Page 5 of Undercover Billionaire

He took the cup off the saucer, placed the umbrella on it and sipped at his tea in silence for a long moment. Heat radiated from his body, and Kelsey was conscious of how close they were as the peppermint from his tea joined the bouquet of aromas playing havoc with her senses.

‘Do you get them very often?’ Her voice was tentative as it broke the silence.

He cradled the cup in his lap. ‘I used to, not so much any more.’

‘Have you had them investigated? Sometimes they’re more than just a headache, you know?’

As soon as the words were out, Kelsey wanted to bite her tongue.Nice one, Kels.Why not imply the man has a brain tumour?

‘I mean… I didn’t mean anything serious like a…’Bloody hell, don’t say the T word!‘It could just be you need… glasses or something simple.’

Oh, Jesus. Shut up already!

His black eyes sought and held hers for a moment and then he chuckled, his beautiful mouth parting. Kelsey blinked as the noise poured over her skin like warm oil. Sadly, it didn’t last.

‘I was in an accident three years ago. It’s a residual thing from that.’

‘Oh God, I’m sorry. Were you badly hurt?’

‘Not really.’ He stared into his tea. ‘I was lucky.’

He raised the cup to his lips, obscuring half his face but not the trace of bitterness that had laced the word ‘lucky’. It was stark in the profound silence. Clearly, there was more to that story.

Was that why his eyes were so sad?

She inspected his profile as he drank, looking for answers, but his face was a mask. And it wasn’t any of her business. He was apassenger, for fuck’s sake. She’d returned his wallet and helped him out when he’d been unwell. She’d fulfilled her duties as a member of theHellenic Spirit’s crew.

Gold star for her.Now get out!

‘Well…’ She placed the umbrella on the tea tray and handed him the empty saucer. ‘I best be off, if you’re sure you’re okay.’

The teacup rattled against the saucer. Those dark eyes slid once again to hers and locked tight. ‘Yes, thank you.’ His gaze slipped to her mouth with a laser-like focus.

Kelsey suddenly realised how close they were, their arms and thighs only inches apart. Her breath hitched and her hand shook a little as she concentrated on inhaling. She’d been with guys who could excite her with a look but never with one who could interfere with her ability to breathe.

Who made her feel like there wasn’t enough air.

‘It wasn’t any trouble.’

Her voice sounded weird. High and strange, like she’d been sucking on helium. Not the usual husky quality. And still, he stared at her mouth, and every pulse point in Kelsey’s body started to throb. Her nipples hardened. Her belly tightened. Heat radiated from his thigh to hers, sliding up her leg. All the way up.

She really,reallyshould leave.

‘Maybe,’ he murmured. ‘Still…’

Kelsey waited for him to continue, to finish what he’d been about to say, but he didn’t. He just kept staring at her mouth, the sound of his breathing growing rougher and rougher, thicker and thicker, until it rubbed against her exposed flesh like a velvet glove.

He kissed her then, his mouth swift as it breached the distance between them, his lips pressed hot against hers. Not moving, just pressing. Not hard but not light either.

Firm.

Pressing and pressing. Not opening or shifting to take the kiss deeper. Not attempting to touch her. Just pressing. And breathing – hard and fast. Sucking air in and out of his nostrils in swift, harsh respirations, like he was struggling to keep himself in check.

Or struggling against some kind of internal demons.

Kelsey’s pulse hammered at her temples and beat a wild tango between her legs as she tried to compute myriad sensations coursing through her body. How perfectly his mouth fitted against hers, how her erogenous zones had lit up like a pinball machine, how his loud, crazy breathing was a bigger turn on than everything else put together.

How she was kissing a virtual stranger. A near-naked virtual stranger. In his cabin. At her work.

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