you, trying to cool down after a hotter than expected evening,’ he responded with more than a dash of irony. ‘I went down to the pool soon after you went off for your walk, and fell asleep. I was trying the doors and windows, and that was when I saw you, draped across the chairs, wearing that provocative bit of nothing.’
‘You should be thankful I was here; otherwise you would have had to stay outside,’ she told him with all the firmness she could muster. ‘And my clothes are perfectly respectable,’ she added for good measure, which drew a rakish laugh from Jonas.
‘Oh, I’m thankful all right, and there’s nothing wrong with what you’re wearing. You look good in it, and that’s the problem. How the hell am I supposed to sleep now?’ he charged sardonically, eyes gleaming flirtatiously.
Her heart lurched in sudden anxiety because the same thought had occurred to her. ‘You shouldn’t say things like that to a family employee. It’s hardly appropriate,’ she returned swiftly, determined to keep the moral high ground at all costs.
The moonlight made it easy to see the way one of his eyebrows rose mockingly and the sardonic twist of his lips. ‘Drop your arms, Aimi, and we’ll talk about appropriate behaviour,’ he taunted, and Aimi felt heat scorch her cheeks at the knowledge that he had seen her body’s response to him before she could hide it.
She watched speechlessly as he walked to the table and opened up the napkin of ice she had been using. Taking a cube, he rubbed it around his neck as he turned to look at her.
‘That was a caddish thing to say!’ she exclaimed in an attempt to sound outraged, and he laughed unrepentantly.
‘I’m sure my brother just got through telling you I am a cad!’
Aimi immediately came to Nick’s defence. ‘He did no such thing!’
Jonas didn’t look as if he believed her. ‘Really? Remind me to thank him the next time I see him,’ he said mockingly, allowing his gaze to roam over her from head to toe. Propping himself against the edge of the table, he crossed his feet and grinned provocatively. ‘You know, that bit of nothing you’re wearing leaves just enough to the imagination.’
Aimi drew in a ragged breath, knowing she ought to be able to handle the situation, yet finding it hard to remain aloof. This was the heat Nick had been talking about. It was pretty potent, and the sanest thing would be to get out of the kitchen. ‘This is pointless,’ she said shortly. ‘I think we should just go to bed.’
Something wicked flashed in his eyes. ‘Now that’s really cutting to the chase!’ he drawled sardonically, and she kicked herself for choosing her words badly.
‘I didn’t mean it like that,’ she corrected hardily.
‘However tempting the prospect might be, hmm?’ he murmured softly and in the quiet of the night the words echoed like thunder, sending shockwaves through her system.
‘You have some nerve!’ she gasped faintly, and Jonas laughed seductively.
‘I think you should go to bed, Aimi, before the need to know undermines your resolve,’ he advised.
To say she was unsettled would be an understatement, and it made her respond in a way she never would have otherwise. ‘What resolve?’ she queried rashly, and Jonas shook his head and sighed.
‘You know already. I’m talking of your resolve to have nothing to do with me,’ he answered softly. ‘That was the conclusion you came to during your walk, wasn’t it?’
‘God, you’re arrogant! My resolve to have nothing to do with men like you was made years ago, not this evening,’ she declared scornfully, and he looked amused.
‘Men like me?’
Her eyes narrowed as she looked him up and down, doing her best to make it obvious she found him wanting in every department. ‘Men who think they can have everything and everyone they want, just by asking. I have nothing but contempt for you.’ It wasn’t strictly true, but she was fighting a rearguard action here.
‘If that is the case, why do you respond to me?’ he asked softly, pulling the rug from under her feet.
Aimi held on by the skin of her teeth. ‘I do not respond to you.’
That produced a soft laugh. ‘I could prove you wrong, but it’s late and we’re both tired. I suggest you go upstairs now. We’ll continue this fascinating conversation tomorrow.’
‘We’ll do nothing of the sort!’ Aimi shot back tautly.
‘By the way, I love your hair like that. You should wear it loose more often. It’s very feminine, very sensual,’ Jonas declared in the next instant, and her hand immediately rose to touch it.
Aimi realised she had forgotten all about it; having him see her with her hair down was like an invasion of privacy. Feeling more vulnerable than she had for many years, Aimi decided she had had enough and that a dignified retreat was in order. However, as she went to walk past him on her way to the door, her foot hit a wet patch on the tiles and slid out from under her. With a gasp of shock, she flailed around for something to hold on to and suddenly found herself caught by a pair of strong hands and hauled in to Jonas’s powerful chest.
‘Easy. I’ve got you,’ he declared into her hair, but she scarcely registered him for her senses, now that she was safe, were being bombarded by the heady male scent of him, combined with the solidity of his powerful chest. It was a sensory overload that had her tipping her head and looking up at him through stunned eyes.
Jonas met that look and, though his eyes gleamed hotly, his mouth curved with wry humour. ‘I think what you’re thinking right now is highly inappropriate for a family employee,’ he declared ironically, pushing her upright but not letting her go.
Dismay washed over her as she realised just how totally she had betrayed herself in that one gesture. What she wanted to do was run away from those knowing eyes, but what she did was tilt her chin at a belligerent angle. ‘Keep your hands to yourself,’ she commanded bitingly, shrugging him off, and walked away. It was hard not to hurry to the door, but she managed it and went out without a backward glance.
Out in the hall, breathing raggedly, she stared at the closed door. She had just made a complete fool of herself. To find herself experiencing an unwanted attraction to the man was one thing. To let him see it, quite another. Something about him just kept getting through her defences, and she didn’t like it. Not one little bit.
Aimi berated herself all the way up to her bedroom, where she spent a restless hour trying to sleep. Before sleep finally claimed her, however, she had promised herself that she would keep well away from Jonas for the remainder of the weekend. It shouldn’t be hard to do, as she was here to do research. She doubted very much if he was the type to spend much time in a library. A harem, maybe, but not a place full of musty books!
One thing was certain—no matter what he thought, she was absolutely not going to be the next notch on his bedpost! She had worked too hard for too long to achieve this level of peace with herself to surrender it now.
The new day dawned as hot and humid as the last. Though she had managed to get some sleep, Aimi didn’t feel the least bit rested, for Jonas had invaded her dreams, haunting them with tantalising possibilities. It seemed as if, waking or sleeping, she was being pulled by her senses into dangerous waters, and the current was incredibly
