Tom shook his head as if Leo was mad. ‘I always am, man; don’t sweat it.’
Leo shoved his hands into his pockets and watched as Tom cupped Lexi’s elbow and led her towards the elevator, annoyed when she didn’t shake him off the second time.
‘I don’t think he’s realised she’s off-limits yet,’ Danny murmured.
Leo shot him a warning look. ‘That’s because she isn’t.’
Leo stormed down to the conference room and ignored the irrational urge to go after Lexi and take her out on the thing himself.
Not that he wanted to go out on a damned jet ski. He wanted to focus on what he enjoyed most—business. He’d been working for two years on developing this ethanol plant and he wasn’t about to jeopardise it to have fun in the sun.
What did he care about the sparkling blue waters of the Aegean, or the sandy islands surrounding him? To him, this location was just another venue to continue his business dealings. Relaxing was something he did after hours either at the gym or with a woman. Lazing around on a beach or riding a jet ski had never been on his list of things to do.
But half an hour later he was glad he’d insisted Danny stay in the meeting because he was the only one holding it all together. For some reason, Leo couldn’t seem to get his brain into gear. Maybe he’d had too much sun upstairs because the state-of-the-art airconditioning wasn’t doing anything to cool his blood. Nor was the buzzing of the jet skis and the delighted catcalls and squeals of his guests as they enjoyed themselves outside his window.
Leo paced around the airconditioned room and understood how a jungle cat felt locked up in a zoo.
He noticed the conversation had stopped and waved his hand absently. ‘Carry on,’ he said to the Greek minister’s young and ambitious lawyer. ‘I’m listening.’
He ignored Danny’s concerned glances and stalked over to the window, watching as four jet skis were lined up ready to race.
One of the men yelled, ‘Go’ and they all gunned the engines, the skis lurching full speed over the water. Leo’s eyes cut to Tom, who had Lexi on the back without a life jacket. A cold sense of dread settled over his skin. He should have stopped her from going. Or, better yet, gone with her. His instincts had been on high alert and if she got hurt it would be his fault. He didn’t question his need to protect her and nor did he ignore it. The last time he had, he’d lost his brother.
‘Take five, gentlemen,’ he threw over his shoulder as he marched out of the room.
CHAPTER SEVEN
HE MADE it to the lower deck just as Tom hit a rough patch of water and the ski lifted into the air and landed at a sharp angle. Leo’s heart flew into his mouth as Lexi screamed and flew off the side of the machine and disappeared under the water. For a split second he was paralysed as the rider behind Tom rode dangerously close to the wake.
Then he moved. Jumped onto the lower ramp and grabbed the remaining jet ski from one of the attendants, flying out over the sparkling sea to where Lexi had gone under. The other riders hadn’t realised what had happened and Tom had just got his machine under control when Leo reached the place Lexi had gone under.
Fortunately, her head broke the surface but Leo could see she had swallowed water and was having trouble breathing.
He cut the engine and leaned down over the side. ‘Lexi, give me your hand,’ he shouted. She looked disoriented and flailed around and Leo hooked his arm around her torso and hauled her up in front of him.
‘Is she all right?’ Tom called out as he pulled up alongside.
‘You’d better hope so, Shepherd,’ Leo snarled. He quickly ran his eyes over Lexi, but he couldn’t get a good look at her as she curled over his arm retching violently.
Leo cursed, ordering Tom to go back and get the in-house doctor. He held Lexi against his chest as he yanked on the throttle and headed towards the nearby island. It was closer than the yacht and he wanted to get her horizontal as quickly as possible.
The small curved inlet was deserted and once he hit the shallow water he jumped down and swung Lexi up into his arms. He ran through the breakwater and dropped to his knees and gently laid her onto the sand. She was shaking with reaction, her clothes clinging to her like a second skin, but other than that she didn’t appear injured.
‘Did the ski hit you anywhere?’ he asked hoarsely.
She shook her head and winced a little. ‘No.’ She raised a shaky hand to push her hair out of her eyes and he leaned forward and did it for her. ‘I think I just got winded when I hit the water.’
She tried to sit up but Leo held her down with an unsteady hand on her shoulder. ‘Lie back. Shepherd’s getting the doctor.’
‘I’m okay.’ She moved her arms and legs carefully to make sure. Leo’s heart was still lodged in his throat and adrenalin coursed through his blood.
‘Just keep still,’ he growled, the wealth of emotion in his voice raising her eyes to his. He couldn’t look away and nor, it seemed, could she. The world receded; even the relentless heat from the sun in a cloudless blue sky faded into the background as Leo felt emotions he didn’t want to name roll through him, searching for purchase.
Without conscious thought, he raised an unsteady hand to the side of her face. ‘You could have been killed.’ His voice was rough and heat arced between them as he gazed into golden eyes framed by long, wet, spiky lashes. His fingers stroked into her hair and she nestled her cheek into the curve of his palm.
Fascinated, Leo watched the gold of her eyes become eaten up by black, leaving only a ring of emerald-green, and his body caught fire at the implicit message her dilated pupils transmitted to him. Green. Her eyes turned green with passion.
As if somehow driven by the need to affirm that she was okay, Leo’s eyes dropped to her parted lips seconds before his head followed.