And the thought that he was in the next room played a big part as well. She had lain awake listening for him to come to bed and an hour or more had passed before she heard his soft footsteps and his door opening and closing. Even then she strained to hear the sounds of him moving about the room—and it was well into the early hours before all was still and quiet.
She slept intermittently but as soon as the first lazy fingers of dawn stretched across the sky Lucinda sprang out of bed. She pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, tied her hair back in a ponytail and set off to explore. The temperature outside was perfect, but she knew that all too soon the heat of the day would take over and she would wish herself back in the air-conditioned house.
The gardens were lush and green with a plethora of ferns and palms and exotic flowers that she did not know the names of. She discovered a path and followed it down the hillside. It became steeper and steeper with a handrail to the side and eventually Lucinda found herself on the shore, with the bay to her right with its dozens of moored yachts and cruisers, and to her left a long stretch of almost white sand.
By now the sun had painted the sky in a fleeting burst of red and apricot, until it rose majestically above the horizon and the colours muted and disappeared altogether. There was not another soul about and Lucinda kicked off her sandals and walked along the shore. The sea was tempting and although she had nothing to change into she ran into the lapping waves, laughing and splashing, until she was in deep enough to swim.
The water felt like silk against her skin and she raised her arms in long lazy strokes, enjoying the feeling of being at one with nature. She floated on her back, watched the birds wheeling and crying above, and was thinking of returning to the house when she became conscious of someone swimming beside her.
‘Zane!’ How had he got here? In no time flutters of anxiety filled her nerves. She had been enjoying her time alone. Now all she could remember was last night and him kissing her.
Zane grinned at her shocked face. ‘Is that all you have to say? Zane?’
‘I didn’t expect you. I didn’t even see you,’ she retorted, annoyed to feel her heart racing all over again.
‘Why are you up so early? Couldn’t you sleep? Wasn’t the bed comfortable?’
As if by mutual consent, they both turned and headed for the shore. ‘The bed was very comfortable, thank you,’ she replied, looking him straight in the eye. ‘It was my thoughts that kept me awake.’
‘Now let me think,’ he said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. ‘Would they be thoughts about the project in hand? Were you busy imagining how you are going to transform my place? Or would your thoughts have been about—’ he paused deliberately, his eyes twinkling with humour ‘—what happened between us last night? I know I said I shouldn’t have done it, but I’m not sorry I did. Your boyfriend was a fool to let you go.’
By now they had reached shallow waters and they waded out and stood for a moment on the shore facing each other. Lord, he was sexy, thought Lucinda. He wore a pair of brief black swim-shorts and his body was tanned and firm and her fingers simply itched to touch him.
Heat flooded her. They were insane thoughts. She must learn to curb them. ‘Don’t flatter yourself,’ she said with a hint of anger in her voice. ‘It was the project I was thinking about. I’d actually like to go into Castries and see what’s on offer. Do you have a car I can use?’
‘Better still, I’ll come with you,’ he said without hesitation.
‘No!’ Lucinda’s voice came out in something like a panic-ridden shriek and she immediately amended it. ‘I mean, no, I’ll be better off alone. I’ll probably spend hours looking around. You’d be totally bored.’
His eyes told her that he could never be bored in her company, but what he said was, ‘Do you not think I should have a say in what you’re going to do?’
‘Naturally,’ said Lucinda. ‘But not until I’ve developed a few ideas. I need time to myself. Both in your house and when I’m sourcing furniture and materials.’
‘Mmm!’ Zane touched a finger to his lips. ‘That might be difficult.’
Lucinda frowned.
‘You see I’m not very good at spending time by myself. I need company.’ Blue eyes challenged hers, sending shivers of sensation down her spine.
Lucinda shook off the feeling as well as she could. Not easy when the sexiest man in the universe was standing less than a metre away. ‘You more or less told me that this would be a base,’ she declared resentfully. ‘Can’t you go and do some work somewhere?’
‘I could,’ he agreed. ‘But you know what they say about all work and no play making Jack a dull boy. I should hate to appear dull.’
That would be impossible, thought Lucinda. Zane? Dull? Never!
His mouth twitched as he waited for her response.
‘Since I am here to work,’ she told him, ‘I see no reason why you shouldn’t work also. You can’t possibly sit around for days on end.’
‘I don’t intend to do that,’ he told her. ‘This transformation of my house, or whatever you like to call it, is going to be a joint effort. It’s so rare I take time off work that I’m actually looking forward to it.’
Lucinda groaned inwardly. She hadn’t really thought about what Zane would do while she was working; but she most certainly hadn’t imagined he would want to spend much of his time with her—certainly not all of it! It would make her job impossible.
Maybe if he hadn’t kissed her, maybe if she weren’t so very much aware of the way her body reacted to his, then it would work. But already, after only a few hours on the island, she could see the physical impossibility of anything like that happening.
‘How can I think with you around?’ she asked him bluntly.
And how could he act normally when a woman as exceptionally beautiful and desirable as Lucinda was living with him but was taboo? Zane knew he was behaving like a complete moron. It wasn’t usual for him to lust over a member of the opposite sex. It was usually they who came to him.
Women hung around him in droves. And he knew why. Money! Power! It was an aphrodisiac to some of the female population. Lucinda was different. She’d had a bad experience, and a bad role model in her mother apparently, and was well and truly off men.
Although—and it pleased him somewhat to realise this—she hadn’t been entirely averse to his kiss last night. It had eventually sent her running, yes, but she had nevertheless enjoyed it. Indeed her reaction had been far more intense and exciting than he had expected.
‘As a professional woman I’m quite sure you’ll be able to get on with your job,’ he assured her, ‘despite my presence. Now, let’s go up and have some breakfast. I don’t know about you, but that swim’s made me hungry.’
He touched a hand to her elbow and led her to a door in the cliff face. A glass door! He smiled at her surprised expression. ‘The previous owner had a lift installed for his invalid wife. We may as well make use of it; it’s a stiff climb otherwise.’
Zane could see the doubt in Lucinda’s eyes—and quite incredible green eyes they were too. Sometimes they were as dark as the deepest ocean and at others, like now, they were the lightest aquamarine. They enchanted him. But he could see that she wasn’t happy about sharing the lift. Maybe she was thinking about last night’s kiss. That incredible kiss! She had run like a scared rabbit afterwards but he had a feeling that she had enjoyed it as much as he had.
It was so unusual for him to be happy about taking time off from his business affairs that he knew this attractive woman had something to do with it. A lot to do with it, in fact! Everything to do with it! She was totally gorgeous. Although he wasn’t ready for