing but a purely platonic situation.She’d made that clear right from the beginning when she’d begged to get into his ute, promising Stone a purely platonic dinner and two cartons of beer.
She also wasn’t desperate.After all, Romy was a professional, and this wasn’t a holiday.‘I’ve started working on something.’
‘Good for you, shortcake.You can tell me all about it over breakfast.I did dinner, you can do brekkie.Excuse me, I need to cool off for a bit.’He dove into the pond and disappeared under the deep shadows cast by the towering assortment of palm trees.
Cool off!She was about to break new heights in heat, drooling at this guy.It was enough to make her scurry back inside the kitchen and poke her head in the fridge.
Spotting the assorted fruit, she decided to make that fruit salad Stone was talking about last night.
But when Stone walked out of the pool, with the soft golden sunrise caressing his rippling muscular torso like a god, she was speechless enough to freeze on the spot—while burning up on the inside.
This man was so gorgeous, he could be the star of his own movie—where she’d live on popcorn and soda to never leave the cinema again.
Stone grabbed a towel to dry himself off, ruffling his hair in that messy wild look that was short at the back and sides.It perfectly matched that sexy saunter belonging to a man who knew how to move in the wild.Stone was rugged, handsome, and downright delicious on so many levels, he was basically a high-rise full of temptation—and she was caught somewhere between the warning label, the penthouse, and the fire stairs that might be her only escape.
‘What are you making for breakfast?’He approached the counter and pinched a slice of the rockmelon she’d forgotten she was cutting.
‘Fruit salad.’The fragrance of pawpaw, honeydew melons and strawberries filled the kitchen, like it was summer all over again.‘I can whip you up some eggs.You’ve got plenty in the fridge.’Even if it seemed odd talking about eggs after yesterday.
‘Omelette or scrambled?’
‘My omelettes always end up scrambled.’
