As Alex hurriedly stripped off in the bedroom, he smiled at the memory of the shock that had zoomed into her eyes. Harriet claimed to have been around, but he suspected that her idea of ‘been around’ was totally different from his. She wasn’t even close to being the sophisticated woman of the world she liked to think she was. Not a femme fatale, either. But he liked that about her; liked that she could still be shocked.
He couldn’t wait to shock her some more.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, Alex collected a new box of condoms from his gym bag, placed it on the bedside table, then climbed, naked, into the bed, his heart thudding with anticipation, his erection bordering on painful. He regretted now not jumping into a cold shower for a couple of minutes, scowling as he conceded he was not going to be able to last all that long the first time. Still, they had all night. He was not a once-a-night man; his sexual stamina was something he’d worked on over the years.
Where was that infernal woman? he thought, frustrated as he glared at the still-empty doorway. Five minutes had well and truly gone by now.
* * *
Harriet knew she’d passed her five-minute deadline, but she simply could not summon up the courage to walk stark naked into Alex’s bedroom. She would have put on the white towelling bathrobe she’d worn earlier, except that it wasn’t in her bathroom any more. It was out there somewhere. She hadn’t packed a dressing gown, well aware that a five-star resort would provide one. In the end, she grabbed the PJs she’d brought with her and pulled them on. They were hardly the sexiest of outfits, the long pants and long sleeves covering almost every inch of her. And then there were the unfortunate little-girl colours. The bottom was pink-and-white stripes, the top plain white with little pink love hearts all over it. Emily had bought them for her for her birthday last year.
Thinking of Emily made Harriet groan. Her best friend would have a fit if she knew what she was doing at this moment. Which meant she would never tell her. By the time Emily got back from her holiday, her affair with Alex would probably be over. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Harriet turned and walked from the room with her chin held high. She was shaking inside when she thought of Alex’s reaction. He liked to have his orders obeyed...
He was waiting for her on the bed, sitting up with just a sheet over him, a mountain of pillows stuffed behind his head, his magnificent chest bare, his handsome face scowling. But not for long; major amusement rocketed into his eyes as they raked her up and down. He didn’t laugh out loud, but he was close.
‘I like your idea of naked,’ he said, shooting her a heart-stopping smile.
Her stomach flipped right over. ‘Sorry. I just couldn’t do it.’
‘You have no reason to be shy, Harry. You have a very beautiful body.’
Now her heart flipped over. Oh, Harriet, Harriet. Be careful. You don’t want to fall in love with this devil. He’ll eat you alive.
She gave him a long, considering look as she walked over to the side of the bed closest to where he was lying. ‘I do not have a very beautiful body, Alex,’ she denied quietly. ‘It’s nice enough, but not anything special. Please do not feel you have to flatter me. Trust me when I say it’s not necessary—I’m a sure thing here.’
Now he laughed. ‘That’s good to know. When you came in wearing that, I thought you might have changed your mind.’
‘Not at all.’
‘Then perhaps you could take them off now,’ he suggested.
‘Is that an order?’
‘Not at all,’ he replied, cleverly echoing her own words. ‘Would you like me to do it for you?’
Yes, she thought with a dizzying rush of desire. But it was imperative she keep some control in all this. Harriet already feared that once she was naked in his bed she might be lost for ever. It was one thing to have a couple of raunchy encounters out of bed, another thing entirely to spend the whole night in his arms.
Scooping in a steadying breath, she slipped off the bottom half of the PJs first, tossing it onto the armchair in the corner, before turning her attention to the top half. Crossing her arms, she lifted it up over her head, hotly aware of the way his eyes were glued to her. When at last she stood naked before him, it took all of her mental and physical strength not to tremble, or to flee. The raw hunger in his gaze was both seductive and terrifying. Had any man ever wanted her like this, and vice versa? Alex had said they’d fallen in lust with each other. Harriet hoped that was all it was.
‘And you think you’re not anything special,’ he growled, shaking his head at her. Throwing back the sheet to reveal his own stunning nakedness, Alex stretched out his hand towards her. ‘Now come here, you gorgeous thing, you. I can’t wait another second.’