she took yet another lukewarm shower, she considered the situation a little more logically. What had really happened, after all? She had discovered she was powerfully attracted to a man and that he was attracted to her. That didn’t mean she was going to fall into his arms! Jonas might be an extremely attractive man, but she had known a lot of attractive men before and been able to resist them! But since that awful day she hadn’t looked at a man with interest and, with a strength of purpose she hadn’t been aware she’d possessed, she had simply shut down those feelings and emotions. So Jonas was going to be out of luck. She had come here to work, and that was all.
Taking comfort from that thought, she stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. Choosing what to wear wasn’t a problem; she had packed only the bare essentials. Two skirts and a few blouses. Nick had told her to include a swimsuit, which she had done, but she did not expect to wear it. Today she chose her cream pencil skirt and a pale blue short-sleeved silk blouse. She slipped her feet into comfortable shoes and swept her hair back into its pleat with the ease of long practice. Smoothing the material of her skirt over her hips, she examined the view in the mirror. She looked cool, efficient and out of reach—just the way she liked it.
She was twitching her skirt into place when there was a knock on the door.
It was Nick, and he smiled as he stood in the doorway of her room. ‘Good morning, Aimi. You’re looking amazingly cool,’ he greeted her, and her eyes crinkled as she laughed wryly.
‘I don’t feel it, I assure you,’ she observed lightly, reaching up to sort out the collar of his polo shirt, which had gone awry.
‘Well, just looking at you makes me feel cooler,’ he returned charmingly, and she sighed, shaking her head.
‘Nick, Nick, you’re almost as bad as your brother! You must have gone to the same charm school,’ she declared, grinning at him, totally unaware of anyone approaching.
‘Morning, Nick,’ Jonas greeted his brother and, when Aimi gave a start of surprise and glanced round, he nodded to her, lips curving into a provocative smile as he ran his gaze over her like a caress. ‘I like the skirt, Aimi, but, all things considered, I prefer what you were wearing last night,’ he said with a soft laugh before walking on.
She stepped back from Nick, feeling her cheeks grow warm. His remark, innocent-sounding as it was to anyone else, immediately brought back memories of what had occurred in the kitchen last night.
Nick frowned at his brother’s retreating back. ‘Hey, what did that mean?’ he called out after him.
Jonas didn’t miss a stride as he threw his answer back over his shoulder. ‘You’d have to ask Aimi,’ he advised, and jogged down the stairs.
Nick turned to her, eyebrows raised. ‘What did he mean? You weren’t wearing anything fancy last night. Have I missed something?’
She winced, knowing where his thoughts were going. ‘Your brother was referring to later on. He had been locked out, and I just happened to be down in the kitchen when he was looking for a way in. That’s all.’ Looking at him, she saw the sceptical expression he was wearing and sighed. ‘I happened to be in my nightie and robe.’
Nick let out an exasperated tut. ‘Aimi, I warned you to be careful. He’s my brother, and I love him, but when it comes to women…’
She squeezed his arm reassuringly. ‘I know, but give me some credit. I’m not going to fall for his line of charm. I came here to work, and that’s all,’ she reassured him. Last night was a mistake which wasn’t going to happen again.
Nick pulled a wry face and sighed. ‘Sorry. I’m just a bit over-protective. You work for me so I feel you’re my responsibility. I won’t have Jonas playing his games with you.’
Aimi was warmed by his caring, but he didn’t need to worry. ‘Don’t worry. Let’s go down to breakfast and afterwards you must show me the library.’ Working had always been a good way to distract her thoughts.
They followed in Jonas’s wake, entering the breakfast room together, to find it empty. Maisie Astin, the housekeeper, was just bringing in fresh coffee and hot croissants to set out on the sideboard.
‘Good morning!’ she greeted them brightly with a cheery smile. ‘Everyone has been eating outside today. Help yourselves, and let me know if you need anything else.’
‘Thanks, Maisie. What would you like, Aimi?’ Nick asked as he picked up a plate.
‘Some of Maisie’s melt-in-the-mouth croissants and coffee sounds perfect,’ she decided, exchanging smiles with the other woman, who disappeared back into the kitchen.
‘I’ll bring it out. You go find a shady spot,’ Nick ordered, leaving Aimi with nothing to do but wander outdoors.
Of course, then she wished she hadn’t because the only person at the table was Jonas. Had he not looked up, she just might have retreated indoors again, but, as if some invisible sensor had alerted him to her presence, his head came round and he looked directly at her.
‘Deciding whether it’s safe to join me or not?’ he challenged sardonically, and Aimi was compelled to walk forward.
‘Not at all,’ she denied blithely, smiling as if nothing had passed between them mere hours before. ‘I was just enjoying the view.’
His lips twitched. ‘Ditto,’ he responded, and the lazy meander his eyes took as they ran up and down her body told her his view had nothing to do with the garden. It caused her heart to skip a beat and her nerves to start tingling as if he had actually touched her.
Irritated by a reaction she currently seemed to have no control over, she favoured him with a long-suffering look. ‘You’re wasting your time, you know,’ she told him bluntly, keeping her voice down, not wanting Nick to hear. ‘I’m not going to take the bait, however attractive the lure.’
One eyebrow rose mockingly. ‘How many times did you have to tell yourself that last night?’ he taunted, and she drew in a sharp breath.
‘Once was enough. You’re not that irresistible,’ she shot back equally mockingly, and Jonas laughed appreciatively.
‘You know, you’re supposed to cross your fingers when you lie like that,’ he cautioned, never taking his eyes off her for a second as she approached. She was so conscious of it that breathing normally was no easy matter, and she wasn’t used to that.
Having reached the table, Aimi dropped on to a chair opposite him. ‘Contrary to what you might think, I’m not in the habit of telling lies,’ she corrected, feigning an ease she was far from feeling. Just being near him made her feel tense and unsettled.
Jonas raised that eyebrow again, to good effect. ‘Really? Now I would have said most women are natural born liars.’
‘That’s a huge sweeping statement. Your jaundiced view was caused by a bad experience, I presume,’ Aimi declared with heavy irony.
‘It’s a jungle out there,’ he returned with a wicked grin, and Aimi knew that she would never forget that particular look as long as she lived.
‘And men aren’t liars?’ she challenged scornfully, knowing she could name a dozen at least. ‘It would be easier to think the moon is made of cheese!’
Jonas relaxed back
