Page 10 of Contracted and Claimed By The Boss

He’d told her that, but the word was a misnomer. Far from being anything like any kind of farm Paige had ever seen, this ‘farm’ was actually the beach. A beautiful cove of white sand and turquoise water, palm trees along the coastline, and white boats bobbing on the water’s surface, lines of rope on the top, and a hive of activity—people moving in and out of the water, to a shaded jetty in the middle of it all.

‘It’s so beautiful,’ she murmured, instantly wishing she’d brought bathers. But then, the thought of wearing something skimpy in front of Max did funny things to her body so she pushed that thought right out of her mind. When things improved a little, she’d ask Amanda to go to the beach with her. It would be a bonding experience.

‘Yes,’ he agreed, without looking, cutting the engine and reaching across her to pull a book from the glove box. His hand grazed her knee and now it was Paige’s turn to flinch. She felt the electric shock travel all the way through her body.

He expelled a sigh, turning to face her. ‘Look, Paige.’ His voice was deep and raw. His brows drew together, his eyes boring into hers as if trying to read her thoughts. ‘About yesterday—’

She blinked up at him.

‘I was wrong to say what I did, how I did.’

His statement was totally unexpected.

‘Obviously I’m attracted to you.’

Her lips parted, her mouth forming a circle. This, she had not expected. ‘That’s—I—’

‘And I think it’s mutual,’ he continued, his lips a grim line.

Her cheeks felt as though they were about to go supa nova.

‘I believe in honesty,’ he drawled. She squeezed her eyes shut on a wave of unwelcome wants. ‘There’s no sense ignoring the elephant in the room.’

Paige grimaced, then, finally, nodded. ‘Fine, okay. Yes.’

‘Good.’ His approval sent a thousand little arrows darting through her veins. ‘But Amanda is my focus. She has been my focus from the day she was born. Earlier, even. From the moment I found out Lauren was pregnant.’

Something shifted in his voice, and a feeling pressed heavily against Paige’s emotional wound, like a finger in a bruise. She blinked away, trying not to think about how much she would have loved her own father to express even an iota of that sentiment for Paige.

‘So whatever is going on between us, obviously we have to control it. I’m not going to risk Amanda getting caught in the middle of something, just because we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves.’ He looked away, features locked into a mask of self-control. ‘Because I can’t keep my hands to myself,’ he corrected darkly. ‘It’s important to me that we both keep it professional.’

She appreciated his honesty, and, in some ways, was glad to have him bring their attraction out into the open, but at the same time, something about his words sat uncomfortably in her gut. ‘Of course,’ she murmured, because what choice did she have? Besides, he was right. The last thing Paige wanted was any complication, and nor could she afford to jeopardise her job, which she was pretty sure having an affair with her boss would do.

So they were attracted to each other. Big deal. Someone like Max Stone probably had a woman he was attracted to in every city of the world. She’d known men like him. Bigshot billionaires, the behind-the-scenes financiers who greased the money wheels of Hollywood and made the magic keep happening. She knew what men were like. Just because Max Stone seemed more comfortable in rugged outback clothes and his big, comfortable, charming, old house, didn’t mean he wasn’t also capable of being just like those men she’d known before, in her other life.

Except none of that really tallied with a man who was insisting on putting his daughter first.

Paige turned away and opened the door in one movement.

‘Thanks for the drive,’ she called over her shoulder. ‘Tell me when you want to leave.’

He needed to inspect the harvest—which was looking exceptional, even by their exacting standards—but every few seconds his eyes strayed to the shore, where Paige was walking in the shallows, kicking the water a little, head bent, eyes trained on the splashing droplets as they flicked into the air then landed back in the frothy shallows, being swallowed up once more by the sea. She left small, wet footprints that he could just make out as the water receded, and the skirt she wore pulled at her legs in the light coastal breeze, so he couldn’t help but register how delicate and feminine her shape was... Desire surged through him and he dropped his head forward, acknowledging to himself that resisting his desire for Paige was going to be one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

Paige had always thought the Mediterranean was the most idyllic, stunning beach in the world. It was certainly famed for the juxtaposition of culture, history and natural beauty. But here, in the very north of Australia, Paige wondered if there’d ever been a more breathtakingly lovely sight. The water was so clear she suspected that if she were to wade out up to her neck she’d still be able to see her feet against the white crystal sand. The water made little diamond shapes as it danced and caught the sunlight, reflecting and refracting it into myriad patterns. She desperately wanted to swim, but the most she allowed herself, having looked over her shoulder to be sure Max wasn’t nearby, was to tuck her long skirt up a little, into the elastic of her underpants, and go into the water to her knees. It was so delightfully cool, so refreshing, that she actually moaned out loud. She went a little deeper, reaching her fingertips out and drawing them through the water, lifting it and pressing it to her throat and neck, which were too hot courtesy of the beating mid-morning sun.

How was it possible that somewhere could be so pristine and unpopulated? She turned her back on the ocean, looking instead to the coastline, with its glorious green forest almost the whole way to the beach, so wild and untamed. There were some houses she could just make out and, in fact, her eyes chased west. And there it was—Max’s tree house. She smiled, because it really was incredibly beautiful, magical seeming, wise and ancient against the backdrop of resplendent nature.

‘Paige.’ His voice caught her by surprise. It wasn’t his fault. She’d been in her own little daydream world. She turned too quickly, guiltily almost, and lost her footing, slipping in her haste, half stumbling into the water, so she was wet all the way to her breasts on one side. Heat flushing her cheeks, embarrassed at her silly, clumsy body, she stood quickly, glaring at him even when it wasn’t his fault, stalking out of the ocean without being able to bring herself to meet his eyes.

But then, she thought better of it, turning to face him and changing direction, walking right up to him so they were toe to toe. ‘That was an accident,’ she said crankily. ‘I slipped. It was not some kind of “wet T-shirt” scenario designed to make my clothes stick to my body.’

‘Thank you though for drawing my attention to the fact that your clothes are in fact sticking to your body.’

She bit down on her lower lip and looked away.

‘Though yes, in fairness, I had already noticed.’

Her cheeks felt as though they were burning.

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