Romantic Acquisition Page 0,45
baby with Carlo made her stomach clench. She examined that idea and sighed. She realized that she was in love with the man. Which only made him more dangerous. She hadn’t been in love with her one and only previous lover. That experience had turned her off sex and intimacy for almost six years. What would happen if Carlo had the same reaction?
Kate fell asleep in the early hours of the morning. She didn’t hear the helicopter at all but the next morning, she woke up to Carlo knocking at her door and felt the hum of the ship’s engines.
“Come in,” she said sleepily and pulled the sheet higher over her chest.
Carlo opened the door only slightly. “Are you naked again?” he asked.
Kate laughed but answered him quickly. “Yes.”
He didn’t come into the room. “Meet me up on deck for breakfast?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said and almost laughed again when the door closed quickly.
Kate pulled on another bathing suit, this one a red bikini. She wasn’t sure what the agenda for the day would be but it probably would include water. The ocean looked fabulous this morning and the sun was shining high in the sky.
Kate went up the stairs and found the dining room with little problem. Unfortunately, no one else was there. She searched the decks and eventually found Carlo sitting at a deck table sipping a cup of coffee.
Kate sat down next to Carlo on the seat, waiting until he’d finished reading his newspaper article. But as soon as she came around the corner, he put down the newspaper and gave her his full attention.
“What did you want to do today?” he asked, pouring her a cup of coffee from the coffee pot next to the table. He added cream and sugar, just like she preferred it.
She took a grateful sip of the strong brew. “What is everyone else doing?”
Carlo smiled, “You’re a very sound sleeper, aren’t you?”
“I guess so. Why?”
“Because a helicopter came and picked them up this morning. We’re now cruising around the Atlantic on our own.”
Kate took too large of a sip and burned her tongue on her coffee, sputtering as it went down the wrong way. “We’re what?” she choked.
Carlo’s smile widened. “That woke you up, didn’t it?” he said and patted her between her shoulder blades.
“What do you mean?”
Carlo leaned forward so his arms were resting on his knees. He had a wolfish grin on his face as he looked at her. “I mean, we’re all alone. No one from the office knows we’re here except for a few people, and they’re instructed to contact me only in an emergency. There’s no one who is going to phone us, walk in on us or knock on the door at an inopportune moment.”
Kate’s mouth literally dropped open.
“Makes me wonder what’s going to happen now. How about you?” he asked.
She put her coffee cup carefully back onto the saucer, terrified about where her mind wandered with this piece of information.
“Why are your hands shaking?” he asked and leaned back in his chair.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said primly.
“I think you do,” he laughed. “But I’ll relent for now. Tell me where you want to go. Any island you’ve always dreamed of visiting?”
“Any island?”
“Sure. You name it, this ship will get you there in style.”
“Let me get this straight. You’re friend had to head back to his country on some sort of emergency and is allowing you go island hopping at his expense?”
“He owes me several favors.”
“Why?”
“Let’s just say I’ve helped him out in some situations and leave it at that. Besides, he’s stayed at our house in Grand Cayman before so he’s just returning the favor.”
Kate watched him, her eyes slanted. “What’s it like to have royalty in your debt?”
Carlo shook his head. “It isn’t really like that between me and Jamil. We’re just friends. He isn’t a royalty kind of guy.”
“Doesn’t he need to run a country or something?”
“Sure, but he has his fun as well. We went to college together. We know each other’s secrets,” he leered.
She laughed at his unapologetic grin. “You men are terrible. I can only imagine what the three of you were like in college.”
“Can you? You’ll have to fill me in on what you’re thinking. I’m sure your imagination is much better than the reality.”
“No thanks. I’ll keep my imaginings to myself,” she laughed.
He watched her for a moment. “Pity.”
Kate laughed harder. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Absolutely.” His wolfish grin was back.
“What do you suggest we do?”
Without blinking