The Man Ban - Nicola Marsh Page 0,19
them all.” He winked, enjoying their banter now that she’d loosened up.
She rolled her eyes, but the amusement playing about her mouth told him she was enjoying their wordplay as much as he was. “I’ll pay for a massage at the hotel spa, and that’s my final offer.”
He crossed his arms and pretended to huff. “Not the same as having your hands all over my body.”
“Take it or leave it.”
“Maybe we can make it a couple’s massage?” He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed.
“Do you ever turn off the flirting?”
“No, it’s my thing. Is it working?”
To his surprise, she nodded, a faint blush stealing into her cheeks. “A little.”
“I like your honesty.”
“And I like . . . the way you helped me out when you didn’t have to. Thanks again.”
She’d been about to say, I like you. He could see it in the sudden tension of her shoulders, in the glance away, and he wanted to tell her the feeling was entirely mutual. In fact, now that her job was done and he still had a few days of R&R left, he hoped they could indulge this mutual “liking” and see if it could turn into something more—like several nights of unbridled passion.
“You’re welcome. So what are your plans now the job here is completed?”
“I’ve got another job lined up at Storr’s newest hotel in Lake Taupo, about four hours from Auckland, then I’m sticking around for a few days, relaxing.” She stared at him, the color in her cheeks intensifying. “But first, I wonder if you’d like to have dinner with me? My way of saying thanks for going above and beyond the last two days.”
Thrilled by her offer, which definitely meant she felt this buzz between them and wanted to prolong their contact, he nodded. “I’d love to. Did you have somewhere in mind?”
“There’s a great Indian restaurant not far from here, the best in Auckland apparently, and I have a hankering for some of that dahl you mentioned yesterday.”
“Then Indian it is.”
Though personally, he’d much rather be whipping it up for her, a cozy dinner for two, before feasting on her rather than food. Something to look forward to when they returned home, perhaps?
The moment the thought popped into his head, he wondered where it had come from. He’d never thought beyond one date, and dinner with Harper in Auckland could be classed as that. If they had sex after it, even better.
So what was it about this woman that had him contemplating cooking for her in the future?
“Great, you definitely deserve a treat after I’ve bossed you around for two days.” Her eyes gleamed with amusement, like she’d loved every minute of it. “Shall I meet you back in the foyer in two hours and we can walk to the restaurant?”
“Sounds like a plan.” If he could lever himself out of this chair, that is.
She stood in one fluid movement without a grimace in sight, which meant she was used to long hours on her feet and hefting sizable equipment around. Something in his expression must’ve given him away, because she held out her hand, a smirk quirking that mouth he’d love to devour again.
“Need some help, old man?”
“No,” he growled, waving her hand away, before thinking better of it. Any excuse to touch her.
He pretended to struggle, hamming it up, until he heard her mutter, “For goodness’ sake,” before holding both hands out to him. He seized them and stood, ignoring the twang of his back as he tugged, pulling her flush against him.
“I’m feeling so much better,” he murmured, plastering her hands to his chest and holding them secure. “It’s a miracle.”
“You’re impossible,” she said, but her admonishment came out breathy and barely above a whisper, and her gaze dropped to his mouth for a fraction of a second.
“Yet you like me anyway. Go figure?”
To his glee, she didn’t object. Instead, she eyeballed him, so he could see every tiny speck of indigo in her stunning blue irises.
“I do like you, which is surprising, considering our cringeworthy first meeting. But I’m here to work, and this job is too important to me to lose focus. Got it?”
“I’m flattered I make you lose focus.”
“You are definitely impossible,” she muttered, with no malice in her tone. “Dinner, and that’s it.”
“Dinner, and we’ll see what happens.”
Before she could protest, he swooped in to press a soft kiss against her lips, using every ounce of willpower to rein in the impulse to kiss her senseless.
She sagged against him