heard of him, of course. I just hadn’t realised—you never talk about your family.’
‘And I don’t intend to start.’
‘You’re not close to your family?’
A muscle flickered at the corner of his mouth. ‘You certainly like to live dangerously.’
‘If we’re going to be trapped together for the next two weeks we have to know a few things about each other.’
Those sexy, slanting eyes were faintly mocking. ‘You need to know I’m dangerous when I’m cross-examined.’
‘And I’m dangerous when I’m deprived of human conversation. I’m not cross-examining you. I’m just asking about your family. I don’t see what’s wrong with that. I’m just being polite.’
‘Let’s set some ground rules, shall we?’ Thick dark lashes swept down to conceal his expression. ‘You don’t ask me anything personal and I won’t ask you anything personal. In fact, why don’t we just agree to a no-talking rule for the next two weeks? It’s fine with me if we keep our relationship purely physical. We can communicate via body language.’
Katie chose to ignore that. ‘You can ask me anything you like. I don’t have secrets. And I can’t not talk for two weeks. Talking is how I relieve tension.’
He leaned towards her, his blue eyes two narrow, dangerous slits of simmering sensuality. ‘Want to know how I relieve tension, wardrobe?’
‘No, I do not.’ Trapped by his gaze, she found it hard to breathe. He was a man who clearly understood the effect he had on women.
As if to confirm that, his smile was slow and confident. ‘Sure?’
‘Completely sure.’
‘But you’re curious.’ His voice was soft and seductive. ‘Admit it—you’ve been wondering how it is going to feel when we eventually stop all this self-control nonsense and kiss each other.’
‘I haven’t. It hasn’t crossed my mind.’
‘You’re a terrible liar.’
‘And you’re impossibly arrogant. And arrogance,’ she said breathlessly, ‘is never an attractive trait, even for the Sexiest Man Alive.’ Her heart was pounding and the blood hummed in her ears.
‘You think I’m the sexiest man alive?’
‘I was quoting opinion polls.’ Thoroughly flustered, Katie looked out of the window again. ‘We’re landing.’ Thank goodness. How come he always knew what to say and she never did? How come he never seemed to feel awkward?
He unbuckled his seat belt and leaned across to do hers. ‘Let’s move. The helicopter is waiting.’
The first thing that hit her when she stepped out onto the island was the intense heat and the colours. Deep green palm trees shaded milky white sand, and a parrot added a flash of exotic red as it took refuge in the trees clustered in the centre of the island. The hot sun was a ball of orange and the sea was a magic carpet of glittering jewelled blue.
‘Beats London in February.’ Nathaniel took her arm and drew her away from the helicopter. ‘Here we are. Home sweet home. Otherwise known as Paradise Villa. All the bedrooms open onto the terrace and overlook the sea. Take your pick.’
Feeling hot and sticky in her jeans, Katie walked into the house and stopped dead, stunned by what she saw. ‘Oh, it’s—’
‘Yes. My brother has flawless taste. It’s the jewel in his company crown. VIP all the way.’
Katie gazed around her. The outdoor living area was cleverly designed to offer maximum shade while making the most of the breathtaking views. Exotic plants swayed lazily in the breeze and deep cream sofas invited relaxation and indulgence. The only sound was the swish of the sea as it rushed onto the sand. It was another world. ‘Who can afford to stay here?’
‘We can.’ Nathaniel urged her forward. ‘Most of the living space is outdoors, obviously, because of the view. Terrace, infinity pool, hammocks—you’ll find everything you need to chill out and do nothing. If you get bored doing nothing, there are water sports.’
Katie felt faint. ‘So when people come here, they book the whole island?’
‘Indeed they do. They come here for peace and quiet and to experience the unique challenges of having hot sweaty sex in a hammock.’ His smile was slow and sexy. ‘You’ve never tried sex in a ham mock?’
‘You’re not funny.’ Feeling as though she’d been plunged into a furnace, Katie pulled off her jumper. ‘Is there somewhere I can buy some clothes? Next time you kidnap someone, warn them to pack for hot weather. I’m boiling to death wearing jeans in this heat.’ Or maybe it wasn’t the heat. Maybe it was him …
That disturbing blue gaze was slumberous. ‘The staff were instructed to put some clothes in your room.’
Great. Her worst nightmare. Someone else choosing her clothes.
Speculating on the sort of woman the staff would have expected to see with Nathaniel Wolfe and sensing major embarrassment, Katie’s heart sank. She’d rather wear jeans and risk heatstroke. ‘I can tell you now that nothing will fit.’
‘If nothing fits, then you can walk around naked.’
‘You’re still not funny.’ Lifting her chin, Katie walked across the terrace and back into the villa. ‘I presume the bedrooms are this way?’
‘That’s the master suite. Unless you want to share it with me, you need to turn left.’
Katie turned left so sharply she almost fell over.
The door to another bedroom suite was open and she escaped inside, her eyebrows lifting as she saw the rose petals sprinkled on the white silk bedcover and the candles clustered around bowls of scented flowers.
It was a room for romance. A room for loving.
‘Miss Katie?’ A smiling woman ambled slowly into the room carrying soft fluffy towels. ‘I’m Rosa, and if there’s anything you need during your stay, you just have to ask.’
Katie frowned, confused. ‘I thought—He said we were on our own.’
Rosa laughed, her smooth brown face alight with amusement. ‘Bless you. This place has a staff of twenty. But we all live on the mainland. We arrive in time to make breakfast and leave after supper. So you have the best of both worlds. I arranged for some clothes for you, but if they’re not right just let me know.’
They were going to be too tight, all the wrong colours and it was going to be hideously embarrassing. But Katie was too polite to complain. ‘I’m sure they’ll be perfect. Thanks very much.’
Perfect or not, it was a relief to peel off her jeans. After a deliciously cool shower in a luxurious bathroom with one side open to the beach, she wrapped herself in a soft fluffy white towel and wandered into the walk-in closet. Oh, to live like this. An array of colourful bikinis had been spread out for her and she gave them a single horrified glance
