Page 4 of Her Diamond Deal with the CEO

‘What I did was give you CPR. Now what are you doing?’ she said breathlessly as he began backing away from her.

‘I’m going back to my hotel.’

‘No, you’re not.’ With an effort, she fought to keep her voice under control. ‘You shouldn’t be going anywhere, particularly on your own. That’s why I told you to stay where you were.’

He shrugged. ‘I got bored.’

Bored?

She could feel her nostrils flaring, and her heart was banging hard against her ribs. ‘You need to see a doctor.’

‘I am.’ He frowned. ‘Or rather I was.’ He stared down at her, his beautiful mouth changing shape again, the corners curving up into a mocking smile that made her heart beat painfully fast. ‘As of last night, I’m pretty sure I’m single again.’

She spoke without thinking. ‘If you treat your partners with as little respect as you do your own welfare, I can’t say I’m surprised.’

He stared at her in silence.

‘Is that right?’ The smile had vanished. ‘I thought you said I needed a doctor, not a psychiatrist.’ He made another of those dismissive gestures; he seemed to have an endless supply of them at his fingertips. ‘Look, I’m sure you mean well, Odette, but I’m really tired, and right now I don’t need a lecture, I just want to go to bed.’ As if to prove his point, he yawned, extending his arms above his head, his spine curving like a cat.

‘It’s Ondine not Odette, and right now, you shouldn’t be on your own,’ she said stiffly.

His eyes were looking directly into hers. ‘In bed?’

She felt her cheeks grow hot. In fact, her whole body felt as if it were on fire.

‘I couldn’t agree more.’ The gleam in his eyes made the air leave her lungs. ‘Are you offering to join me?’ The mocking smile dented his cheek again. ‘If so, we should probably go back to your place. It’s closer.’

‘I’m not offering to join you, and there is no “we”,’ she snapped.

He tilted his head back. ‘I’m just messing with you—’

‘Because this isn’t a big enough mess?’ She glared at him. ‘You might feel fine now, but lung complications are surprisingly common after near-drownings. Chemical imbalances can develop, irregular heart rhythms can occur—’

‘Okay, okay.’ He held up his hands. ‘I get it. But you don’t need to call an ambulance. I have a car at the hotel. I can drive myself.’

Fighting an urge to roll her eyes, she shook her head. ‘No, you can’t.’ And he probably wouldn’t, she thought, remembering how he had walked off down the beach the moment she had turned her back. ‘Which is why I’m going to take you myself.’

He was frowning down at her, his eyes searching her face almost as if she had suddenly started speaking gibberish. ‘Why would you do that?’

‘I told you. You need to see a doctor, and I don’t trust you to do the right thing.’

‘Impressive,’ he said softly. ‘It usually takes people way longer to work that out about me.’

Their eyes met and, ignoring the lurch of her pulse, she said, ‘You need some shoes. We can pick some up at the house. And I’ll grab my phone. Then you can call whoever you need to call to tell them you’re okay. It’s this way.’ And without waiting, she turned and stalked away across the sand.

Five minutes later they were juddering along the road in her old in-need-of-a-clean Honda Civic. Beside her, Jack filled his chair; filled the entire car, all long muscular legs and square shoulders.

‘If I didn’t need to go to the hospital before, I will now,’ he grumbled, wincing as she accelerated past a pizza delivery scooter. ‘This feels like I’m riding a jet ski on dry land.’

‘It needs new shock absorbers,’ she said crisply. ‘But you won’t have to put up with it for long.’ There were four hospitals within driving distance of her house, but she knew without asking which one to take him to. Solace Health was the private medical centre favoured by the rich and famous. There were orchids on the reception desk and, instead of disinfectant, it smelled of orange blossom and money.

‘Do you mean the Solace?’ He frowned. ‘Isn’t there another hospital?’

‘Yes, but they’re further away. And they’re not private, which means there’ll be more people there. Which means you’ll have to wait,’ she added, when he didn’t react.

He shrugged. ‘I don’t mind waiting.’

She stared at him impatiently, remembering the imperious way he clicked his fingers at the poolside, but before she could respond he reached over and plucked her sunglasses from her nose and slid them in front of his eyes. She blinked as his fingers grazed her cheek. His touch was as light as the grass that brushed against her bare legs out on the dunes, only the grass never made her skin grow hot and tight.

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