A rap sounded on the glass doors.
Instinctively, she raised her head and peered over the back of the sofa.
Gary and Simon stood in the open doorway. “Sorry, Zach, we didn’t realize you had… Dani?”
“Shit.” She closed her eyes and slid down, trying to merge into the sofa. It didn’t work and she finally opened them again and glared into Zach’s face.
“I think we’ve been caught,” Zach murmured. “You should have kept your head down, sweetheart. They might not have seen you.” His voice was tinged with rueful amusement.
She peered over the edge again. Unfortunately, they weren’t a figment of her imagination. Gary and Simon stood seemingly rooted to the spot, shock and disbelief etched into their faces.
Dani tried to get up but Zach held her firmly in place. “Give me a moment, honey.” He closed his eyes briefly, swallowed, then put his hands on her hips and lifted her to sit on the seat. “Stay there.”
The back of the sofa hid her from view and she was quite happy to remain that way. She grabbed a cushion and held it clutched to her middle while Zach pulled on his pants and rose to his feet.
She didn’t take in the words Zach spoke to the other men, but she was vaguely aware that they weren’t polite. Not that she cared; it worked. She heard them turn and go, but she still couldn’t bring herself to move and face reality.
She was studying the tiles on the floor when he touched her arm lightly, and she jumped. “I take it we aren’t going to adjourn to my bedroom,” Zach said.
Dani raised her head and gave him a narrow-eyed stare.
He sighed. “No, I didn’t think so. Wait there a moment.” She watched as he left the room, contemplating making a speedy escape, but she wanted to be sure Gary and Simon had left the vicinity before she moved. She didn’t want to run into them until she was fully dressed and had regained her composure. If that ever happened.
Zach came back and tossed her a white robe. Then he turned from her and walked out onto the terrace.
A moment later, she heard a splash. He’d jumped into the pool. Maybe she should do the same. Instead, she dragged on the robe and wrapped it tight around herself with trembling hands. What had gotten into her? But it had felt so good. Even now, her body resonated with the pleasure.
Dani took a deep breath and got to her feet. Might as well face him and get it over with. He was pulling himself out of the pool as she walked onto the terrace. And he was naked and already semi-hard again. She closed her eyes—that was so not helping.
He laughed softly. “Come on, Dani. You can hardly be shy.” He waved a hand at his cock, which was getting bigger by the second. “It’s not as though the two of you haven’t been introduced.” Amusement laced his voice, and she opened her eyes and shot daggers at him. “Not the response I normally get.”
Not surprising. It wasn’t only the fact that he was naked and sporting what was now a super-impressive hard-on. It was his confidence, the total absence of inhibitions, the grace of his movements. She threw him a towel then turned away. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him pick it up, but instead of wrapping it around himself, he used it to rub his hair dry.
Sinking onto one of the sun loungers, she stared at the view down the mountain to the sea. Zach sat down next to her.
“Right, I’ll be on my way,” she said.
“Just like that?”
She glanced at his face. His eyes were narrowed, his jaw tight. What did he have to be annoyed about? He wasn’t the one who’d been found in a totally compromising position by his colleagues—who were probably going to make her life hell because of it.
She tugged at a strand of hair. “I’ve got work to do.”
“Don’t you think we need to talk about what happened?”
“I’m going to have to talk about it enough with Gary and Simon. So if it’s okay with you, I think I’ll pass thanks.”
He reached across and tucked the strand of hair behind her ear, then stroked his knuckles across her cheek. “I don’t mean Gary and Simon’s interruption. I mean before. We didn’t do anything wrong.”
Lacing her fingers in her lap, she chewed her lower lip, still sensitive from his kisses. “Yes, we did, or at least I did—it was unprofessional. I’m supposed to be protecting you.”
“Actually, you’re not. The dogs are here to protect me. If I promise not to kiss them, will you come to bed with me? I’ll make sure we’re not interrupted.”
“Now?” Dani couldn’t keep the shock from her voice or the ripple of sensation that ran through her body at the thought.
“No, not now.” He gave her a rueful smile. “I think the mood’s been ruined. But soon.”
“I don’t think the mood’s ever going to come back.” She dropped her head to her hands. “Oh God, I’ve got to go and see Gary and Simon. The longer I leave it, the more they’ll work themselves up.”
“What’s the big deal? You’re not their responsibility.” He rested his palm on her shoulder and gave her a little shake. “They’re not your boyfriend, or your father or your brother.”
She raised her head. “I know that; you know that. Unfortunately, Gary and Simon have not been made aware of it. You don’t understand—it’s always been like this. It’s like there’s always been this great, big conspiracy. Ever since I joined up. They all think I need looking after. Up until now, it didn’t matter, and I’ve just pretended I don’t notice. It seemed the easier option and it made them feel good.”
He studied her for a moment, as if trying to determine what made her tick. “You’re a nice person, you know that?”
“No, I’m not.”
“So how about going to bed with me?”
God, he was persistent. She felt the first stirrings of anger—a definite improvement. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
“I suggest you close your eyes and count to twenty,” he said with a grin.
“What?”
“You always count when you’re angry—you move your lips sometimes when you’re doing it.”
She kept her eyes wide open, stood up, and stalked off with as much dignity as she could muster. Which wasn’t very much.
…
“What?” she snapped. After all, belligerence was vastly better than embarrassment, which seemed like her only other option right now.
It was like being back at school, and she’d hated school. They were both standing there staring at her, identical looks of recrimination on their faces. Well, not quite identical, since Simon’s was tinged with a look of hurt that made her feel really annoyed and vaguely guilty at the same time.