Chapter Eight #2
Archimedes ignored the thought. After all, where exactly was this danger?
Anticipating sex was hardly dangerous, not in the way he thought of it, and as for the dinners and functions, well, he enjoyed spending time with an intelligent and quick-witted woman.
So why not feel some excitement about it?
God knew there was little to feel excited about in his life currently.
‘You will not cause my stocks to plunge,’ he said. ‘And even if you do, I’ll siphon the money right back into my accounts again.’
Zoe frowned, then hit him on the arm. ‘No, you will not,’ she said sternly.
And another feeling joined the anticipation and the excitement. Gladness. This was familiar, him teasing her and her teasing him right back. This was what he remembered, the playfulness they’d once shared, and it hit him all of a sudden that he’d missed it.
You’ve missed her.
But that really was a dangerous thought, so he ignored it. Instead, he bent his head and kissed her again.
* * *
Zoe packed her duffel bag once again, stuffing back into it the few clothes she’d brought with her, trying to ignore the nagging feeling in her gut that somewhere, somehow, she’d made a mistake.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have agreed to go with him so easily. Perhaps she shouldn’t have agreed to go with him at all. Perhaps she should have chosen to stay here, on the island instead, where she wasn’t around him twenty-four-seven.
But it was too late now. He’d offered her a choice—and yes, he’d made it very clear that it was her choice—and she’d taken it. Even though she knew there was danger there, a danger she couldn’t pretend she didn’t see coming.
Yet that was another thing that was too late.
She knew what it was like to be in his arms, to have his mouth on her, to have him inside her.
To taste him and have him taste her, and now she’d had it, she didn’t think she could do without it.
She’d planned on torturing him, holding out on him to make him absolutely desperate, yet in the end, she’d been the one who was desperate.
You’re not the only one though, remember.
Yes, there was that at least. She’d pushed him to the edge in the pool and it had been so satisfying to watch him break, and then to break along with him.
After that, how could she not accept his offer?
To be in his bed every night and in his arms sounded like heaven.
She wanted it too much, that was the issue, and that was the danger.
Then she’d heaped yet more danger onto it, by insisting on dinner every night.
Still, while she rather enjoyed being his sex object—she’d never been one before after all—she didn’t want to be only that.
She had questions to ask him and years to catch up on.
His insisting on functions and gowns had been annoying, but she hadn’t been as outraged as she’d thought she would. No, she even rather liked the idea of being on his arm, wearing a gown that would make him desperate. Who was to say she couldn’t still torture him a little?
He was right, too, she’d always wanted to travel, to see the world, and what better way to do that than on a billionaire’s private jet? Away finally from Banks and dreary London. Doing the things she’d always told herself she wanted to do.
Even now he’s still challenging you to get out of your comfort zone.
Yes, but really, wasn’t it time for her to start challenging him for a change? To do that, though, she had to determine what his comfort zone was and then how to push him out of it. A difficult thing for a man that she suspected had no boundaries.
Then again, he hadn’t liked it when she’d insisted on dinner, despite him being the one who’d suggested it in the first place. Maybe there was something in that. Maybe dinner and talking was out of his comfort zone.
She kept turning that over in her head as she finished packing then was escorted out to Kythea’s tiny airstrip. The stewardess showed her and Archimedes to their seats, and ten minutes later they were in the air.
He was sitting opposite once again, and was staring at her. ‘Want to join the mile high club?’ His gaze glittered with heat.
Zoe gave him a prim look, noting the restless energy that buzzed around him. He was sitting still enough, but she could tell he was controlling himself, that he had himself on a tight leash.
‘Not today,’ she said, despite the way his gaze made her want to say yes, because she honestly couldn’t think of anything she’d like better.
But she didn’t want him expecting her to say yes to everything he suggested, and also, maybe denial would be another thing to push him out of his comfort zone.
He leaned his head on his hand, his elbow propped on the seat arm. ‘Why not?’
‘Because I said so.’ She gave him a look. ‘Every night, you said. And it’s not night right now.’
‘It’s night somewhere in the world.’ He looked at her as if he wanted to eat her alive, and, quite honestly, it was all she could do not to get out of her seat and show exactly how much she wanted to join the mile high club, but no. It would do him good to wait.
‘It’s also dinnertime somewhere in the world,’ she said. ‘Perhaps we could talk first.’
He shifted, obviously annoyed by this, but he didn’t look away. ‘I’m surprised you suggested that, considering you were the one who didn’t want to talk.’
‘I’m surprised you hesitated when I did suggest it, considering that was your idea to start with.’
He shifted yet again, straightening and folding his arms across his broad chest. ‘You have an answer for everything, don’t you, Star?’
Star…
A traitorous warmth filled her at the sound of her pet name. She could still hear the way he’d said it to her in the heat of passion, his voice rough with desire. It sounded now as if he’d said it unconsciously and that too added to the warmth sitting inside her.
‘I have to,’ she said calmly, ‘when dealing with you.’
Unexpectedly, he laughed, and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling in return. It always made her feel as if she’d won a lottery whenever she made him laugh.
‘That is true.’ He gave her an abruptly serious look. ‘Why did you never leave?’