Rendezvous in the Clouds: Billionaire Boss Office Romance (Hunter's Catch Book 1)
Page 5
My mother, needless to say, had kittens on the kitchen floor when I called to tell her the news.
“Please don’t get excited,” I murmured into the phone. “You have to take it easy, remember?” I could hardly understand what she was saying because it sounded like she jumping up and down. All I could make out was, “That’s my girl!” and “Bon voyage!” I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ok, I’ll see you soon. I love you,” I said, hanging up while she was still crowing with joy. Nick looked at me. He kept his face straight, but his eyes danced.
“How did she take the news? Everything all right?”
“She’s being very brave,” I said dryly.
He smiled. “Good to hear.”
“Thank you,” I murmured. He shrugged.
“Not a problem. And we’ll have some time when we get to St. George to buy clothes so you have something fresh to wear for the return trip.”
My mind whirled. Shopping with my boss? Staying overnight in Bermuda? And where was I supposed to sleep? The last question made a blush climb the ladder of my throat. Nick gave me a slow simmering smile like he could read my every thought.
Captain Joe poked his head into the cabin.
“Ready to go?”
Nick turned around and gave him the thumbs up sign. The pilot touched his fingers to his hat and returned to the cockpit.
“Ready for lunch?” Nick said to me over the roar of the plane’s engine. All I could do was shrug with a laugh. “Sure!”
I mean, at this point, he could have asked if I was ready to shoot off to the moon in a rocket and it wouldn’t have surprised me. Or so I thought, because there was one more surprise coming. As the plane took off, my billionaire boss rolled up his sleeves and served me himself.
We dined on salmon and the freshest salad I had ever tasted in my life. For dessert, he set out a plate of juicy ripe figs with melted Brie and honey. Our conversation flowed easily. I found myself telling him all about my life and growing up in Brooklyn. Once or twice he gave me that special look that made butterflies flutter between my thighs.
Everything about him attracted me, from the way his Adam’s apple slowly moved in his throat when he swallowed to the way he gripped his water glass. At the end of the meal, he wiped his mouth and set his cloth napkin on the table. “That should hold us over till dinner,” he said. I stood to take our plates to the kitchen. He grabbed my wrist and electric sparks shot through my arm. “Leave it,” he said. His voice turned commanding. “Come sit with me.”
I lowered the dishes and followed him to the leather sofa. He sat casually with his arm over the back of the seat and his leg crossed at the knee. I felt tongue tied suddenly. Slowly, I perched next to him, my heart skittering in my chest like a squirrel. His gaze pierced me.
“Sarah, I’m not going to pretend that I’m not attracted to you,” he said. His directness startled me. I couldn’t speak. My nipples, however, responded immediately by puckering and making visible dents in my blouse. It suddenly felt hot in the cabin as sweat beaded the nape of my neck.
“I know how important this job is to you, though. Our relationship will never be anything more than strictly professional if you don’t want to be with me.”
I stared at him, goggle-eyed. Like I said earlier, I am the office smart ass and my cynicism just took over. “Are you serious? You could have your pick of any woman in the world? Why me?”
He leaned back and humiliation washed over me. Of course he didn’t mean that he wanted me to be his exclusive girlfriend. I was just a conquest. Better to just say no in hopes that I could still keep my job, even if I could think of nothing else than him taking off my panties with his teeth. I stared sadly out the window at passing clouds till his soft laugh made me look at him.
“You remind me of myself,” he said. “You’re sharp, smart and ambitious. I knew you were special the moment I saw you. You are also very, very beautiful.”
I narrowed my eyes. I know I don’t scare babies in the street and my hair is naturally curly and whatever, but I had never considered myself anything more than cute. He leaned in and lightly stroked my jawline. My breath hitched at his firm, assured touch.
“Nick,” I murmured, “come on. You date super models.”
He grimaced. “You mean our publicists set us up on dates. I don’t have anything in common with a nineteen year old that looks like a praying mantis in real life.”
I laughed out loud. “A what?”
“You know, away from the camera most models are gangly. Their eyes are weirdly placed far apart, almost on either side of their head, like an insect.” He demonstrated by making circles with his hands over h
is ears. It made me laugh till I had to hold my stomach. That’s when he swooped in and kissed me.
His firm yet soft lips were deliciously sweet. I breathed in the warm scent of his skin. He smelled like amber and green herbs over a base of pure, unadulterated male. Desire zinged through me and I felt my nipples light up like champagne sparklers. Meanwhile, further down, wetness streaked my inner thighs. My mind grew fuzzy to think about what he could do to my body, if I was this turned on by just one kiss.
Suddenly, I wanted to touch him all over, to have his hands everywhere. A moan escaped my throat and I felt hot, dizzy and out of control. I gripped his shoulders. They were like granite. He laced his fingers around the back of my head and pulled me in, hungrily commanding my mouth and making me whimper with delight.