who’d rescued her on the night of the grad dance and proved with one scintillating, unforgettable kiss that he wasn’t solely the annoying rebel she’d branded him.
And that was what scared her the most. That on some intrinsic level she still craved this guy like a wistful teenager. If those old yearnings were resurrected…
Nope. This was physical all the way. Come Monday they’d revert to work, with a side-serve of flirting.
‘We’re here.’
Sapphie had been so busy battling with her doubts she’d lost concentration and missed the moment when he steered his boy-toy through the driveway of the Langham Hotel and cut the engine.
‘Ready?’ His hand sneaked across the console and found hers, his gentle squeeze reassuring.
‘Hell, yeah,’ she said, earning a wicked grin that made her belly go into freefall.
The next five minutes passed in a blur of bags and valet parking and checking in as Patrick took charge. She liked that about him—how the laid-back guy he’d once been had developed into a go-getter who hadn’t lost his ability to have fun.
Decadent weekends away in posh hotels reeked of fun and something she’d never done. She’d stayed in luxurious hotels for work, but never checked in to one with the intention of wallowing in the room.
The new her approved. Spending the weekend holed away was on par with a few hours’ meditation or yoga or Pilates.
The old her? Too scared to put in an appearance for fear a stray incense stick would clobber her.
As Patrick handed over his credit card—he’d bristled when she’d insisted on paying half, so she’d let it go for the sake of his manly pride—she glanced around at the exquisite swirled cream marble floors, the sweeping staircase, the fountain cascading water to the ground floor, the stunning floral arrangements.
Combined with the hint of ginger and lemongrass in the air, the Langham exuded a quiet elegance that appealed to her battered soul.
Maybe if she’d taken time out to appreciate places like this over the years she wouldn’t have ended up almost losing Seaborns and driving a wedge between her and Ruby in the process?
She’d devoted her life to the company—so many hours she could never take back. At the time she hadn’t wanted to, had been content to bury herself in work, but her enforced absence had readjusted her priorities.
When Patrick headed back to Europe she’d make time to do stuff like this, even if it meant checking into a swank hotel for a weekend on her own.
A few spa treatments, a stack of chick-lit novels on her e-reader and Room Service would be the perfect antidote to her frenetic schedule.
And if she’d probably remember this time with one of the sexiest guys she’d ever met and maybe crave him a tad? She’d better make sure they created some pretty unforgettable memories this weekend to resurrect when needed.
‘Let’s go.’
His breath fanned her ear as he placed a hand in the small of her back. The simple touch sent a shiver of longing through her.
He must have felt the faintest tremor, for his fingers strummed her spine on the way to her neck, where he caressed the exposed skin. ‘The faster we hit room 2227, the faster we get to unpack those boxes.’
She almost corrected him and said suitcases—until she realised what he meant. While her body couldn’t wait to hit that room, her rationale couldn’t be ignored completely.
Her hands cupped his face, leaving him no option but to look into her eyes. ‘We’re really doing this? I mean, we still have to work together, and what if—?’
He kissed her—a soft, tender sweep across her lips that had her melting into him.
‘I picked a hotel because I wanted this to be special. Not a quickie in your apartment or on my desk.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Though that’s not entirely out of the question later.’
Okay, so he wanted a ‘later’? Before she could ponder or question what that meant, he continued.
‘We’ve known each other a long time so there’s no pretences, no awkwardness later. We indulge ourselves, have a memorable weekend without regrets.’ His arms slid around her waist, anchoring her. ‘You with me?’
With her heart still questioning the validity of what she was about to do, she nodded. ‘All the way.’
All the way echoed through her head as the elevator whisked them to the twenty-second floor and their exclusive Club suite.
It continued to plague her as he deftly swiped the key card and held open the door for her.
Then she stepped into the room and her fears faded.
Sapphie had a keen eye for beauty. It came with the territory of being groomed by a society mother who’d prided herself on appearance and showing the world grace and elegance at all costs. Growing up surrounded by exquisite jewels, being the spokesperson for Seaborns, had developed that keen eye. So stepping into the gorgeous Club room should have sent her observatory radar onto high alert.
Instead, the floral embossed carpet, the deep green drapes, the luxurious Old Worlde furnishings and the amazing view of Melbourne’s Flinders St Station, Federation Square and surrounds faded into oblivion the moment Patrick closed the door and backed her up against the nearest wall.
‘I’ve been going frigging nuts with wanting you,’ he said, kissing her before she could respond.
That tender kiss in the lobby had been nothing like this. Desperation. Hunger. Insanity. All combined to make her press against him as if she’d never get enough.
Sex in the past had been okay. Probably more her fault than the guys she’d dated, because her mind would always wander to business and she’d be mentally making lists instead of making whoopee.
But Patrick’s passionate kiss and the way his hands were tearing at her clothes…Her mind delightfully blanked.
She ripped at his shirt. Buttons flew.
He tugged at her skirt. The zip stuck.
They swore in unison, laughed, and their fingers became more dextrous as pants, tops and underwear were stripped in haste and protection donned.
‘Finally,’ he said, his gaze hot and potent as he started at her chest and swept downwards. ‘You’re as beautiful as I imagined.’
Sapphie’s first instinct was to squirm, but she forced herself to stand still beneath his scrutiny. People had stared at her over the years when she’d been modelling Seaborns’ jewels but that was different.
No one had ever made her feel so thoroughly exposed as Patrick did at that moment.
‘You have no idea how long I’ve been fantasising about this.’ He reached out, tracing a nipple with his fingertip. ‘And it’s way better in reality.’
‘Good to hear,’ she breathed on a sigh as he stepped closer, his
