Page 14 of Hold Me Close
I shouldn’t have been surprised to see her making her way toward me now, but I cursed under my breath. It was her plane, and she’d told me it was her job to know what happened on it. The brim of her faded Detroit Lions hat shielded her green eyes from the sun, but not the rest of her gorgeous body.
I probably looked like I was waiting for her when, in fact, I wanted to avoid her as long as possible.
“Afternoon,” she said, her tone frosty. “You’re here because...?”
“I’m to make sure nothing gets on the plane that’s not supposed to while it fuels.”Like a bomb.
She nodded in acceptance. “I guess they’re running behind?”
“Seems so.”
“Where’s our boss?”
“Getting ready for the game drive.” I’d figured now was as good a time as any to have the conversation that was needed. “Hey, last night?—”
A tanker truck rumbled down the gravel road, kicking up dust and dirt, and momentarily broke my concentration. There was no way I could tell her over the laboring engine that approached that I’d made a mistake.
I shouldn’t have gotten on her plane. I shouldn’t have let her kiss me. And I sure as shit shouldn’t have let myself kiss her back.
Olivia gave a friendly smile to the truck driver, whose eyes lit up. He probably didn’t encounter women on his deliveries too often, and definitely not ones who looked like her. Long legs, full breasts stacked over a narrow waist. Sexy, dangerous curves.
I knew exactly where those curves were, didn’t I?
All the paperwork was in order, and the refueling was uneventful, other than the driver lingering until he got a good look at my scowl, which sent the man away in a hurry.
“You didn’t have to be rude to him,” she scolded.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“No, but you looked like you wanted to kill him.”
“Maybe that’s just how I look.”
Her gaze held mine, an enigma behind her eyes. “That’s not how you look at me.”
How the hell did she know there was more going on with me than what appeared on the surface? She didn’t wait for my reply. Her emerald eyes blinked once, then she was gone.
By the time I reached the lodge, Giovanni was already seated in the vehicle, ready for the game drive. He dismissed the backup translator. The South African man spoke English well enough, but his Italian wasn’t as good as mine, and that was sure to annoy Giovanni.
I was relieved no one from the flight crew had shown up. It was smart to keep their distance.
“Are you ready?” Giovanni asked.
“Yes.” I wrapped a hand around the black bar to climb into the first row?—
“No, she’ll sit there.”
“She?”
I craned my neck, already certain who he was talking about and chewed back the cuss word I wanted to unleash. Although he didn’t speak English, Giovanni had seen enough English-speaking movies to recognize the four-letter words.
My gaze slid over Olivia as she strolled toward the vehicle, and frustration wormed its way through me. “I told you not to come.”
“You are not my boss,” she snapped.
As she moved to climb in, I instinctively stepped back. I didn’t want her so close that I’d be able to smell the faint vanilla perfume she wore. It had lingered last night, just as long as the taste of her soft mouth.
I used the darkest look in my possession, the one that was pure intimidation, and it made her eyes widen so they weremostly white. But she swallowed back that fear and stood tall. Jesus, that glare should have sent her running.
