‘You pass them onto the steward anyway, you imbecile. You shouldn’t be above deck yourself.’
Not above deck in this glorious weather! Was that true? Lexi was flabbergasted and appalled at the model’s attitude in equal measure. ‘Excuse me, but that’s no way to speak to anybody,’ she reproved, not caring if this woman was Leo’s latest mistress.
The model’s eyes widened at her tone. ‘And who are you to speak to me like that?’ She regarded Lexi as if she were an ugly bug—which was exactly how she felt, standing beside the couture-clad model wearing a chain store white vest top and khaki shorts. ‘Aren’t you some sort of servant yourself? You shouldn’t be up here either.’
Lexi ignored the comment and was about to offer to take the towels and leave the model to her own horrible company when Leo’s deep voice cracked through the air like a whip.
‘Katya.’
Lexi noticed the model curve her body into a provocative pose as Leo approached. He looked fit and utterly male in navy trousers and a crisp white dress shirt. ‘If I ever catch you speaking to my staff like that again it will be your last time on one of my yachts.’
‘Leo, darling,’ the model cooed, ‘I was just informing these girls of the rules and they got upset.’
‘You were being a bitch. Leave us.’
‘Leo!’ She tried to hook her arm through his but he cast her a look that would have turned mortals into stone.
She sniffed and blinked a sexy glance from beneath her thickly coated lashes. ‘I’ll be by the pool.’
They all watched her saunter out of the room and Leo turned to the laundress. ‘I apologise, Stella, for any offence my guest may have caused you. Here, let me take those.’
He knew the laundress’s name? Lexi wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t heard it with her own ears. And he was going to carry towels?
‘Thank you, Mr Aleksandrov.’ Stella handed over her bundle and all but curtsied before scurrying out of the room.
‘Nice company you keep,’ Lexi said.
‘Not everyone behaves like that.’
They stared at each other for a moment too long and then Lexi remembered that she’d been looking for him. ‘I wanted to ask why you assigned Carolina to assist me.’
He hesitated before answering. ‘You have a problem with my decision?’
How did he know she had a problem with it when she’d tried to keep her query light? ‘No. Well, yes. I’m a qualified childcare provider. I can look after one child with my hands tied behind my back.’
‘Ah, you think I’m questioning your professional integrity.’
‘Aren’t you?’
‘No, Lexi. I’ve seen how good you are with Ty. But I don’t expect you to be on call for him twenty-four seven. Carolina is to relieve you while he sleeps.’ He looked down at the monitor in her hand and his brows drew together. ‘Is that what he’s doing now?’
‘Yes. He usually has a midday nap at the centre and I thought the consistent rhythm would help him adjust.’
‘Then shouldn’t Carolina have this device?’
‘Carolina is sitting in with him and I’ll return once I hear him wake up.’
He nodded. ‘Even better. Have you had lunch?’
Lexi paused, something in his expression when she had said Carolina was in with Ty sparking an instinctive knowledge deep inside her. ‘You do care about him, don’t you?’
Leo blinked slowly, his expression inscrutable. ‘I repeat—have you had lunch?’
Lexi sighed, realising her comment had completely ruined the brief moment of accord between them.
‘No, I haven’t had lunch.’
‘Come. It is being served on the pool deck today.’
Lexi shook her head. Having decided that she needed to keep her distance from him, the last thing she should do was sit down to lunch at his table. ‘I can eat in the mess hall with the other staff.’
Leo was about to object when Danny walked into the room. ‘Everyone is seated for lunch, Leo.’
Leo nodded but didn’t take his eyes off Lexi. ‘You will dine at my table.’
Again she shook her head. He was too virile, too male. And the way he towered over her made her too aware of her own femininity, her own vulnerability in his magnetic presence. ‘You were the one who told me I was staff.’
‘And you were the one who reminded me that you weren’t,’ he informed her silkily.
Lexi sighed. ‘I’m hardly dressed for a proper luncheon.’
Leo slowly ran his sizzling gaze down over her casual clothing and down her bare legs and sandalled feet and all the way back up again.
‘You look fine.’ His voice was gruff, the tone sending frissons of sensation skittering into her belly. Given that she found it hard to keep her eyes off him she would really rather eat a hundred miles from where he was.
She was about to try some other excuse when her phone rang and she reached into her pocket and pulled it out. Recognising the number of her builder, Lexi smiled with relief. She’d been waiting for his call since yesterday and mentally crossed her fingers that he had good news about the renovations on the new centre. ‘Excuse me,’ she murmured, ‘but I have to take this.’
Leo scowled as he watched Lexi Somers’ toned legs take her to the other end of the room, wondering who was on the other end of the phone that had made her face light up with such obvious delight. Her lover?
He felt his good mood at the progress he’d made in his meetings this morning evaporate into thin air.
His scowl deepened when he saw Lexi’s expression turn worried. Was lover boy giving her a hard time? And why did it rankle so much to see her so affected by it?
‘What’s up?’ Danny looked at him quizzically and Leo realised that Danny had picked up on his keen interest in the obstinate brunette.
‘Nothing. Just see that Lexi Somers has lunch at my table,’ he said curtly.
He stalked off but instead of his mood picking up when Lexi did eventually grace his table with her presence, it only worsened. She was too natural and friendly for his liking. A little too natural and too friendly with the American filmmaker, Tom Shepherd. And he didn’t like that he’d noticed and liked even less that it was bothering him so much. He couldn’t concentrate on the lavish meal his world-class chef had prepared, or the conversation that was going on around him.
All he could hear were snippets of conversation as Tom charmed her with stories about the documentary film he was producing—the one Leo was bankrolling—and how interested she was in it, her smile generous and warm, her golden eyes sparkling as she sipped her Riesling and unselfconsciously de-veined prawns before popping them into her mouth. He could see Tom was fascinated with her and it would appear that his interest was reciprocated. And where was her loyalty to her Parisian lover as she flirted with Tom Shepherd?
Leo snorted out a quiet breath. She was no different from any other female who saw a better meal ticket come along. But, if that was the case, why hadn’t she latched onto him? Because he knew, without conceit, that he was the best meal ticket on this yacht, even with some of the world’s most influential men currently dining at his lavishly set table.
Logically, Leo knew he was being ridiculous since he’d already decided not to pursue her, but for once logic and his libido were diametrically opposed to each other. He couldn’t